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PART IV

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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K
ANNUAL REPORTS PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Commission file number 0-23255

Copart, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code:
(707) 639-5000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

         Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes þ    No o

         Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o    No þ

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ    No o

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes o    No o

         Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (check one):

         Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yeso Noþ

         The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of January 31, 20092010 (the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter) was $1,576,240,787$2,837,917,860 based upon the closing sales price reported for such date on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (formerly the NASDAQ National Market). For purposes of this disclosure, shares of Common Stock held by persons who hold more than 5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock and shares held by officers and directors of the registrant have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily conclusive for other purposes.

         At September 29, 2009,22, 2010, registrant had 84,082,11384,367,430 outstanding shares of Common Stock.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

         Items 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 of Part III incorporate certain information by reference from the registrant's definitive proxy statement for its 20092010 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (Proxy Statement) to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days after the registrant's fiscal year end of July 31, 2009.2010. Except with respect to the information specifically incorporated by reference, the Proxy Statement is not deemed to be filed as a part hereof.

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Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the Fiscal Year Ended July 31, 20092010

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

        This Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2009,2010, or this Form 10-K, including the information incorporated by reference herein, contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act). In some cases, you can identify forward- looking statements by terms such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "plan," "intend," "forecast," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential," "continue" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. The forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and situations that may cause our or our industry's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these statements. These forward-looking statements are made in reliance upon the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These factors include those listed in Item 1A Business under the caption entitled "Risk Factors" in this Form 10-K and those discussed elsewhere in this Form 10-K. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this Form 10-K to "Copart," the "Company," "we," "us," or "our" refer to Copart, Inc. We encourage investors to review these factors carefully together with the other matters referred to herein, as well as in the other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC). We may from time to time make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the SEC. We do not undertake to update any forward- looking statement that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company.

        Although we believe that, based on information currently available to Copart and its management, the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

Corporate Information

        We were incorporated in California in 1982 and became a public company in 1994. Our principal executive offices are located at 4665 Business Center Drive, Fairfield, California 94534 and our telephone number at that address is (707) 639-5000. Our website iswww.copart.com. The contents of our website are not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K. We provide free of charge through a link on our website access to our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, as well as amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practical after the reports are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC.

        Copart™, VB²™, CopartDirect™, BID4U™, CoPartfinder™ and CI & Design™ are trademarks of Copart, Inc. This Form 10-K also includes other trademarks of Copart and of other companies.

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PART I

Item 1.    Business

General

        Copart, Inc. is a leading provider of online auctions and vehicle remarketing services in the United States (US), Canada and the United Kingdom (UK).

        We provide vehicle sellers with a full range of services to process and sell vehicles over the Internet through our Virtual Bidding Second Generation Internet auction-style sales technology, which we refer to as VB². Sellers are primarily insurance companies but also include banks and financial institutions, charities, car dealerships, fleet operators, vehicle rental companies and the general public. We sell principally to licensed vehicle dismantlers, rebuilders, repair licensees, used vehicle dealers and exporters and, at certain locations, we sell directly to the general public. The majority of the vehicles sold on behalf of the insurance companies are either damaged vehicles deemed a total loss or not economically repairable by the insurance companies or are recovered stolen vehicles for which an insurance settlement with the vehicle owner has already been made. We offer vehicle sellers a full range of services that expedite each stage of the vehicle sales process, minimize administrative and processing costs and maximize the ultimate sales price.

        In the US and Canada or North America,(North America), we sell vehicles primarily as an agent and derive revenue primarily from fees paid by vehicle sellers and vehicle buyers as well as related fees for services such as towing and storage. In the UK, we operate primarilyboth on a principal basis, purchasing the salvage vehicle outright from the insurance companies and reselling the vehicle for our own account.account, and as an agent.

        During fiscal 2004 and fiscal 2008, we converted all of our North American and UK sales, respectively, to our Internet based auction-style selling platform which we call VB². VB² opens our sales process to registered buyers (whom we refer to as members) anywhere in the world who have Internet access. This technology and model employs a two-step bidding process. The first step is an open preliminary bidding feature that allows a buyerregistered member to enter bids either at a bidding station at the storage facility during the preview days or over the Internet.Internet during the preview. To improve the effectiveness of bidding, the VB² system lets a buyermembers see the current high bidbids on the vehiclevehicles they want to purchase. The preliminary bidding step is an open bid format similar to eBay. BuyersMembers enter the maximum price they are willing to pay for a vehicle and VB²'s BID4U feature will incrementally bid on the vehicle on their behalf during all phases of the auction. Preliminary bidding ends one hour prior to the start of a second bidding step, an Internet-only virtual auction. This second step allows bidders the opportunity to bid against each other and the high preliminary bidder. The bidders enter bids via the Internet in real time while BID4U submits bids for the high preliminary bidder, up to their maximum bid. When bidding stops, a countdown is initiated. If no bids are received during the countdown, the vehicle sells to the highest bidder. VB² opens our sales process to registered buyers anywhere in the world who have Internet access.

