How to hire a licensed mover in New York

If your move starts and ends inside New York State, hire a mover with a certificate from the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), which you can check on the state's CarCert search. If your move crosses a state line, the mover needs a USDOT number and registration with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which you check on FMCSA's mover search.

That one check filters out most bad actors. The rest of this guide covers what a legal estimate looks like, what you can be made to pay on delivery day, how much the mover owes you if something breaks, and how to tell a real mover from a broker that only sells your job to someone else.

Which rules apply to your move?

NYSDOT only regulates moves that start and finish within New York. Once your shipment crosses a state line, federal rules apply, even if it starts or ends in New York. That includes a move from Manhattan to Jersey City.

How to look up a mover

1. 1

   Get the exact legal name and number

   Ask for the company’s legal name and its NYSDOT certificate number (or USDOT number). NYSDOT says every authorized mover must give its name, certificate number and address in its advertising, and to be wary of a mover that gives only a phone number.
2. 2

   Search the right database

   For a move within New York, use CarCert and click "Search New York Carriers." NYSDOT labels that search as still under development, so if it returns nothing, email [email protected] with the exact name or call (518) 457-6512. For an interstate move, use FMCSA's mover search, which shows registration status, authority type (carrier or broker), contact details and complaints.
3. 3

   Match the details

   The name, address and number on the estimate, the website and the truck should match the record. A different name on the paperwork is a reason to stop and ask.
4. 4

   Check the authority type

   FMCSA’s search tells you whether a company is a carrier or a broker. A broker does not move anything itself.

Mover or broker?

NYSDOT's booklet explains that licensed movers do the work themselves, while move brokers are middlemen who often bid your job out to the lowest provider, aren't required to vet the movers they use, and make money on the sale. For interstate moves, federal rules require a household goods broker to say in its ads and website that it will not transport your goods, to show its USDOT and MC numbers, and to tell you which movers it uses. A broker may give an estimate only if it has a written agreement with the mover and uses that mover's published tariff.

A broker is not illegal, but you need to know who will actually show up. Ask for the carrier's name and look it up too.

What a proper estimate looks like

Moves within New York

NYSDOT describes three ways a New York move is priced:

If you ask, the mover must deliver your goods once you pay up to that cap. You then have 15 days to pay the rest. Services you add later, like long carries, extra stairs or elevator charges, can be billed in full on delivery. Except for a written binding estimate, NYSDOT warns that the exact cost isn't known until the job is done. It is also illegal for a mover to offer you a discount from its filed tariff rates.

Before anything moves, the mover must give you an order for service. It lists the agreed pickup and delivery dates, special services, the estimate, the payment method, and the most you'll have to pay in cash, certified check or money order to get your things back. Unless you've arranged credit, plan to have that amount ready.

Interstate moves

• The mover must base the estimate on a physical survey, which can be on-site or virtual. You can waive it only in writing, before loading.
• The estimate must be written, dated and signed by you and the mover. A verbal quote is not an estimate.
• Charges for elevators, long carries and similar services must be worked out before the bill of lading is prepared.
• On delivery, the most the mover can demand is the binding estimate, or 110% of a non-binding estimate, plus any services you added and up to 15% for "impracticable operations" if they apply. Any balance is billed later.
• The mover must give you FMCSA's "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move" and "Ready to Move?" (a copy or a link).

Liability: what the mover owes if something breaks

In New York, NYSDOT says movers are not liable for the full value of lost or damaged goods unless you make special arrangements. Ask the mover to explain its basic liability and what it costs to get more. You may also buy coverage from your own insurance agent.

Interstate movers must offer two levels:

If something does go wrong, see how to file a claim against a mover.

Questions to ask before you book

1. What is your NYSDOT certificate number (or USDOT number)?
2. Are you the mover, or a broker? Who will actually do the move?
3. Is this hourly, weight-based or a written binding estimate? What's the most I'll owe on delivery?
4. Is travel time charged? Stairs, long carries, elevator waits?
5. Do you charge for boxes and packing materials? (NYSDOT says not to expect them free.)
6. What is your standard liability, and what does extra protection cost?
7. Can you send a certificate of insurance in the format both my buildings require?
8. How do I pay, and when?

NYC buildings often want a COI before move day; see certificates of insurance for movers. Then budget the job with the NYC moving cost estimator, and run your shortlist through the moving scam red flags before you put down any money.

What you are responsible for

• Show the estimator everything you plan to move, including what's in closets, storage and the basement.
• Don't pack cash, jewelry or important papers in the shipment. NYSDOT says the mover has no liability for them.
• Paint, propane, oil and other flammables can't be shipped.
• Disconnect appliances and take down wall-mounted items, or pay the mover to do it.
• Stay until the truck leaves, or name someone in writing to act for you.
• Check the inventory and note any damage on the paperwork before you sign.