Before you move anyone’s furniture for money, you need the right registrations and the right insurance. Get this wrong and you risk fines, a truck taken off the road or a damage claim you cannot pay.
The rules come in layers. Moves that cross state lines follow federal rules from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Moves inside one state follow that state’s rules. Your city or county may want a business license on top. This guide explains the federal rules in plain words, shows how state rules differ and covers the insurance movers carry.
Not legal advice
This guide is general information based on official FMCSA pages and federal regulations as of October 2026. Rules change, so check the official sources listed on this page, your state regulator and a qualified professional before you act.
Do you need a license to run a moving company?
Almost certainly. Which license depends on where your moves start and end.
- Interstate moves: if you move household goods from one state to another for pay, federal rules apply. You need a USDOT number and household goods operating authority from the FMCSA.
- Intrastate moves: moves that start and end in the same state follow state rules. Many states require a mover license or permit, some require a USDOT or state number, and a few do not license movers at all.
- Local business rules: most cities and counties require a general business license, and some have their own rules on parking, permits or trucks.
Federal authority does not replace state rules, and a state license does not cover interstate work. A mover that does both local and long-distance jobs usually needs both. Every state has its own page in our state guides.
If you are still deciding whether to offer long-distance moves at all, the guide to starting a moving company explains why many movers start local and add interstate work later.
What federal registrations does an interstate mover need?
For-hire movers of household goods across state lines register with the FMCSA. In 2026 FMCSA moved registration to a new online system called Motus, so the screens may look different from older guides, but the core requirements are the same. The usual order looks like this, and each step is explained below.
- Set up your business with your state and get an EIN, so your legal name and address match on every filing.
- Apply to FMCSA for a USDOT number and household goods operating authority through its online registration system.
- Have your insurer file your liability and cargo coverage with FMCSA.
- File your BOC-3 process agent designation, or have a process agent service file it for you.
- Register and pay UCR for the current year.
- Prepare your tariff, arbitration program and customer paperwork before you book your first interstate move.
- Keep records ready for your new entrant safety audit.
1. USDOT number
Your USDOT number identifies your company to FMCSA. It is how inspections, crashes and safety records are tracked. Federal rules also say every advertisement for interstate moving must show the name you registered under and your number, written as “U.S. DOT No.” followed by the number. That includes your website.
2. Household goods operating authority (MC number)
A USDOT number alone does not let you move households across state lines for pay. You also need operating authority as a motor carrier of household goods. That authority has long been identified by a docket number that starts with MC. FMCSA has said its new system keeps issuing docket numbers for now, while it considers dropping MC numbers in a future rule.
3. Insurance filings
Your insurance company files proof of coverage directly with FMCSA, and your authority is not granted until it is on file. Household goods movers need both public liability (bodily injury and property damage), usually filed on form BMC-91 or BMC-91X, and cargo coverage, filed on form BMC-34.
The federal liability minimum depends on truck size. For trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, it is $750,000. The federal cargo minimum is $5,000 per vehicle and $10,000 per occurrence. These are floors, not recommendations, and many customers, buildings and business clients expect much more.
4. Process agent (BOC-3)
You must name a process agent, a person who can accept court papers for your company, in every state where you operate or have an office. Because interstate authority covers the country, that usually means all 48 contiguous states. The filing is made on form BOC-3, and many carriers use a process agent service that covers every state at once.
5. Unified Carrier Registration (UCR)
UCR is a yearly registration for carriers that operate across state lines, paid through your base state. The fee depends on how many commercial vehicles you run, and each year’s registration is due before January 1. Movers that work only inside one state are not part of UCR.
6. Tariff and arbitration program
As a condition of registration, household goods movers must agree to offer customers neutral arbitration for loss and damage disputes. They may also charge only rates published in a tariff that is in effect. Your tariff is your official list of rates, rules and charges, and customers can ask to see the parts that apply to their move.
7. New entrant safety monitoring
New carriers are monitored closely for their first 18 months. FMCSA does a safety audit once you have been operating long enough to have records, generally at least three months, so keep driver, vehicle and maintenance records in order from day one.
What paperwork must interstate movers give customers?
The consumer protection rules for interstate household goods moves are in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 375. Here is what they require, in plain words.
8. Two FMCSA publications
When you give a written estimate, you must also give the customer the booklet “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” and the brochure “Ready to Move?”. You can hand over a copy, or put a link on your website to the FMCSA pages that hold them.
9. A written estimate, signed by both sides
You must give a written estimate before the move and say whether it is binding or non-binding. A binding estimate guarantees the price for the goods and services listed. You may charge for one. A non-binding estimate is your reasonably accurate estimate, the final bill is based on actual weight and your tariff, and you may not charge for it.
On a non-binding estimate, the customer only has to pay up to 110 percent of the estimate at delivery to get their goods, plus any extra services they asked for after the bill of lading was issued. Remaining charges are billed after 30 days. Both you and the customer sign the estimate, and the customer gets a dated copy.
