Military Surplus Vehicles: How DoD Sales Work

By I Go Cars · Updated October 29, 2026

Two federal channels, two sets of rules

The federal government sells used vehicles through two separate systems. Civilian-agency vehicles, meaning the sedans, SUVs and pickups that carry 17-digit VINs and federal safety labels, are sold through GSA (the General Services Administration). Military vehicles, meaning the tactical trucks, trailers, generators and HMMWVs (High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, commonly called Humvees) that the Defense Department calls rolling stock, are disposed of by the Defense Logistics Agency's DLA Disposition Services and sold to the public through a DLA sales contractor. GSA Fleet states that surplus military vehicles go through DLA, not GSA.

The difference is more than a change of website. A GSA vehicle was built to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and can usually be titled like any used car. A military tactical vehicle was built to contract specifications instead, and federal regulation, 49 CFR 571.7(c), states that “no standard applies to a vehicle or item of equipment manufactured for, and sold directly to, the Armed Forces.” That single sentence explains most of what follows: off-road-only sales, demilitarization, export controls and titling that varies from state to state.

How DLA Disposition Services decides what reaches the public

DLA Disposition Services began as the Defense Property Disposal Service, established on Sept. 12, 1972, in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was renamed the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) in 1985 and took its current name on July 19, 2010. The agency states that it “is authorized by GSA to offer surplus personal property to the public,” including “rolling stock, non-rolling stock, and hazardous material,” once property “has been deemed safe to sell in accordance with DOD regulations.”

The public is last in line. Excess property is first reused within the Defense Department, then transferred to other federal agencies or donated to state and local entities, a sequence DLA abbreviates as RTD (reutilization, transfer, donation). Only what remains is offered for sale. Some current DoD and DLA pages now use “DOW” (Department of War); the documents cited here were written under “DoD.”

Who sells DoD vehicles to the public

DLA sells through a contractor, and the contractor has changed over time. In December 2014 Army.mil reported that DLA had partnered with IronPlanet to auction rolling stock. DLA's June 2015 FAQ stated that “Gov Planet was awarded the Rolling Stock contract,” while usable property without DEMIL or hazardous-material restrictions went to Government Liquidation, a Liquidity Services marketplace.

The latest primary document found is a DLA news release of March 10, 2021. At a March 4, 2021, opening, IronPlanet was the “Apparent High Bidder” for both DoD Surplus Term Sale contracts, East and West, covering “all eligible rolling and non-rolling stock, excluding hazardous material and scrap” in the continental U.S., Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The term was two years plus three optional one-year extensions, the contractor pays a percentage of each item's original acquisition cost, and a single qualified firm submitted a final offer for each contract.

IronPlanet and GovPlanet are brands of RB Global, formerly Ritchie Bros., whose GovPlanet page says it “operates under long-term contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense.” DLA's Usable Sales page still lists contracts 21-068 and 21-069 as “2021 - Present.” No DLA document confirming an extension, a recompetition or a new award was found as of Oct. 29, 2026, so the arrangement is described here as of the 2021 award. Whether Government Liquidation still handles any DLA property is unverified. Naming the contractor is a statement of fact, not an endorsement.

DEMIL codes and trade security controls

DEMIL (demilitarization) means destroying or removing the military capability of property. Each item carries a DEMIL code, and the code decides what a buyer may receive. From DLA's code list:

A: items under the Commerce Department's Export Administration Regulations; no DEMIL, mutilation or end-use certificate required, though an export license may be.
B: U.S. Munitions List items; mutilation to scrap worldwide.
C: remove or demilitarize installed key points, the specific military features of an item, which are treated as code D.
D: destroy the item and its components.
F: special instructions from the item manager.
G and P: ammunition and explosives; security-classified items.
Q: Commerce Control List items; mutilation to scrap required outside the U.S., with treatment inside the U.S. set by the item's integrity code.

DoD Manual 4160.28, Volume 2 (effective Nov. 1, 2022) requires components to “accomplish required trade security controls before releasing property from DoD control.” DoDI 2030.08 defines trade security controls as “the controls on export or other transfers, DEMIL, or mutilation of DoD personal property.” Buyers of controlled items pass a pre-award screening of destination, end user and end use, and parties on the SAM exclusions, Denied Persons, Unverified or SDN lists are ineligible.

