Check the registration numbers
Florida regulates moves that start and end inside the state under Chapter 507 of the Florida Statutes. A mover doing those moves must register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, known as FDACS, and an unregistered mover may not operate or even advertise. That gives you an easy first test.
Every advertisement must show the registration, written as "Fla. Mover Reg. No." or "Fla. IM No." followed by the number, and the mover's trucks must show it on the driver's door. Look for it on the website, on any listing and on the truck. If you can't find it, ask for it, and be wary of a mover that won't give it to you.
Palm Beach County adds a second number. A mover based in the county also needs a county permit, and its advertising should show the permit number preceded by "PBC#M". If either number looks wrong, check with the office that issued it before you pay anything.
Get the estimate and contract in writing
Before any work starts, Florida law requires the estimate and the contract to be in writing, signed or acknowledged and dated by both you and the mover. A number given over the phone is a starting point, not an estimate. Ask for the written version early, so you have time to read it before moving day. Never sign a form with blanks in it, and keep a copy of everything you sign.
The mover must also tell you in writing if any employee with certain felony convictions will have access to your home. The written estimate and contract must include each of these:
- The mover's name, phone number and physical address
- The date the estimate was prepared and the proposed moving dates
- The pickup and delivery addresses
- Any place your belongings will be held along the way
- An itemized breakdown of every cost and service, and the total
- The ways you can pay, covering at least two of these three: cash or a cashier's check, money order or traveler's check; a personal check; a credit card
Know the price and deposit rules
Palm Beach County's consumer affairs office puts it plainly: the total you pay should be no more than the written estimate, unless you didn't meet your own obligations. Its examples are not disclosing all of the goods and not reserving the freight elevator. Both are in your hands, so show the estimator everything that's going and book any elevator early.
Deposits are capped as well. The county limits a deposit to no more than 20% of the total estimate, so a mover asking for more than that up front is asking for more than the county allows. Ask how the deposit is paid and how it counts toward your total, and get both answers in writing.
Plans change: an extra room, a second stop, things you forgot to mention. Ask for each change in writing and sign it, because the amount that releases your goods on delivery is the written estimate or contract plus the changes you signed.
Understand valuation before you sign
Valuation is the mover's liability for your belongings, and it works differently from the insurance on your home. Under Florida law, a mover may not limit its liability to less than 60 cents per pound per article. Any limit must be disclosed in writing when you sign, along with the option to buy more coverage.
Sixty cents a pound does not go far. Palm Beach County's disclosure form gives the example of a 5-pound lamp worth $300, which at that rate is covered for at most $3. Light, valuable things are where the gap is widest.
If you're offered extra coverage, the paperwork must state what it costs and that you have the right to refuse it. Before you choose, ask your own home or renter's insurer whether your policy covers belongings while they're being moved. Then make your choice in writing.
The law also sets minimum coverage for the mover itself: at least $10,000 per shipment for loss or damage caused by its negligence, or a $50,000 bond or certificate of deposit for a mover with two or fewer vehicles. A Palm Beach County permit requires cargo coverage of at least $50,000 per shipment. That coverage stands behind a claim, while valuation decides what the claim is worth.
Know your rights at delivery and after
Once you pay the amount on the written estimate or contract, plus any changes you signed, the mover must release your goods and place them inside your home. Prescription medicines and children's furniture, clothing and toys may never be withheld. If a mover refuses a law enforcement order to release your goods after you've paid, that refusal is a third-degree felony in Florida.
In Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, the Tri-County moving disclosure form (opens in a new tab) goes with the written estimate, and you sign it before work starts. It also sets out your claim rights, which are worth knowing before anything goes wrong.
If you spot damage at delivery, note it on the paperwork and take photos before the crew leaves. Unpack fragile boxes first, so anything hidden turns up early. Keep anything broken, and the packing it came in, until the claim is settled. The timeline works like this:
- You have 60 days to file a claim in writing.
- If it isn't settled within 30 days, the mover must give you a status update.
- The mover must pay or reject the claim within 90 days.
If your move crosses a state line
Chapter 507 covers moves that start and end in Florida. A move between Florida and another state falls under federal rules, and the mover needs a USDOT number, shown in its advertising as "U.S. DOT No." followed by the number.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration explains what to check on its Protect Your Move (opens in a new tab) pages. A Florida registration on its own doesn't cover a move out of state, so ask for the USDOT number as well.
A short checklist
Most of these checks take a few minutes, and they're much easier before you've paid a deposit. Run through them with every mover you call, and with us at your free walkthrough.
A mover that answers each one clearly, in writing where the law asks for it, is a mover you can plan with. Here's the short version:
- The ads show "Fla. Mover Reg. No." or "Fla. IM No." with a number, and so does the driver's door of the truck.
- A mover based in Palm Beach County also shows a "PBC#M" permit number.
- The estimate and contract are written, itemized, and signed or acknowledged and dated by both of you.
- The deposit is no more than 20% of the total estimate.
- Any limit on liability is in writing, with the option to buy more coverage and what it costs.
- You have the Tri-County disclosure form, signed before work starts.
- For a move to another state, the mover has a USDOT number.