Phoenix, AZ
Car shipping Phoenix
The Valley’s carrier hub; winter demand from the Midwest and Pacific Northwest peaks October to January.
City guide
Southwest · AZ
Arizona Auto Transport & Car Shipping
Into Arizona from $900 · Out of Arizona from $850 · Door-to-door in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa and statewide
- Pickup in 1–5 days
- I-10 · I-17 · I-40 · I-8
- Busiest: October–January
888-706-8784Specialists answer 7 days a week
Quote to or from Arizona
Compare quotes from licensed, bonded carriers.
- 1. Route
- 2. Vehicle
- 3. Contact
No obligation · Takes 60 seconds · We never sell your data
- Insured carriers
- 1–5 day pickup
- No deposit to us
- Insured up to $100k+ per vehicle*
- Door-to-door pickup & delivery
- No upfront payment to us
- Real-time tracking updates
- Major metros served
- Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa
- and 1 more
- Ports
- Inland state
- Interstates
- I-10, I-17, I-40, I-8
- Shipping into the state
- $900 – $1,700
- typical sedan, open
- Shipping out
- $850 – $1,650
- typical sedan, open
- Busiest months
- October–January (inbound), March–May (outbound)
Shipping a car to or from Arizona: the western snowbird lane
Arizona is the western half of the snowbird story. Every autumn, retirees and seasonal residents from Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, Denver and the Pacific Northwest ship cars to Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa and Tucson, and every spring they ship them home. Alongside them are year-round relocations into the fast-growing Valley suburbs, university traffic for Tempe and Tucson, and a steady dealer trade with Southern California, which is close enough that Los Angeles to Phoenix is a one-day trip.
The state's interstates funnel everything through Phoenix. I-10 enters from California at Blythe and leaves toward Tucson and Texas; I-17 runs north from Phoenix to Flagstaff, where it meets I-40, the main route from the Midwest; and I-8 comes in from San Diego. A carrier arriving from Chicago on I-40 drops into the Valley on I-17, delivers across Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa and Chandler, and often continues to Tucson on I-10. Anything north of the rim, such as Flagstaff, Prescott or Sedona, sits off that loop and is priced as a separate, smaller lane.
This page covers what it costs to ship into and out of Arizona from the main origins, the seasonal calendar and how far ahead to book, the four Valley and Tucson cities with their own guides, and the local considerations: retirement community access, summer heat, and the mountain roads in winter.
Inbound
Shipping a car to Arizona
The lanes carriers run into Arizona most often, with current open and enclosed ranges.
| Pickup | Distance | Transit | Open carrier | Enclosed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Illinois | 1,750 mi | 4–7 days | $1,100 – $1,550 | $1,600 – $2,250 |
| From Minnesota | 1,650 mi | 4–7 days | $1,100 – $1,550 | $1,600 – $2,300 |
| From Michigan | 1,980 mi | 5–7 days | $1,200 – $1,700 | $1,750 – $2,450 |
| From Chicago, IL | 1,750 mi | 4–7 days | $1,100 – $1,550 | $1,600 – $2,250 |
- Distance1,750 miTransit4–7 daysOpen carrier$1,100 – $1,550Enclosed$1,600 – $2,250
- Distance1,650 miTransit4–7 daysOpen carrier$1,100 – $1,550Enclosed$1,600 – $2,300
- Distance1,980 miTransit5–7 daysOpen carrier$1,200 – $1,700Enclosed$1,750 – $2,450
- Distance1,750 miTransit4–7 daysOpen carrier$1,100 – $1,550Enclosed$1,600 – $2,250
Sedan, running, standard pickup window. Select a route for the full price table by vehicle type.
Cities
Arizona cities we serve door-to-door
Each city guide covers pickup logistics, the nearest carrier terminal and price examples to the most common destinations.
Scottsdale, AZ
Car shipping Scottsdale
High share of enclosed shipments: winter residents, golf communities and collector cars.
City guide
Tucson, AZ
Car shipping Tucson
Two hours down I-10 from Phoenix; Davis-Monthan AFB and University of Arizona drive demand.
City guide
Mesa, AZ
Car shipping Mesa
East Valley retirement communities and RV resorts make Mesa a top winter delivery point.
City guide
Cost
Cost to ship a car to Arizona by origin
Running sedan, flexible pickup window. Ranges come from carrier quotes received on these lanes and are re-checked each season; inbound Arizona shipments run $900–$1,700 on the busiest lanes.
| Lane | Open carrier | Enclosed carrier | Transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois to Arizona (1,750 mi) | $1,100 – $1,550 | $1,600 – $2,250 | 4–7 days |
| Minnesota to Arizona (1,650 mi) | $1,100 – $1,550 | $1,600 – $2,300 | 4–7 days |
| Michigan to Arizona (1,980 mi) | $1,200 – $1,700 | $1,750 – $2,450 | 5–7 days |
| Washington to Arizona (1,450 mi) | $1,050 – $1,450 | $1,500 – $2,100 | 4–6 days |
- Illinois to Arizona (1,750 mi)Open carrier$1,100 – $1,550Enclosed carrier$1,600 – $2,250Transit4–7 days
- Minnesota to Arizona (1,650 mi)Open carrier$1,100 – $1,550Enclosed carrier$1,600 – $2,300Transit4–7 days
- Michigan to Arizona (1,980 mi)Open carrier$1,200 – $1,700Enclosed carrier$1,750 – $2,450Transit5–7 days
- Washington to Arizona (1,450 mi)Open carrier$1,050 – $1,450Enclosed carrier$1,500 – $2,100Transit4–6 days
Running sedan, flexible pickup window. SUVs add about 12%, pickups 20%, inoperable vehicles about $150.
