Alabama long distance
Long-distance moving companies in Alabama
Alabama Public Service Commission, Transportation Division, Motor Carrier Services Section requires Intrastate authority for household goods for household goods work inside Alabama. Alabama publishes application forms and rules rather than a public register we have verified, so an Alabama certificate is confirmed with the Motor Carrier Services Section on 334-242-5176 or at mcs.ued@psc.alabama.gov. A move crossing the state line requires a separate federal check.
Researched and written by Grant Holloway · Reviewed by Amanda Brooks · Last reviewed August 2026
Who regulates moving companies in Alabama?
Alabama Public Service Commission, Transportation Division, Motor Carrier Services Section regulates household goods movers operating inside Alabama, and sits within the Alabama Public Service Commission. Movers are licensed under Alabama Motor Carrier Act, Alabama Code Title 37 Chapter 3. Moves crossing the Alabama state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
Source: Alabama Public Service Commission, Transportation Division, Motor Carrier Services Section
What authorisation must an Alabama mover hold?
A mover doing work inside Alabama must hold the Intrastate authority for household goods, issued by Alabama Public Service Commission, Transportation Division, Motor Carrier Services Section. It exists specifically for household goods movers, whatever its title. The requirement sits in Alabama Motor Carrier Act, Alabama Code Title 37 Chapter 3. An interstate carrier holding only a federal USDOT number is not authorised for Alabama intrastate work by that number alone.
Source: Agency licensing page
How can I verify an Alabama mover before booking?
Alabama publishes application forms and rules rather than a public register we have verified, so an Alabama certificate is confirmed with the Motor Carrier Services Section on 334-242-5176 or at mcs.ued@psc.alabama.gov. For a move leaving Alabama, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
Verify by phone: 334-242-5176Verify by email: mcs.ued@psc.alabama.govFMCSA SAFER
Does Alabama regulate what movers can charge?
Yes, for moves inside the state. Alabama sets a ceiling through Approved tariff on file with the Commission, setting the rates, fares, charges, rules and regulations for the service, and a mover may charge less than the prescribed rates but may not exceed them. Rates on a move that leaves Alabama are not set by the state.
Source: Alabama Public Service Commission, Transportation Division, Motor Carrier Services Section
How do I file a complaint against an Alabama mover?
Complaints about a move inside Alabama go to Alabama Public Service Commission, Transportation Division, Motor Carrier Services Section through mcs.ued@psc.alabama.gov, 334-242-5176. A complaint about a move that crossed the Alabama state line goes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the National Consumer Complaint Database instead.
Does Alabama license the company that arranges the move as well as the one that drives it?
Yes. The Alabama Public Service Commission states that a broker's licence is required when an individual arranges the transportation of property for compensation within the state, and that brokers must file a surety bond rather than the cargo insurance a carrier files. Alabama therefore regulates the booking party and the carrier as two separate trades, which most states do not do at the state level.
What does an Alabama household goods carrier have to file each year?
An annual report, due on or before 30 April. The Commission uses it to verify that the intrastate carrier is still trading, that its name and contact details are unchanged, and it includes a financial statement. Alabama also sets minimum insurance for property carriers at $100,000 per person and $300,000 for more than one, with $50,000 for property that is not cargo, and cargo cover of $5,000.
What does Alabama require of a permitted mover?
Alabama Public Service Commission, Transportation Division, Motor Carrier Services Section publishes what applies to a company moving household goods in Alabama. Each of the following comes from the agency's own pages:
- An Alabama household goods carrier must have an approved tariff on file with the Commission, and that tariff is what sets its rates, charges and rules of service.
Alabama Public Service Commission, Transportation Division, Motor Carrier Services Section moving companies pageHow to apply for Alabama moving authorityAlabama consumer information for movers
What is different about an interstate move from Alabama?
Moves crossing a state line are authorised by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration under a USDOT number and interstate household goods operating authority. A Alabama state licence does not cover that work, and the federal record is the one to check: confirm the USDOT number is active and authorised for household goods before paying a deposit.
Sources for Alabama licensing
- https://psc.alabama.gov/motor-carrier-section/
- https://psc.alabama.gov/motor-carrier-applications-forms/
- https://psc.alabama.gov/insurance-requirements-for-intrastate-authority/
Last verified against agency pages: 2026-08-11
What does the federal count say about Alabama?
Of the 1,188 household goods registrants filed at a Alabamaaddress, 343 carry the federal census classification for interstate operations. That is 29% of the state-address total. The other 845 do not carry that classification in this snapshot. Neither group is a list of movers serving every address inAlabama: headquarters location and service area are different facts.
A consumer should use the count as context, not as a shortlist. Ask for the USDOT number of the company that will transport the shipment, match its legal or trade name to the written estimate, and confirm granted household goods authority close to pickup. A broker registration, a state-only filing, or a carrier based inAlabama without interstate classification does not substitute for that check.
How many licensed moving companies are registered in Alabama?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 1,188 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Alabama, and 343 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a Alabama address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in Alabama. An interstate move into or out of Alabama can be performed by a carrier registered in any state.
FMCSA motor carrier census, Company Census FileData as of 2026-08-10
Which record applies to a Alabama move?
The dividing line is the shipment, not the mover's office. A move that begins and ends inside Alabamafollows the state authorisation described above. A move from Alabama to another state follows federal interstate rules. When one company offers both, check both records independently and make sure the name on the estimate matches the entity holding the authority for that trip.