You want a car at auction prices, you live in Minneapolis or somewhere in the Twin Cities metro, and you do not have a dealer license. Most of the big auction names you will find on Google are closed to you. A few are not. Here is which ones you can actually bid at, what each one costs, and how to avoid paying for a car you cannot drive home.
The short answer: Yes, the public can buy cars at auction in Minneapolis and the Twin Cities. The Minneapolis and St. Paul impound lots sell unclaimed towed cars to the public, and Remarket Space runs online auctions from the Twin Cities area with no dealer license needed. Wholesale auctions like ADESA, Manheim and ACV are for licensed dealers, and salvage sites like IAA limit what the public can buy.
Updated November 3, 2026. Checked against the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes, the City of Minneapolis Impound Lot, the Saint Paul Police Department Impound Lot, and the Remarket Space pricing and How It Works pages. Sources are linked at the bottom.
Ready to look now? See the live auctions running now, with the out-the-door price on every car before you bid.
Key takeaways
- Open to you: the Minneapolis and St. Paul impound lot auctions and online public marketplaces like Remarket Space.
- Closed to you: ADESA, Manheim and ACV are wholesale marketplaces for licensed dealers.
- Partly open: salvage auctions like IAA and Copart let the public buy some cars, but rules change by state and title type, and some cars need a broker.
- Impound cars are as-is: at the Minneapolis lot you cannot drive a car out, it must be towed, and it needs a mechanic’s safety checklist before you title it.
- Tax: Minnesota charges a 6.875 percent motor vehicle sales tax on the purchase price.
Which car auctions in Minneapolis are open to the public?
Search for car auctions in Minneapolis and you get a page full of names. Most of them will not let you register without a dealer license. This table sorts them by who is actually allowed to bid.
| Auction | Who can bid | What you will find | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remarket Space (online, Twin Cities area) | The public, with a free account | Inspected used cars, live auctions and Buy Now | Buyer’s premium and admin fee, payment due in 48 hours |
| Minneapolis Impound Lot auction | The public | Unclaimed towed vehicles | In person, sold without plates, must be towed out |
| St. Paul Police Impound Lot auction | The public | Unclaimed towed vehicles | Little condition information |
| IAA and Copart | Public for some cars, licensed buyers or brokers for others | Mostly insurance, salvage and damaged cars | State and title rules, broker fees |
| ADESA, Manheim and ACV | Licensed dealers | Trade-ins, fleet and lease returns | You need a dealer license to register |
Searching for Twin Cities Auctions? That is us. Twin Cities Auctions is now Remarket Space and is the same company. Our post on why Twin Cities Auctions became Remarket Space explains the change.
How do the Minneapolis and St. Paul impound lot auctions work?
When people search for police car auctions in Minneapolis, they usually mean the city impound lot. According to the City of Minneapolis Impound Lot auctions page:
- Schedule: public auctions are held on the first Thursday of each month at the impound lot. Dealer-only auctions for licensed parts, scrap and salvage dealers run on separate Thursdays.
- Getting it home: you cannot drive the car out of the lot. It must be towed, and it is sold without license plates.
- Paperwork: you get a receipt and a notarized bill of sale with a vehicle safety checklist on the back. A mechanic has to inspect the car and complete the checklist before you apply for a title and plates at Driver and Vehicle Services.
The Saint Paul Police Department Impound Lot holds every towed vehicle for at least 17 days, mails the owner a notice, and then can sell unclaimed cars at auctions it holds on a regular basis. The city says some impound vehicles go to an online auction. Call the lot to confirm the current schedule before you plan a day around it. Our guide to police and government surplus vehicle auctions in Minnesota covers state surplus sales too.
Impound auctions can be cheap, but you buy blind. There is no inspection report, no history and no test drive. Budget for a tow, a mechanic and repairs before you bid.
Can you buy a car at auction in Minneapolis without a dealer license?
Yes, at public auctions. The impound lots and online public marketplaces do not ask for a license. The big wholesale names do:
- ACV Auctions: its own site says you can join if you have a dealer’s license. Our ACV vs Remarket Space comparison shows the difference for Minnesota buyers.
- Manheim: registration runs through AuctionAccess, a service that confirms you are an authorized dealer.
- ADESA: describes its auctions as built for wholesale buyers. See our ADESA vs Remarket Space guide for what that means in practice.
- IAA and Copart: IAA says every state sets its own rules for who can bid and which titles the public can buy, and some buyers need a broker. Read our guides to IAA alternatives in Minnesota and Copart alternatives in Minnesota before you pay a broker fee.
Bidding on a salvage car? Read how salvage titles work in Minnesota first, because a salvage car needs more than a bill of sale to get back on the road.
How does online bidding work on Remarket Space?
Remarket Space is an online car auction based in the Twin Cities area and open to the public. You never have to visit a lot. Here is how it works, from our how bidding and payment work page.
