For some, a car is a prized possession with deep emotional significance. For others, it'southward but a means to get from Indicate A to Point B. No thing which category you fall into, owning and maintaining a vehicle represents a pregnant financial investment. Your car is besides your key to getting around and making the well-nigh of the surface area you lot call home.

Given the big function vehicles play in our lives, information technology'southward natural to have equally big questions about moving your car between Hawaii and California . Much similar buying or selling your car, it'due south a significant determination with large implications (including financial ones)!

In this article, we'll walk you through everything you need to consider when moving your motorcar, truck, or SUV between California and Hawaii.  Whether you're headed for Hawaii or making a beeline for the mainland, we'll one) help y'all decide whether to move your motorcar and ii) show you how to gear up for all the steps along the way. Ultimately, you'll terminate up with a articulate determination nigh what to practice with your car—and you'll know exactly what to expect if you determine to move your vehicle with you.

First of All, Is It Worth Shipping a Machine Betwixt Hawaii and California?

I north many situations, yes. When you're moving betwixt Hawaii and California, you've got a big advantage working in your favor: You lot're most probable near a port on both ends.

Proximity to a port makes information technology pretty easy to become your car to your final destination. Equally a result, moving cars between California and Hawaii can be much more cost-effective than, for case, moving a machine between Colorado and Hawaii. After all, Denver is more than one,000 miles from the nearest port in California, which ways an additional layer of logistics, longer transit times, and higher cost.

That said, before y'all get all-in on moving your car, consider:

How many years does your automobile take left in information technology?

Aircraft your car to Hawaii or California is an investment in its hereafter. If you're planning to sell it in a year or two, you lot're probably amend off selling information technology at your current home and using the gain to buy a auto at your destination.

How much can you sell it for?

In Hawaii, there are a number of vehicles with high resale value—Toyota Tacomas and Tundras , for example. These are easy to sell in Hawaii, and so you may want to exit yours if y'all're headed to California. Alternatively, if you lot have a model in California that's pop in Hawaii, consider shipping it. After all, you lot'll have plenty of takers when yous're gear up for a new car. The Hawaii Craigslist listings will give you some practiced intel in this arena.

How will your car fit into your hereafter lifestyle?

California offers enough of opportunities for road tripping . However, if your Hawaii car is a gas-guzzler, maybe you want to sell it and get a different model in California. Or, if you're moving to the Big Isle, maybe you'll want a 4WD to take advantage of the off-roading opportunities. Think ahead and evaluate whether your vehicle is an antiquity of your past or one that'southward built for your time to come.

Before you make your final decision, you might want to know exactly what shipping your car betwixt California and Hawaii entails. We'll walk you through it next.

How Does It Piece of work When Shipping a Car Betwixt California and Hawaii?

Essentially, you'll have 3 options:

#1: Do-It-Yourself

You volume your own reservation with one of the steamship lines.

Bulldoze your machine to the nearest port where the steamship loads your car onto Roll on/Roll off send. They'll drive your vehicle onto the vessel and secure it for its journey.

Once it arrives at the destination port, the steamship line drives it right off the ship, where it's stored until you come to choice it upward at the port. And then, you drive it to your new home.

#2: Door-to-Door

A moving company takes care of driving your car to and from the port.

This is a cracking option if y'all don't want to deal with logistics. A mover picks up your car, drives it to the nearest port, and turns it over to the steamship line.

On the other end, a representative from the moving company picks your car, delivers information technology to your new residence. In that location also are hybrid options to drop-off or option-upwards your vehicle.

#iii: Container

Include your car inside the shipping container with other goods

Starting time, a machine can easily have up half of a 40′ container, so it will significantly limit the amount of goods you lot can pack.

Plus, including your car can make your container more than expensive to ship. If your vehicle doesn't run or if it's a special make and model, putting it in a container may be the best option for you lot. Your best bet? Talk to an expert before booking .

Now that you lot understand your options, let's talk about pricing.

How Much Does It Toll to Ship Your Motorcar Between California and Hawaii?

For port-to-port service, your toll will probable be between $920-$1,747, depending on which steamship line you choose and which ports your car moves between.

Ports available for drop-off/pick-up in California include:

  • San Diego
  • Los Angeles / Long Embankment
  • San Francisco Bay Area / Oakland

Ports available for drop-off/pick-up in Hawaii include:

  • Hilo, Big Isle
  • Kawaihae, Big Island (Kona side)
  • Honolulu, Oahu
  • Kahului, Maui
  • Nawiliwili, Kauai

How Long Does It Accept to Ship Your Car Between California and Hawaii?

