10 Best Auto Transport Companies in Texas For 2024

Before the transporter delivers your automobile, you’ll want to make sure you and your car are legally licensed and registered to hit the Texas roadways.

Understand Texas Residency

The following will establish your credibility as a Texas resident:

• Move into a home you buy or rent.
• Change your address to your new home.
• Register your car with the Texas DMV.
• Update your car insurance to Texas.
• Get a Texas driver's license or identification card.
• Register to vote.

Keep the date you establish residency in mind as you review the remaining steps.

Update Insurance to Comply with TX Laws

Each state has laws governing automobile insurance. Texas requires new residents to obtain an insurance policy within 30 days of establishing residency. The minimum amount of insurance required in Texas is:

• $30,000 for bodily injury liability per person/$60,000 for bodily injury liability per accident: Bodily injury coverage helps pay medical bills when you are at fault for the accident.
• $25,000 property damage liability: This coverage helps pay for damage to another car or an object you damaged with your vehicle.

You may want to consider purchasing additional coverage to limit your financial risk.

• Collision coverage: This coverage pays to replace or repair your car after an accident.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage: UI/UIM coverage pays your medical bills or car repair or replacement if the accident is the fault of someone who isn’t insured. This type of policy also pays for hit and run accidents.
• Comprehensive insurance: Pays if your car is damaged or stolen by flood, fire, vandalism, or something other than collision.
• Personal injury protection: PIP coverage pays for you and your passengers' medical expenses if you are in an accident, regardless of the party at-fault.

Title and Register Your Vehicle

You’ll have 30 days from the time you move to Texas to register your vehicle. You are not required to title your vehicle in Texas, but to obtain your license plates and registration sticker, you must:

• Visit your local county tax-assessor collector office.
• Show your insurance card. (see #2 above)
• Show proof of your Vehicle Inspection Report from a certified Texas Department of Safety inspection station.
• Show proof that you own the vehicle by presenting the registration or title from your previous state.
• First-time registrants are required to fill out Form 130-U.
• Pay the base registration fee of $51.75 plus any additional fees your particular county may assess, and sales tax-related fees.

Note that active-duty military and non-resident full-time college or university students do not have register or title their vehicles in Texas.

Obtain a Valid Texas Driver License

New residents must obtain their drivers’ licenses from the Texas Department of Public Safety within 90 days of moving to the Lone Star State. You must have an unexpired license from another state to drive for the 90 days in Texas. To apply for a license, you’ll need to provide proof of:

• U.S. citizenship or evidence of your lawful presence in the country.
• Texas residency (see #1 above).
• Social Security number.
• Identity (your valid out-of-state driver license).
• Evidence of your current Texas Vehicle Registration for each vehicle you own.
• Proof of insurance for each of the vehicles you own. (see #2 above)

Once you have the necessary documents as stated above, you’ll complete the driver license application and bring it and the above documents to your appointment where you will:

• Surrender your out-of-state driver license.
• Pay the application fee.
• Have your thumbprints and photo taken.
• Pass a vision exam.
• Take and pass any required driver knowledge tests.

Purchase a TxTag

Texas has 25 toll roads that total about 500 miles. The longest include the 83-mile long Sam Houston Tollway, a beltway around Houston, and SH 130, an 88-mile tollway from San Antonio to Austin. The most heavily used tollways are in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, and El Paso areas. You can purchase a TxTag, which is compatible with all Texas toll roads. Each TxTag account provides you with up to five transponders/stickers. Prepayment with a TxTag account enables you to pay the lowest rates on Texas toll roads.

Looking to ship your vehicle to Texas from another part of the country? Caravan Auto Transport’s network of vetted, licensed, and insured auto transporters offers safe, efficient transport of your automobile to its destination without running up the miles on the odometer. These reputable Texas car shipping companies provide the following services:

Open Car Transport

The most common method of car transportation, open transport carriers are ideal if you’re looking for an affordable shipping option with speedy delivery. As the name suggests, your car is loaded onto an open-air trailer along with several other vehicles headed to the same destination.

