A transport mechanism includes a guide member that guides a transport object, which has a leading end and a trailing end, to be transported. The guide member includes a curved portion that is a curved portion of the guide member. The transport mechanism also includes a transport member that is disposed downstream of the curved portion in a transport direction in which the transport object is transported along the guide member, transports the transport object, and moves the transport object in an intersecting direction that intersects the transport direction. In the transport mechanism, when a length of the transport object in the transport direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined specified length that is greater than a distance between the transport member and the curved portion, the transport member does not move the transport object in the intersecting direction.