GovDeals
GovDeals is an online marketplace where cities, counties, schools and other public bodies sell surplus vehicles, equipment and property, at govdeals.com. This page covers what sells there, how bidding works, and how each seller sets the buyer's premium, payment and pickup.
- Founded
- 1999
- Based in
- Montgomery, Alabama
- Buyer's premium
- 0% to 12.5%
- Pay within
- 5 business days
Go to GovDeals →How buying worksFees
About GovDeals
GovDeals started in 1999 in Montgomery, Alabama, and has been part of Liquidity Services since 2008. Thousands of government agencies and some businesses sell through it. Listings run across the U.S. and Canada.
Every sale is a timed online auction run by the selling agency, which sets its own terms. Items stay at the agency's site until the buyer picks them up. GovDeals usually collects payment, then issues a buyer's certificate used at pickup.
What's sold on GovDeals
How buying works at GovDeals
- Make an accountRegister free and add a payment method.
- Read the termsEach listing shows the seller's premium, payment rules and removal window.
- BidBid in the timed auction or set a maximum proxy bid.
- PayPay online within the seller's deadline, usually 5 business days.
- CollectBook a pickup with the agency, bring the buyer's certificate and ID, and remove the item in time.
What it costs
GovDeals charges sellers a fee, and each selling agency picks how much of it is passed to buyers as a buyer's premium (seller fee options from a 2018 agency agreement).
| What | Cost |
|---|---|
| Buyer's premium, option 1 | 5%, with the agency paying 7.5% |
| Buyer's premium, option 2 | 7.5%, with the agency paying 5% |
| Buyer's premium, option 3 | 10%, with the agency paying 2.5% |
| Buyer's premium, option 4 | 12.5%, with the agency paying nothing |
| No premium | 0% when the agency pays the full fee and collects payment itself |
| Administrative fee | Up to 7.5%, minimum $5, when an agency passes its fee to the buyer this way |
| Storage | Set by the agency. Examples are $10 a day (Oklahoma) and $25 a day (an Alabama county) after the removal window |
| Sales tax | Based on where the item is, unless an exemption form is on file |
A worked example: a $2,000 pickup listed with a 10% buyer's premium costs $2,200 before sales tax, with pickup and transport arranged by the buyer.
Paying, pickup and storage
| When to pay | Usually within 5 business days of the close. |
| Payment | Online by card, PayPal or wire. Invoices of $5,000 or more need a wire in some agencies' terms. New accounts may face card limits. |
| Deposit | None from GovDeals. Some sellers ask a refundable deposit on vehicles or heavy items. |
| Pickup | By appointment, usually within 5 to 10 business days. The buyer loads and hauls the item. |
| Storage | Set by the agency after the removal window. |
| Default | Missing payment or pickup can lock the buyer's account. |
Search GovDeals
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From GovDeals
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UX Search is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by GovDeals. Bidding, payment and delivery all happen on the house's own site under its own terms. Information checked October 22, 2026 from govdeals.com (seller terms pages would not render for the fetch tool) and Baldwin County, Alabama GovDeals agreement, 2018 (premium options, payment and removal terms) and oklahoma.gov State Surplus public auction page (payment, pickup, storage) and Franklin County, Ohio surplus FAQ for bidders and gacities.com GovDeals service page; fees and rules can change, so confirm them on the sale page.