To choose a moving company in Florida, start by confirming the mover is registered for your move type. Moves that start and end in Florida fall under the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Moves that cross a state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Then compare written estimates line by line, find out who will actually do the work, understand how your belongings are protected, and look for patterns in reviews and complaints.
Registration tells you a company is allowed to operate. It does not tell you whether the company is a good fit for your move. This guide covers both.
Intrastate or Interstate: Know Which Rules Apply
The rules depend on where your move begins and ends, not where the moving company is based.
| Intrastate move (starts and ends in Florida) | Interstate move (crosses a state line) | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | FDACS, under Chapter 507 of the Florida Statutes | FMCSA |
| What to check | Florida mover registration | USDOT registration and household goods authority |
| Number you should see | “Fla. Mover Reg. No.” or “Fla. IM No.” on advertising and the driver’s side door of each truck | A USDOT number. Some movers also list an MC number, which FMCSA has proposed phasing out. |
| Paperwork | A written estimate and contract, signed or electronically acknowledged before any service begins | A written estimate and the FMCSA booklet “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” |
| Minimum protection for your goods | The mover cannot limit liability below 60 cents per pound per article | Full Value Protection by default, or Released Value at 60 cents per pound per article if you sign to choose it |
| Where to report a problem | FDACS, 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) | FMCSA’s moving fraud complaint system |
A move from Pensacola to Tampa is intrastate even if your belongings spend time in storage along the way. A move from Destin to Atlanta is interstate.
How to Check Registration With Official Sources
For a move within Florida
Florida law requires every mover and moving broker to register with FDACS before doing business. Look up the company through FDACS consumer resources at fdacs.gov/consumer-resources, and make sure the legal or trade name on the registration matches the name on your estimate. Florida also requires each estimate and contract to state the mover’s registration number, and each advertisement to include it. If you cannot find a registration number on the company’s website, ads, or paperwork, ask for it.
For a move to or from another state
Use FMCSA’s Protect Your Move tools at fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move to search for the company. The record shows whether the company is registered as a mover or a broker and whether it is authorized to transport household goods.
Why a USDOT number alone is not enough
A USDOT number shows that a company is registered with FMCSA. It does not, by itself, show that the company is authorized to move household goods across state lines, that its insurance is current, or that it does good work. Check the record details, then move on to estimates and reviews.
Questions to Ask About Every Estimate
Florida law requires an intrastate estimate to include an itemized breakdown of all costs and services, the forms of payment the mover accepts, and the address where your goods will be held if they are not delivered right away. Use these questions to compare estimates fairly:
- Is the estimate based on an in-home or video walkthrough, or only on a phone conversation?
- How is the move priced: by the hour, a flat price, or weight and distance?
- What is included, and what costs extra? Ask about travel time, stairs, elevators, long carries from the truck, packing, materials, disassembly and reassembly, and storage.
- Is there a minimum charge?
- How much is the deposit, and when is it refundable?
- What are the cancellation and rescheduling terms, including for weather?
- What happens to the price if your inventory changes?
- For interstate moves, is the estimate binding or non-binding?
- For long-distance moves, what is the pickup and delivery window?
- What payment methods do you accept? In Florida, a mover must accept at least two of three categories: cash or equivalents, personal checks, and credit cards.
If your building requires paperwork from the mover, add it to your questions. Our guide to condo certificate of insurance requirements explains what to ask.
Valuation Coverage Is Not the Same as Insurance
Valuation describes how much the mover is responsible for if your belongings are lost or damaged. It is not an insurance policy, and the default level can be low.
- Within Florida: A mover may not limit its liability below 60 cents per pound per article. If it limits liability, it must tell you the rate in writing before the move. If it offers extra valuation coverage, it must disclose the cost, the rate, and your right to decline it. Florida also requires movers to carry at least $10,000 in liability insurance per shipment for loss or damage caused by negligence, or an approved bond for movers with two or fewer vehicles.
- Across state lines: Full Value Protection makes the mover responsible for repairing, replacing, or paying the current value of lost or damaged items, though it can limit liability for items worth more than $100 per pound unless you list them. Released Value costs nothing extra but pays no more than 60 cents per pound per article. A 25-pound television would be worth $15.
- Separate insurance: Ask your insurance agent whether your homeowners, renters, or condo policy covers belongings in transit or storage, or whether separate moving insurance makes sense.
For interstate moves, FMCSA notes you generally have nine months from delivery to file a written claim.
Mover or Broker: Find Out Who Will Do the Work
A mover loads, transports, and unloads your belongings. A moving broker arranges the move with a mover and is paid to do so. Brokers are legal when registered, but you need to know which one you are dealing with.
Florida rules for brokers on moves within the state are specific. A broker may not give you an estimate or contract that sets out the total cost of your move, must state at the top of its documents that it is not a mover, and must give you a list of the registered movers it works with.
Ask every company:
- Will your own employees and trucks perform my move?
- Whose name will appear on the contract, the bill of lading, and the truck?
- Will any part of the move be handed to another company?
Reviews, Complaint Patterns, and Warning Signs
Read recent reviews on more than one platform and look for patterns rather than single comments. Repeated reports of price increases on moving day, late arrivals, or slow damage claims matter more than one bad review. Notice how the company responds to criticism.
These warning signs come up again and again in consumer guidance from FMCSA and Florida regulators:
- A quote given without any walkthrough of your belongings
- A large cash deposit before the move
- A price far below every other estimate
- No physical address, no registration number, or no insurance information
- A phone answered with a generic phrase such as “movers” instead of a company name
- Pressure to sign blank or incomplete paperwork
- For interstate moves, no copy of the federal “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” booklet
Florida law also gives you specific protections. A mover may never refuse to release prescription medicines or children’s items, such as children’s furniture, clothing, and toys. It may not hold your goods once you have paid the amount in your signed estimate or contract. Movers must also disclose in writing, before the move, if a worker with access to your home has been convicted of certain serious felonies.
Access, Inventory, and Written Records
An estimate can only be as accurate as the information behind it. Tell each mover about stairs, elevators, building move hours, long walks from parking, and heavy or fragile items. Show every room, including the garage, attic, and storage closets.
Keep these records together until any claim is settled:
- The signed estimate and contract or bill of lading
- The inventory, if one is prepared
- Your valuation choice in writing
- Building approvals and insurance certificates
- Photos of valuable items before the move
A Side-by-Side Comparison Checklist
Print this table or copy it into a spreadsheet and fill in one column for each mover.
| What to compare | Mover 1 | Mover 2 | Mover 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration number checked (FDACS or FMCSA) | |||
| Mover or broker | |||
| Walkthrough completed (in person or video) | |||
| Pricing method | |||
| Estimated total | |||
| Itemized extras listed | |||
| Deposit amount and refund terms | |||
| Cancellation and weather rescheduling terms | |||
| Valuation options and cost | |||
| Accepted forms of payment | |||
| Can meet building requirements | |||
| Packing, storage, or assembly offered | |||
| Review patterns and response to complaints | |||
| Physical business address confirmed |
Comparing Movers on the Emerald Coast?
If you are planning a move in Northwest Florida, you can request a free estimate from us and compare it using the checklist above. Learn more about our local moving estimates and long-distance moving service, or read about when to book movers.