California long distance
Long-distance moving companies in California
Bureau of Household Goods and Services requires Household Movers (HHM) permit, commonly called a Cal-T number for household goods work inside California. The state publishes the public lookup. 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 California?
Bureau of Household Goods and Services regulates household goods movers operating inside California, and sits within the California Department of Consumer Affairs. Movers are licensed under Household Movers Act, California Business and Professions Code section 19225.5 et seq.. Moves crossing the California state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
What authorisation must a California mover hold?
A mover doing work inside California must hold the Household Movers (HHM) permit, commonly called a Cal-T number, issued by Bureau of Household Goods and Services. It exists specifically for household goods movers, whatever its title. The requirement sits in Household Movers Act, California Business and Professions Code section 19225.5 et seq.. An interstate carrier holding only a federal USDOT number is not authorised for California intrastate work by that number alone.
Source: Agency licensing page
How can I verify a California mover before booking?
Search the company by name or licence number in the Bureau of Household Goods and Services public licence lookup, and confirm the record shows an active status. For a move leaving California, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
Does California regulate what movers can charge?
Yes, for moves inside the state. California sets a ceiling through Maximum Rate Tariff 4, and a mover may charge less than the prescribed rates but may not exceed them. Rates on a move that leaves California are not set by the state.
How do I file a complaint against a California mover?
Complaints about a move inside California go to Bureau of Household Goods and Services through Bureau of Household Goods and Services consumer complaint process. A complaint about a move that crossed the California state line goes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the National Consumer Complaint Database instead.
California complaint channelFMCSA National Consumer Complaint Database
Which agency governs a California mover today?
The Bureau of Household Goods and Services, and not since long. Responsibility for household goods movers in California moved from the California Public Utilities Commission to the Bureau of Household Goods and Services with effect from 1 July 2018. Guidance written before that date names the earlier agency, so a page telling you to contact the California Public Utilities Commission about a California mover is out of date rather than wrong about the state.
What is different about an interstate move from California?
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 California 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 California licensing
- https://bhgs.dca.ca.gov/
- https://bhgs.dca.ca.gov/enforcement/lookup.shtml
- https://bhgs.dca.ca.gov/consumers/movers.shtml
- https://bhgs.dca.ca.gov/licensee/ab2956.pdf
Last verified against agency pages: 2026-08-09
What does the federal count say about California?
Of the 6,941 household goods registrants filed at a Californiaaddress, 1,624 carry the federal census classification for interstate operations. That is 23% of the state-address total. The other 5,317 do not carry that classification in this snapshot. Neither group is a list of movers serving every address inCalifornia: 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 inCalifornia without interstate classification does not substitute for that check.
How many licensed moving companies are registered in California?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 6,941 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in California, and 1,624 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a California address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in California. An interstate move into or out of California 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 California move?
The dividing line is the shipment, not the mover's office. A move that begins and ends inside Californiafollows the state authorisation described above. A move from California 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.