Seized Car Auctions: Who Sells Forfeited Vehicles

By I Go Cars · Updated October 29, 2026

Who sells seized vehicles

Federal seized vehicles are sold by three agencies. The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) sells vehicles and other property forfeited through the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other federal agencies. The U.S. Department of the Treasury sells vehicles forfeited under laws enforced by Treasury and the Department of Homeland Security. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sells property it seizes for unpaid taxes. The owning agency may run the auction itself or hire an auction company, and sales are held online, in person or by mail-in bid.

All of this rests on asset forfeiture, the legal process by which the government takes ownership of property connected to a crime or, for the IRS, to an unpaid tax debt. The General Services Administration is not part of it: GSA Fleet states that "seized vehicles are not sold by GSA Fleet."

One plain warning belongs at the top. Lists that promise "$100 seized cars" or luxury vehicles for a few hundred dollars are an old scam pattern, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) brought actions against sellers of such guides in 1998 and 2000. The section below sets out what the FTC found.

Seizure is not forfeiture, and forfeiture is not sale

A seized vehicle is one the government has taken into custody. A forfeited vehicle is one the government now owns after a court or administrative process. Only forfeited vehicles can be sold, and many never are.

The Treasury Forfeiture Fund's FY2022 accountability report shows the funnel clearly. That year it recorded 16,762 vehicles seized, 10,862 vehicles forfeited, and 7,433 forfeited vehicles leaving inventory through deposits or sales. The last column combines sales with other deposit events, so it is not a pure auction count, but the shape is plain: far fewer vehicles are sold than are seized.

Some forfeited vehicles are withheld from sale entirely. In FY2023, federal agencies placed 85 forfeited vehicles into official use from the DOJ Assets Forfeiture Fund: 70 by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 9 by the FBI, 5 by ATF and 1 by USMS. The same year, the fund transferred 46 forfeited items, almost all of them vehicles, to state and local agencies; one went to the Fontana, California Police Department.

The U.S. Marshals Service and DOJ forfeitures

DOJ describes the Marshals Service as the "primary custodian of seized and forfeited property (other than firearms and ammunition)," which "disposes of forfeited property held in its custody in accordance with law." DEA, the FBI and ATF seize property; the DOJ page describes only USMS as disposing of it. In practice that means there is no separate DEA auction for the public. DEA, FBI and ATF forfeited vehicles that are sold go through USMS and its contractors.

The Marshals Service sells vehicles, vessels, aircraft, jewelry, art and intangible assets, and says it holds "hundreds of online and live auctions that are open to the public" each year. As of October 29, 2026, its asset forfeiture page listed its auction providers as Apple Auctioneering, Gaston & Sheehan Auctioneers, Skipco Auto Auction, Risk Mondial Aviation & Recovery, Ambyth Auctions and National Liquidators. That list changes, and naming the providers here records where USMS says its property is sold; it is not an assessment of any of them.

Scale, all asset types

USMS publishes totals for every kind of forfeited asset, not vehicles alone, and "disposed" is not the same as "sold at auction":

FY2023: 12,117 assets received, 12,988 disposed, 25,793 on hand valued at $5.99 billion.
FY2024: 13,356 received, 12,692 disposed, 26,494 held valued at $7.6 billion as of Sept. 30, 2024.
2025 (USMS website): 9,973 received, 12,381 disposed, 24,179 on hand as of Sept. 30, 2025.

DOJ's FY2023 disposition report shows 1,685 forfeited personal property assets sold or liquidated for $38,178,314. Personal property includes jewelry, art and vessels as well as vehicles, so 1,685 is not a vehicle count. DOJ does not publish one.

Treasury and IRS sales

Treasury holds roughly 300 public auctions a year in the United States and Puerto Rico, selling property forfeited for violations of federal law enforced by Treasury, or for nonpayment of IRS taxes. Its Executive Office for Asset Forfeiture (TEOAF) auctions property seized under laws enforced by Treasury and Homeland Security, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in three channels: real estate, general property (vehicles, vessels and aircraft), and additional cars held in cooperation with DHS. Proceeds go to the Treasury Forfeiture Fund. In FY2025 that fund reported $273.691 million in forfeiture revenue from its vehicle category, against $463.376 million in expenses and distributions for the category; revenue there is not the same as auction proceeds, and the gap reflects how costs are allocated.

Treasury's general property auctions run from contractor facilities in Dayton, New Jersey; Pompano Beach, Florida; and Riverside, California. Its schedule as of October 29, 2026 included a nationwide online vehicle auction and a salvage auction open to dealers only, so not every listed seized vehicle is open to the public.

IRS auctions

The IRS is a minor source of vehicles. A Treasury Inspector General review counted 68 IRS seizures in FY2023, and of 105 seizures it reviewed, 15 were vehicles. IRS seized property must be sold by "Public Auction or Sealed Bid Auction," generally live and in person, with registration on site using a driver's license. Payment is by certified, cashier's or treasurer's check or money order payable to "United States Treasury"; personal checks and credit cards are not accepted, and there is no buyer's premium. Each sale's Notice of Public Auction Sale sets its own rules, including any minimum bid.

The IRS does not issue titles. In its words, "We do not issue titles, as that is a state function." The buyer receives a Certificate of Sale and, for a motor vehicle, an odometer statement to take to the state DMV. The IRS's 180-day redemption right applies to real estate, not to vehicles.

The "$100 seized car" lists: an old scam pattern

Advertisements promising seized cars for $100, or a luxury car for a few hundred dollars, have circulated for decades, usually attached to a paid guide or membership. The FTC acted against them more than 25 years ago, and its findings still describe how these sales work.

