Maryland to Louisiana Car Shipping (2024 Cost Guide)
Fact Checked by: Quick answer: The average cost to ship a car 1,200 miles from Maryland to Louisiana ranges from $939 to $1,452 and takes two–eight 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 Louisiana to Maryland car shipping guide.
The best Maryland to Louisiana car shipping companies
We’ve done the research and these are the best car shipping companies to help transport your vehicle from Maryland to Louisiana:
- 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 Maryland to Louisiana
- Drive it yourself. This is straightforward but not always an option, and it will put about 1,200 miles on your car going from Maryland to Louisiana. 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 Louisiana, 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 Louisiana 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 LA 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 Louisiana. The average travel distance is about 1,200 miles, with shipping times typically ranging from two to eight days .
Cost to ship a car from Washington DC, MD to Louisiana
| From Maryland to Louisiana | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington DC, MD to New Orleans, LA | $782 – $1,357 | 1,084 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Washington DC, MD to Baton Rouge, LA | $870 – $1,460 | 1,141 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Washington DC, MD to Shreveport, LA | $932 – $1,404 | 1,193 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Washington DC, MD to Metairie, LA | $840 – $1,370 | 1,088 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Washington DC, MD to Lafayette, LA | $870 – $1,390 | 1,196 miles | 2 – 8 days |
Cost to ship a car from Baltimore, MD to Louisiana
| From Maryland to Louisiana | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore, MD to New Orleans, LA | $861 – $1,404 | 1,122 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Baltimore, MD to Baton Rouge, LA | $861 – $1,390 | 1,179 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Baltimore, MD to Shreveport, LA | $1,007 – $1,408 | 1,230 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Baltimore, MD to Metairie, LA | $932 – $1,446 | 1,125 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Baltimore, MD to Lafayette, LA | $978 – $1,467 | 1,233 miles | 2 – 8 days |
Cost to ship a car from Columbia, MD to Louisiana
| From Maryland to Louisiana | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, MD to New Orleans, LA | $941 – $1,460 | 1,110 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Columbia, MD to Baton Rouge, LA | $905 – $1,460 | 1,168 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Columbia, MD to Shreveport, LA | $1,007 – $1,422 | 1,219 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Columbia, MD to Metairie, LA | $870 – $1,390 | 1,113 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Columbia, MD to Lafayette, LA | $987 – $1,467 | 1,222 miles | 2 – 8 days |
Cost to ship a car from Germantown, MD to Louisiana
| From Maryland to Louisiana | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germantown, MD to New Orleans, LA | $782 – $1,317 | 1,098 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Germantown, MD to Baton Rouge, LA | $852 – $1,446 | 1,155 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Germantown, MD to Shreveport, LA | $929 – $1,422 | 1,207 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Germantown, MD to Metairie, LA | $870 – $1,460 | 1,101 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Germantown, MD to Lafayette, LA | $1,007 – $1,526 | 1,210 miles | 2 – 8 days |
Cost to ship a car from Silver Spring, MD to Louisiana
| From Maryland to Louisiana | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Spring, MD to New Orleans, LA | $807 – $1,330 | 1,091 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Silver Spring, MD to Baton Rouge, LA | $861 – $1,375 | 1,148 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Silver Spring, MD to Shreveport, LA | $870 – $1,474 | 1,199 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Silver Spring, MD to Metairie, LA | $790 – $1,317 | 1,094 miles | 2 – 8 days |
| Silver Spring, MD to Lafayette, LA | $978 – $1,526 | 1,202 miles | 2 – 8 days |
Shipping an SUV or truck from Maryland to Louisiana
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 Louisiana you should expect to pay between $1,174 and $1,815.
Factors that affect car shipping costs from MD to LA
When transporting your vehicle from the Old Line State to the Pelican State, 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 Louisiana.
- Distance and route: The journey from Maryland to Louisiana spans approximately 1,200 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana should take between two and eight days. Expedited services are available but come at a higher cost.
Louisiana vehicle regulations you need to know
- Car insurance requirements: The insurance limit represents the maximum payout for a claim, and in Louisiana, the minimum liability limits are $15,000 for bodily injury per person, $30,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 for property damage; these limits can be raised beyond the state-mandated minimums.
- Vehicle inspection: In Louisiana, the annual safety and emissions inspection includes checks on the vehicle's safety equipment, anti-tampering of emissions systems, and a test on the integrity of the gas cap.
- Driver’s license: New residents in Louisiana must transfer their out-of-state driver's license within 30 days of establishing residency in the state.
- Additional taxes: In Louisiana, a 4% tax is levied on all car sales by the state, with additional taxes charged by individual counties and cities.
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 Louisiana
About 22 million people are living in the Pelican State. Louisiana has long hot humid summers and short mild winters. Rain is frequent throughout the year, although from April to September is slightly wetter than the rest of the year. Louisiana is often affected by tropical cyclones and is very vulnerable to major hurricanes, particularly around the New Orleans area. Lousiana averages about 27 tornadoes annually; they are most common from January through March in the south and from February through March in the North.
FAQ
Does someone have to be present when you ship a car for pickup in Maryland and delivery in Louisiana?
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 Louisiana.
Do you need car insurance when shipping your car from Maryland to Louisiana?
If you’re not driving the vehicle from Maryland to Louisiana, you aren't required to have typical car insurance. Your car hauler should have adequate insurance if an accident happened on the drive to Louisiana, 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.
The insurance limit represents the maximum payout for a claim, and in Louisiana, the minimum liability limits are $15,000 for bodily injury per person, $30,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 for property damage; these limits can be raised beyond the state-mandated minimums.
How long does it take to ship a car from Maryland to Louisiana?
Car shipping companies can travel about 500 miles per day. The trip from Maryland to Louisiana is about 1,200 miles, and that’s as fast as about 3 days. However, most car transport companies will take two to eight days to travel from Maryland to Louisiana.
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 Louisiana, the annual safety and emissions inspection includes checks on the vehicle's safety equipment, anti-tampering of emissions systems, and a test on the integrity of the gas cap.
If I have a driver’s license in Maryland, will I need one in Louisiana?
New residents in Louisiana must transfer their out-of-state driver's license within 30 days of establishing residency in the state.
If I bought a car in Maryland, will I be required to pay sales tax in Louisiana after shipping it there?
It’s important to understand any tax implications if you’re having a car shipped from Maryland to Louisiana after purchasing it.
In Louisiana, a 4% tax is levied on all car sales by the state, with additional taxes charged by individual counties and cities.
We recommend that you always check for updated tax information in both Maryland and Louisiana to avoid any hidden costs.
What is the cheapest way to ship a car from Maryland to Louisiana?
The cheapest way to ship a car from Maryland to Louisiana 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 Louisiana?
Shipping a car from Maryland to Louisiana costs $939 to $1,452.
