Indiana long distance
Long-distance moving companies in Indiana
Indiana Department of Revenue, Motor Carrier Services requires Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for household goods work inside Indiana. Indiana does not publish a household goods authority lookup we have confirmed. Confirm an Indiana Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity with Motor Carrier Services on 317-615-7200, option 3 then option 1 for passenger and household goods. 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 Indiana?
Indiana Department of Revenue, Motor Carrier Services regulates household goods movers operating inside Indiana. Movers are licensed under Indiana Code 8-2.1-22, with the tariff rule at IC 8-2.1-22-23. Moves crossing the Indiana state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
Source: Indiana Department of Revenue, Motor Carrier Services
What authorisation must an Indiana mover hold?
A mover doing work inside Indiana must hold the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, issued by Indiana Department of Revenue, Motor Carrier Services. It exists specifically for household goods movers, whatever its title. The requirement sits in Indiana Code 8-2.1-22, with the tariff rule at IC 8-2.1-22-23. An interstate carrier holding only a federal USDOT number is not authorised for Indiana intrastate work by that number alone.
Source: Agency licensing page
How can I verify an Indiana mover before booking?
Indiana does not publish a household goods authority lookup we have confirmed. Confirm an Indiana Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity with Motor Carrier Services on 317-615-7200, option 3 then option 1 for passenger and household goods. For a move leaving Indiana, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
Verify by phone: 317-615-7200, option 3 then option 1 for passenger and household goodsFMCSA SAFER
Does Indiana regulate what movers can charge?
Indiana requires each mover to file its own rates rather than setting a ceiling. The mechanism is Tariff filed with the Department of Revenue, which the carrier may not charge outside of, so the rates are public and enforceable against the mover that filed them, but Indiana does not cap them. Rates on a move that leaves Indiana are not set by the state.
Source: Indiana Department of Revenue, Motor Carrier Services
Can an Indiana mover charge something that is not in its tariff?
No. Under Indiana Code section 8-2.1-22-23 a business may not charge anything that is not included in its tariff, and the Indiana Department of Revenue keeps that tariff on file and makes it available to the public on request. Where an Indiana mover changes its tariff, the changed tariff must be resubmitted with an effective date, so the filed document is the price list the move is billed against.
Source: Indiana DOR intrastate passenger and household goods authority
Is a pending Indiana application enough to move my things?
No. Indiana applications for intrastate household goods authority take 30 to 60 days to process, and during that time the applicant is not authorised to transport. Once granted, Indiana authority must be renewed every year by 30 November. An Indiana mover describing its authority as applied for is telling you it may not lawfully carry the load.
Source: Indiana DOR intrastate passenger and household goods authority
What does Indiana require of a permitted mover?
Indiana Department of Revenue, Motor Carrier Services publishes what applies to a company moving household goods in Indiana. Each of the following comes from the agency's own pages:
- Indiana intrastate household goods authority must be renewed every year by 30 November.
Indiana Department of Revenue, Motor Carrier Services moving companies pageIndiana consumer information for movers
What is different about an interstate move from Indiana?
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 Indiana 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 Indiana licensing
- https://www.in.gov/dor/motor-carrier-services/usdot-and-ucr/indiana-intrastate-passenger-and-household-good-authority/
- https://www.in.gov/dor/motor-carrier-services/
- https://www.in.gov/dor/motor-carrier-services/files/cmv-guidebook.pdf
Last verified against agency pages: 2026-08-11
What does the federal count say about Indiana?
Of the 958 household goods registrants filed at a Indianaaddress, 509 carry the federal census classification for interstate operations. That is 53% of the state-address total. The other 449 do not carry that classification in this snapshot. Neither group is a list of movers serving every address inIndiana: 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 inIndiana without interstate classification does not substitute for that check.
How many licensed moving companies are registered in Indiana?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 958 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Indiana, and 509 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a Indiana address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in Indiana. An interstate move into or out of Indiana 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 Indiana move?
The dividing line is the shipment, not the mover's office. A move that begins and ends inside Indianafollows the state authorisation described above. A move from Indiana 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.