Movers in North Dakota charge about $85 to $130 per hour for a two-person crew on local jobs, and a two-bedroom interstate move from North Dakota is estimated at $2,700 to $6,300. Intrastate movers in North Dakota are licensed by the North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services, while any company moving household goods across state lines must hold FMCSA operating authority. Peak demand runs May to August, when quotes sit at the top of those ranges. BestMovers.info compares 182 licensed carriers serving North Dakota, with pricing data as of May 2026.
Key facts
Local rate, two movers
$85 to $130 per hour
2-bedroom interstate
$2,700 to $6,300
Intrastate regulator
North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services
Interstate licensing
FMCSA USDOT and MC authority
Peak season
May–August
Cities covered
0
Carriers compared
182
Pricing data as of
May 2026
Bottom line
Compare moving companies, Federal Records, and moving resources for North Dakota. BestMovers.info publishes no numeric score, star rating or ranked order.
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Updated August 2026 Reviewed by Amanda Brooks6 companies analyzed
What moving in North Dakota actually looks like
The Midwest calendar sets North Dakota pricing: May–August is peak, November–March is the discount window, and the gap between them is 15% to 25% on an identical job.
Two crew members at standard rates run roughly $108/hr in most of the state, with downtown high-rise jobs and gated communities pulling toward the upper end. A typical 2-bedroom interstate move out of North Dakota settles around $4,500, though distance and packing services swing that meaningfully.
Local quirks worth pricing in: winter pickups that can slip a day after snowstorms, and a strong August student-move surge. None of these are dealbreakers, but they show up in the final bill if you don't ask about them upfront.
Verification in North Dakota runs through the North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services. A common motor carrier of household goods operating in North Dakota must hold the household goods carrier permit required by NDCC Chapter 39-31, issued by the Department of Transportation rather than by the Public Service Commission. The authorisation is a North Dakota household goods carrier permit. Interstate carriers additionally need active FMCSA authority, which you can check on SAFER by USDOT number.
Pay by card, never cash, so a disputed charge has a route back through the issuer.
North Dakota runs its heaviest volume May–August, and its metro areas feed most of that demand out of and around Bismarck. Population sits near 0.8 million, which is what sets how deep the local crew pool actually is in November–March.
How we select movers for this state
Nothing appears on this North Dakota page without a public record behind it. A company is listed here when it is headquartered in North Dakota or its record shows coverage of the state, and when we can describe it from sourced fields: federal registration, operating authority, founding year, and service coverage. We publish no numeric score and rank nobody first.
Which company suits your move is a question of scope and date, not of a score: BestMovers.info publishes no numeric score, star rating or ranked order. The pricing model behind the estimates on this page is dated May 2026.
Pricing
North Dakota moving cost snapshot
Two movers, ground-floor access, standard packing. Peak season in North Dakota is May–August.
Home size
Local move
Interstate move
Studio
$255–$650
$1,485–$3,780
1 Bedroom
$340–$780
$2,025–$4,914
2 Bedroom
$510–$1,170
$2,700–$6,300
3 Bedroom
$680–$1,560
$3,915–$9,765
4 Bedroom
$935–$2,080
$5,265–$13,545
5+ Bedroom
$1,190–$2,600
$6,480–$17,010
How many licensed moving companies are registered in North Dakota?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 129 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in North Dakota, and 95 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a North Dakota address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in North Dakota. An interstate move into or out of North Dakota can be performed by a carrier registered in any state.
How many households move out of North Dakota each year?
IRS tax return data for filing years 2022 to 2023 records 14,079 returns moving out of North Dakota to another state, and 14,036 moving in, a net loss of 43 returns. A return approximates a household rather than a person. The same filings cover 24,283 individuals leaving and 23,612 arriving.
The states receiving the most North Dakota households were Minnesota (4,007 returns), Texas (920 returns) and Arizona (680 returns).
Arrivals came mainly from Minnesota (4,094 returns), Texas (874 returns) and California (749 returns). These figures count all filers who changed address, not only those who hired a moving company.
