How to Hire a Moving Company Without Getting Scammed

First, find out which rules cover your move

Moves that cross a state line are interstate moves. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates them, and the consumer rules sit in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 375. Those rules are the backbone of this guide. They tell a mover how to write estimates, what it must hand you, how much it can collect at your door and how it must handle claims.

A move that starts and ends in the same state is intrastate, even if it is long. Federal consumer rules don't apply. Your state does, and the rules vary a lot: some states license movers and cap rates, while others barely regulate them. Search for your state's public utility commission, transportation department or attorney general and "household goods movers" to find who licenses movers where you live. The habits below still protect you on a local move, even when the law is thinner.

Broker or carrier: who are you really hiring?

Many of the friendliest websites and the cheapest quotes come from brokers. A broker doesn't own trucks. It sells your move and then hands it to a carrier, sometimes one you have never heard of. Brokers are legal when they are registered with FMCSA, and some do a good job. The trouble starts when the broker's quote and the carrier's price don't match, and you find out on moving day.

Federal rules require household goods brokers to say what they are. They must show their USDOT and MC numbers and physical address on their website and ads, state that they do not move your goods themselves, give you a list of the carriers they use, and give you only estimates that a carrier has agreed in writing to honor.

If you can't tell which one you're talking to, ask directly: "Will your company's trucks and crew carry my goods?" A vague answer is your answer.

How to check a mover's license and record

This takes ten minutes, and it is the single best defense against a rogue mover. Do it for every company on your short list.

1. Get the USDOT number. Interstate movers must print it in their ads in the form "U.S. DOT No. 1234567". If it's missing from the website and the estimate, ask. Brokers also have an MC number.
2. Look it up on FMCSA's mover search. Confirm the legal name, the "doing business as" name and the address match the company you're dealing with. A brand-new registration under an old company's address can be a renamed outfit with a bad record.
3. Confirm the authority. The record should show active authority to carry household goods, not only general freight. Note whether it is listed as a carrier, a broker or both.
4. Read the complaint history. FMCSA's search shows complaints filed in its national database. A few complaints at a big mover are normal. A pattern of "hostage" or "price increase" complaints is not.
5. Check outside sources. Look at your state attorney general's site, the Better Business Bureau and recent reviews. Look for the same story told many times, not one angry post.
6. Visit or call the office. A real local address with trucks in the lot is a good sign. A cell phone number and no address is not.

Get the right kind of written estimate

The federal rule is simple: an interstate mover must do a physical survey of your goods and give you a written estimate based on it. The survey can be on-site or virtual, through live or recorded video that clearly shows your things. You may waive the survey, but only in writing, signed before loading. Don't waive it unless your move is tiny and you know exactly what's going. A good surveyor opens closets, the attic, the garage and the shed, because that's where weight hides.

The estimate must say whether it is binding or non-binding, and you and the mover both sign it. A non-binding estimate must be free. A mover may charge for a binding one.

In both cases, the mover can add charges for services you ask for after the bill of lading is signed, and up to 15% more for "impracticable operations" listed in its tariff, such as a truck that can't reach your door. Ask about stairs, elevators, long carries and shuttles during the survey. If the mover fails to ask and price them before the bill of lading, it must deliver your goods and bill those charges at least 30 days later.

Compare at least three estimates on the same inventory, the same valuation and the same estimate type. Then look at the low bid hard. A long-distance price far below the others usually means a lower weight estimate, which on a non-binding quote turns into a bigger bill later. A quote is only cheap if it holds.

Valuation: what the mover pays if something breaks

Movers don't sell "insurance" by default. They offer valuation, which sets how much they owe you for loss or damage. Interstate movers must offer two levels, and the difference is huge.

Full value protection is the default on interstate moves. To get released value, you must waive full value in writing. Read every page before you sign, because the waiver can be one line on the bill of lading. Two details matter:

• Declared value. Full value protection only pays up to the value declared for the whole shipment. Many movers' tariffs set a minimum based on weight, such as a dollar amount per pound. If your furniture is worth more, declare more.
• Items worth more than $100 per pound. Jewelry, art, collections and electronics can fall here. List them in writing before the move, or the mover can limit what it pays on them. Better yet, carry jewelry, documents and cash yourself.

Check your homeowners or renters policy too. Some cover goods in transit, some don't. A third-party moving policy is another option, but compare it with the mover's full value price before you buy it.

The paperwork a legitimate mover hands you

On an interstate move, expect all of these. A missing document is a reason to slow down.

• Written estimate, signed and dated, that says binding or non-binding and names the payment forms the driver will accept at delivery.
• "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move" and "Ready to Move?", the two FMCSA booklets, on paper or by a link on the mover's website.
• A summary of the mover's arbitration program and its complaint procedure, with a phone number.
• Bill of lading, your contract, issued before loading. It lists the pickup and delivery dates or windows, the valuation you chose and the charges.
• Inventory of every box and loose item, with numbered stickers, prepared at loading. You may watch it being written, and you get a signed copy.

Never sign a blank or half-filled document. If the delivery window, valuation or price is blank on moving day, stop and get it filled in.

Red flags that point to a rogue mover

FMCSA's Protect Your Move campaign lists the signs that show up again and again in fraud complaints. One flag isn't proof. Two or three together means walk away.

