How To Move Your Car Interstate

Deciding what to do with the car is one of the first real decisions in an interstate move. Drive it, ship it, or sell it and start again at the other end.

It depends on the distance, what the car is worth, whether you'll need it immediately and how much of your own time you're willing to spend behind the wheel.

We move vehicles alongside household goods across the country every week. Here's how the options compare, what transport costs, and the paperwork most people forget until they're already in the new state.

Before you move, it’s worth asking if it’s worth taking your car with you at all.

Start with whether you'll need it. Move to the inner suburbs of a well-connected city, and the car may sit unused while you pay to register and insure it. Move somewhere outer-suburban, regional or remote and you'll need one, probably before your belongings arrive.

Then consider whether your car suits where you're going. A small city runabout may struggle with long regional distances, and an electric vehicle needs a closer look at charging infrastructure if public charging is sparse where you're headed.

Finally, weigh the car's value against the cost of moving it. Transporting an older car can cost a real fraction of what it's worth, and that's when selling before you go and buying again at the other end makes sense.

A newer car in good condition is usually worth bringing, since you'd take a depreciation hit selling it and pay a premium to replace it.

Most people assume driving is cheaper, and over short distances it usually is. Canberra to Sydney is about three hours, Melbourne to Adelaide around eight. On runs like these, driving yourself is straightforward and probably cheaper.

Longer routes change the maths. Perth to Sydney is roughly 40 hours behind the wheel, which is four or five days once you account for rest. Add fuel, accommodation, meals and tolls and the gap narrows sharply, sometimes closing entirely.

Cost isn't the whole picture either:

• Your time. Days on the highway are days not spent setting up the new house.

• Wear and depreciation. A few thousand kilometres adds real mileage to the odometer and cost to your next service.

• Fatigue. Long-haul driving is genuinely tiring, and remote stretches leave little margin for error.

• Passengers. Long distances with young children or pets are hard on everyone.

Driving can be a good trip if you have time. If you're on a deadline, moving a family or crossing the Nullarbor, our vehicle transport service is usually the better call, and it can run alongside the rest of your move.

At Allied, we collect your car, load it onto a carrier, move it, and release it back to you. The variations drive both price and timing.

Open carriers are the multi-car transporters you see on the highway. They're the standard choice, the most affordable, and what most people use.

Enclosed transport puts your vehicle in a covered trailer, protected from weather and road debris. It costs more and suits luxury, classic or high-value vehicles.

Depot to depot is cheaper: you drop the car at a terminal and collect it from another, arranging your own transport at both ends. Door to door is collection and delivery at your addresses, which costs more and isn't always possible, since large transporters can't access every street.

Rail can be cost-effective on major corridors, though it's limited to larger centres and less flexible on timing. Sea freight is how vehicles reach Tasmania and the route for any international move.

Some operators simply have a driver take your car there. Straightforward, but your odometer wears the distance and the car is exposed to road risk the whole way.

Pricing runs mainly on distance, and most carriers work to a per-kilometre rate. As a planning figure, expect roughly 45 to 70 cents per kilometre, with longer depot-to-depot runs at the lower end and door-to-door, enclosed or urgent jobs higher. Longer routes tend to work out cheaper per kilometre, since fixed pickup costs spread across more distance.

Other factors that move the number:

• Vehicle size and weight. SUVs, vans and utes take more space on a carrier than a hatchback.

• Modifications. Raised suspension, oversized tyres and roof fittings can affect how your car loads.

• A caravan, trailer or boat attached to the move.

• Whether the car runs. A vehicle that can't drive onto the transporter needs winching, which attracts a surcharge.

• Access and remoteness at either end.

• Timing. Flexible dates cost less than a fixed window.

Budget separately for transit insurance, fuel to and from depots and the registration costs covered below. Treat any published figure as a rough guide and get a quote for your actual move.

You'll hand over a set of keys, so have a spare and keep it on you rather than packed in a box.

Have your registration details, proof of insurance and any roadworthy documentation ready, and keep copies.

Check tyres, battery, fluids and warning lights, and note the odometer reading before handover.

Photograph the car inside and out in good light, recording any existing scratches or dents. If you ever need to claim, that record is what you'll rely on.

Ask how much fuel the carrier wants. Most prefer it low, around a quarter tank, since fuel is weight and a fire risk. Leave enough to reach the depot and drive away at the other end.

Clean the car inside and out before handover, and treat it as a compliance step rather than a courtesy.

States run biosecurity controls on vehicle movements, and soil, seeds, and plant matter are the problem. Western Australia and Tasmania are particularly strict, and South Australia enforces zero-tolerance fruit fly rules.

Pay attention to wheel arches, the underbody, the boot, floor mats and any camping or gardening gear. A vehicle that fails inspection can be held for cleaning at your cost, on top of a fine.

Most carriers won't accept personal belongings in a transported vehicle, since they aren't covered by the carrier's insurance and add weight the quote didn't account for.

Clear out the lot: chargers, sunglasses, loose change, toll tags and anything in the glovebox or boot. If you do want to send items in the car, raise it before booking, as policies vary and extra cover may be required. Anything that can't travel this way can go into storage instead.

Your comprehensive policy may not cover the car while it's on someone else's truck, and carrier liability is often narrower than people assume.

Check what your existing insurer covers during transport, ask the carrier exactly what their liability includes and what it's capped at, and close any gap before the car is collected. Allied provides its own transit insurance, which can cover your vehicle alongside the rest of your belongings.

This is the step most guides skip, and the one with legal consequences.

Australia has no national vehicle register. When you become a resident of a new state or territory, you're required to register your vehicle there and surrender your old plates. The deadline varies, from a couple of weeks in some jurisdictions to three months in others, and in some cases it's tied to when you get a local driver's licence. Check the rules for your destination rather than assuming they match where you've come from.

What the process generally involves:

• A safety inspection, which goes by a different name in each state, such as a roadworthy certificate, blue slip or safety certificate. Standards differ, so a car that passed interstate can still fail.

• Compulsory third party insurance. In most states this is bundled with registration, but in New South Wales you buy a green slip separately, before you register.

• Stamp duty, which may apply depending on the state and your circumstances.

• New plates and registration fees.

Two related jobs while you're at it: update your driver's licence, which usually has a much shorter deadline of around 14 days, and sort out your toll accounts, since tags and accounts are state-based. Our change of address checklist covers both alongside everything else that needs updating.

Moving your car with the same company handling your household goods removes a provider from the process, and usually gets you a better combined rate.

Allied can arrange vehicle transport as part of your interstate move, alongside packing, storage, pet transport and transit insurance. One moving consultant coordinates the lot, so you're not chasing separate timelines for your furniture and your car. Our moving checklist and preparing to move guides show how the vehicle fits the wider timeline.

Get in touch with our team to talk through moving your car interstate, or request a quote today.

As a planning guide, around 45 to 70 cents per kilometre, with longer depot-to-depot runs at the lower end and door-to-door, enclosed or urgent jobs higher. Vehicle size, modifications, access and timing all affect the final quote, so get a specific price for your move.

Shorter corridors such as Sydney to Melbourne are often a few days once the vehicle is loaded. Longer runs to Perth or Darwin can take one to two weeks. Your carrier should give you an estimated delivery window when you book.

Usually not. Most carriers exclude personal items because they aren't covered by transport insurance and add unaccounted weight. Ask before you book, as policies differ and you may need extra cover.

Yes. Once you become a resident, you're required to register the vehicle in your new state or territory and hand back your old plates. Deadlines vary, and you'll generally need a state-specific safety inspection and may owe stamp duty.