Copart Fee Calculator
Know your true cost before you bid. Estimate Copart buyer fees, internet bid fees, gate, storage, taxes, transport, and the maximum you should bid to hit your target profit.
Inputs
Fee breakdown
The number missing from this calculator
A fee calculator tells you what the car will cost. It does not tell you whether it will sell. CarFlipIQ tracks retail asking prices and days-on-market across all 50 states — so you know whether a winning bid actually moves at your target resale price in your local market.
Estimates only. Copart updates its fee schedule periodically and certain locations / vehicle types apply surcharges. Always verify final fees against the Copart member fee schedule before bidding.
What will it resell for in your market?
The fees are half the math. Check the local asking price before you bid.
Copart buyer fee table (Standard / non-licensed buyer)
The full tiered buyer fee this calculator uses, for Standard (Basic) members and guest buyers bidding without a dealer license. Licensed and Premier buyers pay lower fees. Source: Copart's published member fee schedule (copart.com/content/us/en/member/feesandtaxes). Estimate only; Copart updates the schedule and some yards add surcharges.
| Winning bid | Buyer fee |
|---|---|
| $0 – $24.99 | $0 |
| $25 – $49.99 | $1 |
| $50 – $99.99 | $5 |
| $100 – $199.99 | $25 |
| $200 – $299.99 | $35 |
| $300 – $349.99 | $40 |
| $350 – $399.99 | $50 |
| $400 – $449.99 | $55 |
| $450 – $499.99 | $65 |
| $500 – $549.99 | $80 |
| $550 – $599.99 | $90 |
| $600 – $699.99 | $110 |
| $700 – $799.99 | $130 |
| $800 – $899.99 | $145 |
| $900 – $999.99 | $160 |
| $1,000 – $1,199.99 | $180 |
| $1,200 – $1,299.99 | $200 |
| $1,300 – $1,399.99 | $220 |
| $1,400 – $1,499.99 | $240 |
| $1,500 – $1,599.99 | $260 |
| $1,600 – $1,699.99 | $280 |
| $1,700 – $1,799.99 | $305 |
| $1,800 – $1,999.99 | $335 |
| $2,000 – $2,399.99 | $390 |
| $2,400 – $2,499.99 | $450 |
| $2,500 – $2,999.99 | $500 |
| $3,000 – $3,499.99 | $550 |
| $3,500 – $3,999.99 | $600 |
| $4,000 – $4,499.99 | $650 |
| $4,500 – $4,999.99 | $700 |
| $5,000 – $5,999.99 | $750 |
| $6,000 – $6,999.99 | $800 |
| $7,000 – $7,999.99 | $900 |
| $8,000 – $9,999.99 | $1,000 |
| $10,000 and up | 7.5% of the bid |
Copart Virtual Bid (internet bid) fee table
Charged on top of the buyer fee when you bid online. Gate ($95), environmental ($15) and documentation (~$20) fees are flat and come on top of both.
| Winning bid | Online bid fee |
|---|---|
| $0 – $99.99 | $0 |
| $100 – $499.99 | $39 |
| $500 – $999.99 | $59 |
| $1,000 – $1,499.99 | $79 |
| $1,500 – $1,999.99 | $99 |
| $2,000 – $3,999.99 | $129 |
| $4,000 – $5,999.99 | $179 |
| $6,000 – $7,999.99 | $229 |
| $8,000 and up | $279 |
How Copart fees actually work
Buyer fee (tiered)
The largest line item. A flat amount per bid tier from $0 up to ~$10,000, then it transitions to 7.5% of the winning bid. A $1,500 bid: $260. A $5,000 bid: $750. A $15,000 bid: $1,125 (7.5%).
Internet bid fee
A separate tiered fee for online bidders. Starts at $39 for bids of $100+, caps at $279 for bids of $8,000+. This is on top of the buyer fee.
Gate, environmental, title
Largely flat: ~$95 gate, $15 environmental, ~$20 documentation / title transfer (varies by state). These apply to every winning bid regardless of price.
Storage
First 3 days are free. After that, expect roughly $30/day — actual rate varies by yard and lot type. Plan transport pickup within 5 business days to avoid runaway storage costs.
Copart auction fee calculator: every cost in one place
This Copart auction fee calculator rolls every charge into one number: the tiered buyer fee, the internet bid fee, the $95 gate fee, the $15 environmental fee, the title/documentation fee, and any storage past the 3 free days. If you bid through a broker, add their flat fee on top (typically $99-$200). The result is your true Copart auction cost — before transport and state sales tax, which the Max Safe Bid mode adds for a full landed-cost figure.
