What does Run and Drive mean at Copart?

When the vehicle arrived at the Copart yard it started, went into gear and moved under its own power. It is a record of that moment, not a guarantee: the car may still be faulty, and its condition can change while it is stored.

What are Enhanced Vehicles at Copart?

A flag showing that the seller did something to the car before sale — cleaned it, replaced parts or repaired it in part. It does not say what was done or how well, so these lots deserve an especially careful look at the photos.

What does Undercarriage mean at Copart?

It is the damage code for the underside of the vehicle: suspension, subframe, oil pan, exhaust and, on an EV, the battery housing. This damage is hard to see in photos, so repair estimates vary widely.

What does TMU or Not Actual mean for mileage?

TMU (True Mileage Unknown) means the real mileage is not known. Not Actual means the odometer reading does not reflect true mileage. In both cases the number on the dash cannot be trusted, and the mileage should be checked against the car’s history.

Why is the Copart invoice total higher than my bid?

Because the buyer fee, gate fee, virtual bid fee and environmental fee are added to the bid, plus a late fee and storage if a deadline was missed. Auction fees usually come to 15–25% of the bid, more on cheap lots.

Copart and IAAI glossary: lot page terms and how to read the invoice

What Run and Drive, Engine Start Program, Enhanced Vehicles, Undercarriage, Not Actual, TMU and the other flags on a Copart or IAAI lot page mean — and how to read the invoice you get after winning, line by line.

October 3, 2026·4 min read

Auction gavel and car beside an invoice with a highlighted total

Nearly every flag on a Copart or IAAI lot page means less than it sounds like: it records what the yard observed on the day the car arrived, not a warranty.

Below are the terms people look up most, grouped the way they appear on a lot page, followed by a walk through the invoice that arrives after a win.

Condition flags: does it start, does it move

Flag	What it means	What it does not mean
Run and Drive	When the vehicle arrived at the yard it started, went into gear and moved under its own power	That it is sound or will make it to the port
Engine Start Program	The engine started (possibly with a jump) and idled	That the vehicle can move
Enhanced Vehicles	The seller did something to the car before sale: cleaned it, replaced parts, repaired it in part	That the repair is good or complete
Starts (IAAI)	The engine starts	That the vehicle drives
Stationary (IAAI)	The vehicle does not start or does not move under its own power	That anyone knows why

Every flag describes the moment the vehicle arrived at the yard and is explicitly not a guarantee.

Damage

Primary Damage is the main damage, Secondary Damage the additional one. The codes describe a zone, not severity. The ones asked about most:

Undercarriage — damage underneath: suspension, subframe, oil pan, exhaust, and on an EV the battery housing. Almost impossible to judge from photos.
All Over — damage across the whole body: hail, rollover, vandalism.
Mechanical — an engine, gearbox or drivetrain fault, without saying which.
Biohazard / Chemical — biological or chemical contamination of the cabin. Needs specialist cleaning.
Minor Dent / Scratches and Normal Wear — light damage and ordinary wear; typical of ex-rental and ex-lease cars.
Stripped — parts have been removed. Nobody made a list of which.

The full breakdown — which codes cost out predictably and which eat the margin — is in the guide to Copart and IAAI damage codes.

Mileage

Flag	Meaning
Actual	The mileage is believed to be genuine
Not Actual	The odometer reading does not reflect true mileage: a replaced cluster, tampering, a fault
Exempt	The vehicle is old enough to be exempt from mileage disclosure — the figure is unverified
TMU (True Mileage Unknown)	The true mileage is not known
Exceeds Mechanical Limits	A mechanical odometer has rolled past its maximum and started again

Anything other than Actual is worth checking against history: a Carfax report shows the mileage on every date the car entered the records.

Value, documents, sale

Est. Retail Value / ACV — an estimate of the car’s retail value before the damage. The seller supplies it; treat it as a reference, not a price.
Repair Cost / Est. Repair — the repair estimate from the insurance file, at US labour rates.
Title / Doc Type — the document type and state. It decides whether the car can leave the country: title check.
Keys: Yes / No — whether a key comes with it. No key means cost and a delay at the port.
Sale Status — Pure Sale, On Approval, Minimum Bid: whether the seller will sell at your bid. See sale types.
Highlights / Lot Notes — the yard’s own remarks.

How to read a Copart invoice

The invoice is generated once the sale closes and lists everything you owe the auction for the lot. Line by line:

Line	What it is
Sale Price / Bid Amount	Your winning bid
Buyer Fee	The main auction charge; depends on bid, tier, title and payment method
Gate Fee	A fixed charge for handling and releasing the vehicle
Virtual Bid Fee	The charge for bidding online
Environmental Fee	A small fixed environmental charge
Title / Mailing Fee	Processing and mailing the documents, where applicable
Late Fee	The penalty for paying after the deadline
Storage	Storage after the free period, charged per day
Total Due / Due Date	The amount owed and the date it is good until without a penalty

The first five lines can be calculated before you bid. The last ones appear only through missed deadlines.

