Maryland to South Carolina Car Shipping (2024 Cost Guide)
Fact Checked by: Quick answer: The average cost to ship a car 523 miles from Maryland to South Carolina ranges from $652 to $951 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 South Carolina to Maryland car shipping guide.
The best Maryland to South Carolina car shipping companies
We’ve done the research and these are the best car shipping companies to help transport your vehicle from Maryland to South Carolina:
- 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 South Carolina
- Drive it yourself. This is straightforward but not always an option, and it will put about 523 miles on your car going from Maryland to South Carolina. 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 South Carolina, 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 South Carolina 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 SC 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 South Carolina. The average travel distance is about 523 miles, with shipping times typically ranging from one to six days .
Cost to ship a car from Washington DC, MD to South Carolina
| From Maryland to South Carolina | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington DC, MD to Charleston, SC | $672 – $957 | 531 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Washington DC, MD to Columbia, SC | $649 – $847 | 478 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Washington DC, MD to North Charleston, SC | $632 – $915 | 523 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Washington DC, MD to Mount Pleasant, SC | $699 – $957 | 534 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Washington DC, MD to Rock Hill, SC | $598 – $896 | 425 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from Baltimore, MD to South Carolina
| From Maryland to South Carolina | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore, MD to Charleston, SC | $722 – $1,039 | 577 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Baltimore, MD to Columbia, SC | $685 – $878 | 524 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Baltimore, MD to North Charleston, SC | $732 – $940 | 569 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Baltimore, MD to Mount Pleasant, SC | $729 – $1,019 | 579 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Baltimore, MD to Rock Hill, SC | $612 – $857 | 470 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from Columbia, MD to South Carolina
| From Maryland to South Carolina | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, MD to Charleston, SC | $725 – $979 | 565 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Columbia, MD to Columbia, SC | $626 – $896 | 513 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Columbia, MD to North Charleston, SC | $690 – $969 | 558 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Columbia, MD to Mount Pleasant, SC | $718 – $950 | 568 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Columbia, MD to Rock Hill, SC | $631 – $839 | 459 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from Germantown, MD to South Carolina
| From Maryland to South Carolina | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germantown, MD to Charleston, SC | $683 – $959 | 552 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Germantown, MD to Columbia, SC | $691 – $924 | 500 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Germantown, MD to North Charleston, SC | $699 – $900 | 544 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Germantown, MD to Mount Pleasant, SC | $711 – $940 | 555 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Germantown, MD to Rock Hill, SC | $598 – $854 | 446 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from Silver Spring, MD to South Carolina
| From Maryland to South Carolina | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver Spring, MD to Charleston, SC | $672 – $938 | 546 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Silver Spring, MD to Columbia, SC | $682 – $892 | 493 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Silver Spring, MD to North Charleston, SC | $651 – $891 | 538 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Silver Spring, MD to Mount Pleasant, SC | $651 – $910 | 548 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Silver Spring, MD to Rock Hill, SC | $604 – $888 | 439 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Shipping an SUV or truck from Maryland to South Carolina
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 South Carolina you should expect to pay between $815 and $1,189.
Factors that affect car shipping costs from MD to SC
When transporting your vehicle from the Old Line State to the Palmetto 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 South Carolina.
- Distance and route: The journey from Maryland to South Carolina spans approximately 523 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina should take between one and six days. Expedited services are available but come at a higher cost.
South Carolina vehicle regulations you need to know
- Car insurance requirements: In South Carolina, it's a legal requirement for every driver to have liability insurance. Adhering to the state's minimum liability limits, commonly referred to as 25/50/25, entails securing coverage of at least $25,000 for bodily injury per person, $50,000 for total bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident. Stay compliant with these essential insurance standards to drive confidently on South Carolina roads.
- Vehicle inspection: Drivers in South Carolina are not required to get a safety, VIN, or emissions inspection for their vehicle.
- Driver’s license: If you are moving to South Carolina, you will be required to obtain a South Carolina driver's license within 90 days of establishing residency in the state.
- Additional taxes: In South Carolina, there is a sales tax imposed on the purchase of a vehicle. The sales tax rate is 6%, which is collected by the dealer at the time of purchase.
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 South Carolina
About 22 million people are living in the Palmetto State. South Carolina had hot and humid summers and cool to mild winters and coastal areas of the state have very mild winters. While precipitation is abundant the entire year in almost the entire state, the coast tends to have a slightly wetter summer, while inland, the spring and autumn transitions tend to be the wettest periods and winter the driest season, with November being the driest month.
FAQ
Does someone have to be present when you ship a car for pickup in Maryland and delivery in South Carolina?
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 South Carolina.
Do you need car insurance when shipping your car from Maryland to South Carolina?
If you’re not driving the vehicle from Maryland to South Carolina, you aren't required to have typical car insurance. Your car hauler should have adequate insurance if an accident happened on the drive to South Carolina, 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.
In South Carolina, it's a legal requirement for every driver to have liability insurance. Adhering to the state's minimum liability limits, commonly referred to as 25/50/25, entails securing coverage of at least $25,000 for bodily injury per person, $50,000 for total bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident. Stay compliant with these essential insurance standards to drive confidently on South Carolina roads.
How long does it take to ship a car from Maryland to South Carolina?
Car shipping companies can travel about 500 miles per day. The trip from Maryland to South Carolina is about 523 miles, and that’s as fast as about 2 days. However, most car transport companies will take one to six days to travel from Maryland to South Carolina.
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.
Drivers in South Carolina are not required to get a safety, VIN, or emissions inspection for their vehicle.
If I have a driver’s license in Maryland, will I need one in South Carolina?
If you are moving to South Carolina, you will be required to obtain a South Carolina driver's license within 90 days of establishing residency in the state.
If I bought a car in Maryland, will I be required to pay sales tax in South Carolina after shipping it there?
It’s important to understand any tax implications if you’re having a car shipped from Maryland to South Carolina after purchasing it.
In South Carolina, there is a sales tax imposed on the purchase of a vehicle. The sales tax rate is 6%, which is collected by the dealer at the time of purchase.
We recommend that you always check for updated tax information in both Maryland and South Carolina to avoid any hidden costs.
What is the cheapest way to ship a car from Maryland to South Carolina?
The cheapest way to ship a car from Maryland to South Carolina 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 South Carolina?
Shipping a car from Maryland to South Carolina costs $652 to $951.
