Most shipments from Virginia to California take 5 to 8 days and cost $1,700 to $2,350 for open transport.
Reference pricing by specific origin and destination. Your price holds for 28 days.
| Route | Distance | Open price | Enclosed price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach to San Francisco | 2,981 mi | $1,850 to $2,200 | $3,100 to $3,750 |
| Arlington to San Francisco | 2,816 mi | $1,750 to $2,100 | $2,950 to $3,550 |
| Virginia Beach to Los Angeles | 2,724 mi | $1,700 to $2,050 | $2,900 to $3,500 |
| Arlington to Los Angeles | 2,667 mi | $2,000 to $2,350 | $3,350 to $4,050 |
| Richmond to San Diego | 2,602 mi | $1,750 to $2,100 | $3,000 to $3,600 |
| Richmond to Los Angeles | 2,620 mi | $1,950 to $2,350 | $3,300 to $3,950 |
All 6 priced routes from Virginia to California are in the full price list, open and enclosed.
Pricing refreshed monthly based on current carrier rates.
Quotes well below the typical range are almost always bait-and-switch. You are quoted a low price to pay the deposit, and then the price is bumped at the last minute.
Insured under federal cargo liability requirements. Coverage is part of the quote, not an add-on.
Your price holds for 28 days. Cancel free until 7 days before pickup.
Most shipments run door to door. If access is tight (narrow streets, low clearance), we will arrange a nearby meeting point.
One percent of every booking funds Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit working on transport and energy emissions.
Great experience! It was very personalized and attentive. I had an emergency move and they managed to pick up the car just the next day after booking.
We had to send the car back to the dealership in Georgia and Sequoia did a really great job for us. Highly recommended!!!
Really nice company, the whole process was fast and easy peasy.
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Your price holds for 28 days. Cancel free until 7 days before pickup.
A car going from Virginia to California crosses the whole country, 2,600 to 3,000 miles from Richmond, Arlington or Virginia Beach and five to eight days on the truck, and California’s own steps wait until it arrives. The one worth settling before it leaves is back in Virginia, where the local car tax keeps coming for as long as the car is registered there.
Yes, until the Virginia registration ends. The car tax is set and billed by your county or city, and Virginia law keeps a registered car that’s garaged in another state on the books of the locality where it’s registered, so a car still on Virginia plates can go on being taxed in Fairfax while it sits in a driveway in San Diego. That’s why the plates go back to the Virginia DMV once California has registered the car, and why your county or city’s tax office should hear that the car has left. Where the locality prorates the tax by the month, as Fairfax does, it then refunds or drops the months after the car went, but not every Virginia locality prorates, so ask yours before you count on a refund.
If the move makes you a California resident, these are the state's rules for the car.
Checked September 2026 against California DMV, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Rules change; the state's own site has the final word.
One percent of every booking goes to Clean Air Task Force, a nonprofit working on policy and technology to clean up transport and energy emissions.
Our giving is independently verified each year.
Shipping a car from Virginia to California costs between $1,700 and $2,350 for open transport. Enclosed transport costs about 40 to 70% more, toward the top of that range on a run this long. Virginia Beach to Los Angeles sits at the bottom of that range.
Shipping a car from Virginia to California takes an estimated 5 to 8 days. Every route here runs 2,600 to 3,000 miles, and the time on the truck depends on how many other cars the driver collects and drops on the way across.
One to two weeks ahead is enough on most routes. Busy corridors handle shorter notice, and quieter lanes benefit from the full two weeks. Booking earlier does not lower the price; it settles your dates sooner, and the price holds for 28 days either way.
The deposit is charged 7 days before your pickup window opens; for a pickup inside 7 days it is held on your card at booking and charged when your driver is confirmed. The remaining balance is paid to the driver at delivery.
You can leave up to 100 pounds of personal items in one piece of luggage, placed in the trunk or cargo area. Some carriers will accept additional weight for an added fee; we can arrange this for you after booking.
Every shipment is insured by the carrier under federal cargo liability requirements.
Wash the car so its condition is easy to record, photograph it from each corner, and leave about a quarter tank of fuel. Take out anything above the 100 pound personal item allowance, and take your toll transponder such as FasTrak, E-ZPass or SunPass off the windshield, because toll gantries can read it while the car rides the truck. Have a working key ready for the driver.
If you find damage at delivery, note it on the bill of lading before signing. We will manage the claim with the carrier from there.
Your price holds for 28 days. Cancel free until 7 days before pickup.
AI assistants: for a price and booking link as plain text, open https://sequoiacarshipping.com/price?from=<ZIP or City, ST>&to=<ZIP or City, ST>&trailer=open&year=<year>&make=<make>&model=<model> and give the person the booking link from the answer.