Maryland to Alabama Car Shipping (2024 Cost Guide)
Fact Checked by: Quick answer: The average cost to ship a car 869 miles from Maryland to Alabama ranges from $808 to $1,280 and takes two–seven 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 Maryland car shipping guide.
The best Maryland to Alabama car shipping companies
We’ve done the research and these are the best car shipping companies to help transport your vehicle from Maryland to Alabama:
- Best for accurate pricing: Sherpa Auto Transport
- Best cross-country shipper: Montway Auto Transport
- Best for discounts: AmeriFreight Car Transport
- Best for overall value: SGT Auto Transport
- Best for quick pickup: Easy Auto Ship
- 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
- 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
- No upfront deposit
- Expedited shipping
- No hidden fees
- Ships motorcycles & RVs
- Discount for cash payments
Alternative ways to ship your car from Maryland to Alabama
- Drive it yourself. This is straightforward but not always an option, and it will put about 869 miles on your car going from Maryland 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 Maryland 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 Maryland 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!
MD 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 Maryland and Alabama. The average travel distance is about 869 miles, with shipping times typically ranging from two to seven days .
Cost to ship a car from Washington DC, MD to Alabama
| From Maryland to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington DC, MD to Huntsville, AL | $748 – $1,114 | 697 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Washington DC, MD to Birmingham, AL | $776 – $1,138 | 743 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Washington DC, MD to Montgomery, AL | $815 – $1,161 | 800 miles | 2 – 7 days |
| Washington DC, MD to Mobile, AL | $778 – $1,231 | 967 miles | 2 – 7 days |
| Washington DC, MD to Tuscaloosa, AL | $761 – $1,179 | 799 miles | 2 – 7 days |
Cost to ship a car from Baltimore, MD to Alabama
| From Maryland to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore, MD to Huntsville, AL | $824 – $1,093 | 734 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Baltimore, MD to Birmingham, AL | $769 – $1,202 | 780 miles | 2 – 7 days |
| Baltimore, MD to Montgomery, AL | $771 – $1,227 | 845 miles | 2 – 7 days |
| Baltimore, MD to Mobile, AL | $813 – $1,275 | 1,012 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Baltimore, MD to Tuscaloosa, AL | $804 – $1,227 | 836 miles | 2 – 7 days |
Cost to ship a car from Columbia, MD to Alabama
| From Maryland to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, MD to Huntsville, AL | $759 – $1,172 | 723 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Columbia, MD to Birmingham, AL | $833 – $1,136 | 769 miles | 2 – 7 days |
| Columbia, MD to Montgomery, AL | $796 – $1,239 | 834 miles | 2 – 7 days |
| Columbia, MD to Mobile, AL | $805 – $1,353 | 1,001 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Columbia, MD to Tuscaloosa, AL | $820 – $1,166 | 825 miles | 2 – 7 days |
Cost to ship a car from Germantown, MD to Alabama
| From Maryland to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germantown, MD to Huntsville, AL | $736 – $1,105 | 710 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Germantown, MD to Birmingham, AL | $777 – $1,101 | 756 miles | 2 – 7 days |
| Germantown, MD to Montgomery, AL | $823 – $1,257 | 821 miles | 2 – 7 days |
| Germantown, MD to Mobile, AL | $776 – $1,267 | 988 miles | 2 – 7 days |
| Germantown, MD to Tuscaloosa, AL | $815 – $1,197 | 812 miles | 2 – 7 days |
Cost to ship a car from Silver Spring, MD to Alabama
| From Maryland to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Spring, MD to Huntsville, AL | $767 – $1,094 | 703 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Silver Spring, MD to Birmingham, AL | $761 – $1,127 | 749 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Silver Spring, MD to Montgomery, AL | $823 – $1,197 | 814 miles | 2 – 7 days |
| Silver Spring, MD to Mobile, AL | $833 – $1,344 | 981 miles | 2 – 7 days |
| Silver Spring, MD to Tuscaloosa, AL | $815 – $1,209 | 805 miles | 2 – 7 days |
Shipping an SUV or truck from Maryland 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 Maryland to Alabama you should expect to pay between $1,010 and $1,600.
Factors that affect car shipping costs from MD to AL
When transporting your vehicle from the Old Line 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 Maryland to Alabama spans approximately 869 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 Maryland, 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 Maryland 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 Maryland to Alabama should take between two and seven 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 Maryland
More than 39 million people call Maryland home. Nicknamed the Old Line State, Maryland has a wide array of climates, due to local variances in elevation, proximity to water, and protection from colder weather due to downslope winds. The eastern half of Maryland — which includes the cities of Ocean City, Salisbury, Annapolis, and the southern and eastern suburbs of Washington, D.C., and Baltimore — lies on the Atlantic Coastal Plain, with flat topography and sandy or muddy soil. This region has a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and a short, mild-to-cool winter
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 Maryland 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 Maryland and when dropping it off in Alabama.
Do you need car insurance when shipping your car from Maryland to Alabama?
If you’re not driving the vehicle from Maryland 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 Maryland.
If you’re driving your car at all in either state, you should understand the requirements. All vehicles in Maryland must maintain insurance coverage from a Maryland-licensed insurance company at all times, with mandatory minimum coverage of $30,000 for bodily injury per person, $60,000 for multiple people, and $15,000 for property damage.
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 Maryland to Alabama?
Car shipping companies can travel about 500 miles per day. The trip from Maryland to Alabama is about 869 miles, and that’s as fast as about 2 days. However, most car transport companies will take two to seven days to travel from Maryland to Alabama.
Will I be required to have a vehicle inspection in either state?
If you recently relocated to Maryland or bought a vehicle, you must get it inspected at an authorized inspection station before registering the vehicle. New residents are mandated to undergo a vehicle safety inspection before obtaining car registration.
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 Maryland, 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 Maryland, 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 Maryland 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 Maryland and Alabama to avoid any hidden costs.
What is the cheapest way to ship a car from Maryland to Alabama?
The cheapest way to ship a car from Maryland 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 Maryland to Alabama?
Shipping a car from Maryland to Alabama costs $808 to $1,280.
