Ohio long distance
Long-distance moving companies in Ohio
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) requires state mover authorisation for household goods work inside Ohio. PUCO publishes no confirmed public household-goods lookup. Verify an Ohio carrier's certificate number through the PUCO call centre on 1-800-686-7826. 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 Ohio?
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) regulates household goods movers operating inside Ohio. Moves crossing the Ohio state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
How can I verify an Ohio mover before booking?
PUCO publishes no confirmed public household-goods lookup. Verify an Ohio carrier's certificate number through the PUCO call centre on 1-800-686-7826. For a move leaving Ohio, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
Verify by phone: 1-800-686-7826FMCSA SAFER
Does Ohio regulate what movers can charge?
Ohio requires each mover to file its own rates rather than setting a ceiling. The mechanism is Household goods carrier tariffs are filed and docketed with PUCO, so the rates are public and enforceable against the mover that filed them, but Ohio does not cap them. Rates on a move that leaves Ohio are not set by the state.
How do I file a complaint against an Ohio mover?
Complaints about a move inside Ohio go to Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) through PUCO call centre on 1-800-686-7826, weekdays 8am to 5pm; 7-1-1 relay for hearing or speech impaired callers. A complaint about a move that crossed the Ohio state line goes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the National Consumer Complaint Database instead.
What does Ohio require of a permitted mover?
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) publishes what applies to a company moving household goods in Ohio. Each of the following comes from the agency's own pages:
- Every Ohio household goods carrier must include in every advertisement its name or trade name, address, telephone number, and the certificate number assigned by the commission, in the format "PUCO No. _____". An advertisement means any communication to the public in connection with an offer or sale of intrastate transportation service.
- An Ohio household goods carrier must acknowledge receipt of a claim within fifteen days of receiving it and must respond to that claim within thirty days.
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) moving companies pageOhio consumer information for movers
What is different about an interstate move from Ohio?
FMCSA. PUCO does not regulate moves between states. A Ohio 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 Ohio licensing
- https://puco.ohio.gov/transportation/movers
- https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/puco.ohio.gov/empliibrary/files/docketing/tariffs/Household%20Goods%20Carriers/Ohio%20Association%20of%20Movers%20Inc%20Agent/OAM%20TARIFF%2054%20REVISION%201.pdf
Last verified against agency pages: 2026-08-10
What does the federal count say about Ohio?
Of the 1,718 household goods registrants filed at a Ohioaddress, 734 carry the federal census classification for interstate operations. That is 43% of the state-address total. The other 984 do not carry that classification in this snapshot. Neither group is a list of movers serving every address inOhio: 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 inOhio without interstate classification does not substitute for that check.
How many licensed moving companies are registered in Ohio?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 1,718 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Ohio, and 734 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a Ohio address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in Ohio. An interstate move into or out of Ohio 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 Ohio move?
The dividing line is the shipment, not the mover's office. A move that begins and ends inside Ohiofollows the state authorisation described above. A move from Ohio 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.