Moving Company Insurance: What You Legally Need to Operate (2026)

Movers sit in an unusual spot. You are part trucking company, part warehouse operator, and part service business that walks into people's homes. That means the insurance you legally need is not one policy — it is a stack of coverages, and for interstate carriers, several of them have to be filed with the federal government before you can turn a wheel across a state line.

This guide walks through what is legally required in 2026, what is strongly expected by shippers and brokers even when it is not strictly mandated, and where movers most often get caught short.

The two-layer rule: authority filings vs. actual policies

The single most important thing to understand is that "insurance" for an interstate mover means two things at once:

1. The federal filing. The FMCSA does not want a certificate emailed to a customer — it wants your insurer to electronically file proof of coverage on specific forms tied to your USDOT/MC number.
2. The underlying policy. The filing is only a promise that a real commercial policy exists behind it. If the policy lapses, the insurer notifies FMCSA and your authority can be revoked.

For household goods carriers operating interstate, the required filings are the BMC-91 or BMC-91X (public liability — bodily injury, property damage, and environmental restoration) and the BMC-34 (cargo insurance). You can confirm the current requirements directly on the FMCSA insurance filing requirements page.

Coverage 1: Commercial auto liability

This is the non-negotiable core. It pays for bodily injury and property damage you cause to others while operating your trucks. For interstate household goods movers, FMCSA sets a minimum financial responsibility level — commonly $750,000, though many carriers and shippers require $1,000,000 as a practical floor. Larger vehicles or hazardous operations can trigger higher minimums.

Intrastate (local, in-state) movers answer to their state DMV or public utilities commission instead of FMCSA, and minimums vary by state. Either way, no legitimate broker, van line, or corporate account will hire you without at least $1M combined single limit auto liability.

Coverage 2: Motor truck cargo (goods in transit)

Auto liability covers damage to other people. It does nothing for the customer's furniture in the back of your truck. That is what motor truck cargo insurance does — it covers loss or damage to the household goods you are hauling while they are in transit. Interstate carriers must file a BMC-34 showing at least the federal minimum cargo limit.

Watch the limits and exclusions here. Cargo policies routinely exclude high-value articles, mechanical or electronic "derangement," mold, and goods you never actually loaded, unless those items are specifically declared and endorsed. We break this down in our companion article on motor truck cargo limits and exclusions.

Coverage 3: General liability

Commercial general liability (CGL) handles the "everything else" of walking into a home or office: a crew member scratches a hardwood floor, a dolly punches a hole in a wall, a client trips over a ramp. Auto liability won't respond to those because no vehicle was involved, and cargo won't respond because it wasn't the customer's goods that were damaged. Most commercial leases, apartment buildings, and commercial clients require a mover to carry $1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate CGL and to name them as an additional insured before crews are allowed on site.

Coverage 4: Workers' compensation

Moving is physically brutal — lifting, stairs, dollies, tailgates. In nearly every state, if you have employees you are legally required to carry workers' compensation, and moving crews are exactly the kind of high-injury payroll underwriters scrutinize. Misclassifying movers as independent contractors to dodge this is one of the fastest ways to draw a state audit and a stop-work order. Requirements are set state by state, so confirm with your state's workers' comp agency.

Coverage 5: Warehouse legal liability (if you store)

The moment goods sit in your warehouse — storage-in-transit, overflow, or long-term storage — your cargo policy typically stops applying, because those goods are no longer "in transit." Warehouse legal liability covers your legal responsibility for customer property while it is stored on your premises. Many movers discover this gap only after a warehouse loss. If you store anything, treat this as required in practice.

What you must offer customers: released value vs. full value protection

This is a legal obligation unique to household goods movers. On interstate moves, federal rules require you to offer customers two levels of your liability for their goods:

• Released value protection — offered at no additional charge, but minimal: the mover's liability is limited to 60 cents per pound per article. A 50-pound TV is worth $30 under this option.
• Full value protection — the mover is liable to repair, replace, or pay the current replacement value of lost or damaged items, for an added charge.

You are required to explain both options and document the customer's choice. The federal consumer resource for this is protectyourmove.gov. We cover the mechanics in our guide to released value vs. full value protection.

Quick reference: what's legally required vs. expected

Moving Insurance Pros is a division of Thrive Risk Management. We work with moving and storage companies nationwide to structure the exact stack of coverages your authority, your shippers, and your customers require.