STATE RULES · PUBLIC BUYERS

Which states let you buy salvage cars at auction without a dealer license

IAA publishes a table of what buyers without an automotive business license may purchase in each state. Copart follows the same state laws through its licensing map. Here is the table for public buyers, condensed.

Direct access to Copart, IAAI and Manheim for $100. Not a broker bidding for you: your own login on the three official auction sites, under our Florida dealer license. You see every lot, you place every bid, you keep full control. No dealer license needed, no membership. The $100 is one-time and is credited toward your deposit and your car.

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Open states: public buyers can purchase clear and salvage titles

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Washington. Ohio allows clear titles and a limited number of salvage vehicles per year; Michigan allows clear titles but needs a broker for salvage.

Partly open: salvage yes, clear title through a broker

Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, West Virginia. Texas and Tennessee allow in-state public buyers a limited number of salvage vehicles per year, with clear titles through a broker. Utah public buyers can buy clear titles directly; non-auto businesses may buy up to 5 salvage vehicles in 12 months.

Broker required for both clear and salvage

Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin (recreational vehicles excepted), Wyoming. Illinois salvage is sold only to Illinois-licensed rebuilders, dismantlers and scrap processors, or to out-of-state licensed buyers.

Source: IAA Help Center, “Buyer Eligibility by State”, read October 2026. Each state has exceptions; check your DMV.

Why the table stops mattering with a dealer-license account

The table describes what the auction may sell to a private person. Dealers, dismantlers and exporters are “Yes / Yes” in every state. BasicMobile opens a bidder account in your name under our Florida dealer license, so the auction sells to a licensed account and the title is reassigned to you afterwards. What still matters is your own state’s rule for registering a salvage or rebuilt vehicle, which applies no matter where you bought it.

One-time $100 opens your own bidder account on Copart, IAAI and Manheim under our Florida dealer license; it is credited toward your deposit and your car.
Deposit to bid: 10% of your bid limit, $600 minimum (Copart, IAAI); 50% for Manheim.
Service fee only when you win: $200 up to $5,000, $300 up to $10,000, $400 up to $30,000, 1.5% above (Manheim from $300).
You bid yourself from our app; we pay the auction, handle the title and coordinate transport.

State guides

Questions about states without license requirement

Which states allow anyone to buy salvage cars at auction?

According to IAA: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington, plus limited yearly purchases in Ohio, Texas, Tennessee and Utah.

Does my state matter if I buy through a dealer account?

The auction sells to the licensed account, so the purchase goes through. Your state still decides how a salvage or rebuilt vehicle is inspected and registered.

Is the Copart list the same as the IAA list?

Both follow state law, so they are close, but Copart marks eligibility per lot in its Vehicle Finder (“No Business License Required”). Check the lot page before bidding.

Get your auction account today

Direct access to Copart, IAAI and Manheim with your own bidder account under our Florida dealer license. One-time $100, credited to your car. Account issued within 12 hours, usually within minutes.

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Related guides

Copart and IAA fee and licensing details are taken from copart.com and iaai.com as of October 2026 and can change; the auction’s own page is the final word. BasicMobile fees and deposits are as published on this site.