The numbers
Nebraska has 196 household-goods movers on record, and 86 of them have no federal interstate operating authority. That is 43.9%. These companies may move you only within Nebraska. Across the United States the figure is 12,031 of 37,681 movers, or 31.9%. Nebraska ranks 7th of the 51 jurisdictions ranked on this measure. MovePricer compiled the figures on October 24, 2026, from FMCSA licensing and insurance, revocation and out-of-service datasets. The same data shows 52 household-goods carriers with active federal interstate authority that have Nebraska business addresses.
A mover that works only in-state is not doing anything wrong. The problem comes when a mover without federal authority takes a job that crosses a state line.
Why the state line matters
FMCSA regulates interstate household goods movers and requires them to register with the agency. In Nebraska, an interstate move can be very short. Omaha to Council Bluffs, Iowa, or South Sioux City to Sioux City, Iowa, are both only a few miles, but both cross a state line.
Look for two numbers, not one. A USDOT number by itself does not give you the right to operate interstate as a for-hire mover. The company also needs active operating authority, usually shown as an MC number.
Protections that apply to interstate moves
- Required paperwork: Interstate household goods carriers are required to provide customers with the Rights and Responsibilities handbook and the Ready to Move brochure.
- A limit on what you pay at delivery: On an interstate move priced with a non-binding estimate, a mover may require no more than 110% of the estimated charges before it will release your goods at delivery. That cap is set by 49 CFR 375.407.
- Valuation: Released value is the free default: the mover is liable for just 60 cents per pound per item. You can choose a higher level of protection.
- Claims and disputes: If something is lost or damaged, write it on the delivery paperwork and file a written claim. If it isn't resolved, escalate to the FMCSA complaint database and consider arbitration, which interstate carriers are required to offer.
What Nebraska requires for in-state moves
Moves that stay inside Nebraska are regulated by the state. Beginning July 1, 2021, all household goods movers must be issued a license from the Nebraska Public Service Commission to operate in Nebraska. Licensed movers must carry a minimum of $750,000 in liability coverage and $5,000 in cargo coverage. As of July 1, 2021, the Commission will no longer set the rates for intrastate household goods moving services. The PSC's Transportation Department will investigate complaints from the public, including complaints about people moving household goods for pay without a license or insurance.
Recent Nebraska cases
In February 2023 the PSC sustained a complaint against Confidant Movers, LLC, of Aventura, Florida. According to the order, the company completed an intrastate move from Omaha, Nebraska to Crawford, Nebraska for a total price of $7,147.00. At the time of this move, Respondent did not have an active license to transport household goods within Nebraska. The order also notes that the Commission may assess a civil penalty of up to ten thousand dollars per day against any person for each violation.
In a 2023 case reported by WOWT, an Omaha customer paid an online moving broker, who in turn hired a local mover. The mover then held some of her belongings over a $1,400 payment dispute. In small claims court, Judge Tom Harmon ruled that refusal to return the property amounts to conversion. FMCSA says brokers are different from movers: a broker does not assume responsibility for, and is not authorized to transport, your household goods.
Red flags from the Nebraska Attorney General
The Nebraska Attorney General's Office has warned consumers to watch for these signs:
- The company's website has no local address or DOT number.
- You are asked to sign a blank or incomplete estimate.
- The moving company asks for a large deposit before the move or requires you to pay with cash, wire transfer, or postal money orders.
This article is not legal advice. If you have a dispute, contact FMCSA, the Nebraska PSC or the Nebraska Attorney General. According to FMCSA, state attorneys general and consumer affairs agencies are responsible for pursuing suspected moving fraud.
How to check a mover before you sign
- Get both numbers. Ask for the mover's USDOT number and, for any move that leaves Nebraska, its MC number. If a broker is booking the move, ask which company will actually do it.
- Look them up. Search the USDOT number in MovePricer's free lookup at movepricer.com/check or at FMCSA's Protect Your Move site. Confirm the company has active interstate household-goods authority.
- For in-state moves, check the Nebraska PSC's list of licensed household goods movers.
- Get the estimate in writing, and make sure you receive the federal booklet before an interstate move.
- Report problems. For interstate moves, contact FMCSA at 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238). For in-state moves, contact the Nebraska PSC. You can also call the Attorney General's Consumer Affairs Response Team at (402) 471-2682 or (800) 727-6432.