Florida moving company license, rules and marketing

Do you need a license to move households in Florida?

Yes. Anyone who moves household goods inside Florida for pay, or works as a moving broker, must register with FDACS before starting. Registration is renewed every two years. Florida does not set moving rates, but Chapter 507 of the Florida Statutes sets rules for insurance, estimates, contracts and releasing goods.

Movers in Florida are regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Consumer Services (FDACS). The permit is called the Intrastate Mover Registration.

1. Register your business with the Florida Division of Corporations, and register any fictitious name you plan to trade under.
2. Get liability coverage for household goods of at least $10,000 per shipment. If you run two or fewer vehicles, you can keep a $50,000 performance bond or certificate of deposit instead.
3. Get motor vehicle insurance for each truck at the level its weight requires, and name FDACS as certificate holder.
4. Apply for registration with FDACS, listing owners, officers, business locations and any other moving businesses the owners ran in the past five years.
5. Pay the registration fee of $300 per year, collected for two years at a time. Some veterans, active duty service members and military spouses can have the initial fee waived.
6. Add your registration number to every ad and the required registration statement to every estimate and contract.

What insurance and paperwork does a Florida mover need?

• Liability insurance for loss or damage to household goods of at least $10,000 per shipment. Movers with two or fewer vehicles may instead keep a $50,000 performance bond or a $50,000 certificate of deposit in a Florida bank.
• Combined bodily injury and property damage coverage of $50,000 per occurrence for vehicles under 35,000 pounds, $100,000 for 35,000 to 43,999 pounds, and $300,000 for 44,000 pounds or more.
• FDACS must be named as certificate holder and notified at least 10 days before coverage is canceled.
• Moving brokers keep a $50,000 bond or certificate of deposit.

When you work with customers in Florida, plan for these rules:

• Before any work starts, you and the customer must sign or electronically acknowledge and date a written estimate and contract. It must itemize costs and list the addresses, move dates, accepted forms of payment and your contact details.
• Each estimate or contract must state that your company is registered with the State of Florida as a mover and give your Florida mover registration number.
• Release the goods once the customer pays what the signed contract says. You may never hold back prescription medicines or items for children, such as their furniture, clothing or toys.
• You cannot limit your liability below 60 cents per pound per article, and contracts cannot waive customer rights under Chapter 507.
• Disclose in writing if any worker with access to the home has a conviction for certain serious felonies listed in state law.

Do Florida movers need a USDOT number?

Florida applies federal safety rules to intrastate trucks of 26,001 pounds or more, and FMCSA lists Florida among the states that require intrastate carriers to get a USDOT number. Check with the Florida Highway Patrol's Commercial Vehicle Enforcement which of your trucks need one.

If you take jobs that cross the Florida state line, federal rules apply on top of the state rules:

• USDOT number: every mover that carries household goods across state lines needs one from the FMCSA.
• Operating authority (MC number): for-hire household goods movers need FMCSA authority before taking interstate jobs.
• Insurance on file: your insurer files proof of liability and cargo coverage with the FMCSA.
• Process agent (BOC-3): someone in each state who can accept legal papers on your behalf.
• Unified Carrier Registration: a yearly registration, priced by fleet size.
• Customer paperwork: a written estimate, a bill of lading, the FMCSA booklet “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” and access to an arbitration program for loss and damage claims.

The licenses and insurance guide explains each one.

What is the moving market like in Florida?

• Snowbirds shape the calendar. Part-time residents arrive in the fall and head north in spring, which brings demand for storage, partial moves and condo moves at both ends of the season.
• Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. Storms cancel and reschedule jobs, and recovery after a storm can bring a wave of moves and storage needs.
• Many moves are condo and high-rise jobs with elevator bookings, loading dock rules and certificate of insurance requests. Ask about building rules during the estimate.
• Military families move in and out of bases like NAS Jacksonville, Eglin Air Force Base, MacDill Air Force Base and NAS Pensacola.
• Retirees who move to Florida from other states often downsize again later within Florida, so packing help, senior moves and storage stay in steady demand.

Most moves in Florida happen around Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Tampa and St. Petersburg, Orlando, Jacksonville, Fort Myers and Naples, Sarasota and Bradenton, Tallahassee and Pensacola.

How do you market a moving company in Florida?

• Florida law requires your registration number in every ad, using the phrase Fla. Mover Reg. No. or Fla. IM No. Put it on your website, trucks and social posts as well, since customers can check it with FDACS.
• Build pages for the towns you serve, not just the big metros. People search for movers in The Villages, Port St. Lucie or Cape Coral by name. Our local SEO setup builds these pages for you.
• Market to snowbirds before each season turns. Promote storage and partial moves in early fall and early spring, and make sure calls from out-of-state numbers get answered. A 24/7 receptionist handles that for you.
• Post a clear hurricane policy on your site covering storm reschedules, deposits and storage. It answers one of the first worries Florida customers have.