Car relocation services get your vehicle from your old home to your new one when you’re moving to another state — and for long distances, that usually means having a carrier transport it instead of driving it yourself. Whether you’re moving for a job, buying a home in a new city, or relocating your whole household, the car is easy to overlook until the last minute, and that’s usually where the stress starts.
This guide covers what car relocation services actually involve, how to time your car’s arrival with your own move, and what to expect on cost.
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Moving a Car to Another State: Your Options
There are three main ways to get a car to a new state, and the right one depends on distance, timeline, and who’s moving with you.
| Option | Best for | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| Drive it yourself | Short moves, or when you want the road trip | Costs you time, fuel, hotels, and adds miles and wear to the car |
| Ship it with a carrier | Long distances, tight timelines, moving with family | Costs more than fuel alone; you work around a pickup and delivery window |
| Hire a driver (driveaway) | Situations where the car has to be driven rather than hauled | Adds miles to the car; availability and vetting vary |
This guide focuses on shipping with a carrier, since that’s the option that fits most long-distance moves. For long distances, it often compares well once you add up fuel, hotels, meals, and the miles you’d otherwise put on the car.
Who Uses Car Relocation Services
Car relocation is different from a one-off vehicle purchase shipment, because the car is one piece of a much bigger move. The most common situations:
- Job relocations. The start date is fixed, so the car needs to be there when you are.
- Home purchases. Your closing date drives the whole schedule, and the car has to fit around it.
- Families with more than one vehicle. Often one car travels with the household and the other ships separately.
- Retirees moving permanently. This is a different situation from seasonal travel — if you split the year between two homes, our guide on snowbird auto transport covers that pattern instead.
- Military moves. PCS orders come with their own timelines and rules, covered in our military PCS car shipping guide.
How to Time Your Car’s Shipment With Your Move
Timing is where most people run into trouble when moving with a car long distance. A few principles help:
Anchor to a fixed date, not a hoped-for one. Your closing date, lease end, or first day at work is the real deadline. Work backward from it and leave a few days of buffer.
Book early. Booking 10 to 14 days ahead is the ideal window, and earlier if you’re moving in the busy summer months. Transit itself ranges from a few days on regional routes to a week or more coast to coast — see our guide on how long car shipping takes for how that varies by distance.
Expect windows, not exact times. Carriers usually give a pickup and delivery window rather than a fixed hour, since the route depends on the rest of the truck’s load. Don’t schedule anything tight around it.
Have a delivery plan. Someone you authorize needs to be there to receive the car and sign off on its condition. If your new home isn’t ready yet, the address of someone you trust can work as a delivery point.
Don’t ship too early. Shipping your car a week before you leave means a week without it. Aim to have it arrive close to when you do, not long before.
Shipping More Than One Vehicle
Moving with two or more vehicles adds a few questions worth settling upfront: can both go on the same carrier, does the carrier offer pricing for multiple vehicles, and do both need to be picked up at the same address and time? Each vehicle gets its own condition report at pickup and delivery, so make sure whoever is present is authorized to sign for each one.
If your household is splitting the trip — one car driven, one shipped — ship the second car on a schedule that matches your arrival, not the day you start packing.
How Much Do Car Relocation Services Cost?
Cost depends mostly on distance, along with vehicle size, season, and pickup and delivery locations. As a general guide for standard vehicles on open transport:
| Route distance | Typical cost (open transport) |
|---|---|
| Under 500 miles | $300 – $550 |
| 500 – 1,500 miles | $550 – $950 |
| 1,500+ miles | $900 – $1,500 |
Enclosed transport, which some owners choose for high-value vehicles, costs more. For a closer look at long-haul pricing, see our guide on how much it costs to ship a car cross country.
Moving-Day Checklist Before Your Car Ships
- Check your new state’s rules. Registration, insurance, and emissions or inspection requirements vary by state, so confirm with your new state’s DMV before the car arrives.
- Remove personal items. Carriers generally don’t cover belongings left inside the car, so take them out.
- Leave about a quarter tank of fuel. That’s enough for loading and unloading without adding weight.
- Photograph the car. Take clear photos of every side before pickup to back up the condition report.
- Keep track of keys and add-ons. Toll transponders, parking permits, and spare keys are easy to forget in a move.
- Confirm who will be at pickup and delivery. Both ends need someone authorized to sign.
Choosing a Company That Fits a Move
For a move, the best carrier is one that’s flexible on dates and communicates clearly, since your schedule has other moving parts. Our guide on choosing the best car shipping company walks through the full vetting checklist, from FMCSA registration to insurance. And if you want pickup and delivery at your actual doors, read about door-to-door car shipping.
FAQ
What are car relocation services?
Car relocation services transport your vehicle from one location to another as part of a move, most often by carrier for long distances. The car is picked up at your old address and delivered to your new one.
What’s the best way to relocate a car to another state?
For long distances, shipping with a licensed carrier is usually the simplest option. Driving works for shorter moves or if you want the road trip, but you’ll add miles, fuel, and hotel costs.
How much does it cost to relocate a car to another state?
Typical open-transport costs run about $300 to $550 under 500 miles, $550 to $950 for 500 to 1,500 miles, and $900 to $1,500 beyond that, depending on the route and vehicle.
How far in advance should I book?
Booking 10 to 14 days ahead is the ideal window, and earlier during the summer moving season.
Can I ship my car before I move?
Yes, but you’ll need a delivery address and someone authorized to receive the car. Time it to arrive close to your own arrival so you’re not without a vehicle.
Can I ship two cars at once?
Often yes. Ask upfront whether both can go on the same carrier and whether pricing for multiple vehicles applies. Each car gets its own condition report.
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