Research checked: 4 November 2026.
At a glance
- Compare the whole journey: weigh the transport quote against driving costs, travel time and your household’s plans.
- Confirm the handover arrangements: check whether the service involves depot drop-off and collection or an agreed collection or delivery service.
- Ask about timing: establish when the vehicle must be available and when it is expected to be ready at the destination.
- Follow the booked carrier’s instructions: requirements for belongings, fuel, electric vehicles and accessories can differ.
- Check the protection terms: understand the applicable cover or liability arrangements and how to report a problem.
- Plan for arrival: organise transport while you are without the car and check your new state’s registration requirements.
Moving interstate means deciding how everything will reach your new home, including the car you still need for work, school runs and everyday life.
Driving it yourself might fit comfortably into your plans. On a longer route, or when you have more than one vehicle, arranging transport may make the move easier to manage.
Before booking, it helps to understand what the quote includes, when you will hand over the car and how you will get around until it is ready to collect.
Should you drive your car interstate or arrange transport?
Start with the journey you would actually make.
If you want to drive, have time available and can comfortably manage the route, taking the car yourself may be a practical choice. You also keep it available during the journey and can decide where to stop.
The calculation changes when the move involves a long distance, a tight work schedule, young children or several vehicles. You might be flying with the family, travelling with a pet or needing to reach your new home before the furniture arrives.
Compare the transport quote with your likely driving expenses. Include fuel or charging, accommodation, meals, any overnight parking and the time you would spend travelling. If you arrange vehicle transport, add your own travel costs and any temporary transport you will need at either end.
For a couple moving with two cars, it may be worth pricing transport for one while driving the other. Work through the arrangements for your household before choosing.
How much does it cost to transport a car interstate?
There is no single price that accurately represents every interstate car move.
The quote needs to reflect the collection and destination locations, the vehicle, the transport arrangement and your timing. Palmers also identifies depot locations and any additional collection or delivery requirements as factors in interstate vehicle transport pricing. See our vehicle transport service information.
When requesting a quote, provide:
- The make, model and year.
- Collection and destination suburbs and postcodes.
- Your preferred dates and any flexibility.
- Whether the vehicle starts and drives normally.
- Details of modifications, accessories or existing damage.
- Any requirements for a classic, prestige or other specialist vehicle.
Mention anything that changes the vehicle’s height, length, width or ground clearance. A modified 4WD or lowered car should be assessed using its actual configuration.
Ask for a written explanation of what the price includes. Useful questions include whether GST, collection, delivery and any specialist handling are included, and whether storage or other charges could apply if you cannot collect the vehicle when it is ready.
Where do you drop off and collect the car?
Confirm the locations before planning your travel.
For most car moves arranged through Palmers, the vehicle is dropped off at an agreed depot. Collection or delivery at the destination depends on the service booked. Palmers confirms these arrangements before transport. Read how the service works.
A depot may be some distance from your home or accommodation. Check its opening hours, the documents you need and whether someone else can hand over or collect the vehicle for you.
You will also need a way home after drop-off and a way to reach the destination depot.
If you need collection or delivery at an address, ask whether it is available for your route and property. Give the full address and mention any access concerns so a suitable arrangement can be confirmed.
How long does interstate car transport take?
Ask for a timeframe for your particular booking.
It helps to separate three dates:
- When you need to hand over the vehicle.
- When it is expected to travel.
- When it is expected to be available for collection or delivery.
A drop-off date should not be treated as a confirmed departure date unless that has been agreed. Ask whether the arrival timeframe is an estimate or a commitment under the service you are booking.
Plan around the period you will be without the car. If you need it for your first day at work, appointments or school transport, make an alternative arrangement that allows some flexibility.
Your furniture and car may have different schedules. Keep the vehicle collection details accessible while you travel, rather than packed with your household belongings.
Can you leave belongings in the car during transport?
Do not pack the car unless you have written approval for the service booked.
Carrier policies differ. For example, CEVA’s published FAQ prohibits personal effects, while PrixCar offers a separate goods-in-car service for an additional fee and subject to conditions. These examples show why a rule from one provider should not be applied to every booking. CEVA FAQs, PrixCar FAQs.
