IAA, short for Insurance Auto Auctions, and Remarket Space both sell cars online at auction. IAA is a national auction built around insurance total losses, mostly for licensed businesses, with a public buyer program in some states. Remarket Space is a smaller marketplace open to anyone, built for people who want a car they can drive, delivered. Here is how they compare on who can buy, what it costs, and what happens after you win.
The short answer: Pick IAA if you are a licensed dealer, rebuilder, or dismantler, or you live in a state on IAA’s public buyer list and want insurance and salvage cars to fix. Pick Remarket Space if you have no business license, want a running car with an inspection report and a free Carfax, and want delivery quoted on the listing. On a $2,000 winning bid, a public buyer pays roughly $985 in IAA fees and membership before towing, versus $648 in fees at Remarket Space before delivery.
Updated October 30, 2026. IAA facts are taken from IAA’s own help center and fee pages, checked the same day. Remarket Space is the publisher of this page, so we have linked every claim about IAA to IAA’s own words. Sources are at the bottom.
Remarket Space vs IAA at a glance
| IAA | Remarket Space | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is built for | Licensed businesses, plus public buyers in eligible states | The public, plus dealers and repair shops |
| License needed? | A business license, or a Public Buyer account in one of 27 states IAA lists. 23 states are not on the list. | No. A free account and a government ID. |
| Membership | $225 a year for Public and Licensed Business buyer accounts. Guests can browse but not bid. | None |
| Inventory | Very large and national, largely insurance total losses and salvage | Smaller, sold from Minnesota and St. Louis, each with a published condition report |
| Condition info | Photos and vehicle details | Inspection by a Verified Remarket Space Inspector, free Carfax, HD virtual test drive |
| Getting the car home | Pay and pick up by the branch’s deadline, or use IAA Transport. Storage fees set by each branch. | Delivered. The delivery quote is on the listing. |
| After-sale protection | Sold as is | 3-Day Major Mechanical Guarantee and a title guarantee |
Can the public buy at IAA?
In some states. IAA’s registration page offers two kinds of buyer account: a Licensed Business Buyer account that needs a business license, and a Public Buyer account that needs only a government ID but works only in states where public buyers are eligible. IAA’s Public Buyer State by State Eligibility list, last updated August 7, 2025, shows:
- 27 states with some public buying at their branches. The other 23, including Missouri, Illinois, California, Florida, and New York, are not on the list.
- Clear titles are open to the public in 18 of those states. In the rest, the public can buy only salvage titles, or a narrower category.
- Some states cap it. Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas limit how many cars an in-state public buyer can buy per year.
Outside those states, a buyer without a business license goes through a licensed broker, who bids for a fee on top of IAA’s. IAA keeps a broker listing on the same page. Our guide to Copart and IAA in St. Louis shows how that plays out where IAA’s branch sits in a non-public state.
Remarket Space does not sort buyers by state or license. Its How It Works page says the marketplace is open to everyone, including the public. You create a free account and upload a current government-issued photo ID.
What does a $2,000 car cost at each?
Here is a $2,000 winning bid for a buyer with no business license, before sales tax and title fees in your state. IAA’s numbers use its standard non-licensed buyer fees and a proxy bid.
| Line item | IAA (public buyer) | Remarket Space |
|---|---|---|
| Winning bid | $2,000 | $2,000 |
| Membership | $225 a year | $0 |
| Buyer fee or buyer’s premium | $535 | $459 |
| Proxy bid fee | $100 ($110 if you win bidding live) | None |
| Service fee | $105 | None |
| Title-handling fee | $20 | None |
| Admin fee | None | $189 |
| Subtotal | $2,985, plus an EH&S and fuel surcharge | $2,648 |
| Broker fee | If your state is not on IAA’s public list | None |
| Getting it home | Tow or IAA Transport, plus branch storage fees if late | Delivery quote shown on the listing |
The membership is a yearly fee, not a per-car fee, so it matters less if you buy several cars a year. Licensed business buyers pay from a separate fee schedule. To run other prices, use our IAA fee calculator, and see our guide to the car auction buyer’s premium for how fees are built across sites.
How do you know what you are buying?
