Moving to Reno from Alaska

Alaska sends a small stream of movers to Northern Nevada, so the numbers above are modest and carry wide margins of error. What matters more is how the two states compare on paper: Alaska has no state income tax and no state sales tax, while Nevada has no income tax and a statewide sales tax. This page explains the Alaska side first.

Leaving Alaska: what the state asks of its residents

Alaska's Division of Motor Vehicles gives new residents 10 days to register a vehicle and 90 days to transfer an out-of-state license, or 30 days for a commercial license. Those deadlines apply to people arriving in Alaska, so they matter to you mainly as a reminder of how the Nevada side will work in reverse.

On the way out, close or move your Alaska accounts, cancel local services and ask your utilities for a final reading date. Alaska residents who receive state benefits or an annual dividend should check the program's own rules about changing a mailing address or leaving the state.

Taxes: two states with no income tax

Alaska levies no personal state income tax, according to the state's Office of the State Assessor, and it has no statewide sales tax, though roughly 110 of its 162 municipalities charge their own sales tax from 1 percent to 7 percent. Nevada also has no personal state income tax. The change you will notice is the sales tax: Nevada has a statewide minimum of 6.85 percent, with county rates added on top.

If your Alaska budget leaned on cities that charge no sales tax at all, expect the checkout total to change in Nevada. A tax professional can look at your own return; the table above shows the figures the state sources publish.

The road from Alaska runs through Canada

A move overland from Alaska crosses into Canada and back into the lower 48 before it reaches Nevada. That is part of why the trip is planned by a mover rather than improvised, and why the route page for Anchorage to Reno prints the drive, the passes and the numbers on both ends. Your written estimate sets the delivery window.

Moves that begin in Alaska are handled through the Bekins network, the same national network O'Brien's has served as an agent since 1955.

How the move works with O'Brien's

You book the move with O'Brien's, and we coordinate it from your Alaska home through the Bekins network. When the load reaches Sparks, our crew handles delivery and unpacking. If your Nevada home is not ready, the goods can wait in the 30,000 square foot Sparks warehouse; vault storage starts from $40 per month, and shipping stored goods takes about 2 to 3 weeks notice.

The first step is a free, no-obligation estimate, itemized and in writing, and it comes with 10 free heavy-duty boxes. Read how an interstate move works before the estimate call so you know what to ask.

Before you leave Alaska

Set aside your vehicle titles, proof of your new Nevada address and your current license. If a car is going with the move, see auto transport with your move. Keep medicines, passports and important papers with you.

Nevada's own deadlines are 30 days for vehicle registration and 30 days for a driver license after you become a resident. The full Nevada checklist is in our moving to Reno guide.