        We believe the implementation of VB² has increased the pool of available buyers for each sale and the added competition has increased the amount buyers are willing to pay for vehicles. We also believe that it has improved the efficiency of our operations by eliminating the expense and capital requirements associated with live auctions. For fiscal 2009,2010, sales of North American vehicles, on a unit basis, to buyersmembers registered outside the state where the vehicle is located accounted for 46.8%50.2% of total vehicles sold (25.3%sold; 27.5% of vehicles were sold to out of state buyersmembers and 21.5%22.7% were sold to out of country buyers,members, based on registration).registration. For fiscal 2009,2010, sales of UK vehicles, on a unit basis, to buyersmembers registered outside the country where the vehicle is located accounted for 18.4%17.7% of total vehicles sold.

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        We believe that we offer the highest level of service in the auction and vehicle remarketing industry and have established our leading market position by:

•

providing coverage that facilitates seller access to buyers around the world, reducing towing and third-party storage expenses, offering a local presence for vehicle inspection stations, and providing prompt response to catastrophes and natural disasters by specially-trained teams;



•

providing a comprehensive range of customer services that include merchandising services, efficient title processing, timely pick-up and delivery of vehicles, and Internet sales;



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establishing and efficiently integrating new facilities and acquisitions;



•

increasing the number of bidders that can participate at each sale through the ease and convenience of Internet bidding;



•

applying technology to enhance operating efficiency through Internet bidding, web-based order processing, salvage value quotes, electronic communication with buyersmembers and sellers, vehicle imaging, and an online used vehicle parts locator service; and



•

providing the venue for insurance customers through our Virtual Insured Exchange (VIX) product to contingently sell a vehicle through the auction process to establish its true value, allowing the insurance customer to avoid dealing with estimated values when negotiating with owners who wish to retain their damaged vehicles.

        Historically, we believe our business has grown as a result of (i) acquisitions, (ii) increases in the overall volume in the salvage car market, (iii) growth in market share, (iv) increases in amount of revenue generated per sales transaction resulting from increases in the gross selling price and the addition of value-added services for both buyersmembers and sellers, and (v) the growth in non-insurance company sellers. For fiscal year 2009,2010, which ended July 31, 2009,2010, our revenues were approximately $743.1$772.9 million and our operating income was approximately $225.3$239.1 million.

        On June 14, 2007, we entered the UK salvage market through the acquisition of Universal Salvage Plc (Universal). In fiscal 2008, we made the following additional acquisitions: Century Salvage Sales Limited (Century) on August 1, 2007; AG Watson Auto Salvage & Motors Spares (Scotland) Limited (AG Watson) on February 29, 2008; and Simpson Bros. (York) Holdings Limited (Simpson) on April 4, 2008. In fiscal 2010, we acquired D Hales Limited (D Hales) on January 22, 2010. Universal, Century, AG Watson and WatsonD Hales were all leading providers of vehicle auctions and services to the motor insurance and automotive industries. Simpson was primarily an auto dismantler and was acquired primarily for its real estate holdings.

        In fiscal 2008, we initiated two new programs using VB², (i) Copart Dealer Services (CDS), by which we sell dealer-trade-ins using our VB² application and (ii) CopartDirect, whereby we sell cars on behalf of the general public, using our VB² application, so that individuals can avoid the inconvenience of selling the cars themselves.public. Our goal through these two programs is to expand VB²'s application beyond traditional salvage in order to expand our customer base. CDS targets franchise and independent dealerships while CopartDirect targets the general public.

        In fiscal 2009, we opened our website to the public, initiated our Registered Broker program by which the public can purchase vehicles through a registered buyer,member, and initiated our Market Maker program by which registered buyersmembers can open Copart storefronts with internetInternet kiosks that enable the general public to browse and view our inventory and purchase vehicles from us through the Market Maker.

        In fiscal 2010, we initiated two additional programs using VB²: (i) 2^nd chance bidding, which allows the second highest bidder of a vehicle the opportunity to purchase the vehicle for the seller's current minimum bid after the high bidder declines and (ii) Night Cap Sales, which provides sellers an additional opportunity to have members bid on their vehicles, increasing exposure and minimizing cycle time.

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        In North America, we opened fiveone new facilitiesfacility located in Louisville, Kentucky; Richmond, Virginia; Montgomery, Alabama; Greer, South Carolina; and Warren, Massachusetts.Scranton, Pennsylvania. As of July 31, 2009,2010, we had 133134 facilities in the US, 2 facilities in Canada and 1216 facilities in the UK.

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Industry Overview

        The auction and vehicle remarketing services industry provides a venue for sellers to dispose of or liquidate vehicles to a broad domestic and international buyer pool. In North America, sellers generally auction or sell their vehicles on consignment either for a fixed fee or a percentage of the sales price. On occasion in North America and on a primary basis in the UK, companies in our industry will purchase vehicles from the largest segment of sellers, insurance companies, and resell the vehicles for their own account. The vehicles are usually purchased at a price based either on a percentage of the vehicles' estimated pre-accident cash value and/or based on the extent of damage. Vehicle remarketers typically operate from multiple facilities where vehicles are processed, viewed, stored and delivered to the buyer. While most companies in this industry remarket vehicles through a physical auction, Copart sells all of its vehicles on its Internet selling platform, VB², thus eliminating the requirement for buyers to travel to an auction location to participate in the sales process. In the UK, all sales were converted to VB² during fiscal 2008.

