Virginia long distance
Long-distance moving companies in Virginia
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Carrier Services requires Household Goods Carrier for-hire intrastate operating authority for household goods work inside Virginia. The state publishes the public lookup. 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 Virginia?
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Carrier Services regulates household goods movers operating inside Virginia, and sits within the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. Movers are licensed under Va. Code §§ 46.2-2000 and 46.2-2100 et seq.. Moves crossing the Virginia state line fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration instead, a separate authorisation with separate requirements.
Source: Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Carrier Services
What authorisation must a Virginia mover hold?
A mover doing work inside Virginia must hold the Household Goods Carrier for-hire intrastate operating authority, issued by Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Carrier Services. It exists specifically for household goods movers, whatever its title. The requirement sits in Va. Code §§ 46.2-2000 and 46.2-2100 et seq.. An interstate carrier holding only a federal USDOT number is not authorised for Virginia intrastate work by that number alone.
Source: Agency licensing page
How can I verify a Virginia mover before booking?
Search the company by name or licence number in the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Carrier Services public licence lookup, and confirm the record shows an active status. For a move leaving Virginia, check the company's USDOT record in FMCSA SAFER as well. Holding one authorisation does not imply the other.
Virginia licence lookupVerify by phone: 804-249-5140Verify by email: mcsonline@dmv.virginia.govFMCSA SAFER
How do I file a complaint against a Virginia mover?
Complaints about a move inside Virginia go to Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Carrier Services through Virginia DMV consumer complaint form OA 411, Motor Carrier Services (804) 249-5140, option 3. A complaint about a move that crossed the Virginia state line goes to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the National Consumer Complaint Database instead.
Virginia complaint channelFMCSA National Consumer Complaint Database
What is different about an interstate move from Virginia?
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 Virginia 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 Virginia licensing
- https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/businesses/motor-carriers/intrastate
- https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/businesses/motor-carriers/contactmcs
Last verified against agency pages: 2026-08-09
What does the federal count say about Virginia?
Of the 1,270 household goods registrants filed at a Virginiaaddress, 687 carry the federal census classification for interstate operations. That is 54% of the state-address total. The other 583 do not carry that classification in this snapshot. Neither group is a list of movers serving every address inVirginia: 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 inVirginia without interstate classification does not substitute for that check.
How many licensed moving companies are registered in Virginia?
The FMCSA motor carrier census lists 1,270 registrants carrying household goods whose physical address is in Virginia, and 687 of those are classified by FMCSA as interstate operations. That figure counts companies whose federal registration lists a Virginia address, which is not the same as the number of companies that will serve a move in Virginia. An interstate move into or out of Virginia 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 Virginia move?
The dividing line is the shipment, not the mover's office. A move that begins and ends inside Virginiafollows the state authorisation described above. A move from Virginia 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.