What the federal records show
MovePricer compiled FMCSA licensing, insurance and company census data published on data.transportation.gov. As of October 16, 2026, it lists 243 household-goods movers in Louisiana. Only 48 of them hold active interstate operating authority, which is the federal permission a for-hire mover needs to carry a customer's belongings across state lines. Another 105 have interstate authority on record that is now inactive or revoked.
So 68.6% of the interstate authorities held by Louisiana household-goods movers are no longer active. Of the 51 jurisdictions MovePricer ranked, Louisiana comes 12th for that share. The national figure, across 37,681 movers on record, is 66.8%.
Other numbers from the same records:
- 95 Louisiana movers have an inactive USDOT number.
- 72 are listed as intrastate only, meaning they move goods within Louisiana and don't cross state lines.
- 119 run one truck or none at all.
What an inactive authority does and doesn't mean
An inactive or revoked authority is not, by itself, evidence of wrongdoing. Movers close, merge, retire or stop doing long-distance work, and the federal record doesn't always say why an authority ended. These figures describe registration status, not behavior.
For someone hiring a mover, though, the status still matters. A company without active interstate authority isn't currently authorized by FMCSA to do a for-hire move across state lines. An old USDOT number on a website, business card or truck door may point to a record that has since gone dormant. Interstate movers need a USDOT number, and for-hire interstate movers also need operating authority, usually shown as an MC number. The number only protects you if the record behind it is active.
Small operations make the check more important. Most one-truck movers are legitimate local businesses. But small companies can open, rename or shut down quickly, so a listing that was accurate last year may not be accurate now.
Moving within Louisiana is licensed separately
A move that starts and ends inside Louisiana is regulated by the Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC), not FMCSA. The Commission asks consumers to make sure their mover is registered and in good standing with it. Under state law (La. R.S. 45:164(E)), intrastate household-goods movers must get a common carrier certificate from the LPSC before doing any moving work. They must also carry cargo insurance of at least $50,000 per truck and $100,000 per catastrophe, keep workers' compensation coverage and file a $5,000 surety bond.
That's why the 72 intrastate-only movers in the federal data need a second check. For an in-state move, the LPSC certificate is the license that counts.
Recent Louisiana enforcement
The LPSC's own orders show what unlicensed in-state moving can look like. In Order No. T-37748, the Commission found that a company identified as Nola Moving broke state law by advertising itself online as a household-goods mover without the required certificate, and by leaving its LPSC number out of its ads. The order says the company never applied to register. The Commission fined it $2,000. (Don't confuse it with other businesses that have similar names.)
In an earlier docket, T-35798, LPSC staff cited Metro Moving, LLC. Staff reported finding evidence that the company moved household goods around July 2020 while its certificate was under a voluntary suspension. The order addresses the company stopping operations while the certificate is suspended.
We found no recent Louisiana Attorney General action aimed specifically at moving companies. The best-known statewide effort is older. Former Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said his office had found scams by unscrupulous moving companies after customers reported furniture being held hostage, and he said jurisdiction problems made those cases harder to pursue. At the federal level, FMCSA runs Operation Protect Your Move, a yearly deployment of investigators that targets movers with the worst complaint records in its National Consumer Complaint Database.
How to check a mover before you sign
This is general consumer information, not legal advice. Before you pay a deposit:
- Interstate move: Ask for the USDOT and MC numbers. Confirm the authority is active and that the name matches your estimate. You can look up any USDOT number for free at movepricer.com/check or with FMCSA's tools at fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move.
- In-state move: Check that the mover holds a current certificate from the Louisiana Public Service Commission.
- Get it in writing: Get a written estimate based on a look at your belongings. Be careful with large cash deposits and with prices that change once your goods are on the truck.
- If something goes wrong: File complaints with FMCSA for interstate moves, the LPSC for in-state moves, and the Louisiana Attorney General's consumer dispute form.