In short, going to California from Hawaii can take anywhere from a calendar week and a half to 3 weeks. Shipping your car to Hawaii from California can take anywhere from three weeks to a month. During busy times, these estimates will be longer.

If you're looking strictly at transit time—from when the ship departs the origin port until the ship arrives at the destination port—information technology takes around 5-8 sailing days between Hawaii and California.

However, in addition to transit time, you'll likewise demand to account for:

The steamship line schedule & next available sail engagement. Ships don't go out every day, and so you'll book your car on the next available transport with room for your auto. During decorated times, space can exist limited, so yous may take to volume farther out.

three-v days for the loading and unloading of the send. Many people believe that they'll be able to get their car the day their ship arrives in port. Large vessels need time to unload, then it can be at to the lowest degree two days before your car is bachelor for pick-up.

A few actress days in transit if your car needs to exist loaded on an interisland barge from Honolulu to the Large Island, Maui, or Kauai.

Additionally, it's important to sympathise that sea transit times are always an estimate. Weather conditions may extend the time information technology takes to get between ports. When y'all book, the steamship line volition give you a window in which you can expect your car to arrive.

What Kind of Paperwork Will I Demand When Shipping a Car Between California and Hawaii?

In club to send your car, you'll need to provide several documents. Although the documents for aircraft to Hawaii vs. shipping to California are similar, there are a few key differences.

When yous're sending your car westbound, yous'll demand:

  • A copy of your reservation – Information technology's useful to accept this printed out then it's easy to access.
  • A copy of the car's current, valid registration or the championship / nib of sale. If the car is financed, you may also need a lien dominance alphabetic character from the lien holder, authorizing shipment to Hawaii.
  • The registered possessor must be present at the drop-off, with film ID. If the registered possessor cannot be present, you'll need a notarized alphabetic character authorizing the person dropping off the motorcar to release the vehicle.

When you're sending your machine eastbound, you'll need:

  • A re-create of your reservation – Once again, having this printed out and gear up to go can make your life easier.
  • A copy of the car'due south current, valid registration AND the title / bill of sale. (Yeah, you lot'll need both items. The requirements headed from Hawaii to the mainland are more than strict!)
  • If the car is financed, you'll besides need a lien potency letter of the alphabet from the lien holder, authorizing shipment outside of Hawaii.
  • The registered owner must exist nowadays at the drop-off, with film ID. If the registered owner cannot exist present, you lot'll demand a notarized alphabetic character authorizing the person dropping off the car to release the vehicle.

If you have any questions about your paperwork, make sure to ask your steamship line when you make your reservation. The wrong paperwork can delay the shipment of your vehicle significantly.

Can I Include Personal Furnishings in My Machine?

No. Although it would exist really convenient to use all that trunk space (or backseat surface area!) for your personal possessions, your automobile must be empty all holding. Additionally, when you drop off your car, your gasoline tank should be no more than ¼ full.

For the total details on prepping your motorcar for the move to or from Hawaii, bank check out our commodity: Shipping Your Car to Hawaii: Your Biggest Questions Answered .

Can I Ship My Auto, Truck, or SUV?
 What Virtually Altered Vehicles?

Standard passenger vehicles—including cars, trucks, and SUVs—volition generally autumn within the size guidelines for the steamship lines: 21'8″ long by 8′ wide by seven′ high. Anything larger than this will need to be quoted out to determine an accurate price.

Additionally, if your vehicle has significant customizations or alterations—especially ones that may put it beyond standard dimensions—make sure you tell the steamship line while booking. Anything you lot can remove, such as roof racks, should be removed before dropping off your car.

After the Journeying:

How do I register my car in Hawaii
How do I register my car in California

If you're moving to California, you're required to annals your car with the DMV within 20 days of the appointment you lot constitute residency.

California also has some very specific requirements for importing cars from out of state. Brand sure y'all cheque the requirements on the California DMV website  before shipping your car to California.

The site will besides walk you through the registration requirements. In general, you'll demand to present:

  • Title
  • Registration
  • Your out-of-state license plates
  • A smog certification from a California smog station
  • The related application forms and fees

Your New Home Is Waiting

Whether yous're moving to California or Hawaii, y'all've got an incredible landscape set to be explored. If you make up one's mind to accept your machine with yous, yous'll have a familiar vehicle at your disposal so you can hit the basis running in your new home. Notwithstanding, if you lot decide non to accept your car after, you'll have a different opportunity awaiting you—the opportunity to pick out the perfect car for your new lifestyle. Whichever path you choose, adventure is just a bulldoze away.

Want some help shipping your car—or whatever of your other personal possessions—between Hawaii and California? Our experts would be happy to help. Simply accomplish out for a complimentary quote  to get started.