Florida has no periodic safety inspection for passenger cars, which matters once a Florida car gets a New York registration. New York honors a valid out-of-state inspection until it expires or for up to one year after registration. A car coming from Florida usually has no inspection to carry over, so plan on a New York State inspection soon after you register. Snowbirds who have kept a car on Florida plates for years often learn about worn tires, tired brakes, or a check-engine light at that first inspection, so a quick look before pickup can save a second visit.
Northbound carriers leave South Florida on I-95 or Florida’s Turnpike, and Gulf Coast pickups start on I-75 and join I-95 in Georgia or the Carolinas. The route continues through Richmond, Washington, Baltimore, and the New Jersey Turnpike, then crosses into New York at the George Washington Bridge or a Staten Island crossing. Long Island deliveries continue on the Long Island Expressway, and upstate deliveries follow the Thruway or I-81. The trip covers 1,000 to 1,300 miles and typically takes 3 to 5 days.
Spring is the busy season. From March through May, snowbirds ship their cars home from Naples, Boca Raton, and The Villages, and northbound trucks fill quickly. Booking in February gives you more pickup dates to choose from.
Ports and auctions keep trucks moving all year. PortMiami and JAXPORT sit at the Florida end, and the Port of New York and New Jersey’s auto terminals in Newark and Bayonne sit at the northern end. Wholesale vehicles move between auction lots in Orlando and Tampa and lots on Long Island and in the Hudson Valley. Hurricane season can delay summer and fall pickups along Florida’s coasts, and winter snow in the Hudson Valley and upstate can push back deliveries.
Safeeds Transport books your car with a licensed, insured carrier running the I-95 corridor north.
Shipping somewhere else? See how state-to-state car shipping works.
