Georgia's number
In the 12 months before October 17, 2026, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) ordered 40 Georgia-based household-goods movers out of service. That is according to MovePricer's compilation of FMCSA licensing, revocation and out-of-service data. The 40 orders equal 12.2% of the 328 Georgia movers that hold active federal authority to move household goods across state lines. That is nearly double the national figure of 6.6% (561 orders, measured against 8,473 licensed movers). Georgia ranks 2nd of 48 states on this measure.
Most of the orders came down to one requirement. In 33 of Georgia's 40 cases, a new company refused or ignored its mandatory federal safety audit. In 4 cases, the company took the audit and failed it. The national picture looks the same: 478 of the 561 orders were for refused audits and 59 were for failed ones.
What the new-entrant safety audit is
Each new interstate carrier goes through FMCSA's New Entrant Safety Assurance Program. The audit is a review of a new carrier's records to confirm that basic safety management controls are in place, and it usually happens within the carrier's first 12 months of operating. A certified FMCSA or state auditor looks at driver qualifications, hours of service, vehicle maintenance, accidents and drug and alcohol testing.
Federal rules set out what happens next:
- Refusing the audit: FMCSA sends written notice that the carrier's registration will be revoked unless it agrees in writing, within 10 days, to the audit. If the carrier does not agree, its interstate operations are placed out of service starting on the 11th day. Investigators who cannot reach a carrier after three attempts can also start the out-of-service process.
- Failing the audit: The carrier gets a notice and a deadline to fix the problems it lists, either 45 or 60 days depending on the type of carrier. If it misses the deadline, FMCSA revokes its registration and issues an out-of-service order.
- After the order: The carrier may not operate in interstate commerce. Its intrastate operations may also be affected.
Why skipping the audit is a red flag
The audit is not a high bar. It asks a new company to show records that any working moving company should already keep. A company that won't let auditors in, or can't be reached at the contact details it gave the federal government, is telling you something about how it will respond when your furniture is late or damaged. An out-of-service order also does not take down a company's website, ads or phone listings. That is why a mover's current status matters more than how polished it looks online.
What Georgia customers have reported
Atlanta-area TV has covered several disputes over moves. In 2024, WSB-TV reported on an Atlanta man who said an 8-mile move quoted at $700 ended up costing more than $1,600, with crew members repeatedly demanding cash along the way. The company's owner disputed his account. In 2023, a Sandy Springs woman told the station she had a binding estimate of just under $5,000 for a move from California. She said the company demanded thousands more before it would unload her belongings. She had booked through a broker that passed the job to another company, and that company said she had signed a new contract on moving day. Both cases are the customers' allegations as reported by the station.
In a 2015 federal case in Atlanta, two men were indicted on charges of stealing property that people had handed to them because they presented themselves as professional movers.
Who regulates what in Georgia
- Moves within Georgia: The Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS) oversees household-goods moves that begin and end in the state. Movers must hold a DPS certificate and charge no more than the rates in the DPS Maximum Rate Tariff. DPS can require a mover to settle a claim within 90 days of when it was filed.
- Moves across state lines: These fall under FMCSA, not DPS. FMCSA can revoke the licenses of movers and brokers and can refer possible criminal cases to the U.S. Department of Justice.
- Deceptive practices: The Georgia Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division handles mover complaints that involve violations of the Fair Business Practices Act, such as misleading advertising.
This article is not legal advice. If a move has gone wrong, contact FMCSA (1-888-368-7238) for an interstate move, DPS for a move within Georgia, or the Attorney General's office.
How to check a mover before you sign
- Get the numbers. Ask for the USDOT number (and the DPS certificate number for a move within Georgia). A legitimate mover will give them to you right away.
- Check today's status, not last year's. Enter the USDOT number in MovePricer's free lookup at movepricer.com/check or on FMCSA's Protect Your Move site. Confirm the company's authority is active and that it has no out-of-service order.
- Find out who will actually move you. If a broker is booking the job, ask which carrier will do the move, and check that carrier too.
- Get a written estimate and never sign a document with blank fields.