US Marshals Service
Visit USMSThe U.S. Marshals Service disposes of property forfeited in federal criminal cases, and it does not run the auctions itself. Vehicles and other personal property are sold under contract by Apple Auctioneering Co., whose sales are hosted on HiBid. Real estate and some higher-value personal property go through a separate Bid4Assets storefront.
The same contractor also runs forfeiture sales for the U.S. Treasury, and both appear here. One side is Justice Department cases and the other is Treasury and Homeland Security, but the format, the terms and the removal rules are identical. The seller shown on each listing says which agency it was.
These are nationwide sales run out of a single office, so the auction's own address tells you nothing about where a car sits. Each lot title carries the real state as a prefix, as in "(NJ) 2014 Chevrolet Cruze", and the description carries the storage yard: a towing company or an auto auction, with a street address and a phone number. We read both, so the location on each listing is the yard you would drive to.
Prices run higher than most government surplus. Across 245 completed vehicle lots we have tracked, the median last recorded bid was $9,550, with the middle half falling between $2,300 and $23,900. Forfeiture takes cars from people who bought them new, so the mix skews to late-model SUVs and pickups with a scattering of exotics.
Two things catch buyers out. Lots marked EXPORT ONLY carry a branded title and have to leave the country directly from the storage yard, with an approved customs form 7512 before removal; attempting to re-import one risks seizure, destruction and penalties. And bidding does not close all at once. Lots end in sequence about a minute apart, so the time shown on the auction is when the first lot closes, not the last.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the US Marshals auction legit?
Yes. The U.S. Marshals Service disposes of property forfeited in federal criminal cases, and the sales are run under contract by established auction firms rather than by the agency itself. Real estate, vehicles, boats and jewellery are the usual categories. Because the property came out of criminal forfeiture, title is generally clear, which is a genuine advantage over foreclosure sales.
Where do US Marshals auctions actually take place?
On HiBid, through the contractor that runs the sales. The Marshals Service does not host auctions itself: vehicles and personal property are sold by Apple Auctioneering Co. on its HiBid storefront, and real estate goes through a Bid4Assets storefront. You register and bid with whichever platform is hosting that sale rather than with the agency.
What does EXPORT ONLY mean on a US Marshals vehicle?
That the vehicle cannot stay in the United States. Those lots carry a branded title and must be exported directly from the storage yard where they sit, with a customs form 7512 completed and approved before removal. The terms are explicit that trying to re-import one risks seizure of the property, its destruction, and penalties. Only bid on one if you can genuinely ship it.
What kind of property do the Marshals sell?
Assets forfeited in federal cases: houses, cars, boats, aircraft, jewellery and occasionally businesses. The inventory reflects federal prosecutions rather than any market, so it is irregular and skews towards higher-value items compared with municipal surplus.
Is title clear on forfeited property?
Usually, and it is the main reason to prefer these sales over sheriff sales. Federal forfeiture extinguishes most competing claims before the government sells, so buyers are not inheriting the lien problem that makes county foreclosure auctions risky. Read the specific terms for each lot rather than assuming.
Why do some of these lots say U.S. Treasury rather than U.S. Marshals?
Because the same contractor runs both programmes off the same auction calendar. The Marshals dispose of property forfeited in Justice Department cases; the Treasury Executive Office for Asset Forfeiture does the same for Treasury and Homeland Security cases. The sales alternate between the two, the format and terms are identical, and the seller shown on each lot is the agency that actually forfeited it.
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