For many items the buyer also signs DLA Form 1822, the End-Use Certificate (EUC). It commits the buyer not to export “without a valid State/Commerce Department export authorization,” requires its terms to “be passed to the subsequent purchaser/receiver,” and warns that violations may bring “the denial of U.S. export privileges.” Ownership, in other words, comes with conditions that follow the vehicle. GovPlanet's buyer FAQ says an EUC is required for items coded Q or F, that only U.S. citizens may buy them, and that approval “typically takes 6-10 weeks”; its SF 97 page says 8 to 12 weeks. The two contractor pages disagree, and both describe weeks, not days.

Humvees: off-road sales, and how few are sold

Since November 2014 DLA has released certain HMMWV cargo and troop carriers, model numbers M998, M998A1, M1038 and M1038A1. After RTD recipients and the firefighter and law enforcement programs pass on them, “Vehicles not acquired ... may be sold to the public for off road use.” A 2016 DLA article explains why. The Humvee is not registered with or tested by DOT; demilitarized Humvees can legally be used only off-road or, rarely, under the DOT “show or display” exemption; and they carry DEMIL code C, with radio mounts, weapon sights, armor and crypto gear removed. AM General, the manufacturer, opposed the public sales. The first public sale, in December 2014, closed 25 Humvees from Hill Air Force Base at $21,500 to $41,000 each, figures that are history, not current values.

Supply is small. GAO-22-105251 (September 2022) found that of 6,417 HMMWVs the Army turned in to DLA in fiscal years 2019 through 2021, DLA destroyed 5,289, reused 676 within DoD, transferred 323 to federal and state agencies and sold 59 to the public through a private-sector contractor. The Navy and Air Force added one and five public sales. The Marine Corps took a different route, exchanging or selling 1,141 vehicles directly to a private contractor. The older M151 “Jeep” is not an exception either: DLA states that DoD renders it inoperable before sale by cutting or crushing the body and suspension.

Title paperwork: SF 97, DD 1348-1A and DLA Form 1928

SF 97, the United States Government Certificate to Obtain Title to a Vehicle, is the document a state DMV uses to issue a title. Federal regulation (41 CFR 102-38.285) requires one for vehicle sales. GSA issues SF 97s for civilian agencies, and the federal PPMS property system's FAQ (revised April 30, 2025) says DLA “issues their own SF 97s (except for HUMVEES).”
DD Form 1348-1A is an Issue Release/Receipt Document, the receipt DoD uses for property turned in to or released by DLA. It is a supply document, not a title, and no state DMV source found accepts it as proof of vehicle ownership.
DLA Form 1928, the Certificate to Register Tactical Vehicles, goes only to law enforcement agencies in the 1033 program. DLA states that “SF 97 title transfers are not authorized for controlled property.”

The Humvee exception leaves a conflict in the record. GovPlanet sells an SF 97 option “for off-road use of Humvees,” assigned to the contractor and reassigned to the buyer with a dealer letter, typically 30 and up to 60 business days after EUC approval. California's DMV also refers to the SF 97-1 for Humvee off-highway registration. No document found explains how DLA's stated exception and the contractor's offer fit together.

State titling: the same vehicle, different answers

California: DMV procedures (§7.050) say military vehicles “cannot be registered for on-highway use” but may be registered for off-highway use. They carry a serial number, not a 17-digit VIN.
Nebraska: LB156 (2019) created “former military vehicle” titles and plates. The vehicles may not use interstates, expressways or freeways and must run with headlights and taillights on.
Virginia: since Dec. 31, 2018, newly registered military surplus vehicles receive restricted plates only, limited to off-road events, trips for sale or repair, and “occasional pleasure driving not exceeding 125 miles.”
Kentucky: a 2017 act provides a title after a certified inspection; the state may require modifications, but only to meet applicable federal safety standards.
New York: A.9397, introduced Dec. 19, 2025, would require titling for compliant vehicles; its memo says the DMV has refused to title them. It remains in committee and is not law.
Florida: GovPlanet states that Florida, “among a few other states,” does not title HMMWVs with SF 97s. No Florida DMV document confirming this was found.

