Colorado long distance
Long-distance moving companies in Colorado
Colorado Public Utilities Commission requires Household Goods Mover permit for household goods work inside Colorado. Colorado permit numbers carry the letters HHG. Confirm a Colorado household goods mover permit through the PUC online permit search, or by calling the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on 303-894-2070. 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 Colorado?
Colorado Public Utilities Commission regulates household goods movers operating inside Colorado, and sits within the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies. Movers are licensed under Title 40, Article 10.1, C.R.S.. The operating rules sit in 4 CCR 723-6, Household Goods Mover and Property Carrier Rules 6600 to 6624. Moves crossing the Colorado state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
What authorisation must a Colorado mover hold?
A mover doing work inside Colorado must hold the Household Goods Mover permit, issued by Colorado Public Utilities Commission. It exists specifically for household goods movers, whatever its title. The requirement sits in Title 40, Article 10.1, C.R.S.. An interstate carrier holding only a federal USDOT number is not authorised for Colorado intrastate work by that number alone.
Source: Agency licensing page
How can I verify a Colorado mover before booking?
Colorado permit numbers carry the letters HHG. Confirm a Colorado household goods mover permit through the PUC online permit search, or by calling the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on 303-894-2070. For a move leaving Colorado, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
Verify by phone: 303-894-2070FMCSA SAFER
Does a Colorado mover have to put its permit number in the contract?
Yes. Under C.R.S. section 40-10.1-505(3), every contract a Colorado household goods mover writes must include the phrase "(name of mover) is permitted with the public utilities commission of the state of Colorado as a mover. Permit no. ___." A Colorado moving contract with no permit number in it is missing something the statute requires, and Colorado permit numbers carry the letters HHG.
Source: Colorado PUC movers page
What must a Colorado mover give me before the work starts?
A signed consumer advisement. At or before commencing work, a Colorado household goods mover must leave a consumer advisement with the shipper, retain a signed and dated copy of it for at least three years, and produce that copy to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission on request. The commission also states that no moving company in Colorado may withhold a customer's property to force payment.
Source: Colorado PUC household goods movers consumer information
What happens if I dispute a Colorado mover's charges?
Colorado gives the shipper binding arbitration. Where a shipper and a Colorado household goods mover disagree about the amount charged, or about goods lost or damaged in the move, the mover must offer the shipper binding arbitration under C.R.S. section 40-10.1-507. The offer is the mover's obligation in Colorado, not a concession the consumer has to negotiate for.
Source: Colorado PUC movers page
What does Colorado require of a permitted mover?
Colorado Public Utilities Commission publishes what applies to a company moving household goods in Colorado. Each of the following comes from the agency's own pages:
- Colorado household goods mover permit numbers carry the letters HHG, so the permit number a Colorado mover quotes should contain them.
- The Colorado Public Utilities Commission household goods mover permit fee is $332 from 1 November 2025, previously $325.
- The Colorado household goods operating rules sit in 4 CCR 723-6, Household Goods Mover and Property Carrier Rules 6600 to 6624.
Colorado Public Utilities Commission moving companies pageColorado consumer information for movers
What is different about an interstate move from Colorado?
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 Colorado 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 Colorado licensing
- https://puc.colorado.gov/movers
- https://puc.colorado.gov/household-goods-movers-consumer-info
- https://puc.colorado.gov/household-goods-moving-resources
Last verified against agency pages: 2026-08-11
What does the federal count say about Colorado?
Of the 2,355 household goods registrants filed at a Coloradoaddress, 404 carry the federal census classification for interstate operations. That is 17% of the state-address total. The other 1,951 do not carry that classification in this snapshot. Neither group is a list of movers serving every address inColorado: 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 inColorado without interstate classification does not substitute for that check.
How many licensed moving companies are registered in Colorado?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 2,355 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Colorado, and 404 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a Colorado address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in Colorado. An interstate move into or out of Colorado 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 Colorado move?
The dividing line is the shipment, not the mover's office. A move that begins and ends inside Coloradofollows the state authorisation described above. A move from Colorado 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.