1998, Operation Auction Guides. The FTC charged companies selling government auction guides for $50 to $100 or more. C. Steven Baker of the FTC said: "Ads that claim you can buy a Jaguar at a government auction for $200 are fraudulent." The guides contained general information and addresses, and expensive vehicles were rarely sold at these auctions.
2000, Operation Auction Guides II. The FTC said deals on seized and repossessed vehicles as represented are "rarely, if ever, available," that cars at government auctions typically sell for market value, and that information about government sales programs is free elsewhere.
June 2000, "Don't Be Mis-Guided." An FTC consumer bulletin stated that "Seized vehicles often are sold at government auctions, but rarely at the bargain prices quoted in some ads"; that "the cars that sell for $500 or less usually are damaged or junk vehicles purchased for scrap"; and "Expect to pay what the vehicle is worth and to compete against other bidders, including used car dealers."

Those actions are dated, and no more recent FTC page on seized car lists was found for this guide. The pattern they describe has not changed. Every agency that sells seized vehicles lists its sales without charge, and GSA Fleet states that it has "no affiliation" with sites that charge for "special access." Readers who reached this page from older links to I Go Cars' former article on seized car auction web sites should treat any list sold for a fee the same way. The FTC's 1998 announcement remains the clearest statement of the problem.

A related hazard is a site that imitates a government sale. Treasury's auction page links out to non-government contractor sites and advises sharing sensitive information only on official, secure sites. Starting from the agency's own .gov page, rather than a search ad, avoids the imitators.

Condition, terms and recourse

Seized vehicles carry more condition risk than fleet vehicles. USA.gov states that seized vehicles "may need many repairs," while it describes government-owned fleet vehicles as generally in good condition. A seized car has no agency maintenance history; it arrives with whatever its previous owner did, or did not do, to it.

Recourse is minimal. The IRS sells everything "where is" and "as is," and a sale cannot be rescinded because of condition; the IRS will not ship. USMS and Treasury sales are run by private auction contractors whose own terms of sale set any buyer's premium, deposit and removal deadline, and those terms differ from contractor to contractor. They were not reviewed for this page, so the only safe statement is that each sale's terms govern and should be read in full before bidding. The IRS first-time bidder page is a plain example of the terms a buyer accepts.

Common misconceptions about seized car auctions

"You can buy seized luxury cars for $100." The FTC called such ads fraudulent; government auction cars sell near market value, and the cheapest lots are usually damaged or scrap.
"You have to pay for a list." USMS, Treasury, the IRS and USA.gov list sales free; the FTC sued sellers of paid guides.
"Every seized car gets auctioned." Seizure is not forfeiture, and forfeited vehicles may go into official use or to local police.
"GSA sells seized cars." It does not; USMS and Treasury do.
"The DEA holds its own car auctions." DOJ describes USMS as the custodian and disposer of DOJ-forfeited property.
"The IRS gives you a title." It gives a Certificate of Sale and an odometer statement; the state issues the title.

Frequently asked questions

Where are government seized cars auctioned?

Federal seized cars are auctioned by three agencies. DOJ-forfeited vehicles, including DEA and FBI cases, are sold by the U.S. Marshals Service through its contracted auction companies. Treasury and Homeland Security forfeitures, including Customs and Border Protection cases, go through Treasury's contractor auctions. IRS tax seizures are sold through IRS public or sealed-bid auctions. GSA does not sell seized vehicles.

Can you really buy a seized car for $100?

No. The FTC called ads promising a Jaguar for $200 at a government auction fraudulent in 1998, and in 2000 said such deals are rarely, if ever, available. Government auction vehicles generally sell for about market value, and the FTC noted that cars selling for $500 or less are usually damaged or junk vehicles bought for scrap.

Do I need to pay for a government seized car auction list?

No. The agencies that sell seized vehicles, including the U.S. Marshals Service, Treasury and the IRS, publish their sales without charge, and USA.gov summarizes them free. The FTC took action against sellers of paid government auction guides in 1998 and 2000, finding the guides contained general information and addresses available elsewhere at no cost.

Does the DEA auction seized cars?

No, not directly. DEA seizes property, but DOJ describes the U.S. Marshals Service as the custodian and disposer of DOJ-forfeited property, so DEA forfeited vehicles that are sold go through USMS auctions. Many are never sold: in FY2023, DEA placed 70 forfeited vehicles into its own official use from the DOJ Assets Forfeiture Fund.

Do IRS auction cars come with a title?

No. The IRS states that it does not issue titles because titling is a state function. The buyer receives a Certificate of Sale and, for a motor vehicle, an odometer statement, and takes both to the state DMV to apply for a title. Payment must be made by certified funds or money order, not personal check or credit card.

Are seized cars sold as-is?

Yes. The IRS sells all assets "where is" and "as is" and will not rescind a sale because of condition, and USA.gov warns that seized vehicles may need many repairs. Contractor-run USMS and Treasury sales apply their own terms of sale, so each sale's terms should be read in full before bidding.

How many seized vehicles does the government sell?

There is no single national count. Treasury's forfeiture fund recorded 16,762 vehicles seized, 10,862 forfeited and 7,433 leaving inventory through deposits or sales in FY2022. DOJ reports 1,685 forfeited personal property assets sold in FY2023, a category that includes vehicles but also jewelry, art and vessels, and does not break out vehicles.

Seized and forfeited vehicle auctions