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Licensing, Brokers and Carriers: How to Check a Moving Company

By MGM Editorial Team Last updated October 18, 2026

Before you trust a company with everything you own, make sure it's allowed to do the job. This page explains who licenses moving companies, the difference between a moving company and a moving broker, what USDOT and MC numbers mean, and how to check a company yourself in a few minutes.

My Good Movers is a comparison website. We are not a moving company or a moving broker, and we do not perform, book or arrange moves.

Who Licenses Moving Companies?

It depends on where you're moving.

Moving to another state (interstate): The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulates these moves. The company must be registered with FMCSA, have a USDOT number, and hold federal authority to move or arrange household goods.
Moving within one state (intrastate or local): Your state sets the rules. Requirements differ from state to state, so check with your state's consumer protection agency, attorney general or transportation agency.

Moving Company or Moving Broker: What's the Difference?

Some companies move your belongings themselves. These are carriers. Others, called brokers, sell you the move and then hire a carrier to do it. Both can be legitimate, but you should always know which one you're dealing with.

	Moving company (carrier)	Moving broker
What it does	Moves your belongings with its own trucks and crew, or through its agents.	Arranges your move and hires a carrier to do it. It doesn't move your belongings itself.
Who gives your estimate	The carrier, after surveying your belongings.	Only on behalf of a carrier it has a written agreement with, based on that carrier's survey and rates.
Who's responsible for loss or damage	The carrier.	The carrier that moves your belongings.
Federal registration it needs	USDOT number and authority as a household goods carrier, with cargo insurance on file.	USDOT number and authority as a household goods broker, with a bond or trust fund on file.

What a moving broker must tell you

Under federal rules, a household goods broker must:

Clearly say it's a broker, that it doesn't move belongings itself, and that it arranges moves through FMCSA-authorized carriers.
Show its USDOT number and MC number in its ads and on its website.
Give you a list of the carriers it works with, including their USDOT and MC numbers.
Give you FMCSA's two consumer booklets, "Ready to Move?" and "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move."
Share its cancellation, deposit and refund policies in writing.

If you book through a broker, ask which carrier will move you, and check that carrier too.

USDOT and MC Numbers Explained

USDOT number: the number FMCSA uses to identify a company and track its safety and registration records. Every interstate moving company and broker must have one.
MC number: the docket number for a company's operating authority, which is its federal permission to move or arrange household goods for pay. Many interstate movers and brokers have both numbers. FMCSA has proposed no longer assigning new MC numbers and using the USDOT number as the only identifier. Until that change takes effect, many companies still show an MC number.
New letter suffixes: FMCSA has started adding a letter to the end of USDOT numbers to show the type of company. For example, "H" means household goods carrier and "B" means broker.

A legitimate interstate mover or broker should show its USDOT number on its website, in its ads and on your paperwork. If a company can't or won't give you its USDOT number, don't book with it.

How to Check a Moving Company in 5 Steps

Get the USDOT number. Find it on the company's website or ask for it.
Look it up with FMCSA. Search the number on FMCSA's Protect Your Move site or on SAFER.
Check the record. Make sure the company name and address match, the registration is active, and the company is authorized for household goods. Note whether it's listed as a carrier, a broker or both.
Check complaints. Look at complaint records with the Better Business Bureau and your state's consumer protection agency.
Check the carrier, too. If you're using a broker, repeat these steps for the carrier that will actually move you.

What an Interstate Mover Must Give You

Two FMCSA booklets: "Ready to Move?" and "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move."
A written estimate. All estimates must be in writing. Movers generally must survey your belongings, in person or by video, before giving one, unless you waive the survey in writing.
Clear estimate terms. A binding estimate fixes the price for the services listed. With a non-binding estimate, the mover can't make you pay more than 110% of the estimate at delivery. Any remaining charges are billed later.
Moving paperwork: an order for service, an inventory of your belongings, and a bill of lading, which is your contract and receipt and travels with your shipment.
A choice of valuation, explained in the next section.
Information on its dispute settlement (arbitration) program for loss and damage claims.

Valuation: How Your Belongings Are Protected

Interstate movers must offer two levels of liability, called valuation:

Full Value Protection: the mover must repair your item, replace it with a similar item, or pay you its repair cost or current replacement value. This is the default option and costs more. Movers may limit liability for items worth more than $100 per pound unless you list them on your paperwork.
Released Value: this option has no extra cost, but the mover's liability is limited to 60 cents per pound per item. A 25-pound TV, for example, would be covered for just $15. You must sign a statement to choose this option.

Valuation is not insurance. You can buy separate insurance. If you buy it through the mover, ask for written proof of the coverage.

If Something Goes Wrong

File a claim in writing with the mover within 9 months of delivery. The mover must acknowledge your claim within 30 days and decide on it within 120 days.
Use arbitration if you can't agree. For claims of $10,000 or less, an interstate mover must agree to arbitration if you request it.
Report the problem. File a complaint with FMCSA through Protect Your Move or by calling 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238). You can also contact your state attorney general or consumer protection agency.
Tell us. If a mover listed on My Good Movers treated you unfairly, report it to us.

Red Flags to Watch For

Be careful if a moving company:

Gives you a price by phone or online without seeing your belongings, and the price seems too good to be true.
Asks for cash or a large deposit before the move.
Doesn't give you the "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move" booklet.
Has no local address, or no registration or insurance details on its website.
Says all your belongings are "fully insured."
Answers the phone with a generic name, like "Movers," instead of a company name.
Shows up on moving day with a rental truck instead of a company-marked truck.

Learn more on our Scam Protection page.

How My Good Movers Checks Licensing

We check each interstate mover's USDOT number and FMCSA registration before we list it.
We recheck listed movers regularly.
If a mover's federal authority becomes inactive or is revoked, we suspend or remove its listing.
Each mover's profile shows its USDOT number, so you can check it yourself.

Our checks show a company's status at a point in time, and that status can change on any day. Always look up the USDOT number with FMCSA yourself before you book. For local moves within one state, check your state's licensing rules as well.

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