To ship a Copart or IAA car to Senegal, have it moved from the auction yard to your shipping agent's warehouse at a US port such as Newark, Baltimore, Savannah or Houston, then by container or RoRo to Dakar. Senegal limits used passenger cars to 8 years old, so check the model year before you bid. Documents usually need to be in French.
How do you ship a Copart or IAA car to Senegal?
- 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 Dakar, Senegal, 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 Senegal from?
Cars for Senegal commonly leave from Newark, NJ, Baltimore, MD, Savannah, GA, Houston, TX. 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 Senegal?
- Age limit: 8 years for passenger cars, light commercial vehicles and motorcycles. Trucks and heavy machinery can be older.
- Duties and taxes: reported totals vary widely by car and source, with 18% VAT among the charges. Get an estimate from your clearing agent before you buy.
- Documents: title, commercial invoice, bill of lading and inspection report are usually required, often translated into French.
- Damaged cars: ask your clearing agent how heavily damaged or salvage cars are treated before buying one.
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 Senegal before you bid. Sources: RosM Autos (May 2026), Logi-Net
Container or RoRo, and how long does it take?
Container suits auction cars, including ones that don't run, and lets several cars share a box. RoRo also serves West Africa for running cars. 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?
Cars arrive at the Port of Dakar. Your customs broker files the declaration electronically (through the GAINDE system), customs inspects the car (VIN, engine number and mileage) and calculates the duty. Submit the documents within about 15 days of arrival to avoid storage charges at the port. Clearance usually takes one to two weeks if the paperwork is complete.
Frequently asked questions
How do I ship a Copart car to Senegal?
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, Savannah. Your shipping agent loads it into a container, files the US export paperwork and ships it to Dakar, Senegal.
How much does it cost to get a Copart car to the port for Senegal?
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 Senegal?
Used passenger cars are limited to 8 years old. Check the model year before you bid, and confirm with your clearing agent in Dakar.
Do my documents need to be in French for Senegal?
Usually, yes. The title, invoice and other documents are often required in French. Ask your customs broker in Dakar exactly what they need.