How Moving Companies Are Licensed and Regulated in the United States

Not every company that calls itself a moving company is operating legally. Some hold no licenses at all. Others are brokers who take your payment and hand the job to a third party you never vetted. Understanding how the licensing system works, what to look for, and what each credential actually requires is one of the clearest ways to separate companies worth hiring from those that are not.

Interstate Versus Intrastate Moves

The first thing to understand is that federal and state licensing apply to different types of moves. The rules depend on whether your move crosses a state line.

An interstate move goes from one state to another. These moves are regulated at the federal level by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Any company moving household goods across state lines must be registered with the FMCSA.

An intrastate move stays entirely within one state. These moves are regulated by individual states, and the licensing requirements vary. Some states have detailed consumer protection rules for intrastate movers. Others have minimal oversight. This variation is one reason why unlicensed operators tend to be more common in states with looser intrastate regulations.

The USDOT Number and MC Number

Any moving company registered with the FMCSA will have a USDOT number. This is a unique identifier assigned to the carrier. You can use it to look up the company’s registration status, insurance filings, and safety record on the FMCSA website at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov.

Interstate household goods movers also require an MC number, which is a Motor Carrier operating authority number. This confirms the company has been granted authority to transport household goods for compensation across state lines.

When you ask a mover for their credentials, they should be able to give you both numbers without hesitation. If they cannot, or if the numbers do not match an active registration in the FMCSA database, that is a significant warning sign.

Insurance Requirements

Federal registration requires moving companies to carry minimum levels of liability insurance. The FMCSA mandates that interstate household goods movers carry cargo liability insurance of at least $5,000 per vehicle and $10,000 per occurrence. They must also carry public liability and property damage insurance.

These are minimums, not recommendations. A reputable mover will carry coverage well above the required floors. If a mover cannot provide a current certificate of insurance when asked, do not hire them.

Insurance is separate from the valuation options you choose for your shipment. The mover’s insurance protects against liability to third parties and catastrophic loss events. The valuation option on your Bill of Lading governs what you can claim if your belongings are damaged during the move.

The Registered Mover Program

The Registered Mover Program, or RMP, is a certification specific to Maryland administered by the Maryland Attorney General’s office. To qualify, a moving company must meet requirements for insurance, licensing, equipment, and staff training that go beyond the federal baseline. Certification must be renewed, which means companies that do not maintain their standards can lose the designation.

For customers in Maryland, the RMP certification is a meaningful indicator. It requires the company to meet a defined standard of conduct and gives customers a formal complaint channel through the Attorney General’s office if something goes wrong.

Movers USA has held RMP certification since 2002. It is one of the credentials we consider worth earning and maintaining because it reflects an actual operational standard rather than a membership fee.

ProMover Certification

ProMover is a certification issued by the American Trucking Associations’ Moving and Storage Conference, formerly known as the American Moving and Storage Association. To earn ProMover status, a company must pass a background check, maintain active FMCSA registration, carry required insurance, and agree to abide by a code of conduct covering ethical business practices and customer handling.

ProMover certification does not guarantee a perfect move. But it does mean the company has been vetted against a written standard and agreed to operate within it. Companies that lose ProMover status or are found in violation of the code can be removed from the program.

The Difference Between a Mover and a Broker

One of the most common sources of confusion in the moving industry is the difference between a moving company and a moving broker. Both may appear in search results for movers. Both may give you a quote. But they operate very differently.

A moving company owns trucks, employs crews, and performs the move itself. A broker takes your information, collects a deposit, and contracts the job to a third-party carrier. You may not know who is actually showing up to move your belongings until the day of the move.

Brokers are not prohibited, but they are required to disclose that they are brokers rather than carriers. If a company gives you a quote without asking about access details, stair counts, or heavy items, and the quote seems unusually low, it is worth asking directly whether they are a broker or a carrier.

When you hire Movers USA, you are hiring the company that performs the move. Our own trucks, our own crews, and our own accountability from the first call to the final delivery.

How to Verify a Mover Before You Book

Before signing anything, you can verify a mover’s credentials in a few steps. Search the FMCSA database using the company’s name or USDOT number to confirm active registration and check their safety rating. Ask for a current certificate of insurance. Check the BBB listing for complaint history and resolution. For Maryland moves, check the Attorney General’s database for RMP certification. And ask directly whether they are a carrier or a broker.

These steps take about 15 minutes and can tell you a great deal about who you are dealing with. A company that is properly licensed will have no hesitation providing any of this information.