The practical point is sequence. The buyer's home-state rule decides what a former military vehicle can legally do, and that rule is fixed before any sale closes. Checking the state's current text first costs nothing; discovering it afterward can leave a buyer with a vehicle that cannot be registered.

Why a police department's Humvee or MRAP is not for sale

The 1033 Program, named for section 1033 of the FY1997 National Defense Authorization Act and codified at 10 U.S.C. 2576a, transfers excess DoD property to law enforcement through DLA's Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO). Tactical vehicles are controlled property: “title remains with DoD/DLA,” and when an agency no longer needs one “it must be returned to DLA's LESO for proper disposition.” Tactical vehicles make up under 1% of property issued. A city therefore cannot sell a 1033 HMMWV or MRAP (mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle) at its own surplus sale, and no SF 97 comes with one. GAO-17-532 (2017) tested the controls: a fictitious agency set up by GAO obtained over 100 controlled items worth about $1.2 million, and all four of GAO's resulting recommendations were later closed as implemented.

Frequently asked questions

Can you buy a military Humvee?

Yes, since November 2014 DLA has sold certain unarmored HMMWVs (models M998, M998A1, M1038 and M1038A1) to the public for off-road use, through its rolling-stock sales contractor. Only vehicles that federal, state, firefighter and law enforcement programs pass on reach the public, and GAO found that very few do: 59 Army Humvees in fiscal years 2019 through 2021.

Are surplus military Humvees street legal?

Not as a federal matter, because vehicles built for the Armed Forces are exempt from federal safety standards under 49 CFR 571.7(c), and DLA sells them for off-road use. Road use depends on the state: California bars on-highway registration, Nebraska allows it off interstates and freeways, Virginia issues restricted plates and Kentucky titles after inspection.

Who sells army surplus vehicles?

DLA Disposition Services disposes of them and sells to the public through a contracted sales firm. In March 2021 DLA reported IronPlanet, a GovPlanet sister brand now owned by RB Global, as the apparent high bidder for both nationwide Surplus Term Sale contracts covering rolling stock. No later DLA award document was found as of October 2026.

What is an end-use certificate?

It is DLA Form 1822, a signed statement of how and where the buyer will use controlled surplus property. The buyer agrees not to export it without State or Commerce Department authorization and to pass the restrictions to any later buyer. The contractor states it is required for items with DEMIL code Q or F and limited to U.S. citizens.

What title comes with a military surplus vehicle?

Where one is issued, an SF 97, the U.S. Government Certificate to Obtain Title to a Vehicle, which the buyer presents to the state DMV. A DD Form 1348-1A is a DoD release and receipt document, not a title. For Humvees, federal guidance and contractor practice conflict on who issues the SF 97, and some states will not title them at all.

Can I buy a police MRAP or Humvee from the 1033 program?

No, tactical vehicles transferred under the 1033 program remain titled to DoD and DLA, and the agency must return them to DLA's Law Enforcement Support Office when it no longer needs them. A police department cannot sell one at its own surplus sale, and DLA states that SF 97 title transfers are not authorized for controlled property.

What is the difference between GSA and DLA vehicle sales?

GSA sells civilian-agency vehicles, while DLA Disposition Services disposes of military vehicles. GSA vehicles are built to federal safety standards, carry 17-digit VINs and are usually titled like any used car. Military tactical vehicles are exempt from those standards, may carry DEMIL and export restrictions, and face state titling rules that range from full titles to off-road only.

How many Humvees are sold to the public?

Very few: in fiscal years 2019 through 2021, DLA sold 65 Army, Navy and Air Force HMMWVs to the public through a contractor and destroyed 5,673, according to GAO-22-105251. The Marine Corps separately exchanged or sold 1,141 directly to a private contractor. Most surplus Humvees are destroyed rather than sold.

Military surplus vehicles: how DoD vehicles reach the public