- 1. Make a free account. Upload a government-issued photo ID. No dealer license or membership fee.
- 2. Check the car. Every listing has an inspection report from a Remarket Space inspector, a free Carfax, photos, an HD virtual test drive and the out-the-door total.
- 3. Bid or Buy Now. Buy Now locks the car at the listed price. In a live auction, bids are binding and move in $50 steps. No Reserve cars run every day and sell to the highest bidder.
- 4. Pay within 48 hours. Pay the full amount by credit or debit card. Miss the deadline and the account is suspended and the car is relisted.
- 5. Get it delivered. There is no pickup. Every car is delivered, typically within about 48 hours, with the delivery quote shown on the listing.
What does it cost to buy a car at auction in Minneapolis?
Every auction adds fees on top of the winning bid. On Remarket Space, the buyer’s premium and administrative fee come from our what the fees actually are page, and Minnesota buyers also pay $119.50 in DMV fees at checkout for title, registration and plates.
| Winning bid | Buyer’s premium | Admin fee | MN DMV fees | Total before sales tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 | $459 | $189 | $119.50 | $2,767.50 |
| $4,000 | $549 | $209 | $119.50 | $4,877.50 |
| $8,000 | $729 | $209 | $119.50 | $9,057.50 |
On top of that, Minnesota charges a 6.875 percent motor vehicle sales tax on the purchase price under Minnesota Statutes section 297B.02. Every Remarket Space listing shows the out-the-door total so you know the number before you bid. Buying from a private seller or an impound lot instead? Our guide to the cost to transfer a car title in Minnesota breaks down what you pay at the DVS office.
Want to know what cars really sell for? Our sold vehicles page shows final prices from our Minnesota auctions.
Live in St. Paul or a Twin Cities suburb?
The same choices apply across the metro, from St. Louis Park, Hopkins and Chanhassen in the west to Anoka and Blaine in the north. Online bidding works the same wherever you live, and delivery is quoted to your address. If you are on the east side, our guide to car auctions in St. Paul covers the St. Paul impound lot in more detail, and our Blaine car auctions guide covers the north metro. For the whole state, see car auctions in Minnesota.
Shopping on a budget in the Twin Cities?
Auctions are where the cheap cars are. Our guides to cheap used cars under $3,000 near Minneapolis and cars under $1,000 near Minneapolis show what those budgets really buy. With poor credit, read buying a car at auction with bad credit in Minnesota first. New to auctions? Start with our tips for first-time auction buyers.
Can’t cover even a cheap car right now? If you need a car to get to work, our car program for Minnesotans may be able to help.
Why Minneapolis buyers bid on Remarket Space
You do not need a dealer license, a membership, or a Thursday morning at the impound lot. Every listing has an inspection report, a free Carfax, real photos, an HD virtual test drive and the out-the-door price before you bid. You can buy instantly with Buy Now or try for a better price in a live auction, and the car is delivered to you. Major engine and transmission problems we did not disclose, reported within 72 hours of delivery, are covered by our 3-Day Major Mechanical Guarantee, and your title is guaranteed for as long as you own the car.
See cars up for auction now, or browse cars under $5,000 in Minnesota, used SUVs in Minnesota and used trucks in Minnesota.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The City of Minneapolis Impound Lot holds a public auction on the first Thursday of each month, and the St. Paul Police Impound Lot also auctions unclaimed vehicles. Online marketplaces like Remarket Space are open to the public every day with no dealer license.
No. ADESA, Manheim and ACV are wholesale marketplaces for licensed dealers. Manheim checks dealer status through AuctionAccess, and ACV asks for a dealer license. Without one, use a public impound auction or an online public marketplace instead.
No. The city says vehicles bought at the impound lot auction cannot be driven out and must be towed. They are sold without plates, and a mechanic must complete the safety checklist on the bill of sale before you title and register the car.
Minnesota charges a 6.875 percent motor vehicle sales tax on the purchase price of a vehicle. You also pay title, registration and plate fees. The Remarket Space fee calculator shows the tax and fees before you bid.
Yes. Twin Cities Auctions is now Remarket Space. It is the same company, running online car auctions from the Twin Cities area that are open to the public with no dealer license needed.
On Remarket Space you pay the full amount by credit or debit card within 48 hours of winning. If you miss the deadline, the account is suspended and the car is relisted, so only bid on cars you are ready to buy.
Sources
- Minnesota Statutes 297B.02: Motor vehicle sales tax rate
- City of Minneapolis: Impound Lot auctions
- Saint Paul Police Department: Impound Lot
- IAA: Online car auctions, who can buy
- Manheim: New dealer registration
- Remarket Space: How It Works
- Remarket Space: Pricing and Fees
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. Schedules, fees and rules can change, so confirm with the auction or agency before you buy.
