Public Surplus Auctions: Live Listings Nationwide (2026)
5496 active Public Surplus listings across the U.S. right now.
Public Surplus serves smaller cities, counties, school districts, and volunteer fire departments. Inventory overlaps with GovDeals on roughly 5–15% of items but Public Surplus often runs lower buyer's premiums - some sellers absorb the premium entirely. The interface is more basic; search is less polished than GovDeals. Every listing links back to bid on publicsurplus.com - GovAuctions doesn't sit between you and the seller.Last updated: 2026-10-19
Search all 5,496 Public Surplus listings
Filter by category, state, price, and when the auction ends
Salvage 2026 Ford Explorer Hybrid SUV Police Interceptor
Oshkosh, WI · 69 bids
10,791 miAWDV6
2015 Ford Explorer AWD Police Interceptor Utility 4dr SUV
Grass Valley, CA · 46 bids
56,323 miDieselV6
2005 Toyota Tacoma
San Luis Obispo, CA · 31 bids
72,168 mi
2019 Chevy Tahoe LS 4x4 4-door SUV
Grass Valley, CA · 28 bids
91,356 miV8
2003 Suzuki Eiger
Salem, UT · 27 bids
iPhone 15 Pro - 128gb
Issaquah, WA · 26 bids
2018 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor - A21079
Duluth, MN · 26 bids
121,010 miAWD6 cyl
2018 Ford Explorer Police Interceptor - A21073
Duluth, MN · 26 bids
135,482 miAWD6 cyl
2025002945 2016 MERCEDES 300 SERIES
Garland, TX · 24 bids
8229 - EAW Commercial Speakers
Grand Forks, ND · 23 bids
2008 Honda Rancher
Salem, UT · 23 bids
1,763 mi
NO RESERVE 2019 Ford F-350 6.7L Diesel Power Stroke 104,857 Miles
Chehalis, WA · 23 bids
Public Surplus Auctions by Category
What Public Surplus Categories Sell For at Auction
Median winning bids from 152,530 completed government auction sales in the last year, for the categories Public Surplus carries.
| Category | Median | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Furniture | $14 | 25,989 |
| Electronics | $89 | 41,563 |
| Vehicles | $2,525 | 64,410 |
| Tools | $112 | 17,586 |
| Real Estate | $5,000 | 968 |
| Sporting | $45 | 2,014 |
Market-wide sold prices across every government auction platform we track, not Public Surplus alone - use them as a valuation benchmark before you bid. The typical range is the middle 50% of sales (25th to 75th percentile).
Source: the GovAuctions Surplus Price Index, built from completed sales on official U.S. government auction platforms. Free to cite with attribution.
Public Surplus Auctions by State
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many Public Surplus auctions are live right now?
- There are 5496 active Public Surplus listings across the U.S. right now, spread across 33 states. The count refreshes with new listings every 30 minutes from publicsurplus.com.
- Is Public Surplus legit?
- Yes. Public Surplus (publicsurplus.com) is the official platform for state and local government surplus. Public Surplus serves smaller cities, counties, school districts, and volunteer fire departments. Inventory overlaps with GovDeals on roughly 5–15% of items but Public Surplus often runs lower buyer's premiums - some sellers absorb the premium entirely. The interface is more basic; search is less polished than GovDeals. GovAuctions indexes Public Surplus listings into one searchable feed - bidding happens on publicsurplus.com.
- Does Public Surplus charge a buyer's premium?
- Buyer's premium 0–10%, set per seller (median ~7%). Always confirm the exact premium on the listing itself, since some sellers set their own.
- How do I buy from Public Surplus?
- Find a listing here or on publicsurplus.com, register a bidder account on publicsurplus.com, and place your bid there - GovAuctions never sits between you and the seller. Most items require in-person pickup at the seller's location within 5-10 business days, though a meaningful minority of sellers ship. Check the listing for shipping options, and factor in travel or freight before you bid.