        Although there are other sellers of vehicles, such as banks and financial institutions, charities, car dealerships, fleet operators, vehicle rental companies and the general public, the primary sellers of vehicles are insurance companies.

        Automobile manufacturers are incorporating new standard features, including unibody construction, passenger safety cages with surrounding crumple zones to absorb impacts, plastic components, airbags, xenon lights, computer systems, heated seats, and navigation systems. We believe that one effect of these additional features is that newer vehicles involved in accidents are more costly to repair and, accordingly, more likely to be deemed a total loss for insurance purposes. This may result in an increased supply of total loss salvage vehicles from insurance companies.

        The primary buyers of the vehicles are vehicle dismantlers, rebuilders, repair licensees, used vehicle dealers, exporters and in some states, the general public. Vehicle dismantlers, which we believe are the largest group of vehicle buyers, either dismantle a salvage vehicle and sell parts individually or sell the entire vehicle to rebuilders, used vehicle dealers, or the public. Vehicle rebuilders and vehicle repair licensees generally purchase salvage vehicles to repair and resell. Used vehicle dealers generally purchase recovered stolen or slightly damaged vehicles for resale.

        The majority of our vehicles are sold on behalf of insurance companies and are usually vehicles involved in an accident. Typically the damaged vehicle is towed to a storage facility or a vehicle repair facility for temporary storage pending insurance company examination. The vehicle is inspected by the insurance company's adjuster, who estimates the costs of repairing the vehicle and gathers information regarding the damaged vehicle's mileage, options and condition in order to estimate its pre-accident value (PAV), or actual cash value (ACV). The adjuster determines whether to pay for repairs or to classify the vehicle as a total loss based upon the adjuster's estimate of repair costs, vehicle's salvage value, and the PAV or ACV, as well as customer service considerations. If the cost of repair is greater than the pre-accident value less the estimated salvage value, the insurance company generally will classify the vehicle as a total loss. The insurance company will thereafter assign the vehicle to a vehicle auction and remarketing services company, settle with the insured and receive title to the vehicle.

        We believe the primary factors that insurance companies consider when selecting an auction and vehicle remarketing services company include:

•

the anticipated percentage return on salvage (i.e., gross salvage proceeds, minus vehicle handling and selling expenses, divided by the actual cash value);



•

the services provided by the company and the degree to which such services reduce administrative costs and expenses;



•

the price the company charges for its services;

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the price the company charges for its services;



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national coverage andcoverage;



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the ability to respond on a national scale;to natural disasters;



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the ability to provide analytical data to the seller; and



•

in the UK, the actual amount paid for the vehicle.

        In the UK, insurance companies generally tender periodic contracts for the purchase of salvaged vehicles. The insurance company will generally award the contract to the company that is willing to pay the highest price for the vehicles.

        Generally, upon receipt of the pick up order (the assignment), we arrange for the transport of a vehicle to a facility. As a service to the vehicle seller, we will customarily pay advance charges (reimbursable charges paid on behalf of vehicle sellers) to obtain the vehicle's release from a towing company, vehicle repair facility or impound facility. Advance charges paid on behalf of the vehicle seller are either recovered upon sale of the vehicle or invoiced separately to the seller.

        The salvage vehicle then remains in storage at one of our facilities until ownership documents are transferred from the insured vehicle owner and the title to the vehicle is cleared through the appropriate state's motor vehicle regulatory agency, or DMV. In the US, total loss vehicles may be sold in most states only after obtaining a salvage title from the DMV. Upon receipt of the appropriate documentation from the DMV, which is generally received within 45 to 60 days of vehicle pick-up, the vehicle is sold either on behalf of the insurance company or for our own account, depending on the terms of the contract. In the UK, upon release of interest by the vehicle owner, the insurance company notifies us that the vehicle is available for sale for our own account.sale.

        Generally, sellers of non-salvage vehicles will arrange to deliver the vehicle to one of our locations. At that time, the vehicle information will be uploaded to our system and made available for buyers to review online. The vehicle is then sold either at a live auction or, in our case, on VB² typically within 7 days. Proceeds are then collected from the buyer,member, seller fees are subtracted and the remainder is remitted to the seller.

Operating and Growth Strategy

        Our growth strategy is to increase our revenues and profitability by, among other things, (i) acquiring and developing new facilities in key markets including foreign markets, (ii) pursuing national and regional vehicle supply agreements, (iii) expanding our online auctions and vehicle remarketing service offerings to sellers and buyers,members, and (iv) expanding the application of VB² into new markets and to new sellers within the vehicle market. In addition, to maximize gross sales proceeds and cost efficiencies at each of our acquired facilities we introduce our (i) pricing structure, (ii) selling processes, (iii) operational procedures, (iv) management information systems, and (v) when appropriate, redeploy existing personnel.

        As part of our overall expansion strategy, our objective is to increase our revenues, operating profits, and market share in the vehicle sales industry. To implement our growth strategy, we intend to continue to do the following:

Acquire and Develop New Vehicle Storage Facilities in Key Markets Including Foreign Markets

        Our strategy is to offer integrated services to vehicle sellers on a national or regional basis by acquiring or developing facilities in new and existing markets. We integrate our new acquisitions into our global network and capitalize on certain operating efficiencies resulting from, among other things, the reduction of duplicative overhead and the implementation of our operating procedures.

