Copart charges a daily storage fee for every day a car stays in the yard after its short free period, which at most yards is only about three days from the sale. The daily rate is set by each yard and depends on the location and vehicle, and it appears on your invoice. Storage runs until the car physically leaves the yard, not until you pay. To avoid it, pay by wire the day you win, book transport the same day, and send the gate pass PIN to your transporter as soon as it appears.
When do Copart storage fees start?
Storage starts the day after your free period ends. At most Copart yards the free period is short, about three days counted from the sale date, and weekends can count toward it. The rules have tightened in recent years and can differ between yards and vehicle types, so treat your invoice and the yard's location page as the final word for your car.
Separately, Copart sets a payment deadline of a few business days after the sale and charges a late payment fee if you miss it. A late payment is doubly expensive: the fee, plus storage while the payment and the gate pass catch up.
A car won on a Thursday can reach its first storage day before many buyers have even sent the wire. If you buy late in the week, pay and book transport the same day.
How much is Copart storage per day?
Copart doesn't publish one national storage rate. Each yard sets its own, and larger vehicles usually cost more per day than sedans. Busy metro yards tend to charge more than rural ones. Your exact rate is on your invoice and in your Copart account.
Storage adds up fast because it runs every calendar day. An illustration, using a rate of $40 a day:
| Days in storage | At $40 a day |
|---|---|
| 3 days | $120 |
| 7 days | $280 |
| 14 days | $560 |
| 30 days | $1,200 |
Example only. Swap in your yard's rate from your invoice.
On a cheap salvage car, two weeks of storage can cost more than the transport itself, which is why the speed of pickup matters as much as the transport price.
Does paying Copart stop the storage fees?
No. Paying the invoice is what lets the car leave, but storage keeps counting until it actually drives (or is lifted) out of the gate. There's also a catch in the order of events: Copart issues the gate pass PIN only when your balance is $0, including any storage that has already built up. If storage accrues between your payment and pickup, you may need to pay it before the car is released.
Why do auction cars end up paying storage?
- Slow payment. Some payment methods take days to clear, and the gate pass waits for them.
- Transport booked late. Many buyers only look for a transporter after the car is paid.
- Cheap loads that nobody takes. Some brokers post a low price to win your order, and carriers skip it. The car waits until the price goes up.
- Missing gate pass. The driver arrives, the PIN hasn't been sent, and the trip is wasted.
- Sublots and off-site yards. Cars stored away from the main yard take longer to reach and schedule.
- Weather and holidays. Snow, hurricanes and long weekends close yards and slow carriers.
How do you avoid Copart storage fees?
- Know the transport price before you bid. Enter the lot number in our calculator while the auction is live, so there's nothing to research after you win.
- Pay by wire the day you win. It's usually the fastest way to reach a $0 balance and get the gate pass.
- Book transport immediately. You can order with us before the payment clears, so a driver is lined up when the car is released.
- Send the gate pass PIN the moment it appears. Email or WhatsApp it to us. Every hour counts at the end of the week.
- Use a transporter that pays carriers properly. A fair rate gets the load taken quickly. A cheap one can cost you more in storage than it saved.
If we haven't picked up your car within 5 business days, we pay the auction storage charged for every day after that until pickup. The 5 business days start on the latest of three dates: the day you order with us, the day your auction balance reaches $0, and the day you send us the gate pass PIN (where the auction uses one). It doesn't apply to weather events, sublot or off-site cars, auctions that are hard to reach such as rural yards, delays the auction causes, or wrong lot or gate pass details. Send us the auction invoice within 30 days of pickup and we reimburse it. Full wording is in section 7 of our Terms.
Enter your Copart lot number for a live transport price.
What if my car is already paying storage?
Move fast and get everything ready at once. Pay the full balance including the storage to date, so Copart issues the gate pass. Book transport and send the PIN in the same message. Tell your transporter the car is already late, so they can prioritize a driver who can reach the yard soonest.
Don't leave a car indefinitely. If a vehicle isn't paid for or removed, Copart's terms and state law allow it to treat the car as abandoned, and you can lose the car while still owing fees. If you can't collect, contact Copart about your options before that point.
How does IAA storage compare?
IAA works the same way in principle: a short window of a few business days after the sale to pay and collect, then a daily storage fee set by the branch until the car leaves. The deadline and rate are on your IAA invoice. See IAA car shipping for the pickup details.
Frequently asked questions
How many free storage days does Copart give?
At most Copart yards the free period is short, about three days counted from the sale date, and weekends can count toward it. It can vary by yard and vehicle, so check your invoice and the yard's location page for your car.
How much does Copart charge for storage per day?
Copart doesn't publish a single national rate. Each yard sets its own daily storage fee, which can be higher for larger vehicles and at busy metro yards. Your rate is on your invoice and in your Copart account.
Does storage stop when I pay Copart?
No. Storage runs until the car leaves the yard. Paying lets Copart issue the gate pass PIN, which the driver needs to collect the car.
Do I have to pay storage before Copart releases the car?
Yes. Copart issues the gate pass PIN only when your balance is $0, including any storage already charged.
Does DispatchAuction pay Copart storage fees?
If we haven't picked up your car within 5 business days, we pay the storage charged for each day after that until pickup. The 5 days start on the latest of the day you order, the day your auction balance reaches $0, and the day you send the gate pass PIN. Exceptions include weather events, sublot or off-site cars, hard-to-reach auctions such as rural yards, delays caused by the auction, and incorrect lot or gate pass details.
What happens if I never pick up my car from Copart?
If a car isn't paid for or removed, Copart's terms and state law allow it to be treated as abandoned. You can lose the car and still owe fees, so contact Copart early if you can't collect.