Enclosed Auto Transport

If you desire enhanced security or protection for your vehicle, you may wish to arrange enclosed carrier shipping. Inside a covered trailer, your car has protection from harsh weather conditions and road hazards like dust and dirt. Shipping your car in a closed carrier also enhances its safety during transit by keeping the vehicle concealed.

Door-to-Door Car Shipping

With a door-to-door car shipping service, you choose the desired pick-up and drop-off locations rather than having to arrange getting your vehicle to or from a transport terminal. Door-to-door shipping is the most convenient choice for shipping your car to or from Texas, saving you time and effort.

Expedited Shipping

In a hurry to get your car to or from Texas? Upgrading to expedited shipping ensures a seamless pick-up and drop-off of your vehicle on your schedule. As a priority customer, you receive fast, timely service, so you can get back to driving that much quicker.

Classic and Antique Car Transport

When it comes to transporting a classic car, you want an auto transport company that can deliver your vehicle without a single dent or scratch. From a vintage Mustang to an antique DeVaux Sports Coupe, our network of classic auto transporters has the expertise and equipment to transport your classic car safely, so it arrives in pristine condition.

High End and Luxury Auto Shipping

Exotic car transporters use specialty equipment, like hydraulic lifts and sophisticated tie-downs, along with enclosed trucks, to keep your valuable car safe during every mile of transit. An enclosed car hauler ensures the ultimate protection for your high-end or luxury vehicle, protecting it from dirt, dust, and debris along the way.

Are you trying to get settled in a new job ASAP? Or heading south for the winter? There are numerous reasons you may be interested in shipping a car to Texas or somewhere outside of the Lonestar State. Caravan Auto Transport’s network of auto shippers streamlines the car hauling process no matter your reason for transporting your vehicle to or from TX.

Moving and Relocation

When moving cross-country or out-of-state, many people choose to ship their cars rather than add a long road trip to an already stressful and exhausting relocation experience. Leave the logistics of moving your vehicle in the hands of professionals with either open or enclosed car shipping services.

Snowbirds

For decades, the Texas coasts and Gulf cities have attracted snowbirds. Given southern Texas’ mild winter temperatures and warm sunshine, it’s easy to understand why. Start enjoying your escape from the frigid north that much sooner by shipping your car and meeting it at your Texas destination – whether you’re wintering on a sub-tropical Brownsville beach or in the urban sophistication of Houston.

Military

With most bases clustered around Corpus Christi and San Antonio, about 164,235 personnel serve on Texas military bases. Ten of Texas’ 15 active military installations are Naval and Air Force bases. The Coast Guard and the Marines are the only military branches not represented. If you’re one of the brave men and women working to keep our country safe, we’re happy to serve you with top-notch car transportation to or from Texas.

Online Car Buyers

If you’ve found the perfect vehicle on Craigslist, eBay, or AutoTrader, you may need some assistance getting it home, especially if it’s sitting on the other side of the country. Instead of flying out to pick it up and putting hundreds or thousands of miles on the odometer just to get it to your driveway, arrange for a hauler to transport your new car to Texas for you.

College Students

From the University of Texas at Austin to Rice University in Houston, Texas has no shortage of top-tier public and private colleges and universities for those seeking to further their education. If you have a college student moving to Texas from out-of-state (or vice versa), have their vehicle shipped straight to campus with a fast, affordable auto transport service.

On average, it costs between $500-$1500 to ship a car to Texas. Anticipate paying around $1 per mile for the first 1-500 miles, then approximately $.75 for every mile after that. Several factors influence the final cost of shipping your vehicle, including the origin and destination zip codes, the method of transport (open vs. enclosed), the speed of shipment, the type of vehicle, and the time of year. The best way to get an accurate estimate of car shipping costs is by requesting free quotes from our network of top-rated auto transport companies.