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        The following table sets forth facilities that we have acquired or opened from August 1, 20062007 through July 31, 2009:2010:

*

Closed in fiscal 2008

**

Former MAGMotors Auction Group (MAG) facility

***

Closed in fiscal 2010

Pursue National and Regional Vehicle Supply Agreements

        Our broad national presence enhances our ability to enter into local, regional or national supply agreements with vehicle sellers. We actively seek to establish national and regional supply agreements with insurance companies by promoting our ability to achieve high net returns and broader access to buyers through our national coverage and electronic commerce capabilities. By utilizing our existing insurance company seller relationships, we are able to build new seller relationships and pursue additional supply agreements in existing and new markets.

Expand Our Service Offerings to Sellers and BuyersMembers

        Over the past several years, we have expanded our available service offerings to vehicle sellers and buyers.members. The primary focus of these new service offerings is to maximize returns to our sellers and maximize product value to our buyers.members. This includes, for our sellers, real-time access to sales

and expand our services, including offering software that can assist our sellers in expediting claims and salvage management tools that help sellers integrate their systems with ours.

Our Competitive Advantages

        We believe that the following attributes and the services that we offer position us to take advantage of many opportunities in the online vehicle auction and services industry.

National Coverage and Ability to Respond on a National Scale

        Since our inception in 1982, we have expanded from a single facility in Vallejo, California to an integrated network of 147152 facilities located in the United States, Canada and the UK as of July 31, 2009.2010. We are able to offer integrated services to our vehicle sellers, which allow us to respond to the needs of our sellers and buyersmembers with maximum efficiency. Our coverage provides our sellers with key advantages, including:

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a reduction in administrative time and effort;



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a reduction in overall vehicle towing costs;



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convenient local facilities;



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improved access to buyers throughout the world;



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a prompt response in the event of a natural disaster or other catastrophe; and



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consistency in products and services.

Value-Added Services

        We believe that we offer the most comprehensive range of services in our industry, including:

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Internet bidding, Internet proxy bidding, and virtual sales powered by VB², which enhance the competitive bidding process;



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online payment capabilities via our ePay product;product and credit cards;



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e-mail notifications to potential buyers of vehicles that match desired characteristics;



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sophisticated vehicle processing at storage sites, including ten-view digital imaging of each vehicle and the scanning of each vehicle's title and other significant documents such as body shop invoices, all of which are available from us throughover the Internet;



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CoPartfinder, our Internet-based used vehicle parts locator that provides vehicle dismantlers with greater resale opportunities for their purchases;



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specialty sales, which allow buyers the opportunity to focus on select types of vehicles: i.e. motorcycles, heavy equipment, boats, recreational vehicles and rental cars; and



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Interactive Online Counter-bidding, which allows sellers who have placed a minimum bid or a bid to be approved on a vehicle to directly counter-bid the current high bidder.bidder;



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2^nd chance bidding which allow the second highest bidder the opportunity to purchase the vehicle for the seller's current minimum bid; and



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Night Cap sales which include vehicles that did not achieve their minimum bid during the virtual sale, counter bidding, or 2^nd chance bidding.

Proven Ability to Acquire and Integrate Acquisitions

        We have a proven track record of successfully acquiring and integrating vehicle storage facilities. Since becoming a public company in 1994, we have completed the acquisition of 74 78

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facilities in North America and the UK. As part of our acquisition and integration strategy, we seek to:

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expand our global presence;

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strengthen our networks and access new markets;



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utilize our existing corporate and technology infrastructure over a larger base of operations; and



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introduce our comprehensive services and operational expertise.

        We strive to integrate all new facilities, when appropriate, into our existing network without disruption of service to vehicle sellers. We work with new sellers to implement our fee structures and new service programs. We typically retain existing employees at acquired facilities in order to retain knowledge about, and respond to, the local market. We also assign a special integration team to help convert newly acquired facilities to our own management information and proprietary software systems, enabling us to ensure a smooth and consistent transition to our business operating and sales systems.

Technology to Enhance and Expand Our Business

        We have developed management information and proprietary software systems that allow us to deliver a fully integrated service offering. Our proprietary software programs provide vehicle sellers with online access to data and reports regarding their vehicles being processed at any of our facilities. This technology allows vehicle sellers to monitor each stage of our vehicle sales process, from pick up to sale and settlement by the buyer. Our full range of Internet services allows us to expedite each stage of the vehicle sales process and minimizes the administrative and processing costs for us as well as our sellers. We believe that our integrated technology systems generate improved capacity and financial returns for our clients, resulting in high client retention, and allow us to expand our national supply contracts.

Our Service Offerings

        We offer vehicle sellers a full range of vehicle services, which expedite each stage of the vehicle sales process, maximizing proceeds and minimizing costs. Not all service offerings are available in all markets.

Online Seller Access

        Through Copart Access, our Internet-based service for vehicle sellers, we enable sellers to assign vehicles for sale, check sales calendars, view vehicle images and history, view and reprint body shop invoices and towing receipts and view the historical performance of the vehicles sold at our sales.

