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State guide · October 2026
What it costs to ship a car into or out of South Carolina, how the coast differs from the I-95 and I-85 corridors, and what the state charges when you register a car from somewhere else.
Written by Adam Scott, Coordinator at Broadway Auto Transport · October 20, 2026 · Prices updated October 20, 2026
Live carrier rates · ~30 seconds
Prefer a human? Call (917) 594-5566. A coordinator answers.
The short answer
In October 2026 a running sedan on an open carrier costs about $1,000 from New York to Charleston, about $1,085 from Boston to Columbia, and about $895 from Chicago to Charleston. Leaving, Columbia to New York runs about $1,075 and Charleston to Los Angeles about $1,465. Hurricane watches on the coast can hold a pickup for days.
A loaded car carrier runs about 75 feet. These are the South Carolina addresses where it can’t reach the door, and what happens instead. Your coordinator settles it before you book.
What it costs
I-95 crosses South Carolina without touching the coast. It runs well inland through Dillon, Florence, and Walterboro, and the beach and harbor towns hang off it on their own roads: Charleston down I-26, Myrtle Beach out US-501 or SC-22, Hilton Head and Bluffton down US-278. A carrier running the East Coast passes the state all day, but a delivery on the coast means leaving the interstate. Columbia, where I-20, I-26, and I-77 meet, and the Greenville and Spartanburg area on I-85 are the easy pickups.
These are October 2026 prices for a running sedan on an open carrier, refreshed monthly. Many cars shipped into South Carolina are headed for the coast, which takes some planning, whether that is a gate pass on Hilton Head or Kiawah, a meet-up lot off the Charleston peninsula, or a pickup window with room for hurricane season. When the car arrives, the state gives you 45 days to register it and charges a flat $250 fee on a car titled elsewhere, waived for active-duty military.
These are October 2026 figures for the state. Your exact lane, vehicle, and week take about 30 seconds.
See my exact priceLocked 14 days · $0 until dispatch
Approximate prices, October 2026 · open carrier · running sedan · 16 South Carolina lanes
Prices on this page are for a running sedan on an open carrier, priced in October 2026, for planning. Columbia, Florence, and the I-85 cities sit at the low end because carriers pass them anyway. Coastal islands, gated communities, and rural counties away from the interstates sit higher and wait longer. The calculator prices your exact ZIP pair in about 30 seconds, and that figure holds for 14 days.
What moves the number
Approximate October 2026 prices for a running sedan on an open carrier. Larger vehicles, enclosed trailers, and peak weeks cost more; the calculator prices your exact shipment.
Lanes · October 2026
Approximate prices for a running sedan on an open carrier, with the range most trucks on the lane land in. “Truck assigned in” is how long it usually takes to find a carrier. Transit is what one driver covers at 400 to 500 miles a day after that.
$1,000most trucks $810–$1,190
773 mi2 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–2 days
The truck takes I-95 south through Virginia and North Carolina and leaves it for I-26, the last hour into Charleston. About $1,000 in October, and the lane fills in October and November as seasonal residents head south, so allow two to three weeks of lead time.
Price this route$1,085most trucks $905–$1,265
933 mi2–3 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–9 hours
From Boston the carrier runs I-95 down the coast and turns west on I-20 at Florence for the last 80 miles into Columbia. About $1,085 this month, with most trucks quoting between roughly $905 and $1,265.
Price this route$895most trucks $780–$1,010
916 mi2–3 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–26 hours
Carriers come down through Indianapolis and Knoxville and pick up I-26 at Asheville, which takes them over the Blue Ridge and on to the harbor. At about $895, this lane costs less than New York to Charleston while running 143 more miles.
Price this route$975most trucks $780–$1,170
728 mi2 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–47 hours
I-77 runs from Cleveland to Columbia, so after a short drive down from Detroit the truck stays on one interstate through Ohio, West Virginia and Charlotte. About $975 for 728 miles, usually two days on the road once loaded.
