Car Shipping to Puerto Rico from the Mainland USA
Puerto Rico is part of the U.S. customs territory, so there's no import duty on a car coming from the mainland. That doesn't make it simple. Freight rates are structurally high, there's a local excise tax to pay before your car is released, and registration has its own steps. Here's how it works.
Starting Prices
Estimated starting rates for Puerto Rico vehicle transport:
Florida (Mainland USA) to Puerto Rico
starting at $1,459
Puerto Rico to Mainland USA
starting at $1,459
These are estimated starting rates. The final price depends on the vehicle's size, make, model, and condition, your pickup and delivery locations, port and terminal requirements, carrier availability, seasonal demand, and open or enclosed transport where applicable. We provide a final quote after reviewing the complete vehicle and route details.
How a Car Gets to Puerto Rico
Vehicles ship by cargo vessel from mainland ports, most commonly Jacksonville, Florida, or Chester and Eddystone, Pennsylvania, to San Juan. Maritime carriers including TOTE Maritime and Crowley serve the route, alongside specialists like San Juan Auto Transport. Across the market, quotes are typically port-to-port, meaning the car is dropped off at the departure port and collected at the arrival port. Door-to-port service adds a fee for a truck to haul the car to the departure port.
Port-to-Port
You deliver the car to the departure port, such as Jacksonville, and collect it in San Juan, which is the lowest-cost option.
Door-to-Port
A truck picks the car up at your address and hauls it to the departure port, which adds a trucking fee but saves you the trip. If you live in Florida or the Southeast and can reach Jacksonville yourself, port-to-port is where most of the savings are.
Why It Costs More: The Jones Act
Shipping to Puerto Rico is expensive largely because of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, known as the Jones Act. It requires that goods moved by water between U.S. ports travel on ships that are U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, and crewed by Americans, which bans cheaper foreign-flagged cargo ships from the mainland-to-Puerto Rico route. With competition limited, freight rates run significantly higher than to nearby Caribbean islands that can use foreign ships.
What It Costs by Origin
Transport alone commonly runs roughly $1,100 to $2,700, depending on your starting location and vehicle size:
Florida
Jacksonville or Miami
$845 to $1,850
Transit: 5 to 8 days
Northeast
NY, NJ, PA
$1,095 to $2,000
Direct vessel service
Texas & Midwest
Trucking + Vessel
$1,195 to $2,200
Inland transit to port
West Coast
California
$1,395 to $2,700
Transit: 14 to 21 days
Marine insurance is often an optional add-on, around $25 per $1,000 of declared value. Transit is usually 5 to 8 days from Florida and up to 14 to 21 days from the West Coast.
Keeping the Cost Down
A few levers matter on this route. Departing from Florida is the cheapest and fastest path, so a car that starts in the Southeast has a real advantage over one starting in California. For any domestic trucking leg, open transport costs meaningfully less than enclosed, and winter is typically the cheapest season for that leg. Keeping your drop-off flexible by a few days also gives the carrier room to fit your car onto an existing sailing.
The Excise Tax (Arbitrios)
Because Puerto Rico is U.S. customs territory, you don't pay standard customs duties on a car from the mainland. You do pay a local excise tax, called arbitrios, which typically runs from 6.6% to 13.5% of the vehicle's determined value. It has to be paid to Puerto Rico's Treasury Department (Hacienda) before the car can be released from the port, and it can add hundreds or thousands of dollars.
- •Vehicles with larger engines (over 3,000cc) or poor gas mileage are taxed at higher rates.
- •Electric vehicles and certain plug-in hybrids are typically exempt.
- •You can estimate it before you ship: Puerto Rico's SURI Hacienda portal has a vehicle imports tool, and it works best with your exact VIN rather than make and model, which is the only reliable official estimate.
Preparing Your Vehicle
- •Thoroughly clean, with the interior, exterior, engine, chassis, and wheel wells pressure-washed to prevent cross-contamination.
- •Empty of personal belongings: Only permanently installed accessories and up to two child safety seats are generally allowed.
- •Fuel at a quarter tank or less, a mandatory Coast Guard rule.
- •Documents: Original title and current registration, proof of insurance, a government-issued photo ID, a bill of sale if the car was recently purchased, and a notarized lienholder permission letter if it's financed.
When Your Car Arrives
Wait for the official arrival notification, typically by email, before going to the San Juan port. Pay the arbitrios through Hacienda to have the car released, then complete the local inspection and register it at the local DMV (CESCO). Expect registration and plates to run roughly $200 to $500 and the inspection roughly $25 to $50, so the all-in cost of getting your car on the road in Puerto Rico is more than the freight alone.
Shipping From Puerto Rico to the Mainland
The route works in reverse too, and we quote it at the same starting price. A car leaving San Juan travels by cargo vessel to a mainland port, and from there it can be delivered to your address or collected at the port. The excise tax is a Puerto Rico entry cost, so it's the outbound-from-the-mainland direction where that planning matters most, while the return trip is mainly freight and registration back on the mainland.
Is It Worth It?
For a newer, reliable car you already own, shipping usually beats buying locally, especially if the car is an electric vehicle that's exempt from the excise tax. For an older vehicle, the arbitrios, freight, and registration together can approach what the car is worth, so run the numbers using the SURI estimate before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to ship a car to Puerto Rico?
Our starting price is $1,459 from Florida, with the final quote based on your vehicle and route. Market costs for transport alone commonly run roughly $1,100 to $2,700 depending on the origin.
Do I pay import duty on a car shipped to Puerto Rico?
No standard customs duty, since it's U.S. customs territory. You pay a local excise tax (arbitrios) of roughly 6.6% to 13.5% of the vehicle's value instead, to Hacienda before release.
Are electric vehicles exempt from the excise tax?
Electric vehicles and certain plug-in hybrids are typically exempt.
How long does it take to ship a car to Puerto Rico?
Usually 5 to 8 days from Florida and up to 14 to 21 days from the West Coast.
Why is shipping to Puerto Rico so expensive?
Largely the Jones Act, which requires U.S.-built, U.S.-owned, and American-crewed ships on the route and limits competition.
Can I leave personal items in the car?
Generally no. Only permanently installed accessories and up to two child safety seats are typically allowed.
Shipping a Car to or from Puerto Rico?
Get a quote with your vehicle and pickup location, and we'll confirm the route, timing, and final price.