How to start a moving company

This guide takes a founder from choosing local or interstate work to a licensed, insured moving company with its first booked jobs, quoting federal rules and the state rules in Texas, California and Florida. The most useful finding: Texas makes every paid household mover register with TxDMV whatever the size of the truck, and the application needs a USDOT number, so even a mover that never leaves Texas deals with federal registration before its first job.

By Niomi AscotUpdated October 3, 202616 min read

Interstate moves: USDOT number, household goods authority with a tariff, arbitration and a proficiency exam, a BOC-3 and UCR fees
Local moves: Texas TxDMV registration at any truck size; California BHGS license with a Max 4 exam; Florida FDACS registration at $300 a year
Federal insurance floor: $750,000 public liability for trucks of 10,001 lbs or more; household goods cargo $5,000 per vehicle
Median pay, 2025: $40,240 for hand material movers and $44,860 for light truck drivers (BLS via O*NET)
Shop size: 53.6% of the 9,436 moving employers counted in 2023 had fewer than five employees
Where moves happen: 8.9% of people moved within their state in 2024, against 2.1% across state lines (Census)

What a moving company does, and the models to choose from

Google’s Local Services category describes movers as professionals who “pack, move, store, and unpack belongings among other services” (Google Local Services requirements). Federal law is more specific about what makes a household goods carrier: it offers services such as “Binding and nonbinding estimates” and “Inventorying” in the ordinary course of business (49 U.S.C. 13102). Those two words, estimates and inventory, are where most of the regulation below lands.

The first decision is local or interstate, because it decides which government licenses you. The common models:

Local mover. Moves inside one state, priced by the hour or by the job, licensed by the state in Texas, California and Florida.
Interstate household goods carrier. Crosses state lines and answers to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, with a USDOT number, household goods authority, a tariff, an arbitration program and federal insurance filings.
Labor-only crews. Load and unload rental trucks and containers the customer drives. Whether a state license applies depends on whether you transport the goods, so ask your state.
Household goods broker. Books moves for carriers and owns no trucks. Federal rules make a broker display “your status as a household goods broker and the statement that you will not transport an individual shipper’s household goods,” and bar it from representing itself as a carrier (49 CFR Part 371).
Franchisee or van line agent. College HUNKS, a moving and junk removal franchisor, claims “370+ territories” (College HUNKS franchise site); that is its own marketing. If you go this way, the franchisor’s disclosure document must reach you at least 14 calendar days before you sign or pay (16 CFR 436.2). If you sign with a van line instead, read its agency agreement as closely as a franchise disclosure.

Pay, demand and how small most movers are

There is no “mover” occupation in federal data; O*NET files furniture movers under hand laborers and material movers, where Bureau of Labor Statistics figures put the median at $19.35 an hour, or $40,240 a year, in 2025, with 2,988,900 employed in 2024 and 384,300 projected openings from 2024 to 2034, replacements included. The truck side pays more: light truck drivers earned a median $44,860, and heavy and tractor-trailer drivers $58,640, the second group mattering once long-distance work means tractor-trailers.

Most moving companies are small. In the Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns for 2023, used household and office goods moving (NAICS 484210) had 9,436 establishments with paid employees, 102,745 employees and about $4.689 billion in payroll. Of those, 53.6% had fewer than five employees and 84.4% fewer than 20.

The market is mostly local, and shrinking slightly. The American Community Survey found 11.8% of people moved in 2024, down from 12.1% in 2023: 8.9% within their own state and 2.1% to another one. A company that starts local is chasing the larger share and answering to one state.

Interstate authority, step by step

FMCSA sets the current filing fees and processing times, so check them on its registration pages before you apply; the rules below come from the federal code.

USDOT number. A carrier files Form MCSA-1 and receives an inactive USDOT number, and “may not begin operations nor mark a commercial motor vehicle with the USDOT Number until after the date of the Agency’s written notice that the USDOT Number has been activated.” The registration must be updated every two years or the number can be deactivated (49 CFR 390.201).

Household goods authority. By statute, FMCSA may register a household goods carrier only after it shows participation in an arbitration program, identifies its tariff and the notice that the tariff is available for inspection, and passes a proficiency examination on “consumer protection, estimating, consumers’ rights and responsibilities, and options for limitations of liability for loss and damage” (49 U.S.C. 13902). The application also asks about common ownership, management or family ties with other movers or brokers in the past three years (49 CFR Part 365). Write the tariff before you apply, since your estimates and bills will rest on it.

Process agents. Agent designations go on Form BOC-3 and must cover every state where one is required, with each agent living in or keeping an office in that state (49 CFR Part 366). Most new carriers use a blanket agent service.

