Kentucky to Alabama Car Shipping (2024 Cost Guide)
Fact Checked by: Quick answer: The average cost to ship a car 500 miles from Kentucky to Alabama ranges from $659 to $915 and takes one–six days depending on factors like the transport type and season. For a more detailed quote, use our car shipping cost calculator.
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Shipping a car the reverse route? We’ve got you covered with our Alabama to Kentucky car shipping guide.
The best Kentucky to Alabama car shipping companies
We’ve done the research and these are the best car shipping companies to help transport your vehicle from Kentucky to Alabama:
- Best for accurate pricing: Sherpa Auto Transport
- Best cross-country shipper: Montway Auto Transport
- Best for quick pickup: Easy Auto Ship
- Best for discounts: AmeriFreight Car Transport
- Best for overall value: SGT Auto Transport
- Price Lock Promise
- Pay by credit card
- Free car wash at delivery
- No upfront deposit
- Door-to-door service
- No upfront payment
- GPS tracking
- Multiple insurance options
- Competitive pricing
- Door-to-door shipping
- No upfront deposit
- Expedited shipping
- No hidden fees
- Ships motorcycles & RVs
- Discount for cash payments
- Competitive pricing
- Last-minute car shipments
- Guaranteed & expedited shipments
- Gap insurance coverage
- Multiple discounts
- No hidden fees
- Free online quotes
- Door-to-door service in 48 states
- Exact pickup dates
- Ships to & from HI
Alternative ways to ship your car from Kentucky to Alabama
- Drive it yourself. This is straightforward but not always an option, and it will put about 500 miles on your car going from Kentucky to Alabama. If you’re not sure, here are the pros and cons of driving your car vs shipping it.
- Ship it with your movers. If you need to ship your car from Kentucky for a move to Alabama, you may want to hire a moving company that can handle car shipping, as well. Many long-distance moving companies work with reputable car shippers to coordinate auto transport.
- Hire a driver. Hire someone to drive the car from Kentucky to Alabama for you. It’s an option, but will probably be a very costly one and involve trusting a driver to safely get your car to its destination.
- Ship by train. If this is an option for you, it’s an affordable and secure way of shipping your vehicle. Shipping a car by train is actually the cheapest way to ship your car!
KY to AL auto transport costs and transit times
The tables below detail the costs and estimated transit times for shipping a car between popular cities in Kentucky and Alabama. The average travel distance is about 500 miles, with shipping times typically ranging from one to six days .
Cost to ship a car from Louisville, KY to Alabama
| From Kentucky to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY to Huntsville, AL | $470 – $674 | 290 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Louisville, KY to Birmingham, AL | $576 – $795 | 365 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Louisville, KY to Montgomery, AL | $669 – $883 | 454 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Louisville, KY to Mobile, AL | $709 – $1,027 | 621 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Louisville, KY to Tuscaloosa, AL | $612 – $797 | 421 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from Lexington, KY to Alabama
| From Kentucky to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington, KY to Huntsville, AL | $535 – $738 | 327 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Lexington, KY to Birmingham, AL | $612 – $855 | 403 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Lexington, KY to Montgomery, AL | $623 – $865 | 492 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Lexington, KY to Mobile, AL | $729 – $1,113 | 659 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Lexington, KY to Tuscaloosa, AL | $656 – $900 | 459 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from Bowling Green, KY to Alabama
| From Kentucky to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green, KY to Huntsville, AL | $427 – $549 | 180 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Bowling Green, KY to Birmingham, AL | $435 – $587 | 255 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Bowling Green, KY to Montgomery, AL | $535 – $738 | 345 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Bowling Green, KY to Mobile, AL | $665 – $887 | 511 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Bowling Green, KY to Tuscaloosa, AL | $524 – $687 | 311 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from Owensboro, KY to Alabama
| From Kentucky to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owensboro, KY to Huntsville, AL | $466 – $600 | 248 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Owensboro, KY to Birmingham, AL | $529 – $680 | 324 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Owensboro, KY to Montgomery, AL | $606 – $813 | 413 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Owensboro, KY to Mobile, AL | $736 – $1,009 | 579 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Owensboro, KY to Tuscaloosa, AL | $587 – $827 | 379 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from Covington, KY to Alabama
| From Kentucky to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Covington, KY to Huntsville, AL | $598 – $835 | 386 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Covington, KY to Birmingham, AL | $612 – $918 | 462 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Covington, KY to Montgomery, AL | $711 – $920 | 551 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Covington, KY to Mobile, AL | $776 – $1,096 | 717 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Covington, KY to Tuscaloosa, AL | $685 – $906 | 516 miles | 1 – 6 days |
Shipping an SUV or truck from Kentucky to Alabama
Since vehicles like SUVs, trucks, and vans are larger and heavier, it’s a bit more expensive to ship them than a sedan. How much more?
If you’re shipping a larger vehicle from Kentucky to Alabama you should expect to pay between $824 and $1,144.
Factors that affect car shipping costs from KY to AL
When transporting your vehicle from the Bluegrass State to the Heart of Dixie, these factors will influence your final price:
- Type of transport: Options like open, enclosed, or top-loaded transport cater to different needs. Open carriers are cost-effective, while enclosed transport provides added protection for luxury or classic cars. If you’re not sure, check out our guide comparing open vs. enclosed car shipping.
