South Carolina to Alabama Car Shipping (2024 Cost Guide)
Fact Checked by: Quick answer: The average cost to ship a car 399 miles from South Carolina to Alabama ranges from $597 to $809 and takes one–four 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 South Carolina car shipping guide.
The best South Carolina to Alabama car shipping companies
We’ve done the research and these are the best car shipping companies to help transport your vehicle from South Carolina 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 South Carolina to Alabama
- Drive it yourself. This is straightforward but not always an option, and it will put about 399 miles on your car going from South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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!
SC 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 South Carolina and Alabama. The average travel distance is about 399 miles, with shipping times typically ranging from one to four days .
Cost to ship a car from Charleston, SC to Alabama
| From South Carolina to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, SC to Huntsville, AL | $609 – $846 | 478 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Charleston, SC to Birmingham, AL | $585 – $869 | 445 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Charleston, SC to Montgomery, AL | $623 – $907 | 454 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Charleston, SC to Mobile, AL | $737 – $1,025 | 621 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Charleston, SC to Tuscaloosa, AL | $683 – $859 | 500 miles | 1 – 6 days |
Cost to ship a car from Columbia, SC to Alabama
| From South Carolina to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, SC to Huntsville, AL | $562 – $753 | 394 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Columbia, SC to Birmingham, AL | $569 – $725 | 360 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Columbia, SC to Montgomery, AL | $536 – $778 | 370 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Columbia, SC to Mobile, AL | $650 – $880 | 537 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Columbia, SC to Tuscaloosa, AL | $569 – $795 | 416 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from North Charleston, SC to Alabama
| From South Carolina to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Charleston, SC to Huntsville, AL | $648 – $864 | 470 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| North Charleston, SC to Birmingham, AL | $603 – $818 | 436 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| North Charleston, SC to Montgomery, AL | $615 – $827 | 446 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| North Charleston, SC to Mobile, AL | $730 – $964 | 613 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| North Charleston, SC to Tuscaloosa, AL | $635 – $916 | 492 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Cost to ship a car from Mount Pleasant, SC to Alabama
| From South Carolina to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Pleasant, SC to Huntsville, AL | $673 – $837 | 481 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Mount Pleasant, SC to Birmingham, AL | $621 – $827 | 447 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Mount Pleasant, SC to Montgomery, AL | $604 – $864 | 456 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Mount Pleasant, SC to Mobile, AL | $722 – $1,066 | 623 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Mount Pleasant, SC to Tuscaloosa, AL | $644 – $931 | 503 miles | 1 – 6 days |
Cost to ship a car from Rock Hill, SC to Alabama
| From South Carolina to Alabama | Cost | Distance | Estimated transit time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Hill, SC to Huntsville, AL | $611 – $861 | 401 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Rock Hill, SC to Birmingham, AL | $574 – $761 | 382 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Rock Hill, SC to Montgomery, AL | $551 – $761 | 396 miles | 1 – 4 days |
| Rock Hill, SC to Mobile, AL | $710 – $929 | 563 miles | 1 – 6 days |
| Rock Hill, SC to Tuscaloosa, AL | $640 – $877 | 437 miles | 1 – 4 days |
Shipping an SUV or truck from South Carolina 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 South Carolina to Alabama you should expect to pay between $746 and $1,011.
Factors that affect car shipping costs from SC to AL
When transporting your vehicle from the Palmetto 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 South Carolina to Alabama spans approximately 399 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 South Carolina, 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina to Alabama should take between one and four 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 South Carolina
More than 39 million people call South Carolina home. Nicknamed 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.
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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina and when dropping it off in Alabama.
Do you need car insurance when shipping your car from South Carolina to Alabama?
If you’re not driving the vehicle from South Carolina 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 South Carolina.
If you’re driving your car at all in either state, you should understand the 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.
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 South Carolina to Alabama?
Car shipping companies can travel about 500 miles per day. The trip from South Carolina to Alabama is about 399 miles, and that’s as fast as about 1 day. However, most car transport companies will take one to four days to travel from South Carolina to Alabama.
Will I be required to have a vehicle inspection in either state?
Drivers in South Carolina are not required to get a safety, VIN, or emissions inspection for their vehicle.
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 South Carolina, 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 South Carolina, 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina and Alabama to avoid any hidden costs.
What is the cheapest way to ship a car from South Carolina to Alabama?
The cheapest way to ship a car from South Carolina 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 South Carolina to Alabama?
Shipping a car from South Carolina to Alabama costs $597 to $809.