Confirm what applies to your transport arrangement before leaving anything inside, including child seats, tools, charging cables or other accessories.
Keep medication, identity documents, valuables and anything you will need immediately with you. Even where belongings are accepted, check whether any protection applies to those items separately from the vehicle.
How to prepare your car for interstate transport
Use the preparation instructions supplied for your booking. The following steps will help you organise the handover.
Clean the vehicle and record its condition
Present the car clean enough for existing marks to be seen clearly.
Take dated photographs of the exterior, wheels, glass and interior. Keep them somewhere you can access during the move.
Where a condition report is provided, read it before signing and ask for existing damage to be recorded accurately. Keep a copy for the destination handover.
Confirm what must be removed
Ask about loose belongings, toll devices, removable accessories and any equipment normally kept in the vehicle.
Check how your toll account provider recommends handling a vehicle being transported, including any arrangements involving number-plate recognition.
Disclose mechanical issues and modifications
Tell the booking team if the car has starting problems, fluid leaks, steering or braking issues, damage, an alarm fault or unusual operating instructions.
Do this before the transport arrangement is confirmed. A vehicle that cannot be driven normally may need a different service.
Ask about fuel, battery charge and keys
Confirm the required fuel level or electric vehicle charge level with the booked carrier. Follow those instructions rather than a general rule found online.
For an EV, explain any operating features that someone handling the vehicle will need to know. Ask whether charging cables should remain with it.
Check which keys are required and how any alarm or immobiliser should be managed.
Check destination biosecurity requirements
Clean away mud, seeds and plant material, including from places that are easy to overlook, such as wheel arches and the underbody.
Western Australia assesses interstate freight arriving by rail and sea for quarantine risks, and its guidance specifically addresses vehicle cleanliness. Check the applicable requirements for your route before handover. Western Australian quarantine guidance.
Allow time for cleaning if your vehicle has recently been used on farms, unsealed roads or off-road tracks.
What protection applies during vehicle transport?
Ask for the terms that apply to your booking before you commit.
Clarify:
- What loss or damage is covered, and under what circumstances.
- Any exclusions, limits or excesses.
- Whether an insurer, carrier or another party handles a claim.
- What evidence is required and how quickly a problem must be reported.
Carrier liability and an insurance policy can have different terms. PrixCar, for example, describes its responsibility for certain loss or damage by reference to its service conditions. That does not establish what applies to a Palmers booking. PrixCar’s published vehicle protection information.
Also ask your own motor insurer whether your policy responds while the car is being transported. Keep the answers and booking documents together.
What should you check when collecting the car?
Allow time to inspect the vehicle at handover.
Compare its condition with the departure photographs and any condition report. Check the bodywork, wheels, glass and interior, and confirm that the keys and any approved accessories are present.
If you notice a difference, ask for it to be recorded and follow the reporting process in your booking terms. Take clear photographs and contact the relevant booking or claims contact promptly.
If there is a concern about whether the car is safe to drive, resolve that before leaving.
Do you need to change registration after moving interstate?
Check the requirements of the state or territory where the vehicle will be kept.
Arranging transport does not complete the registration process for you. For example, Queensland requires a vehicle brought from interstate to be registered in Queensland within 14 days when it will be garaged at a Queensland address. Its guidance also explains the required documentation and interstate registration cancellation process. Queensland Government guidance.
Check your destination authority’s rules early so you can plan any inspection or appointment. Tell your insurer about the new garaging address as well.
Arranging your car transport with your household move
Tell Palmers about the vehicle when you first discuss your interstate relocation.
Include where it needs to go, when you will stop needing it at your current home and when you expect to need it at the destination. That makes it easier to discuss the car and household arrangements together.
Palmers can coordinate vehicle transport as part of a household relocation, with the available arrangements assessed for the vehicle, route and timing. Explore Palmers’ car and vehicle transport services.
To discuss your move, call 1300 363 916 with your vehicle details, collection and destination postcodes, and preferred dates.