- Vehicle size and type: The dimensions and weight of your vehicle directly affect shipping costs. The larger and heavier your vehicle, the more it will cost to ship your car to Alabama.
- Distance and route: The journey from Kentucky to Alabama spans approximately 500 miles, influencing fuel and labor costs. The longer the distance, the bigger the price tag.
- Time of the year: Seasonal demand impacts the price of getting your car out of Kentucky, with summer and winter holidays often seeing a spike due to increased moving and travel activity.
- Fuel prices: Fluctuating fuel prices can significantly affect transport costs. This is an important consideration given the distance between Kentucky and Alabama and the varying gas prices across the country.
- Delivery expectations: Because it’ll make their job easier, your auto shipper may give you a pricing discount if you’re flexible on delivery dates. That being said, getting your car from Kentucky to Alabama should take between one and six days. Expedited services are available but come at a higher cost.
Alabama vehicle regulations you need to know
- Car insurance requirements: Alabama state government requires motorists possess liability insurance, which must provide a minimum coverage of 25/50/25. This specification includes coverage for bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, and property damage per accident.
- Vehicle inspection: In Alabama, a safety inspection must be completed prior to selling a vehicle and a VIN inspection is mandatory when registering an out-of-state vehicle. Emissions inspections are not required by the state, though cities and municipalities may have their own laws mandating them.
- Driver’s license: When you move to Alabama with an out-of-state driver's license, you have 30 days to surrender it and obtain an Alabama license.
- Additional taxes: In Alabama, a 2% state sales tax is levied on the purchase of vehicles, including off-road motorcycles and ATVs. With the addition of city and county vehicle sales taxes, the total sales tax owed will amount to between 3.375% and 4% of the vehicle's cost.
Learn more with our car shipping checklist.
Transporting your vehicle from Kentucky
More than 39 million people call Kentucky home. Nicknamed the Bluegrass State, Kentucky has relatively hot, humid, rainy summers, and moderately cold and rainy winters. Kansas rarely experiences the extremes cold of the northern states nor the heat of the state in the Deep South.
Transporting your vehicle to Alabama
About 22 million people are living in the Heart of Dixie. Alabama has one of the hottest summers in the US and mild winters with copious amounts of precipitation throughout the year. Areas around the Gulf in Alabama are prone to tropical storms and hurricanes. Alabama also has tornado activity, which typically occurs in the spring It would be a good idea to check for tornado activity in the area you are looking to move to.
FAQ
Does someone have to be present when you ship a car for pickup in Kentucky and delivery in Alabama?
Most companies will require that an adult of at least 18 years of age be present when picking up your car in Kentucky and when dropping it off in Alabama.
Do you need car insurance when shipping your car from Kentucky to Alabama?
If you’re not driving the vehicle from Kentucky to Alabama, you aren't required to have typical car insurance. Your car hauler should have adequate insurance if an accident happened on the drive to Alabama, which you should verify before loading your car in Kentucky.
If you’re driving your car at all in either state, you should understand the requirements. The insurance coverage includes Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability with limits of $25,000 per person/$50,000 per accident and $25,000 respectively; Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist coverage (not required); Personal Injury Protection with a limit of $10,000; and optional Collision and Comprehensive coverage for vehicle repair or replacement expenses, with no requirement.
Alabama state government requires motorists possess liability insurance, which must provide a minimum coverage of 25/50/25. This specification includes coverage for bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, and property damage per accident.
How long does it take to ship a car from Kentucky to Alabama?
Car shipping companies can travel about 500 miles per day. The trip from Kentucky to Alabama is about 500 miles, and that’s as fast as about 1 day. However, most car transport companies will take one to six days to travel from Kentucky to Alabama.
Will I be required to have a vehicle inspection in either state?
When moving to Kentucky from another state, a one-time Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) inspection is required. To complete the VIN inspection, bring the vehicle and its title to the Sheriff's office in the county where the car will be registered.
In Alabama, a safety inspection must be completed prior to selling a vehicle and a VIN inspection is mandatory when registering an out-of-state vehicle. Emissions inspections are not required by the state, though cities and municipalities may have their own laws mandating them.
If I have a driver’s license in Kentucky, will I need one in Alabama?
When you move to Alabama with an out-of-state driver's license, you have 30 days to surrender it and obtain an Alabama license.
If I bought a car in Kentucky, will I be required to pay sales tax in Alabama after shipping it there?
It’s important to understand any tax implications if you’re having a car shipped from Kentucky to Alabama after purchasing it.
In Alabama, a 2% state sales tax is levied on the purchase of vehicles, including off-road motorcycles and ATVs. With the addition of city and county vehicle sales taxes, the total sales tax owed will amount to between 3.375% and 4% of the vehicle's cost.
We recommend that you always check for updated tax information in both Kentucky and Alabama to avoid any hidden costs.
What is the cheapest way to ship a car from Kentucky to Alabama?
The cheapest way to ship a car from Kentucky to Alabama is to ship it on a train or choose an open trailer transport method, avoid expedited shipping, and be flexible with your pickup dates.
How much does it cost to ship a car from Kentucky to Alabama?
Shipping a car from Kentucky to Alabama costs $659 to $915.