If the buyer fee on the invoice does not match your own calculation, the cause is almost always the tier or the payment method. Compare it with the Copart fee calculator and the fee guide. If you buy through a broker, the broker’s fee is not on the Copart invoice — it arrives as a separate bill.

NotedCar decodes a lot for you — sale type, title risk, fees and full landed cost — before the bid rather than on the invoice.

Start 14 days free

Frequently asked questions

Keep reading

How Copart works: buying a car as a foreign buyer

Who is allowed to bid at Copart, how much you need on deposit before the first bid, and where a broker fits. The auction’s mechanics from sign-up to a won lot.

EV customs in Ukraine in 2026: 20% VAT, €1 per kWh excise and worked examples

The VAT exemption ended on 1 January 2026. An electric car now costs a little over 20% of its value to clear — here is the formula and the numbers.

Certifying a US car in Ukraine: first registration and the 2026 rules

A cleared car still cannot be registered. Between customs and plates sit certification, a lighting conversion and the pension fund fee.

Certificate of Destruction: what it means and whether the car can be exported

The cheapest lots at auction often carry this document. Legally it is no longer a vehicle but a set of parts — and that changes everything.

Salvage vs Rebuilt title: the difference and what it does to the price

Salvage is a car an insurer wrote off. Rebuilt is the same car after repair and inspection. The gap between them is weeks, money and a question of trust.

After winning a Copart lot: payment deadline, storage, late fees and relist

The clock starts when the hammer falls. Three business days to pay, then a late fee, then storage every day — and eventually your lot is sold again at your expense.

How much a Rebuilt Title cuts a car’s value: how to estimate it and set your bid

The 20–40% rule is only the start. The real discount depends on the damage type, the paperwork and the model — and it decides how much you can pay for the lot.

How to track a car shipped from the US: stages, numbers and where to check

There is no single “track by VIN”: every leg of the journey has its own number and its own place to look. Here is the map of the whole route.

Importing a US car to Georgia in 2026: the 1.5 and 4.5 GEL excise, import tax and worked examples

Since April 2026 a car’s age matters more than its price in Georgia: the seventh year triples the excise. The formula, examples and what it does to your bid.

Importing a US car to Kazakhstan in 2026: 15% duty, 16% VAT, the recycling fee and the 500 MRP registration

In Kazakhstan the biggest charge is not duty but first registration: 500 MRP for a car over three years old. Here is how that changes which lot you pick.

Importing a US car to Kyrgyzstan in 2026: the EAEU flat rates in euro per cm³, with examples

In Kyrgyzstan the bill is computed from cubic centimetres, not price — and a car’s fifth year doubles the rate. The full table and three examples.

Importing a US car to Uzbekistan in 2026: 40% + $3 per cm³ duty, and why to run the numbers first

On a car over three years old, duty alone in Uzbekistan exceeds the price of the car. Here is the formula and the categories where importing still works.

Copart and IAAI fees in 2026: every buyer charge and how to price a lot properly

Your bid is roughly 75–85% of what you actually pay the auction. Here is every Copart and IAAI charge, what moves it, and how to price a lot before you bid.

Landed cost of a US car: from the auction bid to customs clearance

The auction bid is roughly half of what you will pay. Here is the other half — and how to work your maximum bid backwards from the margin you need.

Pure Sale, On Approval and Seller's Reserve: Copart and IAAI sale statuses explained

Winning the auction and buying the car are not the same thing. Here is what every Copart and IAAI sale status means for your bid.

US car titles explained: Clean, Salvage, Rebuilt and Junk — and what can actually be exported

The title is the document that decides everything: whether the car leaves the country, whether it clears customs, and what the deal really costs.

Copart and IAAI damage codes: which ones actually destroy your margin

Translating a damage code is easy. Knowing which ones cost a hundred dollars and which close the deal before you bid is the part that matters.

How to check a US car's history by VIN: Carfax, AutoCheck and their blind spots

A VIN report is the cheapest way to avoid buying someone else's problem. But its limits deserve as much attention as its contents.

Window sticker by VIN: how to check factory equipment on a US car

An auction listing gives you three lines. The factory sticker tells you exactly how the car left the line and what it cost when new.

Price the whole lot before you bid

NotedCar rolls auction fees, logistics and customs into one number, flags the sale type and title risk, and keeps every client in one place.

Start 14 days free