The Utah numbers
Utah has 282 household-goods movers on record. Of those, 100 (35.5%) hold no federal interstate operating authority. That means they may legally move you only between two points inside Utah. Nationally the share is 31.9%, or 12,031 of 37,681 movers on record. Utah is above the national rate and ranks 16th of 51 on this measure.
By the same count, 66 Utah-based household-goods carriers have active federal interstate authority. Adding household-goods brokers raises that to 69. MovePricer compiled the figures on Oct. 24, 2026, from FMCSA's licensing and insurance, revocation and out-of-service datasets on data.transportation.gov.
Utah has no state mover license
Utah does not issue a license just for household-goods movers. UDOT's Motor Carrier Division lists the credentials it handles, including fuel tax agreements, vehicle registration, USDOT numbers, federal operating authority and insurance filings. None of them is a mover's license. Utah movers aren't completely unregulated, though. Companies that run commercial vehicles must register with FMCSA and get a USDOT number, whether they work across state lines or only inside Utah.
A USDOT number by itself does not let a company carry your belongings to another state. Movers that do interstate household moves must also get authority from FMCSA and follow federal rules on estimates, releasing your goods, and telling you your rights.
Why the state line matters
FMCSA's consumer rules cover moves from one state to another. FMCSA says they do not apply to moves between two points in the same state or moves inside a federally defined commercial zone.
In Utah, plenty of short moves cross a state line: Cache Valley into southern Idaho, St. George to Mesquite, Nevada, Wendover to West Wendover, or Kanab into Arizona. For moves like these, ask the mover in writing whether it holds interstate authority. If it says your move is exempt, confirm that with FMCSA before you sign.
Moves that stay inside Utah fall under a different set of rules. As one Utah Valley guide puts it, federal moving rules don't apply to an in-state move. What protects you is your contract and Utah's general consumer-protection law. In one case KSL looked into, a Park City homeowner's belongings were damaged in storage. The federal 60-cents-per-pound reimbursement rule didn't help him because his goods never left Utah.
What federal rules give interstate customers
- Required booklets: Before an interstate move, movers and brokers must give you FMCSA's Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move and its Ready to Move brochure.
- Written estimates: FMCSA requires your mover to give you a written estimate for every shipment.
- Liability choices: Interstate movers must let you choose between Full Value Protection and Released Value coverage for loss or damage.
- Dispute resolution: Any mover doing interstate moves must offer an arbitration program. It uses an independent third party, and you don't need to hire a lawyer.
- Binding estimates: KSL reported that movers can't change a binding estimate once they've started loading the truck.
What has gone wrong for Utahns
In 2018, KSL reported on a woman moving to St. George. She booked what she thought was a moving company, but it was actually a broker. Her belongings arrived six weeks late, and many boxes were water-damaged. The director of the Utah Division of Consumer Protection told KSL that complaints like hers concern the agency.
In 2021, a Utah Department of Commerce spokesman told KSL that state regulators were seeing a spike in complaints about moving companies. In one case, a family's truck never crossed the state line. Their belongings were left in a South Salt Lake storage unit and auctioned off. The same story cited FMCSA data showing hostage-load reports rising from about 500 in 2019 to more than 1,400 in 2021 as of early October.
In 2022, KUTV reported on a couple who moved from Utah to New Orleans and lost $3,000. Their truck never left Utah. It turned up on another moving company's lot three months later.
Where to get help
MovePricer can't give legal advice. For interstate moves, FMCSA takes complaints and publishes consumer guidance at fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move. For moves inside Utah, or for deceptive business practices, contact the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, which enforces the state's Consumer Sales Practices Act, or the Utah Attorney General's Office.
How to check a mover before you sign
- Get the company's USDOT number, and its MC number if your move crosses a state line. Make sure the legal name matches the name on your estimate.
- Look the mover up on FMCSA's Protect Your Move database, which shows complaint history and safety records. You can also use MovePricer's free lookup at movepricer.com/check.
- For an interstate move, confirm the company has active household-goods authority. A USDOT number alone isn't enough.
- Ask whether you're dealing with a mover or a broker, and get a written estimate before anything is loaded.
- If your move crosses a state line, expect the federal booklets. If a mover doesn't provide them, treat that as a warning sign.