Unified Carrier Registration. Carriers pay UCR fees to their base state under the UCR Agreement (49 U.S.C. 14504a). Check the current fee brackets on the UCR site before you file.

Insurance filings. Federal minimums are $300,000 in public liability for a fleet made up only of vehicles under 10,001 pounds and $750,000 for freight vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more, plus household goods cargo cover of $5,000 per vehicle and $10,000 for losses at one time and place (49 CFR 387.303). Cargo filings use forms such as the BMC 34 or a BMC 83 surety bond.

New entrant monitoring. Once authority is granted, the carrier is under “new entrant safety monitoring procedures for a period of 18 months,” with a safety audit once it has enough records, generally after at least three months (49 CFR 385.307). Using a driver without a required CDL, or a vehicle placed out of service, can bring an expedited audit or a compliance review (49 CFR 385.308).

The interstate consumer rules in 49 CFR Part 375

Part 375 is the rulebook for every interstate household move, and it shapes your forms, your website and your booking calendar (eCFR, Part 375).

Advertising. Ads must be “truthful, straightforward, and honest,” and the number appears in one form only: “U.S. DOT No.” followed by the digits (375.207).
Ready to Move. The FMCSA “Ready to Move?” publication goes to the customer with the estimate, as a copy or a link, and a mover with a website must display a link to it or an accurate copy prominently (375.213).
Survey and estimate. “You must conduct a physical survey of the household goods” and give a written estimate based on it. The customer may waive the survey, but only in writing, signed before loading. You may charge for a binding estimate, which binds both sides; a non-binding estimate does not bind you, and the final charge follows the actual weight and your tariff (375.401).
The 110 percent rule. If a customer on a collect-on-delivery shipment pays at least 110% of a non-binding estimate, “you must relinquish possession of the shipment at the time of delivery.” Any balance is billed afterward (375.217 and 375.407).
Bill of lading timing. The customer must receive, sign and date the bill of lading at least three days before the scheduled loading, and may cancel within those three days “without any penalty” (375.505). Build that window into how late you accept bookings.
Arbitration. You must run a program for disputes over loss, damage and extra charges (375.211).
Valuation. The default is Full Value Protection: you are liable for the replacement value of goods lost or damaged, up to the declared value (375.201). Only if the customer waives it in writing does the lower released rate in the Surface Transportation Board’s order apply, and the estimate must carry the board’s liability election notice. A mover may sell separate liability insurance only on shipments released at no more than 60 cents per pound per article (375.303). The statute behind this lets carriers limit liability by the shipper’s written declaration or agreement (49 U.S.C. 14706).

State licensing for local moves

Most moves never leave the state, so the state license is usually the first one a new mover needs. Three large states license movers directly:

State	Agency	License	Key requirements, as the agency states them
Texas	Texas Department of Motor Vehicles	Household goods carrier registration	Required “regardless of size of the vehicle”; USDOT number on the application; cargo cover $5,000 per vehicle and $10,000 aggregate; workers’ comp or set accident coverage
California	Bureau of Household Goods and Services	Household Mover License	$500 application; owner fingerprints; exam qualifier passes an open-book Max 4 exam at 70%; $20,000 cargo liability; workers’ comp with employees
Florida	Florida Statutes 507.03 (Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)	Mover registration	$300 a year; $10,000 cargo cover per shipment or a $50,000 bond for two or fewer vehicles; valuation not below 60 cents per pound per article

Fees are as of October 2026. Confirm every requirement with the agency before you apply, and ask your city about business licenses and truck parking or loading permits.

Texas. “A motor carrier may not operate a vehicle, regardless of size of the vehicle, to transport household goods for compensation unless the carrier registers” with TxDMV (Tex. Transp. Code 643.051). A pickup doing paid moves is covered. The application asks for “A valid USDOT number issued to the applicant,” Secretary of State filings and a business name that matches what you gave FMCSA (43 TAC 218.13). Texas also breaks from its usual rule on workers’ compensation. Most Texas employers may go without it (TDI), but a registered carrier whose primary business is for-hire transport “between two or more municipalities” must carry workers’ comp or accident coverage of at least $300,000 in medical expenses for 104 weeks, $100,000 for accidental death and dismemberment and 70% of pre-injury income for 104 weeks (43 TAC 218.16). Price that policy before you price a move.

Texas also writes your paperwork and lettering. Local print ads show the name, a Texas street address and “TxDMV No.,” websites show the department’s toll-free consumer help line, and truck lettering is at least two inches tall (43 TAC 218.52). TxDMV tells consumers to expect a written proposal “indicating the maximum amount that you could be required to pay,” binding or not-to-exceed, and a copy of “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move in Texas” before loading.

