California Car Auctions Online: Contact Details & Info
Southern California Online Auction – (909) 930-1887 – (Open to the Public) – Auctions are on Saturdays and Sundays
Otay Auto Auction – Online Auction – (619) 661-0808 –(Open to the Public) – Auctions are on Saturdays but you may view the vehicles for sale on Fridays
Brownfield Auto Auction – Online Auctions (Open to the Public) – Locations in San Diego, Stockton, and Oakland
Los Angeles Official Police Garages – Auctions
Apple Towing Auctions
9529 8th Street
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730
(713) 600-7794
Open to the public with tons of government vehicle auctions, including U.S. Marshall sales in all 50 US states. The auction website is user-friendly and constantly updates with photos of newly available vehicles.
eBay Motors – I like using their zip code search feature to find cars in my area. In my experience, eBay Motors usually has higher prices than the big public car auctions, but it can be a good option if you’re after a specific or rare vehicle – like a classic car, for example. I’ve had some luck finding those kinds of vehicles on eBay.
Do not live in California? You can always hire one of the car shipping companies in California from my guide. They will transport your auction vehicle cross country or overseas.
READ MY GUIDE: Online Auto Auctions Open to the Public in California
While visiting a car auction in California can be a lot of fun (especially for first timers from what I have seen over the years), there are also a few options to buy a used car online in California through an online used car auction open to the public.
Most are open to the public, but some may be for dealers only which would require a dealer’s license (aka “auction license”). Online car auctions for public bidders in Cali offer decent used cars. I promote car auctions all over California, including online-only car auctions.
Online auctions in California feature the same inventories that they offer to their in-person bidders that come to their auctions. These vehicles often are bank repos, car dealer trade-ins, private for-sale-by-owner cars, police impounds at police car auctions and government fleet surplus cars, and also abandoned tow vehicles.
These are free public car auction sites with online auto auctions that allow public bidders that I can recommend to you. Car auctions online operate very similar to wholesale car auctions, but may feature both live auctions and auctions that occur over a period — such as a week or a month.
They will almost always make the VIN (vehicle identification number) known before you place a bid on the car. This number is important for you as it will allow you to research the history of the car online before you buy it.
With this feature, you can find out if the vehicle has ever been wrecked, the number of owners it has had, and the states in which it was registered.
For instance, I suggest you try to avoid cars from northern states that salt their roads in the winter as this can speed up wear on a car’s frame and also promote rusting.
My Top Tips for Bidding in an Online Car Auction & Repo Car Auctions Open to the Public
Research the cars you are interested in bidding on
Here’s a pro tip: Use the VIN! Most of these places provide a ton of photos and the VIN. That VIN lets you check the car’s history online. I always make sure to really study the pictures, too. You’re looking for any damage or necessary bodywork they might not have mentioned in the description.
Do not hesitate to ask as many questions as you need prior to bidding
Never be afraid to ask questions! Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned pro, the auction staff is there to help you. They’re always happy to answer any questions you might have before you bid. And don’t forget to keep checking back on the auction sites for new California cars. They add fresh inventory all the time.
Be sure to read all the requirements before bidding
You’ll need to see a valid U.S. driver’s license to let you bid, plus any other documents listed on the website.
It’s all pretty simple. To be honest, I think these online car auctions are the easiest way to buy a car at auction nowadays. Forget those stuffy old auction houses and newspapers! You won’t find a faster way to buy a car!
My advice? Don’t just take their word for it. Check the car’s history and see what it’s worth on Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds, but keep in mind that those do not always reflect actual auction value.
Remember most car auctions sell their cars as-is, without a warranty.
I have many years of experience bidding at these auctions and am offering to share my expert advice with you.
What's the catch? None. I love car auctions because of how fun they are and I know that you will to.
I am a licensed automotive wholesaler and have flipped cars all over the United States from car auctions.
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