North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services regulates household goods movers operating inside North Dakota, and sits within the North Dakota Department of Transportation. Movers are licensed under NDCC Chapter 39-31, Common Household Goods Carriers. Moves crossing the North Dakota state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
What authorisation must a North Dakota mover hold?
A mover doing work inside North Dakota must hold the North Dakota household goods carrier permit, issued by North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services. It exists specifically for household goods movers, whatever its title. The requirement sits in NDCC Chapter 39-31, Common Household Goods Carriers. An interstate carrier holding only a federal USDOT number is not authorised for North Dakota intrastate work by that number alone.
How can I verify a North Dakota mover before booking?
North Dakota publishes the permit application but no public register of permit holders, so a mover's permit is confirmed with Motor Carrier Services on 701-328-1287, where walk-in service is by appointment only. For a move leaving North Dakota, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services: Motor Carrier, ND Department of Transportation, 608 E Boulevard Avenue, Suite 103, Bismarck ND 58505-0791Verify by phone: 701-328-1287FMCSA SAFER
Does North Dakota regulate what movers can charge?
No. North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services registers movers operating in North Dakota but does not set the rates they charge, so North Dakota prices are set by each company. Compare written estimates on identical inventory and access conditions rather than assuming a regulated ceiling exists.
How do I file a complaint against a North Dakota mover?
Complaints about a move inside North Dakota go to North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services through Attorney General Consumer Protection Division complaint form, 701-328-1287 for permit questions. A complaint about a move that crossed the North Dakota state line goes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the National Consumer Complaint Database instead.
Not any more, and the code shows exactly when that changed. NDCC 39-31-10, headed reasonable rates to be made by household goods carriers, now reads only that it was repealed by the 2015 session laws, and the sections that set out the notice, the hearing factors and the conditions on granting a certificate were repealed in the same act. What survives is the permit: North Dakota still decides who may carry household goods, and no longer decides what they may charge for it.
The chapter carves out short local work. The department may regulate common motor carriers of household goods except for transportation provided wholly within a city, or within a distance beyond a city's corporate limits that the department sets. A mover working entirely inside Bismarck or Fargo can therefore be operating lawfully without the state permit, which is why absence of a permit is a question to ask rather than a verdict.
What does North Dakota require of a permitted mover?
North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services publishes what applies to a company moving household goods in North Dakota. Each of the following comes from the agency's own pages:
A North Dakota household goods carrier permit costs $100, a transfer costs a further nonrefundable $100, and the annual filing fee is $35.
A North Dakota application must carry proof of registration with the Secretary of State and either proof of workers' compensation cover or an affidavit of nonemployment, and the department must deny an incomplete application.
A North Dakota permit may be transferred only with the department's approval.
Breach of the North Dakota household goods chapter is an infraction, and the Highway Patrol enforces the chapter with the Attorney General prosecuting or assisting on request.
What is different about an interstate move from North Dakota?
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 North Dakota 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.
What should you check before moving out of North Dakota?
A move that leaves North Dakota is an interstate move and falls under federal authority, so the company needs active operating authority for household goods rather than only a North Dakota licence. A move that stays inside North Dakota is different: it is regulated by North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services, and the company needs North Dakota household goods carrier permit. Check which kind of move you are booking before you compare quotes, because the two are verified in different places.
North Dakota publishes no lookup, so a licence is confirmed by calling North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services on 701-328-1287.
Distance — local moves under 50 miles are billed hourly; cross-state jobs are billed by weight + mileage.
Home size — going from a 1-bedroom to a 3-bedroom roughly doubles crew time and truck space.
Stairs and access — every flight above the first commonly adds $25–$100; long carries from truck to door add similarly.
Packing — full-pack service usually adds 30–45% to a base move; partial packing (kitchen + fragiles only) adds 10–20%.
Season — book a Saturday move in late June and expect to pay 20–30% more than the same job mid-week in February.
Specialty items — pianos, gun safes, large aquariums, and oversized art each carry their own line item.
North Dakota season — quotes inside May–August run at the top of the $85–$130 hourly band; November–March quotes sit near the bottom.