10. A survey of the goods
The estimate must be based on a survey of what is moving. Since a 2022 rule change, that survey can be done on site or by live or recorded video, as long as you can clearly see the items. A customer can waive the survey, but only in writing, signed before loading.
11. Documents before the bill of lading
Before the bill of lading is signed, the customer must also receive a notice that your tariff is available to review, a summary of your arbitration program, and a summary of how you handle complaints and questions, including your main phone number.
12. Inventory and bill of lading
You must make a written, itemized inventory at or before loading and give the customer a copy. The bill of lading is the contract for the move. You and the customer sign it before loading and again at delivery. It lists the pickup and delivery dates, payment terms, the valuation choice and any attached estimate and inventory. Keep bills of lading and inventories for at least one year.
Older guides also mention an “order for service.” FMCSA removed that requirement in 2022, because the bill of lading already carries the same information.
How does the moving dispute settlement (arbitration) program work?
Every interstate household goods mover must have a neutral arbitration program for individual customers. It covers disputes about loss and damage, and about extra charges beyond what was collected at delivery. Many movers meet this by joining an established program rather than building their own. Either way, the federal rules set the minimums.
- Notice up front: before the bill of lading is signed, tell the customer that arbitration is available, with a summary of how it works, what it costs and its legal effect.
- No forced agreement: you cannot make a customer agree to arbitration before a dispute comes up.
- Cost sharing: the customer cannot be charged more than half the cost of starting arbitration.
- When it is binding: for claims of $10,000 or less, arbitration is binding if the customer asks for it. For larger claims, it is binding if the customer asks and you agree.
- Speed: the arbitrator must decide within 60 days of written notice of the dispute, with extensions only if someone is slow to provide information.
- Independence: the arbitrator must be independent of both sides.
Good claim handling keeps you out of arbitration
Many disputes never reach arbitration when the mover answers quickly, inspects the item and offers a fair repair, replacement or settlement under the valuation the customer chose. Write down every claim and how you resolved it.
What is valuation, and how is it different from insurance?
Valuation is the level of liability a mover accepts for the customer’s goods. It is not insurance, although customers often call it that. On interstate moves, the customer chooses between two levels, and the choice is recorded on the estimate and the bill of lading.
13. Full value protection
This is the default. If items are lost, damaged or destroyed, you are liable for their replacement value, up to the declared value of the shipment. Depending on your tariff, you can repair the item, replace it or pay its value. Your liability for items worth more than $100 per pound can be limited if the customer did not list them in writing before the move.
14. Released value
The customer can choose a lower level of protection by waiving full value protection in writing. Your liability is then limited to a small per-pound, per-article amount set by the Surface Transportation Board’s released rates order, which can be adjusted each year. It costs the customer nothing extra, but it pays very little if something breaks, so explain it clearly.
15. Separate moving insurance
Customers can also buy moving insurance from an independent insurer. If you sell or arrange it, the bill of lading must show the coverage and the premium.
How do state rules for local moves differ?
State rules for moves inside one state vary much more than federal rules. Depending on the state, you might find:
- A state license, permit or certificate from a transportation, public utility or consumer protection agency.
- A USDOT or state number for business trucks, even if they never cross state lines.
- Insurance minimums for liability and cargo, sometimes filed with the state.
- Tariff or rate rules, including required estimate forms or maximum rates.
- Consumer rules on written estimates, deposits, claims and what you must give customers.
- No mover-specific license at all, only general business and vehicle rules.
Our state guides explain the regulator, the rules and the steps to get licensed in every state. Popular ones include Texas, California, Florida and New York. Look up any term you do not recognize in the moving glossary.
What business insurance does a moving company need?
Federal and state minimums are a floor. Most movers carry several policies, and apartment buildings and business clients often ask for proof before move day. Coverage needs and prices vary by state, fleet and claims history, so work with an insurance agent who knows moving companies.
- General liability: covers injuries to other people and damage to property that is not being moved, such as a scraped wall, a broken door frame or a damaged lobby.
- Commercial auto liability: covers your trucks on the road, including injuries and damage you cause to others. Personal auto policies usually exclude business use like this.
- Cargo insurance: covers customers’ belongings while in your care, during loading, transport and unloading. Interstate movers must keep cargo coverage on file with FMCSA.
- Workers’ compensation: covers medical bills and lost wages when a mover is hurt on the job. Most states require it once you have employees, and the rules vary by state.
- Physical damage: collision and comprehensive coverage for your own trucks.
- Umbrella or excess liability: extra limits above your other policies, for a serious accident.
- Storage coverage: if you store customers’ goods, a policy that covers their items in your warehouse.
Ask about certificates early
Apartment buildings, condos and offices often require a certificate of insurance naming them before your crew can use the elevator or loading dock. Ask your agent how fast they can issue one, because a missing certificate can delay a move.
Put your coverage in writing for customers, too. Your estimate is a good place to say what valuation applies and how claims work. Our free moving estimate template is a clean starting layout, not a legal form, and LeadKeet’s estimates with e-sign keep a signed copy of every one.
Insurance is also a large part of what each crew hour costs. The crew cost calculator shows how it flows into your prices.