If you hire a mover in Florida, there is a good chance the company you call will not be the company that moves you. MovePricer analyzed Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) licensing records compiled on October 17, 2026. Of the 726 Florida-based household-goods companies with active federal (interstate) authority, 131 (18%) are brokers only. They are licensed to arrange a move, not to carry it out. Nationally the figure is 655 of 9,128, or 7.2%. Florida ranks first of 49 states by broker share.
Brokers are legal, and the rules covering them are clear. But Florida's attorney general has repeatedly sued operations that, according to the state, hid the fact that they were brokers. So it pays to know which kind of company you are dealing with.
What a moving broker is
FMCSA puts it simply: a moving broker is not the same thing as a mover. A moving company owns trucks and has staff who handle your move. A broker arranges the move and hires a real moving company to do the work. In FMCSA's words, brokers are sales teams that book your move and sell it to a moving company. A broker does not take responsibility for your belongings and is not authorized to transport them.
FMCSA also warns about a specific risk. Sometimes a broker cannot sell the job, because the estimate was too low or no carrier is free. When that happens, you can be left without a mover on moving day. The agency adds that many brokers work from call centers that could be anywhere in the country.
Why the price and the company can change
When a broker hands your job to a carrier, the company that arrives may have a name you have never heard. Its crew may also question the quote. In one case covered by WSVN in Miami, a customer said a broker had quoted her $6,688.72. The crew came from a different company and asked for more money, and her move ended up costing $13,776.
Federal rules set limits. A broker may give an estimate on a carrier's behalf only if it has a written agreement with that carrier and uses the carrier's published rates. Under FMCSA's rules, an estimate can be changed only before your goods are loaded, not after. At delivery, the most a carrier may demand is 100% of a binding estimate or 110% of a non-binding one.
The federal rules brokers must follow
- Written estimates. Any broker estimate must be in writing and based on a physical survey done by the carrier that will move you, unless you waive the survey in writing.
- Naming the carriers. Brokers must give you a list of the moving companies they use, plus a statement that the broker itself does not transport household goods.
- The FMCSA booklets. Brokers must give you Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move and the Ready to Move? brochure, and get your signature showing you received them.
- Honest advertising. Ads and websites must show the broker's USDOT number and say clearly that it is a broker that arranges, but does not provide, transportation.
- Deposit and refund policies. Brokers must give you their policies on deposits, cancellations and refunds.
What Florida has done
For moves that start and end inside Florida, Chapter 507 of the Florida Statutes requires both movers and moving brokers to register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). FDACS says companies that don't comply can face cease-and-desist orders and fines of up to $5,000.
The attorney general has also gone to court. In March 2025, Attorney General James Uthmeier's office announced a lifetime ban and judgments totaling more than $4 million against a brokerage enterprise that included Gold Standard Moving and Storage. According to the office, those companies told customers they were professional movers offering door-to-door service. In fact they were online brokers that gave low quotes to collect large up-front deposits, then passed the work to unvetted carriers.
In September 2025, a court judgment ordered Alliance Moving and Storage, LLC to pay $3 million and its owner, Richard Falcone, to pay $700,000 to resolve the state's consumer-protection allegations. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General reported the judgment. The state's 2024 complaint described consumer claims that the companies raised prices at pickup and delivery and misled customers about which company would move their goods.
How to tell a broker from a mover before you pay
- Ask directly: "Do you own the trucks, and will your employees move me?"
- Look up the USDOT number and see whether the company's authority is listed as a broker or a carrier.
- If it is a broker, ask for its list of carriers and the written agreement with the one assigned to you.
- Don't accept a phone or online quote that isn't in writing.
- Be careful with large deposits, and get the refund policy in writing first.
This article is not legal advice. If you have a problem with an interstate move, file a complaint with FMCSA's Protect Your Move. For moves within Florida or suspected fraud, contact FDACS and the Florida Attorney General.
How to check a mover before you sign
Get the company's USDOT number and enter it in MovePricer's free lookup at movepricer.com/check. It shows whether the company is licensed as a mover or a broker and whether its authority is active. You can also check the same record on FMCSA's Protect Your Move site. For an in-state move, confirm the company's Florida registration with FDACS.