Pennsylvania long distance
Long-distance moving companies in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement requires Certificate of Public Convenience for household goods work inside Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania publishes its list of carriers holding PUC operating authority on the commission website. The confirmed route to verify a specific Pennsylvania mover is the Public Utility Commission on 717-783-5010. 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 Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement regulates household goods movers operating inside Pennsylvania, and sits within the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Movers are licensed under Pennsylvania Public Utility Code, 66 Pa.C.S., with penalties at 66 Pa.C.S. section 3310. The operating rules sit in 52 Pa. Code Chapter 31, Motor Carrier Property and Household Goods Transportation. Moves crossing the Pennsylvania state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
Source: Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement
What authorisation must a Pennsylvania mover hold?
A mover doing work inside Pennsylvania must hold the Certificate of Public Convenience, issued by Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement. It exists specifically for household goods movers, whatever its title. The requirement sits in Pennsylvania Public Utility Code, 66 Pa.C.S., with penalties at 66 Pa.C.S. section 3310. An interstate carrier holding only a federal USDOT number is not authorised for Pennsylvania intrastate work by that number alone.
Source: Agency licensing page
How can I verify a Pennsylvania mover before booking?
Pennsylvania publishes its list of carriers holding PUC operating authority on the commission website. The confirmed route to verify a specific Pennsylvania mover is the Public Utility Commission on 717-783-5010. For a move leaving Pennsylvania, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement: 400 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120Verify by phone: 717-783-5010FMCSA SAFER
Does Pennsylvania regulate what movers can charge?
Pennsylvania requires each mover to file its own rates rather than setting a ceiling. The mechanism is Rates on file with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, which movers are required by law to charge, so the rates are public and enforceable against the mover that filed them, but Pennsylvania does not cap them. Rates on a move that leaves Pennsylvania are not set by the state.
Source: Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement
How do I file a complaint against a Pennsylvania mover?
Complaints about a move inside Pennsylvania go to Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement through Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission consumer line, 1-800-692-7380. A complaint about a move that crossed the Pennsylvania state line goes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the National Consumer Complaint Database instead.
What is the penalty for moving in Pennsylvania without a certificate?
Pennsylvania sets the penalty in statute. Under 66 Pa.C.S. section 3310, the administrative penalty for providing household goods moving service within Pennsylvania without a Certificate of Public Convenience from the Public Utility Commission is $5,000 for a first violation and $10,000 for a second or subsequent violation. The certificate is the authority the commission issues to move household goods between points inside Pennsylvania.
Source: Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission enforcement document
Does a Pennsylvania mover have to inventory my belongings?
A Pennsylvania mover must inventory everything, unless the move is short. The carrier must complete a detailed inventory listing all items to be moved and the condition of each. A consumer moving within Pennsylvania may waive that inventory requirement only for a move of 40 miles or less, so on a longer Pennsylvania move the inventory is not optional.
Source: PUC consumer tips regarding household movers (page last updated 1 January 2019)
What does Pennsylvania require of a permitted mover?
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement publishes what applies to a company moving household goods in Pennsylvania. Each of the following comes from the agency's own pages:
- Every mover operating within Pennsylvania must display its PUC number in advertising, and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission publishes a complete list of carriers holding PUC operating authority.
- A Pennsylvania household goods mover must charge the rates it has on file with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.
- The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is located at 400 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120, and takes consumer complaints on 1-800-692-7380.
What is different about an interstate move from Pennsylvania?
Moves crossing a state line are authorised by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission regulates movers operating between points within Pennsylvania. A Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania licensing
- https://www.puc.pa.gov/press-release/2019/puc-offers-consumer-tips-regarding-household-movers-recognizes-national-moving-month
- https://www.puc.pa.gov/press-release/2013/puc-reminds-consumers-to-use-certified-movers
- https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/Display/pacode?file=/secure/pacode/data/052/chapter31/chap31toc.html
- https://www.puc.pa.gov/pcdocs/1825532.pdf
Last verified against agency pages: 2026-08-10
What does the federal count say about Pennsylvania?
Of the 2,522 household goods registrants filed at a Pennsylvaniaaddress, 990 carry the federal census classification for interstate operations. That is 39% of the state-address total. The other 1,532 do not carry that classification in this snapshot. Neither group is a list of movers serving every address inPennsylvania: 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 inPennsylvania without interstate classification does not substitute for that check.
How many licensed moving companies are registered in Pennsylvania?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 2,522 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Pennsylvania, and 990 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a Pennsylvania address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in Pennsylvania. An interstate move into or out of Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania move?
The dividing line is the shipment, not the mover's office. A move that begins and ends inside Pennsylvaniafollows the state authorisation described above. A move from Pennsylvania 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.