The fee math is only half the question
A clean calculator tells you what a car costs. It cannot tell you whether your local market will pay your target resale price — or how long the car will sit before it does. That is the gap CarFlipIQ closes. We track every active and sold used-car listing across 50+ states and surface the comps and days-on-market that determine whether a winning bid is actually a winning bet.
Virtual Bid Fee vs internet bid fee
Copart's official name for this charge is the Virtual Bid Fee. Most buying guides — including ours above — call it the "internet bid fee," but it is the same line item: a tiered charge for bidding online (via VB3 or the app) instead of in person at the physical auction. It is tiered by winning bid amount and stacks on top of the buyer fee, starting at $39 for bids of $100+ and capping at $279 for bids of $8,000+. Whichever term a guide uses, confirm it is Copart's Virtual Bid Fee before comparing numbers across sources.
Sales tax on salvage vehicles
Copart does not collect state sales tax at checkout. That does not mean a salvage or branded-title vehicle is tax-free — it is still taxable when you title and register it in your state, and the rate that applies is your registration state's rate, not the state the auction yard sits in. Budget for it separately from the fees above. Use the vehicle sales tax calculator to estimate what you'll owe when you register the car.
Secured vs unsecured bidding (deposit)
Copart requires a refundable security deposit before you can bid, and your maximum bid limit is tied to the size of that deposit — the more you deposit, the higher you're allowed to bid. Buyers who don't hold a dealer license can still participate in some states by bidding through a registered Copart broker rather than bidding directly. We don't list exact deposit amounts or bid-limit multipliers here because Copart adjusts them by membership tier and location — confirm the current figures on Copart's registration page before you fund an account.
Other fees that can appear
Beyond the buyer fee, Virtual Bid Fee, gate, environmental, title, and storage charges above, a few situational fees can show up: a broker fee if you bid through a licensed broker instead of a direct account, additional storage if the vehicle sits past the free pickup window, a late-payment fee if you don't pay within the required window, and a relist fee if you win and don't pay at all. These vary by yard and state — always confirm the exact amounts on the specific lot page before you bid.
See it on the lot page
The CarFlipIQ extension drops a live pricing card right on the Copart, IAAI & Manheim lot page — local resale, max bid, and profit, without leaving the auction.
Copart fees + local resale prices by city
FAQ
How much are Copart fees on a $5,000 winning bid?
On a $5,000 winning bid as a Basic / Standard member, Copart charges approximately $750 buyer fee + $179 internet bid fee + $95 gate fee + $15 environmental fee + $20 title fee, for around $1,059 in fees. Storage adds $30/day after the 3 free days. Total all-in: roughly $6,059 before transport or sales tax.
What fees does Copart charge buyers?
Copart charges a tiered buyer fee based on winning bid, plus an internet bid fee for online bidders, a gate fee (typically $95), an environmental fee ($15), a title / documentation fee (varies by state, around $20), and storage fees ($30/day after 3 included days). Premier members pay reduced buyer fees.
How do I calculate the max bid for a profitable flip?
Start with your expected resale price. Subtract estimated sales tax (state-dependent), transport from auction to your location, recon / repair budget, and your target profit. The remainder is your auction ceiling — bid plus fees. Use the Max Safe Bid mode of the calculator to solve for the exact bid that fits.
Is the Copart buyer fee a percentage or flat?
It is tiered. From $0 to roughly $10,000, the buyer fee is a flat amount per tier. Above $10,000 it transitions to 7.5% of the winning bid. The Internet Bid Fee is separately tiered and caps around $279 for bids of $8,000+.
Does this calculator include transport and repairs?
The 'Max safe bid' mode includes transport, repairs, and sales tax inputs so you get a true landed-cost ceiling. The 'Fees on a bid' mode only shows Copart-collected fees — useful for confirming what Copart will charge after you win.
What are Copart auction fees in total?
Total Copart auction fees stack the buyer fee + internet bid fee + gate fee + environmental fee + title/documentation fee, plus storage if you don't pick up within 3 days. On a typical $4,000 win that's roughly $650 buyer fee + $179 internet bid + $95 gate + $15 environmental + $20 title = about $959 in auction fees before transport or sales tax. Use the calculator above for the exact figure on your bid.
How much are Copart broker fees?
If you bid through a registered Copart broker (because you don't have a dealer license in a license-required state), the broker adds their own fee on top of Copart's fees — commonly $99-$200 flat per vehicle, or a small percentage. That broker fee is separate from the Copart buyer fee shown in this calculator. Always confirm the broker's fee schedule before bidding.
How much are Copart storage fees?
Copart includes 3 free storage days after the sale. After that, storage runs roughly $30/day, though the exact rate varies by yard and vehicle type. A car left 10 days past the free window adds about $210 in storage. The 'Fees on a bid' mode lets you add storage days to see the impact on total cost.