Of the 3,442 household-goods movers on record in California, 1,425 (41.4%) have no federal interstate operating authority. That means they may only move you within California. Nationally the share is 31.9% (12,031 of 37,681 movers on record). California ranks 10th of 51 for its share of in-state-only movers. MovePricer compiled these figures on October 17, 2026, from Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) licensing and insurance, revocation and out-of-service datasets.
Moving only within California is not wrongdoing. Many of these companies are local businesses that serve California customers legally. The risk comes when one of them is hired for a job that crosses a state line.
Why a state line changes the rules
FMCSA's regulations protect consumers on interstate moves and set out the rights and responsibilities of both customers and movers. What decides which rules apply is the border, not the distance. A short drive from South Lake Tahoe into Stateline, Nevada, or from Needles across the Colorado River into Arizona, is an interstate move. A move from San Diego to Redding is not, even though it covers hundreds of miles.
California's regulator, the Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS), part of the Department of Consumer Affairs, says companies moving household goods within, into or out of California must hold a BHGS license. That state license number is often called a CAL-T number. A mover crossing state lines also needs a USDOT number and must be registered with FMCSA to carry household goods interstate. So an in-state-only mover can legally do the San Diego–Redding job but not the Tahoe one.
Protections that come with an interstate move
When you hire a mover with federal authority for an interstate move, FMCSA rules give you specific protections:
- Written estimates. FMCSA requires your mover to give you a written estimate for every shipment. A verbal quote is not an official estimate.
- Binding estimates. A binding estimate means you can't be required to pay more than the estimate at delivery, unless you add items or services.
- Delivery rules. The mover must deliver your goods once you pay 100% of a binding estimate, or 110% of a non-binding estimate, plus any extra services you asked for later.
- Arbitration. Interstate movers must offer arbitration. If you ask for it, the mover must take part for claims of $10,000 or less.
- Your rights in writing. Interstate movers must give you FMCSA's booklet Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.
Brokers are different. A household-goods broker generally can't give you an estimate unless it has a written agreement with the carrier. A broker is also not responsible for loss or damage. FMCSA can't settle loss-and-damage claims for you, but it takes complaints and has run Operation Protect Your Move, a crackdown on movers that hold belongings hostage to demand extra charges.
California's own rules and recent enforcement
For moves within the state, BHGS says a mover may give a written estimate only after a visual inspection of your belongings. Loss or damage claims must be filed in writing within nine months of delivery. State law also says a mover may never withhold food, medicine, medical devices, items a disabled person needs, or items used to care for a minor child.
BHGS has stepped up enforcement:
- Household-mover enforcement regulations took effect April 1, 2025.
- BHGS signed an agreement with FMCSA giving its staff access to federal systems. It issued its first federal household-mover citation, for $37,400, in November 2024.
- In December 2025, BHGS announced a two-day sweep across eight counties, from Alameda to San Diego, with on-site inspections of 40 household movers.
- In July 2026, it announced action against unlicensed movers in the Bay Area and Southern California. BHGS said the statewide investigation produced more than $100,000 in citation fees.
BHGS's public disciplinary list includes Safe and Fast Movers Inc. of Corona. The list records it as unlicensed, with a 2024 statement of issues and a default decision and order, followed by a 2025 order denying its petition for reconsideration.
Moves out of state can go badly too. In June 2026, an Oceanside couple moving to North Carolina told CBS 8 that they signed a contract with a moving broker for just over $16,000, and the price rose to $32,000 on moving day. The broker reportedly disputed their account.
BHGS says hiring unlicensed or uninsured movers puts consumers at greater risk, because such businesses may not follow state and federal consumer-protection laws.
How to check a mover before you sign
- Get the USDOT number and look it up in MovePricer's free mover lookup at movepricer.com/check or at protectyourmove.gov. If your move crosses a state line, confirm the company has active federal authority to carry household goods.
- Check the state license on the BHGS website and make sure the name matches your contract.
- Ask whether you're dealing with a carrier or a broker, and get a written estimate after an in-person or video survey of your belongings.
- If something goes wrong, file complaints with FMCSA for interstate moves, with BHGS for moves within, into or out of California, and with the California Attorney General. For legal questions, talk to those agencies or a lawyer.