Police Auctions in Canada by Province (2026): Where Seized and Unclaimed Property Is Sold

There is no single police auction site in Canada. Federal forfeited property (proceeds of crime) is managed by Public Services and Procurement Canada and sold publicly or by auction once the 30-day appeal period has passed. Municipal and regional police services sell unclaimed and seized goods through commercial auctioneers: Police Auctions Canada for York, Waterloo and Hamilton police in Ontario, Michener Allen for Calgary and Winnipeg, Able Auctions for the Vancouver Police Department, and GovDeals for some services' retired vehicles. Police Auctions Canada charges no buyer's premium, adds HST, and gives winners seven days to pay and collect. On 23 September 2026 we had 474 live Police Auctions Canada lots in our Canadian feed.

This guide covers how the system works, who sells for which police service, and what you can buy.

How police property reaches auction

Federal forfeited property. When a court orders property forfeited as proceeds of crime, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) manages its disposal. PSPC says forfeited assets are disposed of only after a 30-day appeal period, and movable items such as cars, electronics and jewellery are sold publicly or through auction. Net proceeds are shared under the Forfeited Property Sharing Regulations.

Unclaimed found property. Items handed in to a local police service that nobody claims. Each service sets its own holding period. Hamilton Police, for example, says it holds found property for 90 days (30 days for bicycles), and Edmonton Police says finders may claim property left unclaimed after 30 days.

Retired police vehicles. Decommissioned cruisers, SUVs and pickups. Services sell these through vehicle auctions or government surplus platforms, after removing police equipment and markings.

RCMP vehicles

The RCMP suspended sales of its retired vehicles in January 2021, after the April 2020 Nova Scotia shootings in which the gunman used a mock RCMP cruiser. The RCMP's own review says its disposal process requires all markings that identify a vehicle as RCMP-owned to be removed, with GCSurplus handling disposal. Journalist reporting in December 2024 said sales of some non-patrol vehicles had resumed while police-package patrol vehicles remained excluded. We could not confirm the current position on an official page, so do not expect ex-RCMP cruisers at auction.

Ontario

Police Auctions Canada (policeauctionscanada.com) sells found, seized and unclaimed property for many Ontario police services from a Toronto-area warehouse. York Regional Police, Waterloo Regional Police and Hamilton Police all say on their own websites that they use it. Its terms: items start at $1, sell as is, carry no buyer's premium, HST is added, and you must pay and collect within seven days or the item is treated as abandoned.

GovDeals. Some Ontario services sell retired vehicles on GovDeals. On 23 September 2026 our feed held Ford Police Interceptor Utility and Explorer Interceptor lots from Windsor Police Services, and ex-police Chevrolet Tahoes from the Greater Toronto Airport Authority.

What we list. We index Police Auctions Canada and GovDeals Canada, so these appear in our Ontario hub and on the seized property hub.

British Columbia

Vancouver Police Department holds a public auction of unclaimed property at least once a year through Able Auctions. Vehicles are not included.

BC Auction (bcauction.ca), run by the province's Asset Investment Recovery branch, sells surplus for provincial ministries, Crown corporations, municipalities, and police and fire departments, with branches in Surrey, Victoria and Prince George.

What we list. We index BC Auction; see the British Columbia hub. We do not index Able Auctions.

Alberta

Calgary. The City of Calgary says all its surplus items, including police seizures, unclaimed lost and found property and vehicles, are sold through Michener Allen Auctioneering.

Edmonton. Edmonton Police runs its own auctions of unclaimed seized vehicles, published on its website.

What we list. We do not index Michener Allen. Alberta government surplus from surplus.gov.ab.ca is in our Alberta hub.

Manitoba

Winnipeg Police Service holds recurring Unclaimed Goods Auctions through Michener Allen. Items are sold as is and all sales are final.

What we list. Not in our feed. Federal GCSurplus lots in Manitoba are on the Manitoba hub.

Quebec, Saskatchewan and Atlantic Canada

We could not confirm a current public auction channel for the SPVM, the Sûreté du Québec, or police services in Saskatchewan and the Atlantic provinces. Federal forfeited property from these provinces goes through PSPC. For provincial surplus, Quebec's Centre d'acquisitions gouvernementales runs public auctions in Montreal and Quebec City, and Saskatchewan sells through SaskSurplus. Nova Scotia's Police Identity Management Act (2021) requires retired police vehicles to be decommissioned, with equipment, decals and markings removed, before sale.

Quick reference

What ex-police vehicles fetch

On the police-package vehicles we recorded between May and September 2026 (Ford Explorer Police Interceptors, Chevrolet Tahoe SSVs, Ford F-150 Police Responders and Dodge Charger Police cars, about 20 distinct lots), closing bids ran from C$825 for a 2014 Taurus to C$26,500 for a 2023 Explorer. Most 2016 and 2017 Explorer Interceptors closed between C$2,000 and C$5,200. These are before tax. Our guide to ex-government trucks and vehicles in Canada has sold prices for the common fleet models.

What you can buy at police auctions

• Jewellery and watches. A large share of Police Auctions Canada's catalogue.
• Electronics. Phones, cameras, audio and security cameras, often untested.
• Bicycles and sporting goods.
• Tools. Power tools and tool sets.
• Collectibles. Coins, bullion and memorabilia.
• Vehicles. Retired police vehicles and, occasionally, seized or unclaimed cars.

Buying tips

Tax is added. Police Auctions Canada adds HST (13% in Ontario). GovDeals and other platforms may also charge a buyer's premium; check each listing. Our GST/HST and buyer's premium guide explains how tax is calculated.

Collect on time. Seven days at Police Auctions Canada, and similar short windows elsewhere.

Assume electronics are locked unless the listing says otherwise.

Registering a vehicle. Retired police vehicles need a provincial safety inspection in several provinces before plating. See safety certificates and registration after an auction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are police auctions held in Canada?

Online, through commercial auctioneers chosen by each police service. Police Auctions Canada sells for York, Waterloo, Hamilton and other Ontario services; Michener Allen sells for Calgary and the Winnipeg Police Service; Able Auctions runs the Vancouver Police Department's unclaimed property auction; and some services sell retired vehicles on GovDeals. Federal forfeited property is disposed of by Public Services and Procurement Canada.

Does Police Auctions Canada charge a buyer's premium?

No. Its terms say there is no buyer's premium; HST is added to the winning bid. Items start at $1, are sold as is, and must be paid for and collected within seven days or they are treated as abandoned.

Can I buy an ex-RCMP car?

Generally not at the moment. The RCMP suspended sales of retired vehicles in January 2021 after the Nova Scotia shootings, and police-package patrol vehicles have remained excluded. Any vehicle that is disposed of must have all RCMP markings removed first.

How long do Canadian police keep lost property before auctioning it?

It depends on the service. Hamilton Police holds found property for 90 days (30 for bicycles), and Edmonton Police lets finders claim property left unclaimed after 30 days. Federal forfeited property is disposed of after a 30-day appeal period.

Does GovAuctions list Canadian police auctions?

Yes, partly. We index Police Auctions Canada (474 live lots on 23 September 2026) and GovDeals Canada, which carries some police services' retired vehicles, plus BC Auction and GCSurplus. We do not index Michener Allen or Able Auctions, so Calgary, Winnipeg and Vancouver police sales are not in our feed.

Are ex-police vehicles sold with lights and decals?

No. Police services remove emergency lighting, equipment and markings before sale. In Ontario only police vehicles may show red and blue lights to the front, Nova Scotia's Police Identity Management Act requires retired police vehicles to be decommissioned, and the RCMP removes all markings before disposal.