IAA is named for what it mostly sells: cars from insurance companies, many of them total losses with collision, flood, or theft damage, alongside some clean-titled cars. You get photos and vehicle details online. That is a good fit for a rebuilder who prices in repairs. It is a risk for someone who needs a daily driver and cannot see the car run. Our article on whether Copart and IAAI auctions are a scam covers the common surprises, and certified vs salvage cars explains the title types.
Every Remarket Space listing includes an inspection by a Verified Remarket Space Inspector covering tires, suspension, transmission, engine, brakes, and diagnostic codes, plus a free Carfax and an HD virtual test drive. You cannot test drive or see cars in person, because the lot in Elk River is online only, so read the condition report closely before you bid.
What happens after you win?
| After the sale | IAA | Remarket Space |
|---|---|---|
| Payment and pickup deadlines | Set by each branch. IAA says every branch page lists the days to pay and pick up and its late and storage fees. | Card for the full amount within 48 hours. Licensed dealers can also use ACH. No pickup. |
| Delivery | Arrange a tow or use IAA Transport | Typically within 48 hours in the Twin Cities and St. Louis areas, with timing elsewhere varying by distance |
| Title | $20 title-handling fee on every purchase | Typically 8 to 12 weeks, depending on your state |
| If something is wrong | Sold as is | 3-Day Major Mechanical Guarantee, plus a title guarantee |
The 3-Day Major Mechanical Guarantee covers undisclosed engine failure (a cracked block, crankshaft, or rod failure), automatic transmission failure, frame or structural damage, and flood damage, reported within 72 hours of delivery. It is not a warranty: disclosed issues, manual transmissions, cars that would not start at auction, and cars driven more than 100 miles after purchase are excluded. Separately, the title guarantee lasts for as long as you own the car: if your title is late, or the car has a title brand or mileage issue we did not disclose, we will make it right.
Which one should you use?
| IAA is the better fit if you | Remarket Space is the better fit if you |
|---|---|
| Have a business license, or live in a state on IAA’s public list | Have no license, or live in one of the 23 states not on IAA’s list |
| Want insurance, salvage, or rebuildable cars | Want a car you can drive soon after it arrives |
| Buy often enough to spread a $225 yearly fee | Buy one car and want no membership |
| Can tow, repair, and title a rebuilt car yourself | Want delivery and the total cost on the listing before you bid |
| Are comfortable buying as is | Want a short mechanical guarantee and a title guarantee |
Comparing salvage auctions too? See Remarket Space vs Copart. Our state guides list which auctions let the public bid near you, starting with car auctions in Missouri and car auctions in Illinois.
See cars up for auction now, or read how bidding works first. Bids on Remarket Space are binding, so set your number with the out-the-door total in mind.
Frequently asked questions
In some states. IAA’s Public Buyer account needs only a government ID, but it works only in the 27 states on IAA’s public buyer list, and only 18 of those include clear-titled cars. Elsewhere you need a business license or a broker.
IAA says the yearly membership fee for Public and Licensed Business buyer accounts is $225. Guest accounts are free but cannot bid or buy.
Not for a public buyer on a $2,000 car. IAA’s non-licensed buyer fee, proxy bid fee, service fee, title-handling fee, and $225 yearly membership come to $2,985 plus a surcharge, before towing. Remarket Space comes to $2,648 before delivery, with no membership.
Mostly vehicles from insurance companies, including total losses with collision, flood, or theft damage, plus some clean-titled cars. Check the title type and photos on every listing before you bid.
Yes. The 3-Day Major Mechanical Guarantee covers undisclosed engine, automatic transmission, frame, and flood damage reported within 72 hours of delivery, and a separate title guarantee covers late titles and undisclosed title brand or mileage issues for as long as you own the car.
Sources
- IAA: Register to bid and buy
- IAA: What is the registration fee?
- IAA: Public Buyer State by State Eligibility
- IAA: Standard IAA Non-Licensed Buyer Fees
- IAA: What are late payment and storage fees?
- Remarket Space: How it works
- Remarket Space: Buyer premium and fees
- Remarket Space: 3-Day Major Mechanical Guarantee
IAA and Insurance Auto Auctions are trademarks of their owner. Remarket Space is not affiliated with IAA. IAA changes its rules and fees, so confirm on iaai.com before you bid.