Salvage Estimation Services

        We offer Copart ProQuote, a proprietary service that assists sellers in the vehicle claims evaluation process by providing online salvage value estimates, which help sellers determine whether to repair a particular vehicle or deem it a total loss.

Estimating Services

        We offer vehicle sellers in the UK estimating services for vehicles taken to our facilities. Estimating services provide our insurance company sellers repair estimates which allow the insurance company to determine if the vehicle is a total loss vehicle. If the vehicle is determined to be a total loss, it is generally assigned to inventory.

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End-of-Life Vehicle Processing

        In the UK, we are an authorized treatment facility, or ATF, for the disposal of End-of-Life vehicles, or ELVs.

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Virtual Insured Exchange (VIX)

        We provide the venue for insurance customers to enter a vehicle into a sealed bid sale to establish its true value, thereby allowing the insurance customer to avoid dealing with estimated values when negotiating with owners who wish to retain their damaged vehicles.

Transportation Services

        We maintain contracts with third-party vehicle transport companies, which enable us to pick up most of our sellers' vehicles within 24 hours. Our national network and transportation capabilities provide cost and time savings to our vehicle sellers and ensure on-time vehicle pick up and prompt response to catastrophes and natural disasters in North America. In the UK, we perform transportation services through a combination of our fleet of over 100 vehicles and third party vehicle transport companies.

Vehicle Inspection Stations

        We offer certainsome of our major insurance company sellers office and yard space to house vehicle inspection stations on-site at our facilities. We have over 60 vehicle inspection stations at our facilities. An on-site vehicle inspection station provides our insurance company sellers with a central location to inspect potential total loss vehicles, which reduces storage charges that otherwise may be incurred at the initial storage or repair facility.

On-Demand Reporting

        We provide vehicle sellers with real time data for vehicles that we process for the particular seller. This includes vehicle sellers' gross and net returns on each vehicle, service charges, and other data that enable our vehicle sellers to more easily administer and monitor the vehicle disposition process. In addition, we have developed a database containing over 240 fields of real-time and historical information accessible by our sellers allowing for their generation of custom ad hoc reports and customer specific analysis.

DMV Processing

        We have extensive expertise in DMV document and title processing for salvage vehicles. We have developed a computer system which provides a direct link to the DMV computer systems of several states, allowing us to expedite the processing of vehicle title paperwork.

Flexible Vehicle Processing Programs

        At the election of the seller, we sell vehicles pursuant to our Percentage Incentive Program (PIP), Consignment Program or Purchase Program.

        Percentage Fee Consignment.    Our Percentage Incentive Program is an innovative processing program designed to broadly serve the needs of vehicle sellers. Under PIP, we agree to sell all of the vehicles of a seller in a specified market, usually for a predetermined percentage of the vehicle sales price. Because our revenues under PIP are directly linked to the vehicle's sale price, we have an incentive to actively merchandise those vehicles to maximize the net return. We provide the vehicle seller, at our expense, with transport of the vehicle to our nearest facility, and DMV document and title processing. In addition, we provide merchandising services such as covering or taping openings to protect vehicle interiors from weather, washing vehicle exteriors, vacuuming

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vehicle interiors, cleaning and polishing dashboards and tires, making keys for drivable vehicles, and identifying drivable vehicles. We believe our merchandising efforts increase the sales prices of the vehicles, thereby increasing the return on salvage vehicles to both vehicle sellers and us.

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        Consignment Program.    Under our consignment program, we sell vehicles for a fixed consignment fee. Although sometimes included in the consignment fee, we may also charge additional fees for the cost of transporting the vehicle to our facility, storage of the vehicle, and other incidental costs.

        Purchase Program.    Under the purchase program, we purchase vehicles from a vehicle seller at a formula price, based on a percentage of the vehicles' estimated pre-accident value (PAV), or actual cash value (ACV), and sell the vehicles for our own account. We have no purchase programs in North America.

BuyerMember Network

        We maintain a database of thousands of registered buyersmembers in the vehicle dismantling, rebuilding, repair licensee, used vehicle dealer, export industries, and export industries. Public buyer information is included in this databasethe general public as we sell directly to the general public at certain locations. Our database includes each buyer'smember's vehicle preference and purchasing history. This data enables us to notify via e-mail prospective buyers throughout the world of vehicles available for bidding that match their vehicle preferences. Listings of vehicles to be sold on a particular day and location are also made available on the Internet.

Sales Process

        We offer a flexible and unique sales process designed to maximize the sale prices of the vehicles. We utilizevehicles utilizing VB², an auction-style. VB² opens our sales methodology that we developed. Thisprocess to registered members anywhere in the world who have Internet access. The VB² technology and model employs a two-step bidding process. The first step is an open preliminary bidding feature that allows a buyermember to enter bids either at a bidding station at the storage facility during the preview days or over the Internet. To improve the effectiveness of bidding, the VB² system lets a buyermember see the current high bid on the vehicle they want to purchase. The preliminary bidding step is an open bid format similar to eBay. BuyersMembers enter the maximum price they are willing to pay for a vehicle and VB²'s BID4U feature will incrementally bid the vehicle on their behalf during all steps of the auction. Preliminary bidding ends one hour prior to the start of a second bidding step, an Internet-only virtual auction. This second step allows bidders the opportunity to bid against each other and the highest preliminary bidder. The bidders enter bids via the Internet in real time, then BID4U submits bids for the highest preliminary bidder, up to their maximum bid. When bidding stops, a countdown is initiated. If no bids are received during the countdown, the vehicle sells to the highest bidder. VB² opens our sales process to registered buyers anywhere in the world who have Internet access.

