Alaska Auto Transport: Cost to Ship a Car to or from Alaska

Alaska auto transport works differently from any other state, because Alaska is not on a normal car-hauler route. The usual way to ship a car to Alaska is a truck to the Port of Tacoma, then a ship to Anchorage, and the ship is the expensive part: the published ocean rate for a sedan is $2,576 from Tacoma to Anchorage and $1,913 the other way. Add a truck leg to Tacoma if you do not live nearby, and shipping a car to Alaska from Los Angeles comes to about $3,545. This page shows what each leg costs, with real truck quotes on 22 lanes to and from the Tacoma port and the current ocean rates from Matson and TOTE, plus the drive through Canada, the military move, and Alaska registration.

The truck prices are real quotes from our platform for one vehicle on an open trailer, checked on October 18, 2026. The ocean rates are the carriers’ own published prices, which they change, so confirm them before you book. We could not price any lane that starts or ends inside Alaska, so this page does not pretend to: it prices the part we can measure and links the rest to the source. Last updated October 18, 2026.

Four ways to get a car to Alaska

Which one makes sense depends on where you live, how much time you have and what you are moving.

Everything in the first row is covered by the numbers below. The last two are explained in the sections on driving to Alaska and the Alaska ferry.

Ocean rates: Matson and TOTE from Tacoma to Anchorage

Two shipping lines publish consumer rates for the Tacoma–Anchorage run, Matson and TOTE Maritime Alaska. Both sell by vehicle size rather than make and model, and both include their fuel and port charges in the rate shown. The figures below are as listed on their sites on October 18, 2026, and Matson’s page says its Alaska rates took effect June 7, 2026.

A few things in the fine print matter more than the rate itself:

• Measure with everything on. TOTE counts length and height including hitches, antennas, mirrors and modifications, and the vehicle has to be under 900 cubic feet. A lifted truck or a roof rack can move you into the next price band.
• Electric and plug-in hybrid cars are not accepted. TOTE stopped taking EVs and plug-in hybrids on August 1, 2025, and Matson says it has suspended them as well. TOTE still accepts mild hybrids that do not need electric power during the voyage. If you own an EV, driving or a different carrier is the realistic route.
• Motorcycles are not accepted by TOTE. Matson asks you to call for oversized vehicles, boats, trailers and RVs.
• Belongings cost extra. TOTE loads personal effects for a flat $181. Matson allows limited personal items between Alaska ports and Tacoma for a fee and an extra set of tires for no charge. Check each line’s current rules before you pack anything.
• Transit is short. TOTE lists three days and two sailings a week, year round. Matson lists 3 to 7 days from Tacoma to Alaska depending on the destination port.

The rates are a starting point rather than a final bill. The lines may add charges, change the fuel surcharge or update the table at any time, so treat our numbers as a snapshot and confirm with Matson (1-877-678-7447) or TOTE (1-866-613-3122) before you book.

Truck quotes to and from the Tacoma port

If you do not live near Tacoma, a carrier has to bring the car there first. We ran real quotes for 22 lanes between Tacoma and eleven cities, once for each vehicle type, using Tacoma as the stand-in for the port. Each pair is priced both ways, and a car heading to Tacoma is the one going to Alaska, while a car leaving Tacoma is coming back from it.

Prices are for an open trailer and a running vehicle, in dollars. Distances are the road miles in each quote. The pickup and van columns are noisier than the sedan column, since fewer of those vehicles move on these lanes, so treat them as a guide and get a live quote.

Two things stand out. First, the ocean leg dominates: from Los Angeles it is about 73% of the cost to reach the Anchorage terminal. Second, short hops are expensive per mile, as everywhere. Seattle to Tacoma is 34 miles and cost $126, or $3.71 a mile, while Chicago to Tacoma is 2,080 miles at $0.58 a mile.

Does direction change the truck price?

Often. A sedan going to Tacoma cost more than the same trip leaving it on 6 of the 11 cities, with the biggest gap on the California runs: Los Angeles to Tacoma was $969 against $695 the other way (+39%), and Oakland to Tacoma $788 against $594 (+33%). Denver went the other direction, at $814 into Tacoma and $1,078 out. If your plans are flexible, price both directions.

What shipping a car to Alaska costs in total

Put the two legs together for a sedan and the total, door to the Anchorage terminal, runs from about $2,702 out of Seattle to $3,892 out of Dallas. The truck column is our real quote and the ocean column is the TOTE small-vehicle rate. Matson’s equivalent is $95 higher, at $2,671 for a car up to 5’6” tall.

These totals stop at the Anchorage terminal. Getting the car from the terminal to your door in Anchorage is normally a short drive that you do yourself, while Fairbanks and other towns are covered below. They also assume a sedan: a typical SUV or pickup falls in TOTE’s medium class at $3,220, about 25% more for the ocean leg, and the truck leg for an SUV was also higher on most lanes.