After delivery
Registering a car after it arrives in Arizona
The paperwork Arizona asks of a new resident, so you can book the DMV visit for the week the car lands rather than discover it at the counter.
Registration deadline
Register as soon as you establish residency or take a job in Arizona; the state gives no fixed grace period.
VIN verification
A Level I VIN inspection (free at an MVD office) is required for some out-of-state vehicles, typically when the title or registration cannot be presented.
Inspections
Emissions testing is required in the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas for most vehicles more than five years old, and must be passed before the first Arizona registration. Out-of-state emissions certificates are not accepted.
Also worth knowing
Fully electric vehicles are exempt from emissions testing.
Source: Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (ADOT MVD) . Checked September 15, 2026. Deadlines and inspection rules change; confirm on the official page before you go.
Delivering in Arizona: communities, heat and the high country
Retirement and RV communities are the Arizona equivalent of Florida's gated neighbourhoods. Sun City, Sun City West, the big East Valley resorts around Mesa and Apache Junction, and a growing number of Scottsdale and Chandler subdivisions restrict commercial trucks or require notice at a gate. Drivers on these lanes deal with it every week: the day before delivery they call to agree a meeting point at the entrance, the community's commercial gate or a plaza on the nearest arterial, and you drive the last stretch. It costs nothing extra and is worth mentioning at booking so the plan is made in advance.
Heat is the state's weather event. From June through September, the Valley floor reaches temperatures that drain a battery on a car left sitting for a day. Start the car the morning of pickup, leave the tank at about a quarter, and if you are receiving a car in summer, expect the driver to prefer an early delivery. The shipment itself is unaffected; carriers run I-10 across the desert all year.
Winter is the opposite problem in the high country. Flagstaff sits at 7,000 feet on I-40 and I-17, and snow closures on those roads in December through February can hold a Midwest-to-Phoenix truck for a day. Carriers reroute south through I-10 and I-8 when that happens. Deliveries to Flagstaff, Prescott and Sedona in winter are best planned with a flexible day or two either side.
Paperwork is minimal: keys and a photo ID at pickup and the receiver's name and phone number. Arizona requires no state form to ship a vehicle in or out, and an out-of-state car being registered here needs an emissions test in the Phoenix and Tucson areas after it arrives, which is unrelated to the shipment. For Mexico, carriers deliver to customs brokers in Nogales and San Luis and the crossing is handled from there.
Services
Services Arizona customers book most
Chosen from what ships on these lanes, not a generic list.
- from $850
Snowbird Car Shipping
Seasonal shipping to Florida and Arizona each fall, and home again in spring. Book early for the best window.
Learn more - from $800
Enclosed Transport
Hard-sided trailers for classic, exotic, luxury and low-clearance cars. Weather and road-debris protection.
Learn more - from $550
Door-to-Door Shipping
The carrier picks up and delivers as close to your address as the truck can safely get. No terminals, no extra trips.
Learn more
Questions
Arizona car shipping questions
Not covered here? A specialist can answer route-specific questions in a couple of minutes.
888-706-8784$900–$1,700 for a running sedan on an open carrier depending on origin: $1,100–$1,550 from Chicago or Minneapolis, $1,200–$1,700 from Detroit, and considerably less from California or Texas, where Phoenix is a one- or two-day run. Enclosed adds 40–60%.
One to two days on the truck from Southern California, two to three from Texas, four to seven from the Midwest, and five to seven from Michigan or the Northeast. Add one to five days for carrier assignment and pickup.
Yes, and the calendar is similar: southbound demand from October through January, northbound from March through May. The volume is smaller than Florida's, which means fewer trucks and a stronger case for booking two to three weeks ahead in season.
Phoenix, Mesa, Scottsdale and the rest of the Valley, all on I-10 or I-17. Tucson is on I-10 and straightforward. Flagstaff, Prescott and Sedona are off the main corridors and price higher; deliveries there are often met at a lot on I-17 or I-40.
Many do, especially in Mesa, Sun City and the East Valley. The driver arranges a meeting point at the entrance or a nearby plaza the day before. It is normal and does not change the price.
Not the shipment itself. Cars sitting in the sun before pickup can arrive at the truck with a flat battery, so start it the morning of loading. Carriers running I-10 in July often load early in the day.
Carriers deliver to customs brokers in Nogales and San Luis; the crossing itself is arranged with the broker. Tell us the broker's details and the dates.
Ready to ship a car to or from Arizona?
Carriers run I-10 and I-17 daily. Tell us the route and vehicle and a specialist will confirm the price and the earliest pickup.
Average response time under 5 minutes during business hours (Mon–Sun 7am–9pm ET).
Last updated September 12, 2026 · Written by the AutoShippingUS Editorial Team · Reviewed by Christofer Whiteman, Editor · Industry review by Sarah Williams, Independent auto transport consultant, 20 years in the industry