• No survey: a firm price by phone or online form for a whole house.
• A large deposit demanded before the move, especially in cash or by wire transfer.
• No USDOT number on the website, or a number that belongs to a different name.
• The company won't say whether it's a broker or a carrier.
• No physical address, and a phone answered with "movers" instead of a company name.
• You never get the "Your Rights and Responsibilities" booklet.
• A bid far below the others.
• Pressure to sign blank or incomplete papers.
• A rental truck shows up instead of a marked company truck. That isn't always a scam, but ask why.
• The mover says the goods are "covered by our insurance" without explaining released value and full value.

Pay with a credit card where you can. It gives you a way to dispute a charge if the mover takes the money and never shows.

Moving day and delivery: protect yourself

At loading, walk the house with the crew lead. Check that the inventory describes the condition of furniture honestly. Movers often write "scratched" or "rubbed" on everything. If you disagree, write your note next to theirs before you sign. Take photos or a video of valuable pieces. Keep the driver's name and the truck number, and get a phone number that reaches dispatch during transit.

In transit, the mover must deliver on the agreed date or within the window on the bill of lading. If it can't, it must tell you as soon as it knows and give you a new date. Write down every call.

At delivery, you'll pay before unloading on most interstate moves. The mover must hand over your goods once you pay 100% of a binding estimate or 110% of a non-binding estimate, plus extra services you ordered and allowed access charges. A mover that demands more and keeps your things locked in the truck is holding them hostage, which violates federal law. Call FMCSA and local police, and don't sign anything that says the larger amount is correct.

As each item comes off, check it against the inventory. Note missing or damaged items on the delivery papers before the crew leaves. Write "subject to inspection for concealed damage" if the mover allows it. Unpack fragile boxes soon, because a claim is easier to prove within days than months.

If something goes wrong: claims, arbitration and complaints

File the claim in writing, with the bill of lading number, the items, what happened and a specific dollar amount. Damage notes on the delivery receipt alone don't count as a claim. Keep the damaged items until the mover has had a chance to inspect them, plus receipts or replacement prices.

If you disagree with the answer, use arbitration. Every interstate mover must have a neutral arbitration program for loss and damage disputes and for disputed extra charges. It can't make you agree to arbitration before a dispute arises. It can't charge you more than half the cost to start it. If you request it, arbitration is binding for claims of $10,000 or less. Above $10,000 it is binding only if the mover agrees too. You can still go to court instead.

Report bad conduct. File a complaint with FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database online or at 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238). Complaints feed the record the next family will see in the mover search, and they help FMCSA target enforcement. Send a copy to your state attorney general. For a local move, file with your state's moving regulator.

Common mistakes, and when to get help

• Hiring from an ad without a lookup. The top search result is often a broker. That's fine if you know it and check the carrier too.
• Leaving things out of the survey. The garage, shed and storage unit add weight. If they aren't on a binding estimate, the mover can refuse to honor it.
• Choosing released value to save money on a load of good furniture, then learning a 150 lb sofa worth $2,000 pays $90.
• Packing badly. A mover can deny a claim for items you packed if the box was weak or the packing caused the damage.
• Missing the 9-month window because the boxes stayed in the basement.

For a large claim the mover won't settle, a consumer attorney who handles household goods cases can tell you whether arbitration or court makes more sense. Pianos, safes, antiques and art often need a specialist mover or a separate appraisal. Get those quoted on their own.

Planning the rest of the move? Size the truck with our moving truck size calculator, count supplies with the packing boxes calculator, and if you're relocating for work, compare budgets in the cost of living calculator.

Common questions

Sources

All rules were read in their current form on October 29, 2026. This guide explains federal rules for interstate household moves in plain language. It isn't legal advice, and state rules for local moves differ.

• 49 CFR Part 375, Transportation of Household Goods in Interstate Commerce (eCFR, current through Oct. 27, 2026): physical survey and written estimates (§ 375.401), binding and non-binding estimates (§§ 375.403, 375.405), broker estimates (§ 375.409), advertising and the USDOT number (§ 375.207), arbitration program and the $10,000 threshold (§ 375.211), required booklets and documents (§ 375.213), inventory and bill of lading (§§ 375.503, 375.505), delivery delays (§ 375.605), the 100% and 110% delivery caps and the 15% limit (§ 375.703), valuation (§ 375.201) and Appendix A, "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move," including the 9-month claim window and the hostage rule.
• 49 CFR Part 371, Brokers of Property (eCFR, Oct. 2026): broker disclosure, carrier list and estimate rules (§§ 371.7, 371.105 to 371.113).
• 49 CFR Part 370, Principles and Practices for the Investigation and Voluntary Disposition of Loss and Damage Claims (eCFR, Oct. 2026): 30-day acknowledgment and 120-day disposition (§§ 370.5, 370.9).
• FMCSA, Protect Your Move, including the red flags list, the mover search and the "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move" booklet (accessed Oct. 2026).
• FMCSA, Protect Your Move brochure (PDF): rogue mover warning signs, including large deposits and blank documents.
• FMCSA National Consumer Complaint Database, phone 1-888-368-7238 (accessed Oct. 2026).