Why this matters
Moving is a regulated transport business, not just trucks and muscle. Operate without the right authority and you face fines in the thousands per violation, voided insurance, and being shut down mid-move with a customer's household on your truck.
What "done" looks like
- A USDOT number is active for your company (required for interstate moves and by most states for intrastate ones)
- Interstate movers: MC number / operating authority granted by the FMCSA
- State household-goods permit secured where your state requires one
- Insurance filings and cargo coverage on file, and your numbers displayed on your trucks
How to do it
- Decide your operating radius first, intrastate only or interstate, because it determines which layer of rules applies.
- Register for a USDOT number on the FMCSA website; it is free and takes under an hour.
- Apply for interstate authority (MC number) if you will cross state lines, expect roughly $300 in fees and a 3 to 6 week wait.
- Check your state's household-goods rules. Many states (California, Texas, Florida among them) require a separate mover permit, tariff filing, or proof of insurance for in-state moves.
- File insurance proofs and confirm driver rules. Your insurer submits liability filings; you also need cargo coverage. Trucks over 26,000 lbs GVWR need CDL drivers, and DOT medical cards apply well below that.
Common mistakes
- Booking interstate jobs while MC authority is still pending, that is illegal, not "in progress"
- Assuming a small box truck is exempt from DOT rules; commercial thresholds start lower than founders expect
- Forgetting annual state renewals and UCR fees, which quietly lapse your authority
Real-world examples
- Interstate household-goods movers in the US must register with the FMCSA for a USDOT number (a free federal safety identifier) and for-hire operating authority, an MC number, which carries a one-time $300 filing fee. Both are required before legally hauling a customer's belongings across state lines.
- Federal registration also requires filing public-liability and cargo insurance and designating a process agent via a BOC-3 filing; activation typically runs about 20 to 25 business days (per FMCSA), so file well ahead of your first cross-state job.
- Intrastate-only movers usually answer to state rather than federal rules, so confirm both layers. Pair this with the insurance FMCSA requires and general business registration.
From a founder's point of view
Transport authority is the kind of paperwork that's boring right up until a missing number means you legally can't take the job, or worse, a customer looks you up and finds you unregistered. The federal and state layers confuse a lot of first-time movers, and the multi-week activation window punishes anyone who leaves it to the last minute. It's unglamorous, but getting the USDOT and operating authority filed early is what lets you quote interstate work with a straight face.
Rule of thumb
If you cannot show a customer an active number for every state line you will cross, do not load the truck.