Most states have specific laws that deal with how police auctions are to be conducted. The agency conducting the police auction is usually required to publish a full description of the items that will be auctioned, as well as the date, time and location of the auction. The agency will also publish additional terms such as what types of payment they will accept, how long you have to remove the property from the auction site once you win the bid, plus legal disclaimers if there are any. This information is generally published in at least one major newspaper that serves the area within the law enforcement agency's jurisdiction.

Police auctions require that you register as a bidder and in most cases, you are allowed time to inspect the goods before the actual police auction begins. You should take advantage of this time because it is a very bad idea to bid on anything that you haven't had time to inspect. Once the auction starts, you simply bid on the items that you want. Have a budget in mind and don't bid more than you're willing to pay. It's easy to get caught up in the bidding frenzy and end up paying far more than originally intended.

Police auctions can be fun and save you a ton of money on great items like cars, electronics and real estate!