California. The Household Mover License covers anyone paid to move household goods entirely within the state, and an Interstate Mover License covers moves only into or out of it. Each license needs an exam qualifier who passes the Max 4 exam with at least 70%; a qualifier who is not an owner or officer must work at least 32 hours a week, and a replacement must pass if that person leaves. Besides vehicle liability and $20,000 cargo cover, a $2,000 surety bond is required for collect-on-delivery shipments (BHGS). California is unusual in capping prices: Maximum Rate Tariff 4, effective January 1, 2024 in the edition we read, applies distance or hourly rates up to 100 miles and distance rates beyond, so check the current edition before you set a rate card. The permit number goes in all advertising and on the vehicles (16 CCR 2972), and the state does enforce: a June 2026 sweep produced 30 business citations totaling $110,230 (California DCA).

Florida. Chapter 507 covers movers and moving brokers whose shipments start and end in Florida (Fla. Stat. 507.02). The registration certificate must hang in your main place of business. A mover with two or fewer vehicles may post a $50,000 performance bond or certificate of deposit instead of cargo insurance, and auto liability rises with weight, from $50,000 per occurrence for trucks under 35,000 pounds (Fla. Stat. 507.04). The same section sets the valuation floor: “A mover may not limit its liability for the loss or damage of household goods to a valuation rate that is less than 60 cents per pound per article.” Before any service, a registered mover gives a written estimate and contract with an itemized breakdown of costs, and must accept at least two of three payment forms: cash or equivalent, personal check or credit card (Fla. Stat. 507.05).

Trucks and drivers

A vehicle or combination rated at 10,001 pounds or more is a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce (49 CFR 390.5), and its drivers must be medically certified and carry the certificate (49 CFR 391.41). A CDL starts at 26,001 pounds for a straight truck (49 CFR 383.5), and with it comes random drug and alcohol testing, which applies even to an owner who is the only driver (49 CFR 382.103). In our experience, most local movers run box trucks rated at 26,000 pounds or less so that crew members can drive without a CDL. In Florida, weight also sets the auto insurance tier.

Setting up the company

The order matters. Form the entity, then get the EIN, then the USDOT number, then the state registration, because Texas wants the Secretary of State filing and an FMCSA-matching name on its application. The SBA notes an LLC protects personal assets “in most instances,” and the IRS asks LLCs to form the entity before applying for the free EIN.

Insurance. Beyond the federal and state cargo and auto minimums above, the SBA lists general, professional and property coverage, and Google asks movers for general and professional liability before Local Services Ads run. Full Value Protection claims come out of your pocket or your cargo policy, so size that policy to the moves you take.

Workers’ compensation. California requires it “even if they have only one employee” (California DIR), and BHGS makes it a license condition. Florida requires it at four or more employees outside construction (Fla. Stat. 440.02). Texas carriers moving goods between towns face the TxDMV rule above.

Crew classification. Paying helpers as contractors is tempting in a seasonal trade. The IRS says that doing so without a reasonable basis can leave you owing the employment taxes.

Trucks, gear, storage and software

This is practice rather than rule. Box trucks with liftgates or ramps, plus pads, shrink wrap, dollies, hand trucks, straps, a piano board, disassembly tools and floor and door protection, cover most local work. Packing supplies can be a separate line; Max 4 has its own item for packing, unpacking and container sales.

Storage is the next decision. Florida’s estimate must name where goods will be held pending further transport, so if you offer storage-in-transit, have the warehouse or the partnership in place first. For software, you need survey and estimate tools (a video survey works for interstate moves only with the customer’s signed written waiver), dispatch, a bill of lading that respects the three-day window, and review requests. Keep a real office or yard: TxDMV tells consumers that a mover with no local business address is a warning sign.

Pricing, valuation and deposits

Pricing structure is set partly by law. Interstate moves are priced under your tariff, by weight or volume, with binding or non-binding estimates and the 110% delivery cap. Texas proposals are binding or not-to-exceed. California rates sit under the Max 4 ceilings, which are maximums, not market prices. Elsewhere, local moves are commonly priced by the hour for a crew and truck. No neutral source with a stated method publishes moving prices or startup costs, so build yours from the SBA’s startup cost categories and local quotes for trucks and insurance.

Valuation is part of what you sell, and claims are a cost to plan for. Deposits need care: the FTC tells consumers not to hire anyone “who demands cash or a big deposit before the move,” so a large up-front deposit reads like the scam customers were warned about. In our experience the peak is short and the winter thin, so plan crew size and cash for both.

