Buying a Car Out of State and Shipping It Home
Found the right car in another state? Here's how to get it home without surprises: what to do first, what the seller needs to do, and what it costs. See your exact shipping price online in seconds, with no phone calls.
What shipping a car home costs
Distance is the biggest factor. These are real shipments we recently moved, all on open transport, from short hops to cross-country.
| Route | Vehicle | Transit | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte, NC → Plainfield, NJ | Sedan | 2 days | $812 |
| Brighton, CO → Nashville, TN | SUV | 4 days | $1,109 |
| Houston, TX → Boston, MA | SUV | 5 days | $1,424 |
| Fremont, CA → New York, NY | Sedan | 8 days | $1,989 |
Prices include the carrier fee and the HippoHaul fee. Your price depends on the exact pickup and delivery locations, the vehicle, timing, and carrier availability. Check your own route for a live price.
The order to do things in
Most problems with out-of-state purchases come from doing the right steps in the wrong order. This sequence avoids them.
1. Get it inspected
Before you pay, have a mobile mechanic or inspection service look at the car in person. You can't test-drive from a thousand miles away, and a few hundred dollars here is the cheapest insurance in the whole process.
2. Price the shipping
Know your shipping cost before you agree on a price for the car. A great deal 2,000 miles away can cost more delivered than a fair one nearby.
3. Pay the seller
Complete the purchase and payment directly with the seller. A carrier won't collect money for a seller or hand over payment on your behalf.
4. Arrange the paperwork
Sort out the title and bill of sale with the seller, and keep them with you. Don't leave them in the car.
5. Book the pickup
Once the car is paid for and the seller is ready to release it, book the shipment and agree a pickup window with the seller.
6. Register at home
Title and register the car in your home state after it arrives, following your state's DMV rules.
Buying from a dealer vs a private seller
From a dealership, pickup is usually straightforward. Dealers release cars to carriers all the time. Ask the dealer what they need before releasing it, often a release form or a name to check against, and pass it to us so the driver arrives with everything in order. Confirm the dealer's hours too; a carrier can't collect from a closed lot.
From a private seller, someone has to be there to hand over the keys and sign the pickup paperwork with the driver. That's usually the seller. Agree this before you book, since a seller who has already been paid has less reason to wait around for a pickup window.
If the seller can't be present, they can authorize someone else to release the car. Make sure that person knows they'll be signing an inspection report with the driver, and that they should note any existing damage on it.
What happens at pickup
The driver inspects the car with whoever is releasing it and records its condition on a bill of lading, a document that doubles as the inspection report. Both people sign it. At delivery, you inspect the car against the same document.
Because you won't be at pickup, ask the seller to take dated photos of the car from every side right before the driver arrives, plus the odometer. If anything is disputed later, those photos and the signed bill of lading are what you'll rely on.
The car doesn't need current plates or registration to ship. On a carrier it's cargo, not a vehicle on the road. It also doesn't need to run, though you should tell us if it doesn't, since loading a non-running car takes a winch and costs more.
A scam to know about
A common online car-sale scam works like this: the "seller" offers a car well below market, says it's already with a shipping company, and asks you to pay the shipping company directly to release it. The shipping company is fake, and so is the car.
Arrange the shipping yourself, with a company you chose and can check. Every legitimate auto transport broker and carrier has a USDOT and MC number you can look up on the FMCSA website. Ours are USDOT 3032619 and MC 40242. If a seller insists on their own shipper and wants payment before you've seen the car, walk away.
Sales tax and registration
In most cases, what you owe in tax is determined by where you register the car, not where you buy it, and your home state collects it when you register. Some states also apply their own taxes to certain purchases made there. Rules vary, so check with your state's DMV or a tax professional before assuming a saving. We ship cars; we don't give tax advice.
More guides
Out-of-state car purchase FAQs
Can I ship a car I bought from a private seller in another state?
Yes. Someone has to be at pickup to hand over the keys and sign the inspection report with the driver, usually the seller. Agree on this before you book, and confirm the seller will be available during the pickup window.
Should I pay the seller before or after shipping?
Before. Complete the purchase directly with the seller, then book the shipment. A carrier won't collect payment for a seller or hand money over on your behalf.
Does the car need plates or registration to be shipped?
No. On a carrier the car is cargo, not a vehicle being driven, so it doesn't need current plates or registration to ship. You register it in your home state after it arrives.
Should I leave the title in the car?
No. Keep the title and bill of sale with you, or have the seller send them to you directly. Don't leave documents or personal items in the car during transport.
Can you ship a car that doesn't run?
In most cases yes. Tell us when you request your quote, because the carrier may need a winch or additional equipment to load it, which affects the price.
The seller says the car is already with a shipping company. Is that normal?
It's a common scam pattern. If a seller asks you to pay a shipping company they chose to release a car you haven't seen, walk away. Arrange shipping yourself with a company whose USDOT and MC numbers you can look up on the FMCSA website.
See what it costs to ship your car home
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