Fuel surcharge — interstate quotes float with diesel pricing, so a quote held for weeks may be re-priced.
North Dakota licensing — North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services handles intrastate oversight, which changes what paperwork you can demand before deposit.
Full-service, labor-only, container, or rental truck
A studio or 1-bedroom in North Dakota rarely justifies full service. Book labor-only at $85 to $130 per hour, rent the truck yourself, and expect the loading to take three to four hours.
Once a household passes three bedrooms, full service is usually the cheaper mistake to avoid. Budget two to three times the labor-only figure; the premium buys equipment, insurance, and a crew that does this daily.
The container route splits the difference. Providers such as PODS, U-Pack, and 1-800-PACK-RAT drop a unit at the curb. You load on your schedule, the company drives. On a North Dakota interstate move the container route is usually cheaper than a full-service van line, because you are supplying the loading labor the carrier would otherwise charge for. Bestmovers.info holds no container rates, so price the provider quote for your own lane and dates. The catch is the delivery window, which is set by the provider rather than promised to you, and limited recourse for damage during loading, since you packed it.
Companies
Moving Companies Based in North Dakota
These companies have a verified headquarters or documented company location in North Dakota. Placement is based on documented location information, not a numeric ranking.
Reile's Transfer & Delivery files from Fargo, North Dakota as a single federal registrant with fifteen power units and fifteen drivers on the federal file, and no parent, franchise network, van-line relationship or related registration was located in the records reviewed. The company publishes household moving alongside freight, transload and warehousing services; those are business lines and this profile does not convert them into federal authority classes. The exact operating-authority classes on the registration were not readable in the sources reviewed, so none is asserted in either direction. The federal file carries a Satisfactory safety rating dated 7 January 2000, which is a dated snapshot and not a current certification. The company states first-party that it has been in business since 1954 and is family owned and operated.
Why is this company shown here?
Reile's Transfer & Delivery is headquartered in North Dakota according to its published company location.
One of the oldest moving brands in the US, Bekins runs an agent-affiliate model similar to Allied, with interstate shipments booked under the Bekins registration and performed by affiliated agents.
Why is this company shown here?
Bekins Moving Solutions publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
USDOT 2256609Indianapolis, IN2BR est. $3,000–$7,000
Budd Van Lines Inc is an independent nationwide carrier rather than an agent of a national van line, which is rare at this size: the federal census records 124 power units and 102 drivers filed from Somerset, New Jersey. Because the company holds its own active common and contract authority with household goods on the licensing record and no broker authority, the entity you contract with is the entity that hauls the shipment. The company's own history pages date the business to 1975.
Why is this company shown here?
Budd Van Lines publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
Colonial Van Lines Inc files from 1441 SW 29th Avenue in Pompano Beach, Florida, active on the federal census with 25 power units, 25 drivers and an MCS-150 filed 21 March 2025. The licensing record carries motor carrier of household goods authority granted 31 March 2010 and motor carrier of property authority recorded as reinstated on 27 June 2025, both active at the time of reading; no broker authority is carried on this registration. The federal file records a Satisfactory safety rating dated 28 June 2021 alongside a compliance review dated 3 October 2012. A safety rating is a dated federal snapshot of the review that produced it, not a current assessment of the company. The company publishes this USDOT number and MC docket in its own website footer, which is how the registration and the brand were joined. Two further registrations filing from the same address, one under the identical legal name and one under a Texas corporate name, are disclosed separately as related registrations rather than merged into this record. The company states it was founded in 2003.
Why is this company shown here?
Colonial Van Lines publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
USDOT 1434373Pompano Beach, FL2BR est. $2,200–$6,500
International Van Lines services overseas destinations in addition to US interstate work. What it is licensed to do federally is set out in the federal record on this page rather than described here.
Why is this company shown here?
International Van Lines publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
USDOT 2293832Coral Springs, FL2BR est. $2,700–$6,400
Mayflower Transit is the second large UniGroup brand alongside United Van Lines and runs full-service interstate moves through an agent network under its own federal registration.
Why is this company shown here?