Hiring and safety

Crew jobs need little formal schooling; O*NET rates hand material movers at Job Zone 1 to 2, and 74% of respondents for light truck drivers said a high school diploma is required. The hazard is the lifting. OSHA lists “lifting heavy items, bending, reaching overhead, pushing and pulling heavy loads, working in awkward body postures” as risk factors that raise the chance of musculoskeletal injury (OSHA, ergonomics). Team lifts, straps and stair technique, taught on day one, are the practical answer. If your warehouse runs forklifts, powered industrial trucks were eighth on OSHA’s most-cited list for fiscal year 2025 (OSHA).

Crews enter homes and handle valuables, so background checks are routine. California fingerprints owners for a Department of Justice check, and Google’s moving screening can include business, owner and business representative checks for selected advertisers, covering identity and criminal history without a credit pull (Google, screening).

Finding the first customers

Google Business Profile. Google rules out a virtual office unless it is staffed during business hours (Google guidelines) and keeps a service area to about two hours of driving from the base (Google, service areas).

Local Services Ads. The category is Moving services, with the Google Verified badge. Google requires general and professional liability insurance and a state license where local law requires one, which for a local mover means the TxDMV certificate, BHGS license or Florida registration, and screening averages 3 to 4 weeks. Moving was in the first phase of the move into Google Ads from August 2026; leads are still billed per valid lead and the verification carries over (Google Ads help).

Proof of legitimacy. The FTC warns consumers off movers who ask them to sign paperwork with blank spaces or are not registered with DOT, and TxDMV warns that unlicensed movers “may advertise a very low cost for a move then increase the price once your items are loaded.” Every warning is a checklist you can answer in public: license numbers on the site, trucks marked, in-person or video surveys, written estimates.

Reviews and referrals. In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey, 47% of consumers said they would not use a business with fewer than 20 reviews. Ask after every move, within the FTC’s 2024 rule against paid or sentiment-filtered reviews. Real estate agents, apartment communities, senior move managers and self-storage facilities are the referral partners worth a standing call.

Our page for moving companies covers the marketing side. For the site that carries your numbers and estimate pages, see websites; for paid leads, Google Ads and Local Services Ads.

What trips up new movers

Working before the paperwork clears. Texas registration applies at any truck size, and a USDOT number cannot go on a truck until FMCSA activates it.
Phone quotes that grow on moving day. Interstate rules require a survey or a signed waiver and cap collection at 110% of a non-binding estimate.
Thin cargo cover. Full Value Protection and Florida’s valuation floor make damage claims real money.
Skipping workers’ comp in Texas. Carriers moving goods between municipalities must carry it or the set accident coverage.
Late bookings for interstate moves. The three-day bill of lading window rules out booking on Thursday for Friday.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a license to start a moving company?

Yes in most of the places that matter. Texas requires TxDMV registration for any paid household move, California a BHGS Household Mover License with an exam qualifier, and Florida an FDACS registration at $300 a year. Interstate moves need a USDOT number and FMCSA household goods authority.

Do I need a USDOT number if I only move locally?

Federally, no; the USDOT number is for interstate commerce. Texas is the exception among these three states, because its TxDMV application requires one.

What does interstate household goods authority require?

A tariff, an arbitration program, a passed proficiency exam on consumer protection, estimating and liability, a BOC-3 process agent filing, UCR fees and federal insurance filings, followed by 18 months of new entrant monitoring.

What is the 110 percent rule?

On a non-binding interstate estimate, once the customer pays at least 110% of the estimate at delivery, you must hand over the goods. Any remaining balance is billed later.

Do I need a CDL to drive a moving truck?

Only for a straight truck rated at 26,001 pounds or more, or a heavy combination. CDL drivers must be in random drug and alcohol testing, even an owner who drives alone.

What insurance does a new moving company need?

For interstate work, at least $750,000 public liability for trucks of 10,001 pounds or more and $5,000 cargo per vehicle. States add their own: $20,000 cargo in California, $10,000 per shipment or a $50,000 bond in Florida, and $5,000 per vehicle with workers’ comp or accident cover in Texas.

Can I limit my liability for damaged goods?

Only as the rules allow. Interstate movers owe Full Value Protection unless the customer waives it in writing for the released rate, and Florida bars any valuation below 60 cents per pound per article.

How long before Google sends paid leads?

Allow about a month after your state license is in hand. Local Services screening averages 3 to 4 weeks, and the license is one of the documents Google checks.

Sources

Checked on October 3, 2026. Rules and fees change, and many are set state by state or city by city: confirm the current requirements with the agency that issues them before you apply.

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