CoPartfinder

        CoPartfinder is our unique Internet "search engine" that enables users to locate used vehicle parts quickly and efficiently. CoPartfinder is accessible by the public through a Copart-sponsored website. CoPartfinder lists vehicles recently sold through VB² and identifies certain purchasers. This allows vehicle dismantlers and other resellers to streamline their parts sale process and access a large pool of potential buyers. Parts buyers can use CoPartfinder to search for specific vehicle makes and models and view digital images of vehicles that meet their requirements. Once a specific parts seller is identified for a specific part requirement, buyers have the option to call, fax, or e-mail the dismantler/seller. We believe that CoPartfinder provides an incentive for vehicle dismantlers to purchase their salvage vehicles through our sales process.

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Copart Dealer Services

        We provide franchise and independent dealers with a convenient method to sell their trade-ins through any of our North American facilities. We have engaged agents in North America that target these dealers and work with them throughout the sales process.

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CopartDirect

        We provide the general public with a fast and convenient method to sell vehicles through any of our North American facilities. Anyone can call 1-888-Sell-it-1 and arrange to drop off their vehicle and transferable title at any of our North American facilities. We sell the vehicle by listing it on VB², monitoring the sale, handling the title processing, collecting payment from the buyer, and remitting the balance less our fees to the seller.

U-Pull-It

        In the UK, we have two facilities from which the public can purchase parts from salvaged and end-of-life vehicles. In general, the buyer is responsible for detaching the parts from the vehicle and any associated hauling or transportation of the parts after detachment. After the valuable parts have been removed by the buyer, the remaining parts and car body are sold for their scrap value.

Seller MarketingSales

        We process vehicles from hundreds of different vehicle sellers. State Farm Insurance Company accounted for 10% of our revenues during fiscal year 2007. No customer accounted for more than 10% of our total revenues during fiscal years 2010, 2009 or 2008. Of the total number of vehicles processed during fiscal years 2010, 2009 2008 and 2007,2008, we obtained approximately 83%80%, 83% and 84%83%, respectively, from insurance company sellers. Our arrangements with our sellers are typically subject to cancellation by either party upon 30 to 90 days notice.

        We typically contract with the regional or branch office of an insurance company or other vehicle sellers. The agreements are customized to each vehicle seller's particular needs and often provide for the disposition of different types of salvage vehicles by differing methods. Our arrangements generally provide that we will sell total loss and recovered stolen vehicles generated by the vehicle seller in a designated geographic area.

        We market our services to vehicle sellers through an in-house sales force and independent agents that utilize a variety of sales techniques, including targeted mailing of our sales literature, telemarketing, follow-up personal sales calls, Internet search engines, employee referrals, tow shop referrals, participation in trade shows and vehicle and insurance industry conventions. We market our services to the general public under CopartDirect by utilizing an in-house sales force and we market our services to franchise and independent dealerships through a group of independent agents. We may, when appropriate, provide vehicle sellers with detailed analysis of the net return on vehicles and a proposal setting forth ways in which we believe that we can improve net returns on vehicles and reduce administrative costs and expenses.

        Please see Note 14 "Segments and Other Geographical Information" in our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding the geographic location of our sales and our long-lived assets.

BuyersMembers

        We maintain a database of thousands of registered buyersmembers in the vehicle dismantling, rebuilding, repair licensee, used vehicle dealer and export industries. We believe that we have established a broad international and domestic buyer base by providing buyersmembers with a variety of programs and services. To become a registered buyermember and gain admission to one of our sales, prospective buyersmembers must first pay an initial registration fee and an annual fee, provide requested

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personal and business information, and have, in most states, a vehicle dismantler's, dealer's, resale, repair or export license. In certain venues we may sell to the general public. Registration entitles a buyermember to transact business at any of our sales subject to local licensing and permitting requirements. However, non-registered buyers may transact business at any of our sales via a registered broker who meets the local licensing and permitting requirements. A buyermember may also bring guests to a facility for a fee to preview vehicles for sale. Strict admission procedures are intended

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to prevent frivolous bids that would invalidate the sale. We market to buyersmembers on the Internet and via e-mail notifications, sales notices, telemarketing, and participation in trade show events.

Competition

        We face significant competition from other remarketers of both salvage and non-salvage vehicles. We believe our principal competitors include vehicle auction and sales companies and vehicle dismantlers. These national, regional and local competitors may have established relationships with vehicle sellers and buyers and may have financial resources that are greater than ours. The largest national or regional vehicle auctioneers in North America include KAR Holdings, Inc. (formerly Adesa, Inc. and Insurance Auto Auctions, Inc.), Auction Broadcasting Company, and Manheim Auctions. The largest national dismantler is LKQ Corporation.Corporation (LKQ). LKQ, in addition to trade groups of dismantlers such as the American Recycling Association and the United Recyclers Group, may purchase salvage vehicles directly from insurance companies, thereby bypassing vehicle remarketing companies entirely. In the UK, our principal competitors are privately held independent remarketers.