Price this route$1,075most trucks $795–$1,355
721 mi2 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–18 hours
Northbound trucks take I-20 east to Florence and I-95 the rest of the way. About $1,075 this month, though quotes spread from roughly $795 to $1,355, and March and April push the lane toward the top as seasonal residents go home.
Price this route$1,465most trucks $1,130–$1,800
2,474 mi5–7 days on the trucktruck assigned in 1–6 days
The route is I-26 to Columbia, then I-20 through Atlanta, Birmingham and Dallas until it joins I-10 in West Texas. About $1,465 for 2,474 miles, and five to six days in transit after the car is loaded.
Price this route| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlstadt, NJ → Myrtle Beach, SC | 677 | $850 | $680–$1,020 | 1–23 hours | 2 days | 677 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–23 hours |
| Detroit, MI → Columbia, SC | 728 | $975 | $780–$1,170 | 1–47 hours | 2 days | 728 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–47 hours |
| New York, NY → Charleston, SC | 773 | $1,000 | $810–$1,190 | 1–2 days | 2 days | 773 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–2 days |
| Plainview, NY → Simpsonville, SC | 774 | $935 | $770–$1,095 | 1–19 hours | 2 days | 774 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–19 hours |
| Chicago, IL → Charleston, SC | 916 | $895 | $780–$1,010 | 1–26 hours | 2–3 days | 916 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–26 hours |
| Boston, MA → Columbia, SC | 933 | $1,085 | $905–$1,265 | 1–9 hours | 2–3 days | 933 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–9 hours |
| Dallas, TX → Charleston, SC | 1,081 | $1,000 | $870–$1,130 | 1 hour | 3 days | 1,081 mi · 3 days · truck in 1 hour |
| Los Angeles, CA → Columbia, SC | 2,389 | $1,510 | $1,185–$1,835 | 1–3 days | 5–6 days | 2,389 mi · 5–6 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, SC → New York, NY | 721 | $1,075 | $795–$1,355 | 1–18 hours | 2 days | 721 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–18 hours |
| Columbia, SC → Chicago, IL | 801 | $980 | $760–$1,200 | 1–43 hours | 2–3 days | 801 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–43 hours |
| Charleston, SC → Detroit, MI | 845 | $910 | $685–$1,135 | 1–15 hours | 2–3 days | 845 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–15 hours |
| Charleston, SC → Boston, MA | 985 | $1,075 | $930–$1,215 | 1–17 hours | 2–3 days | 985 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–17 hours |
| Columbia, SC → Dallas, TX | 996 | $1,060 | $935–$1,180 | 1–18 hours | 2–3 days | 996 mi · 2–3 days · truck in 1–18 hours |
| North Augusta, SC → Nolanville, TX | 1,032 | $1,190 | $880–$1,495 | 1–3 days | 3 days | 1,032 mi · 3 days · truck in 1–3 days |
| Charleston, SC → Los Angeles, CA | 2,474 | $1,465 | $1,130–$1,800 | 1–6 days | 5–7 days | 2,474 mi · 5–7 days · truck in 1–6 days |
| North Charleston, SC → Lakewood, WA | 2,973 | $1,590 | $1,355–$1,820 | 1–45 hours | 6–8 days | 2,973 mi · 6–8 days · truck in 1–45 hours |
| Lane | Miles | Approx. price | Most trucks | Truck assigned in | Transit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiken, SC → Absecon, NJ | 733 | $1,090 | $785–$1,395 | 1–19 hours | 2 days | 733 mi · 2 days · truck in 1–19 hours |
Your lane is not in the table? Every ZIP pair in South Carolina prices the same way, in about 30 seconds.
Price my exact laneLocked 14 days · $0 until dispatch
Where in South Carolina the car is decides how fast a truck comes and whether it reaches the door. Tap a city to price a pickup there.
Charleston sits at the end of I-26, and Joint Base Charleston adds PCS moves to a steady flow of relocations. Peninsula addresses hand over the car in North Charleston, West Ashley or Mount Pleasant. New York to Charleston runs about $1,000 this month, Chicago to Charleston about $895, and North Charleston to Lakewood, Washington, the Joint Base Lewis-McChord move, about $1,590.
