Michigan long distance
Long-distance moving companies in Michigan
Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section requires CVED Authority, intrastate operating authority for household goods for household goods work inside Michigan. The state publishes the Michigan CVED motor carrier authority search. 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 Michigan?
Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section regulates household goods movers operating inside Michigan, and sits within the Michigan State Police. Movers are licensed under Motor Carrier Act, Public Act 254 of 1933. Moves crossing the Michigan state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
Source: Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section
What authorisation must a Michigan mover hold?
A mover doing work inside Michigan must hold the CVED Authority, intrastate operating authority for household goods, issued by Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section. It exists specifically for household goods movers, whatever its title. The requirement sits in Motor Carrier Act, Public Act 254 of 1933. An interstate carrier holding only a federal USDOT number is not authorised for Michigan intrastate work by that number alone.
Source: Agency licensing page
How can I verify a Michigan mover before booking?
Search the company by name or licence number in the Michigan CVED motor carrier authority search, and confirm the record shows an active status. For a move leaving Michigan, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
Michigan licence lookupVerify by phone: 517-284-3250, option 4 then option 1Verify by email: MSP-CVED-RCS@michigan.govFMCSA SAFER
Does Michigan regulate what movers can charge?
Above 40 miles, yes; at or below it, no. Michigan treats a move of 40 miles or less between origin and destination as unregulated, charged by the hour at a negotiable rate, and regulates a move over 40 miles on weight and mileage, with tariff bureau membership required of the carrier unless it is working under a continuous contract.
So the distance of the move, not the state line, decides whether a Michigan price is a regulated one. Ask which side of 40 miles your move falls on before comparing quotes, because an hourly rate under the boundary and a weight-and-mileage rate above it are not comparable numbers. Rates on a move that leaves Michigan are not set by the state at any distance.
Source: Michigan State Police CVED, household goods move tips
How do I file a complaint against a Michigan mover?
Complaints about a move inside Michigan go to Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section through MSP-CVED-RCS@michigan.gov, 517-284-3250. A complaint about a move that crossed the Michigan state line goes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the National Consumer Complaint Database instead.
Are Michigan moving rates regulated?
It depends on the distance. Michigan treats a move of 40 miles or less between origin and destination as unregulated: the mover may charge by the hour and the rate is negotiable. On a move over 40 miles the rates are regulated and set on weight and mileage, with supplemental charges for packing, unpacking, stairs and lifts, and the customer must be given a non-binding estimate. The 40-mile line, not the state line, is what changes how a Michigan move is priced.
Source: Michigan State Police CVED, household goods move tips
How much do you pay a Michigan mover on delivery if the bill exceeds the estimate?
110 percent of the non-binding estimate, with the rest due later. The Michigan State Police state that under the Motor Carrier Act a mover may request payment before the truck is unloaded, and that where charges exceed the non-binding estimate the customer pays 110 percent of the estimate at delivery and the balance within 30 days. Claims for loss or damage must be filed in writing within 30 days.
Source: Michigan State Police CVED, household goods move tips
What does Michigan require of a permitted mover?
Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section publishes what applies to a company moving household goods in Michigan. Each of the following comes from the agency's own pages:
- Michigan household goods carriers renew CVED Authority every year between 1 October and 1 December, and authority not renewed by 1 January is revoked.
- A Michigan household goods applicant files a Form H cargo certificate on top of the Form E liability certificate every intrastate carrier files.
Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section moving companies pageHow to apply for Michigan moving authorityMichigan consumer information for movers
What is different about an interstate move from Michigan?
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 Michigan 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 Michigan licensing
- https://www.michigan.gov/msp/divisions/cved/regulatory
- https://www.michigan.gov/msp/divisions/cved/regulatory/key-tips-to-protecting-your-household-goods-move
- https://mspcapsearch.state.mi.us/
Last verified against agency pages: 2026-08-11
What does the federal count say about Michigan?
Of the 2,860 household goods registrants filed at a Michiganaddress, 521 carry the federal census classification for interstate operations. That is 18% of the state-address total. The other 2,339 do not carry that classification in this snapshot. Neither group is a list of movers serving every address inMichigan: 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 inMichigan without interstate classification does not substitute for that check.
How many licensed moving companies are registered in Michigan?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 2,860 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Michigan, and 521 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a Michigan address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in Michigan. An interstate move into or out of Michigan 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 Michigan move?
The dividing line is the shipment, not the mover's office. A move that begins and ends inside Michiganfollows the state authorisation described above. A move from Michigan 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.