Management Information Systems

        Our primary management information system consists of an IBM AS/400 mainframe computer system, integrated computer interfaces, and proprietary business operating software that we developed and which tracks salvage sales vehicles throughout the sales process. We have implemented our proprietary business operating software at all of our storage facilities. In addition, we have integrated our mainframe computer system with Internet and Intranet systems in order to provide secure access to our data and images in a variety of formats.

        Our auction-style service product, VB², is served by an array of identical high-density, high-performance servers. Each individual sale is configured to run on an available server in the array and can be rapidly provisioned to any other available server in the array as required. Our sale, Internet and imaging services are load balanced across different geographical data centers.

        We have invested in a production data center that is designed to run the business in the event of an emergency. The facility's electrical and mechanical systems are continually monitored. This facility is located in an area considered to be free of weather-related disasters and earthquakes.

        As of July 31, 2008, our UK operations were completely migrated to our proprietary business operating software and servers described above.

Employees

        As of July 31, 2009,2010, we had 2,7132,834 full-time employees, of whom approximately 480643 were engaged in general and administrative functions and approximately 2,2332,191 were engaged in yard operations. As of July 31, 2009,2010, we had 2,2532,316 and 460518 employees located in North America and the UK, respectively. We are not currently subject to any collective bargaining agreements and believe our relationships with our employees are good.

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Environmental Matters

        Our operations inside and outside the US are subject to various laws and regulations regarding the protection of the environment. In the salvage vehicle remarketing industry, large numbers of wrecked vehicles are stored at facilities and, during that time, spills of fuel, motor oils and other fluids may occur, resulting in soil, surface water or groundwater contamination. Certain of our facilities store petroleum products and other hazardous materials in above-ground containment tanks and some of our facilities generate waste materials such as solvents or used oils that must

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be disposed of as non-hazardous or hazardous waste, as appropriate. We have implemented procedures to reduce the amount of soil contamination that may occur at our facilities, and we have initiated safety programs and training of personnel on the safe storage and handling of hazardous materials. We believe that we are in compliance, in all material respects, with all applicable environmental regulations and we do not anticipate any material capital expenditures to remain in environmental compliance. If additional or more stringent requirements are imposed on us in the future, we could incur additional capital expenditures.

        In connection with the acquisition of the Dallas, Texas facility in 1994, we set aside $3.0 million to cover the costs of environmental remediation, stabilization and related consulting expenses for a six-acre portion of the facility that contained elevated levels of lead due to the activities of the former operators. We began the stabilization process in 1996 and completed it in 1999. We paid all remediation and related costs from the $3.0 million fund and, in accordance with the acquisition agreement, distributed the remainder of the fund to the seller of the Dallas facility, less $0.2 million which was held back to cover the costs of obtaining the no-further-action letter. In September 2002, our environmental engineering consultant issued a report, which concludes that the soil stabilization has effectively stabilized the lead-impacted soil, and that the concrete cap should prevent impact to storm water and subsequent surface water impact. Our consultant thereafter submitted an Operations and Maintenance Plan (Plan) to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) providing for a two-year inspection and maintenance plan for the concrete cap, and a two-year ground and surface water monitoring plan. In January of 2003, the TCEQ approved the Plan, subject to the additions of upstream (background) surface water samples from the intermittent stream adjacent to the facility and documentation of any repairs to the concrete cap during the post closure-monitoring period. The first semi-annual water sampling was conducted in April 2003, which reflected that the lead-impacted, stabilized soil is not impacting the ground and/or surface water. The second round of semi-annual water samples collected in October and November 2003 reported concentration of lead in one storm water and one surface water sample in excess of the established upstream criteria for lead. In correspondence, which we received in July 2004, the TCEQ approved with comment our water monitoring report dated February 24, 2004. The TCEQ instructed us to continue with post-closure monitoring and maintenance activities and submit the next report in accordance with the approved schedules. In February 2005, a report from our environmental engineering consultant was transmitted to the TCEQ containing the results of annual monitoring activities consisting of two (2) semi-annual sampling events which occurred in April/June 2004 and October/November 2004. Laboratory analytical results indicated no lead concentrations exceeding the target concentration level set in the Corrective Measures Study for the site, but some results were in excess of Texas surface water quality standards. Our environmental engineering consultant concluded in the February 2005 report to the TCEQ that it is unlikely that lead concentrations detected in the storm water runoff samples are attributable to the lead impacted soils. Based on the results of the 2004 samplings, we requested that no further action be taken and that a closure letter be issued by the TCEQ. In September 2007, the TCEQ notified us that they did not concur with our consultant's conclusions and recommendations. The TCEQ said it would not provide a closure letter until additional sampling of surface water is performed which reflects concentrations of lead below Texas surface water quality standards. In February 2008, the TCEQ provided comments to our proposal for surface water

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sampling. In March 2008, our environmental engineer submitted to the TCEQ an addendum to the surface water sampling plan, which was approved by the TCEQ in June 2008. Sampling was performed in November 2008. In December 2008, a report was submitted to the TCEQ indicating that lead levels were below Texas surface water quality standards. In May of 2009, the TCEQ approved the Surface Water Sampling Report, as well as the Concrete Cap Inspection Report submitted in December 2008. We are makinghave made the necessary repairs to the concrete cap and providingprovided a survey map of the cap. Annual inspections of the cap will beare required to ensure its maintenance. There is no assurance that we may not incur future liabilities if the stabilization process proves

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ineffective, or if future testing of surface or ground water reflects concentrations of lead which exceed Texas surface or ground water quality standards.

