How to Import an Auction Car from the USA to the UK

Copart and IAAI are the two dominant US auction platforms selling salvage, insurance write-off, and clean-title vehicles, both accessible to UK buyers through registered international bidding accounts. A refundable deposit of $400–$1,000 is typically required to register, and each platform charges buyer fees on a sliding scale — usually 5–15% of the hammer price, higher for lower-value lots. Salvage titles are common and significantly cheaper, but always check the specific damage description and photos carefully, since 'front end' or 'flood' damage can mean very different repair costs.

Once purchased, the vehicle needs collecting from the auction yard and transporting to an export port, most commonly Baltimore, New York/New Jersey, or Los Angeles depending on the yard's location. Inland trucking typically costs $300–$900 depending on distance, and we can arrange this directly with US-based partners as part of a full door-to-door service, saving you from coordinating multiple contractors across time zones.

RORO shipping from a US East Coast port to Southampton takes roughly 10–16 days and costs £900–£1,500 for a standard saloon, while container shipping runs £1,300–£2,200 and adds a few days for port handling. West Coast departures take considerably longer, 25–35 days, due to Panama Canal transit, so buying from an East Coast auction yard generally works out both cheaper and faster if you have flexibility on lot location.

On arrival in the UK, standard import duty of 10% applies to the CIF value for passenger cars from the USA, plus 20% VAT on the duty-inclusive value — a $15,000 car could therefore attract roughly £3,000–£3,600 in combined UK charges depending on exchange rates. You'll also need to complete a NOVA (Notification of Vehicle Arrival) declaration with HMRC within 14 days of import before the vehicle can be registered with the DVLA.

Vehicles not originally sold new in the UK or EU typically require an Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) test, costing £456–£498, to confirm compliance with UK construction and use regulations. If the car carries a salvage title, it must also pass an engineer's structural inspection and be correctly categorised (Cat N or Cat S under the UK system) before the DVLA will issue a V5C — a process that can take several weeks, so factor this into your total timeline before committing to a salvage purchase.