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What Type of Insurance and License Does a Mover Need

January 14, 2021

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What Type of Insurance and License Does a Mover Need

When it's time to select a moving company to manage your upcoming move, you'll want to find a trustworthy and professional moving company that can give you the best services at a reasonable price. 

Your budget might not be the only thing you need to remember when engaging a mover. Find a local moving company that is duly licensed to operate in your state and complies with the relevant federal moving regulations should be found. Licenses and insurance criteria can differ from state to state and may vary between the three categories of relocation like local, long-distance, and international. So what kind of licensing and insurance policy should you look for?


When you’re moving locally

You'll want to review the individual licensing and insurance provisions of your state first. A local move is transitioning within a state as long as it is below the 100-mile mark. Local movers usually bill for the time spent on the move.

Twenty Eight States require a federal identification number, known as the  USDOT number, for local movers as well. Although the USDOT number may be required instead of a state license, some may only require a state license.

To figure out exactly what form of license or insurance is needed by the state, contact your state's commerce commission or transport department office. Check your mover's numbers against those on file with the transportation authority of your state.

When you’re moving long-distance

Crossing state lines or relocating for more than 100 miles within the State is a characteristic of a long-distance move. Pricing shall be calculated by the weight of the shipment for long-distance moving.


Long-distance movers are expected to have a USDOT number:

  • The USDOT number is a way for the Department to classify a specific carrier while gathering information from audits, compliance reviews, evaluations, and other data sources. It is also used as an instrument for implementing safety regulations and tracking them.
  • You can search the USDOT number of the mover on the website of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Verify the USDOT number clearly indicated on the vehicle fleet of your mover. It should be printed on the cab and rear tractor doors and it should match the doors used in the FMCSA system.


Long-distance movers must also be registered with the FMCSA 

  • The FMCSA is more complicated than the USDOT and defines the exact form of transaction, freight, and the region in which the carrier can operate.
  • The department also mandates the insurance standard that a company must retain.


You may also inquire to see the most precise comparisons of the physical insurance certificates.

If you are moving internationally

International moves are the most challenging of all types of relocations. International moves do not always move to another country, but also include any moves that involve crossing national borders, such as passing through Canada to Alaska.

Since countries don't enforce moving laws, when moving internationally, you need to be especially careful.

  • Your international mover should have either a Freight Forwarder Permit or a Federal Maritime Commission number.
  • Registered International Mover Certification, a program that constantly tracks international carriers, is also supported by the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA). Because very few firms possess this credential, they are more than likely to be trustworthy if you see an international mover that does.


When you’re planning for a move, please contact Licensed and Insured Moving Company In CT



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