        We do not believe that the above environmental matter will, either individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Governmental Regulations

        Our operations are subject to regulation, supervision and licensing under various federal, national, international, provincial, state and local statutes, ordinances and regulations. The acquisition and sale of damaged and recovered stolen vehicles is regulated by various state, provincial and international motor vehicle departments. In addition to the regulation of sales and acquisitions of vehicles, we are also subject to various local zoning requirements with regard to the location of our storage facilities. These zoning requirements vary from location to location. At various times, we may be involved in disputes with local governmental officials regarding the development and/or operation of our business facilities. We believe that we are in compliance in all material respects with applicable regulatory requirements. We may be subject to similar types of regulations by federal, national, international, provincial, state, and local governmental agencies in new markets.

Legal Proceedings

        We are involved in litigation and damage claims arising in the ordinary course of business, such as actions related to injuries, property damage, and handling or disposal of vehicles. This litigation includes the following matters:matter:

        On November 20, 2007, Car Auction & Reinsurance Solutions, Inc. (CARS) filed suit against Copart in the Superior Court in the County of New Castle, Delaware. CARS is seeking in excess of $2 million in damages, punitive damages, and prejudgment interest related to allegations involving breach of contract and misrepresentation. We believe the claim is without merit and we are vigorously defending the lawsuit.lawsuit vigorously.

        On December 16, 2008, Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Company filed suit against Copart in the US District Court, Northern District of California. Liberty Mutual's complaint seekssought reformation of an insurance contract and specific performance in relation to a policy issued to us with a $50,000 self-insuredself- insured retention. After settlement of a claim under the subject policy for $3.95 million, Liberty Mutual is seekingsought to reform the contract and charge Copartus for a $2 million self-insured retention which it claimsclaimed was the original intent. We are vigorously defendingPursuant to a settlement agreement between the lawsuit.parties, the case was dismissed in January 2010.

        We provide for costs relating to these matters when a loss is probable and the amount can be reasonably estimated. The effect of the outcome of these matters on our future results of operations cannot be predicted because any such effect depends on future results of operations and the amount and timing of the resolution of such matters. We believe that theany ultimate liability if any, will not have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

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However, the amount of the liabilities associated with these claims, if any, cannot be determined with certainty. We maintain insurance which may or may not provide coverage for claims made against us. There is no assurance that there will be insurance coverage available when and if needed or that our insurers will not seek to deny or limit coverage.needed. Additionally, the insurance that we carry requires that we pay for costs and/or claims exposure up to the amount of the insurance deductibles negotiated when insurance is purchased.

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Intellectual Property and Proprietary Rights

        In June 2003, we filed a provisional US patent application on VB² in the United States. This provisional patent application was followed by a US utility application filed in July 2003 and a concurrent international application that has since been nationalized and is pending in the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, China, the European Union, Mexico and Japan. The patent was issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on January 1, 2008. Generally, patents issued in the US are effective for 20 years from the earliest asserted filing date of the patent application. The duration of foreign patents varies in accordance with the provisions of applicable local law. We are not dependent upon any single patent application and there can be no assurance that any patents will be issued from pending applications or that any patents that are issued will provide meaningful protection or other commercial advantages to us.

        We also rely on a combination of trade secret, copyright and trademark laws, as well as contractual agreements to safeguard our proprietary rights in technology and products. In seeking to limit access to sensitive information to the greatest practical extent, we routinely enter into confidentiality and assignment of invention agreements with each of our employees and consultants and nondisclosure agreements with our key customers and vendors.

Seasonality

        Historically, our operating results have been subject to quarterly variations based on a variety of factors, of which the primary influence is the seasonal change in weather patterns. During the winter months we tend to have higher demand for our services because there are more weather related accidents.

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Item 1A.    Risk Factors

        Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the risks and uncertainties described below before making an investment decision. Our business could be harmed if any of these risks, as well as other risks not currently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial, materialized. The trading price of our common stock could decline due to the occurrence of any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. In assessing the risks described below, you should also refer to the other information contained in this Form 10-K, including our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and schedules, and other filings with the SEC before deciding to purchase any shares of our common stock.SEC.

We depend on a limited number of major vehicle sellers for a substantial portion of our revenues. The loss of one or more of these major sellers could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition, and an inability to increase our sources of vehicle supply could adversely affect our growth rates.

        Historically,Although no single customer accounted for more than 10% of our revenue during the fiscal year ended July 31, 2010, historically, a limited number of vehicle sellers have collectively accounted for a substantial portion of our revenues. Seller arrangements are either written or oral agreements typically subject to cancellation by either party upon 30 to 90 days notice. Vehicle sellers have terminated agreements with us in the past in particular markets, which has affected the pricing for sales services in those markets. There can be no assurance that our existing agreements will not be