To ship a Copart or IAA car to Nigeria, have it moved from the auction yard to your shipping agent's warehouse at a US port such as Newark, Baltimore, Houston or Savannah, then by container or RoRo to Lagos. Used cars more than 12 years old are on Nigeria's import prohibition list, so check the model year before you bid. From July 2026, import levies were cut and a Green Tax was added for larger engines.
How do you ship a Copart or IAA car to Nigeria?
- Check the import rules first. Age limits and damage rules decide which cars you can bring in. See the rules below.
- Get the US transport price before you bid. Enter the lot number in our calculator and choose the warehouse your shipping agent uses.
- Win, pay and book transport the same day. This keeps auction storage low. We collect the car from the yard and deliver it to your shipping agent's warehouse.
- Your shipping agent loads and files. They load the car into a container, file the export information (AES) and present the title to US customs at least 72 hours before sailing.
- Ocean shipping and arrival. The ship sails to Lagos, Nigeria, where your clearing agent handles customs.
DispatchAuction handles step 3: the trip from any Copart or IAA yard in the lower 48 to the US warehouse. Your shipping agent handles the ocean part.
Which US port should you ship to Nigeria from?
Cars for Nigeria commonly leave from Newark, NJ, Baltimore, MD, Houston, TX, Savannah, GA. The best choice is the port your shipping agent loads from with the best rate and sailing schedule, weighed against how far the auction yard is from it. Every extra mile on the truck in the US costs money, so a car bought in Texas usually goes out of Houston, and a car bought in the Northeast out of Newark.
Newark warehouses is selected. Enter the lot number, or choose your agent's warehouse.
What are the import rules for Nigeria?
- Age limit: used vehicles more than 12 years old from the year of manufacture are prohibited. In 2026 that makes roughly 2014 the oldest model year allowed.
- Left-hand drive: cars for normal registration generally must be left-hand drive.
- Levies cut, Green Tax added: from 1 July 2026, import levies on new and used vehicles were reduced. A Green Tax surcharge of 2% applies to engines from 2,000 to 3,999 cc and 4% to 4,000 cc and above. Electric cars are not subject to it.
- Valuation: customs values cars by its own reference values, not just your auction invoice, so ask your clearing agent for an estimate before you buy.
Checked November 2026. Import rules change often, and the sources below are shipping companies and news reports, not government notices. Confirm with your clearing agent in Nigeria before you bid. Sources: Legit.ng (Aug 2026), Linear Shipping
Container or RoRo, and how long does it take?
Container is the usual choice for auction cars, because it takes non-running cars and lets two to four cars share a 40 ft box. RoRo also serves West Africa and can be cheaper for cars that run and drive. Ask your shipping agent for current sailing times from your US port.
What documents do you need on the US side?
For every used car leaving the US, your shipping agent needs the original title and files the export information in AES, which gives an ITN number. Both go to US customs at least 72 hours before the ship sails. The title is the most common delay: auctions often mail it separately, so ask for it as soon as you pay. Our guide to exporting a car from the USA explains each document.
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.
What happens when the car arrives?
Most cars for Nigeria arrive in Lagos, at the container terminals or the RoRo terminal. Your clearing agent handles customs duty, levies and release. Plan for the car's model year and engine size, since both affect what is allowed and what you pay.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ship a Copart car to Nigeria?
Buy and pay for the car, then book transport from the Copart yard to your shipping agent's warehouse at a US port such as Newark, Baltimore, Houston. Your shipping agent loads it into a container, files the US export paperwork and ships it to Lagos, Nigeria.
How much does it cost to get a Copart car to the port for Nigeria?
The US part depends on the distance from the auction yard to the warehouse, the car's size and whether it runs. Enter the lot number in our calculator to see the exact price. The ocean freight is quoted separately by your shipping agent.
Does DispatchAuction ship the car overseas?
No. We move the car inside the US, from any Copart or IAA yard in the lower 48 to your shipping agent's warehouse or any address you choose. Your shipping agent handles the ocean shipping.
What is the age limit for importing a car into Nigeria?
Used vehicles more than 12 years old from the year of manufacture are on Nigeria's import prohibition list. In 2026 that makes roughly 2014 the oldest model year allowed. Confirm with your clearing agent before you bid.
Did Nigeria change car import duty in 2026?
Yes. From 1 July 2026 import levies on vehicles were reduced, and a Green Tax of 2% to 4% was added for engines of 2,000 cc and above. Ask your clearing agent for the current total for your car.