I-20, I-26 and I-77 cross in Columbia, so a carrier hardly leaves its route for a pickup here. Fort Jackson's permanent staff and University of South Carolina students account for many of the moves. Boston to Columbia is about $1,085 and Detroit to Columbia about $975, while Columbia to Chicago runs about $980.
Greenville and Spartanburg share I-85 halfway between Charlotte and Atlanta, and I-385 runs south through Mauldin to Simpsonville. Most suburban streets here take a full carrier at the curb. Plainview, New York to Simpsonville priced at about $935 in October. Clemson University, about 30 miles west on US-123, adds a move-in week every August.
Price a pickup in GreenvilleThe Grand Strand has no interstate. Trucks leave I-95 and drive about an hour east on US-501 through Marion and Conway to reach the coast. Retirees and seasonal residents from New Jersey and New York ship here in the fall, and Carlstadt, New Jersey to Myrtle Beach priced at about $850. Condo towers on Ocean Boulevard usually load from a nearby lot.
The US-278 bridges from Bluffton are the only road onto Hilton Head, about 20 miles east of I-95. Homes outside the gated plantations can often take the truck at the door. Inside Sea Pines or another gated community, arrange a commercial pass or meet the driver in Bluffton. Winter residents arrive in October and November and leave in spring.
Price a pickup in Hilton Head IslandBeaufort is a half-hour drive east of I-95, and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and the Parris Island recruit depot make it a summer PCS town. Plan to meet outside the gate of either base. The historic district's narrow streets and low branches send downtown pickups to a lot on the main road into town.
Price a pickup in BeaufortAiken sits a few miles south of I-20, and North Augusta lies on I-20 across the Savannah River from Augusta, Georgia. Horse owners, Savannah River Site staff and Fort Gordon families ship from this corner. Aiken to Absecon, New Jersey on an enclosed trailer priced at about $1,090, and North Augusta to Nolanville, Texas, outside Fort Hood, about $1,190.
Price a pickup in AikenSouth Carolina hosts five large installations, and each one has its own shipping pattern. Fort Jackson, on the east side of Columbia, is an Army basic training post, and its permanent staff move on PCS orders like anyone else. Shaw Air Force Base is outside Sumter, Joint Base Charleston covers the air base in North Charleston and the naval weapons station up the Cooper River, and the Lowcountry has Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island. Summer is the heaviest PCS season at all of them.
Columbia and North Charleston are on the interstates and get trucks quickly. Sumter is east of Columbia on US-378, and Beaufort and Parris Island are off I-95 on two-lane roads, so those pickups can wait a day or two longer for a carrier or go faster as a meet-up near the interstate. South Carolina waives its $250 new-resident fee for active-duty service members, their spouses, and dependents. Tell your coordinator your report date when you book so the pickup window works back from it.
Each part of the coast works differently. Charleston's peninsula, from the Battery up through Ansonborough and Harleston Village, has narrow streets, tight corners, and live oaks that hang low over the road, and a 75-foot carrier cannot work it. The driver will meet you at a lot in North Charleston, West Ashley, or Mount Pleasant. The suburbs, Summerville, Goose Creek, and Mount Pleasant past the bridge, usually get a door pickup. New York to Charleston priced at about $1,000 this month and Chicago to Charleston at about $895.
Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand are an hour or more off I-95, reached on US-501 or SC-22, and in summer beach traffic slows everything on Kings Highway. Hilton Head is an island on US-278, and many of its neighborhoods are gated, with guard gates that need a pass for a commercial vehicle and roads that a loaded carrier cannot turn around on. Bluffton, on the mainland side of the bridge, is the usual meet-up. Kiawah and Seabrook islands near Charleston work the same way. Arrange a gate pass with the community, or your coordinator sets a meet-up spot before you book.
Columbia is the easiest place in the state to ship from. Three interstates meet there, and the University of South Carolina puts students on the road every August and May. Columbia to New York priced at about $1,075 this month, Columbia to Chicago about $980, and Columbia to Dallas about $1,060. Charleston to Los Angeles was about $1,465, five to six days in transit after pickup. Going north to Michigan was cheaper, with Charleston to Detroit about $910.
