Moving company insurance and what it actually covers
Researched and written by Daniel Novak · Reviewed by Brittany Evans · Last reviewed August 2026
Asking whether a mover is insured usually produces a yes, and the yes is usually true and usually not the answer to the question the person meant. Insurance protects the company. Liability is what the company owes you when something of yours is broken, and it is set by the contract of carriage rather than by an insurance policy.
What must a registered interstate mover have on file?
Registration with FMCSA carries financial-responsibility filings with it. For a household-goods motor carrier those filings cover public liability, meaning bodily injury and property damage, and cargo. A property broker files differently: A property broker, including a broker that arranges vehicle transport, must maintain a surety bond or trust fund of at least $75,000 to hold registration. (49 CFR 387.307). Whether a filing is currently on file, and in what amounts, is public: the Licensing and Insurance record shows it against the company's own number, which is a stronger check than a certificate emailed to you.
Minimum amounts for cargo and liability filings are set in federal regulation, and this site holds a verified figure only for the broker bond, so no other amount is stated here. Read the amounts from the company's own record.
What does released value actually pay?
Released value is the no-extra-charge level of carrier liability on an interstate household-goods move, set at 60 cents per pound per article. (49 CFR 375.701). It applies by default, at no extra charge, and it settles by weight. That is why it disappoints: a light expensive item pays little, because the calculation multiplies the weight of the article by the released-value rate and stops there.
Full value protection is the alternative the carrier must offer, and it is bought rather than given. Under it the carrier repairs the item, replaces it, or settles in cash for the equivalent. Its price and its deductible options are set by the carrier, so this page states neither.
Why insured and liable are different words
A carrier is insured against its own exposure. A carrier is liable to you at the level recorded on the bill of lading. A company can be fully insured and still owe you 60 cents per pound per article for a broken table, because that is the liability level that was written down. When a salesperson says fully insured, the useful reply is to ask which liability level goes on the bill of lading and what the alternative costs.
What about my own home insurance?
Household policies differ on whether goods in transit are covered and on what terms, this site holds no register of policy wordings, and nothing general can honestly be said about them. Ask your own insurer in writing before the move and treat any answer as specific to your policy.
Interstate rules this sits inside
Liability is one duty among several on an interstate household-goods move. An interstate household-goods carrier must give the shipper a written estimate of charges before the move. (49 CFR 375.401). On a non-binding estimate the carrier may require no more than 110 percent of the estimated charges at delivery; the balance is billed afterwards. (49 CFR 375.407). Charges above the amount collectible at delivery must be billed and are payable within 30 days of delivery. The shipper may observe each weighing and may request a re-weigh before charges are computed. (49 CFR 375.519). And every interstate household-goods carrier must offer the shipper a neutral arbitration program for disputes over loss, damage and charges, and must describe that programme before the move. (49 CFR 375.211). The federal consumer-protection rules in Part 375, including the estimate, delivery and arbitration duties, apply to interstate household-goods shipments; a vehicle moved on its own is not a household-goods shipment. (49 CFR 375.101), so on a move inside one state the state's own rules govern instead.
Official sources
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Frequently asked questions
Are moving companies insured?
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