Military PCS Vehicle Shipping and Insurance

If you are a military member with a car, you need to know about military PCS, vehicle shipping, and insurance. You may eventually receive a permanent change of station (PCS) and need to ship your car to your new base. Whether this is in the contiguous U.S. (CONUS) or outside the contiguous U.S. (OCONUS), you may want to take your car with you. Cars can be shipped by the military both domestically and internationally by the military car shipping program.

UPDATED: Apr 19, 2022Fact Checked

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Leslie Kasperowicz holds a BA in Social Sciences from the University of Winnipeg. She spent several years as a Farmers Insurance CSR, gaining a solid understanding of insurance products including home, life, auto, and commercial and working directly with insurance customers to understand their needs. She has since used that knowledge in her more than ten years as a writer, largely in the insuranc...

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Written by Leslie Kasperowicz
Farmers CSR for 4 Years

Benjamin Carr was a licensed insurance agent in Georgia and has experience in life, health, property and casualty coverage. He has worked with State Farm and other risk management firms. Benji is also a strategic writer and editor with a background in branding, marketing, and quality assurance. He has been in military newsrooms — literally on the frontline of journalism.

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Reviewed by Benji Carr
Former Licensed Life Insurance Agent

UPDATED: Apr 19, 2022

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UPDATED: Apr 19, 2022

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When does it make sense to bring your car with you?

It’s a well-known fact that military members travel a lot. Assignments can take a servicemember all over the country, and it is not always realistic to take your car to each of these places.

If you are getting a PCS (permanent change of station) within the contiguous U.S. (CONUS), then you generally can drive your car to your new base, and shipping is not required.

Going to the effort of shipping your car abroad generally only makes sense when you receive a PCS OCONUS, or outside the contiguous United States.

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How does military PCS vehicle shipping CONUS and OCONUS work?

The military has an existing military car shipping program. This allows you to ship cars both inside and outside the U.S.

The first step is to prepare your car for travel. Clean it, remove all personal items, and make sure it is clean and has all the required paperwork and stickers.

Next, you will drive your car to one of the nearest PCS vehicle shipping OCONUS stations. Once it has arrived and been checked in, it will be sent to your new base.

Do you need special insurance when you’re living abroad?

Yes, military personnel driving outside the USA do need to purchase a special international auto insurance policy.

These policies can be purchased through many auto insurance companies. The most popular companies used by military members are:

USAA
Geico
AFI

This is due to the discounts that they commonly offer to military members.

Are you ready to find affordable military PCS vehicle shipping and insurance quotes? Enter your ZIP code below and we will help you get a free insurance quote near you.