The Upstate runs on I-85. Greenville and Spartanburg sit on the Charlotte to Atlanta corridor, which carriers run constantly, and a pickup there rarely waits long. Clemson University is a short run off I-85 on US-76, so campus moves in August and May usually work as a door pickup or a meet-up in town. The mountain counties along the North Carolina line, around Table Rock and Lake Jocassee, are on two-lane roads and are better handled as a meet-up on US-25 or I-85.
Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and the South Carolina coast is in the path of storms that come up from Florida or in off the Atlantic. When a watch or warning covers Charleston, Beaufort, Hilton Head, or the Grand Strand, carriers stop loading and unloading there. If the governor orders an evacuation, eastbound lanes of I-26 out of Charleston can be reversed to carry traffic inland, and carriers stay away from the coast until the order lifts. Plan on three to seven days of slip; your coordinator texts the new window, and the price stays as quoted.
For a coastal delivery between August and October, a pickup window of several days gives the driver room to work around a storm. Storms that come ashore can bring flooding and downed trees far inland, as far as Columbia and the Upstate, so a hurricane can hold an inland pickup too.
Your coordinator confirms the pickup window by text the day before.
Leaving South Carolina costs less on 3 of the 6 pairs priced this month. Carriers price the empty miles home, so the busier direction costs more. Each pair below is the same out-of-state city in both directions, running sedan, open carrier.
Detroit
New York
Chicago
Boston
Dallas
Los Angeles
Calendar
When the same lanes get busy, and what that does to your pickup week.
How busy the South Carolina lanes get each month, from our coordinators’ calendar. Busier months fill trucks sooner and cost more.
South Carolina rules
The rules that catch people who bring a car in from another state.
Rules as of the review date below. The South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles is the source, and the one to check before you register; the fee and deadline are in Title 56 of the South Carolina Code.
Questions
New York to Charleston runs about $1,000 for a running sedan on an open carrier in October 2026, with most trucks between roughly $810 and $1,190. Boston to Columbia is about $1,085. Late October and November can run up to 20% higher when seasonal residents head south. Count about two days in transit. The calculator prices your ZIP pair and holds that figure for 14 days.
Columbia to New York City runs about $1,075 in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $795 and $1,355, and Charleston to Boston about $1,075 as well. March and April are the busy weeks going north. Plan a meet-up on the New York or Boston end if the address is in Manhattan or an older Boston neighborhood.
Chicago to Charleston runs about $895 in October 2026 and Columbia to Chicago about $980. Detroit to Columbia is about $975 and Charleston to Detroit about $910. These lanes run 730 to 920 miles, about two days in transit after pickup.
Charleston to Los Angeles runs about $1,465 on an open carrier in October 2026, most trucks between roughly $1,130 and $1,800, and Los Angeles to Columbia about $1,510. Columbia to Dallas is about $1,060 and Dallas to Charleston about $1,000. Count five to six days to California and two to three to Texas.
Usually as a meet-up. Many Hilton Head neighborhoods are gated and need a commercial pass, and their roads leave no room to turn a 75-foot rig, so the driver often meets you in Bluffton or at a lot on the island near US-278. The Charleston peninsula's streets are too narrow, so the meet-up is in North Charleston, West Ashley, or Mount Pleasant. Your coordinator confirms the spot before you book.
A flat $250 infrastructure maintenance fee for a car first titled in another state, on top of the usual title and registration fees. Active-duty service members, their spouses, and dependents are exempt. You have 45 days from moving the car into the state to register it, and there is no safety or emissions inspection.
Carriers stop loading and unloading on the coast under a watch or warning, and during an evacuation no truck is heading toward Charleston or the beaches. Expect three to seven days of slip and a text from your coordinator with the new window. The quoted price is unchanged.
The data
The numbers are rebuilt from our own pricing each month and published with the page, so the dates above are the real ones.
Other state guides
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