Drive it to Tacoma and skip the truck

If you can reach the terminal yourself, you pay only the ocean rate, which on a sedan saves $126–$1,316 compared with a truck from the cities above. Plan for a short visit: TOTE says drop-off or pickup takes no more than about 20 minutes. See the terminals section for addresses and hours.

Shipping a car from Alaska to the lower 48

Cars leaving Alaska get a better deal on the water. TOTE’s Anchorage–Tacoma rate is $1,912.62 for small and medium vehicles, which is 26% below the $2,576 going north, and Matson lists $2,025.08 for a vehicle up to 7’ tall and $2,563.49 up to 8’. Searches such as car shipping Alaska to Los Angeles, car shipping Alaska to Seattle and shipping from Anchorage to California all follow the same pattern: ship to Tacoma, then truck onward.

The truck leg out of Tacoma was cheaper than the leg into it on 6 of 11 cities, for example $695 from Tacoma to Los Angeles against $969 the other way. That makes Anchorage to Los Angeles about $2,608 with TOTE, against $3,545 for Los Angeles to Anchorage, a difference of $938 for the same pair of cities.

Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kodiak and Dutch Harbor

Both lines deliver to the Anchorage terminal at the Port of Alaska. For Fairbanks and the rest of the Interior, the car comes off the ship in Anchorage and then travels by road, about 360 miles to Fairbanks, either under its own power or with a local hauler. We could not price an Alaska lane, so ask a hauler based in Anchorage or Fairbanks for that last leg, and compare it with simply driving it yourself.

Matson also serves the islands. Its published rate from Tacoma is $4,277.81 to Kodiak and $5,414.73 to Dutch Harbor (for a vehicle up to 7’ tall and with 3/4 ton capacity), and coming back it lists $3,549.45 from Kodiak and $4,533.10 from Dutch Harbor. Those are far above the Anchorage rate, which tells you how much of the price is distance and port.

Did you know?From 22 real truck lanes and published Matson and TOTE rates

1. 26% cheaper leaving Alaska by sea

   TOTE charges 26% less from Anchorage to Tacoma than from Tacoma to Anchorage

   $1,912.62 southbound against $2,576.15 northbound for a small vehicle, the same ship and the same three days.

2. +39% Los Angeles to Tacoma vs. back

   Los Angeles to Tacoma cost $969, Tacoma to Los Angeles $695

   A sedan on about 1,113 road miles. Oakland showed the same pattern at +33%.

3. 73% of a Los Angeles move is the ship

   The ocean leg is 73% of the cost from Los Angeles to the Anchorage terminal

   $969 by truck to Tacoma plus $2,576 on TOTE for a sedan.

4. $3.71 a mile, Seattle to Tacoma

   Seattle to Tacoma, 34 miles, cost $126, or $3.71 a mile

   Against $0.58 a mile for Chicago to Tacoma. Short trips cost the most per mile.

5. 3 days by ship, Tacoma to Anchorage

   TOTE lists a three-day sailing, and about 2,300 miles by road

   Two sailings a week, year round. Driving from Seattle is roughly 2,300 miles through Canada.

Get an Alaska auto quote →

Military moves: shipping a car to Alaska on PCS orders

Search interest in shipping a car to Alaska for the military is real, and the rules are mostly about paperwork. Commercial guides say a service member on Alaska orders generally has one vehicle shipped at government expense, because the Defense Department treats Alaska like an overseas move even though it is a state, and that additional vehicles are at the member’s cost. We could not confirm this against the Joint Travel Regulations, so check your orders and your installation’s transportation office before you decide anything.

• The usual route is the same as a civilian one: by truck to a Pacific Northwest port, by ship to Anchorage, and by road to a base such as Fort Wainwright near Fairbanks. One guide estimates two to four weeks door to door for Fort Wainwright. That is a commercial estimate, not an official figure.
• Government-arranged or self-arranged. If the government contracts the move you have less control over timing, and if you arrange it yourself you can usually claim reimbursement, so keep every receipt.
• Registration is easier for service members. The Alaska DMV says active-duty members stationed in Alaska can keep their home-state registration while it stays valid, and the state regulation exempts a vehicle owned or co-owned by an active-duty member from Alaska registration if it is registered in the home state. A vehicle owned only by a dependent is not exempt.
• An EV is a problem. Both ocean lines have stopped taking electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, so ask your transportation office what is allowed before you order a new one.

Our guide to auto transport covers the paperwork that applies to any move.

Driving to Alaska through Canada

Driving is the one option that needs no carrier. From Seattle to Anchorage it is roughly 2,300 miles, which commercial guides put at about 4 to 5 days of hard driving and 7 to 10 days if you want to see anything. Most of the route is the Alaska Highway, and it is paved and well maintained, though some stretches are narrow or winding and the Cassiar Highway alternative has unpaved sections.