Mayflower Transit publishes broad nationwide moving service on its own site. It is shown separately from companies based in this area and its presence here is not evidence of a local office.
A demand for cash deposit over $100 before move day. Reputable carriers bill on or after delivery.
A quote without a USDOT number on the paperwork. No USDOT means no FMCSA accountability if something goes wrong.
A "binding" estimate with no inventory list attached. Without inventory, the binding part is meaningless.
Refusal to do a video survey or in-home estimate for moves over 5,000 lb.
A blank Bill of Lading on move day. Sign nothing blank. Ever.
A name change in the last 12 months on the FMCSA record. It often signals a previous carrier under a complaint cloud.
No North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services credential on an intrastate North Dakota job. State-licensed work requires it, and the agency publishes the register.
An hourly quote far under $85 in North Dakota. Below-market rates on a local job usually reappear as stair, carry, or materials charges on the invoice.
An eight-week timeline that actually works in North Dakota
Eight weeks out: get three written quotes. Two should be in-home or video surveys. One online quote is fine for comparison only — it will rarely be the binding number.
Six weeks out: book the carrier. Ask for binding-not-to-exceed pricing in writing. Confirm valuation coverage (released vs. full-value protection — there is a real difference if a TV gets dropped).
Four weeks out: order packing supplies if you're self-packing. Boxes go on sale at U-Haul and Home Depot in late winter and late summer.
Two weeks out: confirm parking, building COIs, and elevator reservations at both ends. North Dakota buildings vary wildly here — some need 72 hours notice, some 30 days.
One week out: pack a personal essentials box (medications, chargers, three days of clothes, toilet paper, coffee, scissors, the lease/closing folder) and keep it with you, not on the truck.
Move day: walk the truck before driver pulls away. Sign the Bill of Lading only after the inventory list matches. First week in the new place, file any damage claim within nine months — that's the federal interstate window.
Where in North Dakota you're moving matters
North Dakota pricing varies by metro. Downtown cores with high-rise residential typically run 10–20% above the state median because of COI requirements, freight elevator wait time, and tighter parking. Suburban single-family moves usually land near the median. Rural pickups outside metro service areas often add a per-mile travel fee from the nearest depot.
Frequently asked questions
How much do movers cost in North Dakota?
Local moves in North Dakota are estimated at $315–$2,480 depending on home size, while an interstate move out of North Dakota is estimated at $3,000–$7,000 for a two-bedroom household. Distance, packing services, and the time of year all shift those numbers.
When is the cheapest time to move in North Dakota?
October through April is generally the cheapest window in North Dakota — most movers cut rates 15–25% outside the May-to-September peak. Mid-month, mid-week pickups give the biggest discounts.
Are moving companies in North Dakota licensed and insured?
All interstate moving companies must register with the FMCSA and carry a USDOT number. North Dakota also requires intrastate movers to register with the state — verify any quote against the FMCSA SAFER tool before signing.
Should I tip movers in North Dakota?
Tipping is customary but not required. A typical tip in North Dakota is $20–$40 per mover for a half-day local job, or $50–$100 per mover for a full day or long-distance move.
How far in advance should I book a mover in North Dakota?
Book 4–6 weeks ahead for moves between May and September. For off-peak fall and winter moves in North Dakota, two weeks is usually enough notice.
What's the difference between binding and non-binding estimates?
A binding estimate locks in your price based on the inventory at the time of the survey — the mover can't charge more on move day for the same items. Non-binding estimates can change based on actual weight or volume. For ND interstate moves, request binding-not-to-exceed quotes whenever possible.
Who licenses movers in North Dakota
Intrastate household-goods movers in North Dakota are licensed by the North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services. A common motor carrier of household goods operating in North Dakota must hold the household goods carrier permit required by NDCC Chapter 39-31, issued by the Department of Transportation rather than by the Public Service Commission. The authorisation is a North Dakota household goods carrier permit.
How we evaluate moving companies: we verify federal registration and operating authority against FMCSA records, record carrier or broker classification, note state licensing where a state regulator publishes it, and state the limits of what we could source. No numeric score, star rating or ranked order is produced from those checks. Read full methodology
