If you're hiring a mover in New Hampshire, look past the company name. 61 household-goods movers based in New Hampshire have active federal operating authority. 6 of them list the same business phone number as a different, older mover whose license was revoked. That's according to MovePricer's analysis of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) licensing, revocation and out-of-service records, compiled on October 24, 2026.
That works out to 9.8 percent of the state's licensed movers. The national rate is 4.1 percent (348 of 8,473 licensed movers), so New Hampshire's rate is more than twice as high. It's the second-highest rate of the 48 states ranked.
What a shared number does and doesn't mean
A shared phone number doesn't prove anyone did anything wrong. Businesses get sold. Owners retire and pass the customer line to a successor. Phone companies reassign numbers. This report doesn't name any of the six companies and doesn't accuse any of them of anything.
But a phone number is one of the simplest ways to connect two businesses in public records. And federal regulators have spent years looking for movers that come back under a new name.
The “chameleon carrier” problem
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) describes chameleon carriers as motor carriers that register under a new identity “in an effort to disguise their former identity and evade enforcement actions” issued by FMCSA. For a household mover, a new name can mean a clean slate. Complaints, revocations and enforcement actions filed under the old name don't show up under the new one.
Regulators know this. The GAO found that FMCSA's vetting program for new applicants concentrated on two groups: for-hire passenger carriers and household-goods movers. In 2011, FMCSA wrote its vetting process into a formal rule. Under 49 CFR 386.73, the agency can issue out-of-service orders to carriers it finds are reincarnated or affiliated companies operating to avoid enforcement or a bad compliance history. The GAO has also said FMCSA could catch more of these carriers by closely comparing new applicants' information with that of older carriers that had legal problems.
The problem is hard to measure. The GAO reported that FMCSA can't easily count chameleon carriers, because doing so would mean investigating tens of thousands of new applicants every year.
Enforcement still happens. FMCSA says it documents violations, has the authority to review and revoke movers' and brokers' licenses, and may refer possible criminal cases to the U.S. Department of Justice. It has also said it's strengthening partnerships with state attorney-general and consumer-protection offices.
New Hampshire's own mover rules
Federal authority covers moves that cross state lines. Moves that stay inside New Hampshire fall under state law. Under RSA 359-T, in effect since January 1, 2023, a household-goods carrier can't move goods between two points in the state without a certificate from the New Hampshire Department of Safety. The department's Saf-C 4600 rules require carriers to file cargo insurance or an indemnity bond. Coverage must be at least 60 cents per pound of each vehicle's registered load capacity.
In practice, a move from Manchester to Boston needs federal authority, and a move from Concord to Nashua needs the state certificate. Many companies hold both.
While researching this piece, MovePricer did not find a recent public New Hampshire attorney-general action against a moving company. That doesn't mean there are no problems. FMCSA says it receives frequent complaints that movers' deceptive practices led to higher fees, delays, or customers never getting their belongings back.
Spotting a company that's newer than its sales pitch
A website might say “family-owned since 1985.” The federal record shows when the company's current USDOT number and operating authority were actually issued. If a long history sits on top of a recent registration, the explanation may be harmless, like a sale or a reorganization. Still, ask about it directly. Check whether the phone number or street address also belongs to another mover, especially one whose authority was revoked.
FMCSA's list of common red flags includes:
- no in-home estimate
- being asked to sign incomplete paperwork
- a company that isn't registered with FMCSA
This article isn't legal advice. If you have a dispute, contact FMCSA (hotline 1-888-368-7238) and the New Hampshire Attorney General's Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau at doj.nh.gov.
How to check a mover before you sign
- Get the USDOT number in writing. Look it up in MovePricer's free mover lookup or on FMCSA's Protect Your Move site. Make sure the authority is active for household goods and insurance is on file.
- Compare dates. Check when the authority was granted, then compare that with the company's advertised years in business.
- Search the phone number and address, not just the name. If they lead to another mover, ask how the two are related.
- Check complaints on FMCSA's site. For in-state moves, ask to see the company's New Hampshire Department of Safety certificate.
- Insist on an in-person or video estimate, and never sign blank or incomplete paperwork.