• Border documents. A passport is the simplest way across, and some enhanced licenses and NEXUS cards also work. Bring proof of insurance and registration, and check with your insurer that coverage extends to Canada and Alaska. Rules change, so read the current guidance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Canada Border Services Agency.
• Criminal history can stop you. Canada can refuse entry over a DUI or some other convictions, so check before you plan the trip.
• Winter is serious. Temperatures can fall to −40 °F, the nearest tow truck can be a long way off and mobile coverage is unreliable. Use winter or all-weather tires, carry food, water, blankets and a spare, and confirm that your roadside plan covers a long tow.
• Count the real cost. A worked example: 2,300 miles at 25 mpg and $3.50 a gallon is about $322 of fuel, plus six hotel nights at $130 and seven days of food at $60, for roughly $1,522 before tires, oil and the flight home. Replace our assumptions with your own. Driving costs less than the $2,576 ocean rate alone, but the car takes the miles and you take the time.

The Alaska Marine Highway ferry

The state ferry system, the Alaska Marine Highway System, carries vehicles, but it is not a normal way to reach Anchorage. Check FerryAlaska.com for the schedule before you plan around it:

• Few sailings from Washington. One report says the last Bellingham–Whittier run was in April 2026 and the next is scheduled for April 2027, at about $1,765 for a regular-size vehicle plus $761 for an adult. Verify current fares, since we could not confirm them.
• Skagway service is on hold. A service notice dated August 24, 2026 says Skagway sailings, including existing bookings, are paused until a new date is set. Drivers can go between Skagway and Haines through Canada.
• It still ends far from Anchorage. A ferry to Haines leaves roughly a 14-hour drive to Anchorage, so it saves a few days of driving but not the whole trip.

The reservations line is 1-800-642-0066.

Moving to Alaska: registration, VIN inspection and insurance

Once the car arrives you still have to make it legal in Alaska. These are the requirements we found, mostly through the Alaska DMV pages, and we could not open the DMV site directly, so confirm each one with the Alaska DMV before you go.

• Deadline. The DMV says someone who is working in Alaska or establishing residency must apply for registration within 10 days of arriving or starting a job. A visitor can drive on an out-of-state registration for a limited time. Some third-party sites give 30 days, so ask the DMV.
• Documents. Expect to bring the current out-of-state registration, the title if there is no lien, the title and registration application, proof of Alaska liability insurance, ID and fees.
• VIN inspection. A car previously registered in another state generally needs a one-time VIN verification, which one source says is free and can be done by DMV staff, an Alaska state trooper or a borough peace officer. Because it happens in person, the first registration generally has to be done at a DMV office.
• Insurance. Alaska requires liability insurance of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for injury plus $25,000 for property damage. Driving without proof can lead to a license suspension of 90 days to a year.
• Emissions. Our sources disagree on whether Alaska requires an emissions test for registration, so ask the DMV.

Dropping off and picking up at the terminal

If you ship port to port you are the one at the gate. TOTE’s terminals, as listed on its site, are:

• Tacoma: 500 East Alexander Avenue, Tacoma, WA 98421, phone 866-515-3256. Vehicle delivery hours are 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Wednesday and Friday. Pickup is 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday to Friday.
• Anchorage: 2511 Tidewater Road, Anchorage, AK 99501, phone 907-276-5868. Vehicle delivery hours are 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday to Friday.

Drop-off cutoffs vary by sailing, so confirm the cutoff for your sailing date. Before you go, read the line’s loading guidelines for fuel level, keys, alarms and what may stay in the car, and photograph the car from every side with the date visible. Matson runs its own terminals in Tacoma and Anchorage.

Inoperable, enclosed and collector cars

The numbers above are for a running car on an open trailer. On our platform an inoperable vehicle adds about $100 to the truck leg and an enclosed trailer about 75%, so a $969 sedan from Los Angeles to Tacoma would be about $1,696 enclosed. Whether the ocean lines take a car that does not run, and how they treat a lowered or modified car, is up to each line, so ask before you book. For a collector car, see our guide to classic car transport.

How to choose a shipper for Alaska

• Know who is doing what. A quote that includes Alaska is usually one company arranging a truck, a ship and sometimes a second truck. Ask which line carries the car and who is responsible if it is damaged.
• Check the registration. A company that moves cars between states needs a USDOT number and operating authority. Look them up on the FMCSA company snapshot and the FMCSA licensing and insurance search.
• Compare like with like. Check the same vehicle size, the same pickup window and whether the quote ends at the terminal or at your door.
• Get the price in writing, including every surcharge, and ask what happens if a sailing is missed.
• Document the car with dated photos at pickup and delivery and note any damage on the bill of lading before you sign.

Alaska auto transport: frequently asked questions

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