Key takeaways
- Tell your auto insurer your move date. You'll need a policy that meets your new state's minimums to register your vehicle.
- Moving coverage and your homeowners or renters policy are different things. Know what covers your goods in transit.
- New climate risks, like hail, wildfire, hurricanes or flood, may need separate coverage.
Auto insurance
Each state sets its own minimum liability limits, and some require personal injury protection or uninsured motorist coverage. Call your insurer before you leave. Some carriers can move your policy; others will need you to buy a new one in the new state. Keep coverage active while your vehicle is on a ship or on the ALCAN.
Your belongings in transit
Interstate movers must offer valuation coverage, which isn't insurance. Basic released value pays very little per pound; full value protection costs more. Check whether your homeowners or renters policy covers goods in transit or in storage. If you self-pack a container, ask the container company what its coverage includes.
Homeowners and renters
Start a renters or homeowners policy the day your lease or closing begins. Ask about the risks that matter where you're going: hail in Colorado and Texas, wildfire in the West, hurricanes and flood in Florida. Standard policies usually exclude flood, and earthquake is typically separate. Keep your Alaska policy until you've sold or closed out that property.
Life, umbrella and others
Life and disability policies generally move with you, but update your address. Umbrella liability policies depend on your underlying auto and home policies, so reissue them together. Your state's insurance department can confirm licensed insurers and help with complaints.
Frequently asked questions
Does my Alaska auto policy cover the drive down the ALCAN?
Most U.S. policies cover driving in Canada, but ask your insurer and carry proof of insurance at the border.
Is mover valuation the same as insurance?
No. It's the mover's liability limit. Read the FMCSA rights booklet and your estimate carefully.
Ready to turn this into a plan?
Build a dated, week-by-week roadmap for your move. Or tell us about your move and we'll connect you with independently licensed, FMCSA-registered interstate movers, who give the quotes.
Sources
Rules change. Always confirm with the official source before you act. This guide is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice.
Continue your plan
- Health Insurance and Healthcare Continuity When You Leave AlaskaA move is one of the most common times people end up uninsured by accident. A few calls before you leave keep coverage and prescriptions on track.
- Driver's License and Vehicle Registration in Your New StateEach state sets its own deadline and paperwork. Gather documents before you leave Alaska and the DMV visit becomes one trip instead of three.
- How Moving From Alaska to the Lower 48 Actually WorksFour realistic ways to get a household from Alaska to the contiguous U.S., and how to choose between them.
- Your First-Year Budget in the Lower 48Some things will cost less than in Alaska and some will cost more. The first year also carries one-time costs that are easy to forget.