FMCSA Regulations and Enforcement of Interstate Moves
Welcome to FMCSA’s Regulations and Enforcement section of the Protect Your Move website. This section provides information and guidance to enforcement partners and household goods carriers about the regulations and policies that govern interstate moves. Anyone seeking interstate moving company laws or DOT regulations regarding movers, moving brokers and shipping household goods can find it here.
Consumer Protection Regulations
Code of Federal Regulations: Part 49: Transportation: Subtitle B, Chapter III
- Part 375—Transportation of Household Goods in Interstate Commerce; Consumer Protection Regulations
- Household goods motor carriers engaged in the interstate transportation of household goods must follow the regulations in part 375 when offering its services to individual shippers.
- Part 371—Brokers of Property
- Brokers must comply with all regulations in subpart B of part 371 if they operate as a household goods broker offering services to individual shippers in interstate or foreign commerce.
- Part 370—Principles and Practices for the Investigation and Voluntary Disposition of Loss and Damage Claims and Processing Salvage
- The processing of claims for loss, damage, injury, or delay to property transported or accepted for transportation.
- Part 387—Minimum Levels of Financial Responsibility for Motor Carriers
- The minimum levels of financial responsibility required to be maintained by motor carriers of property operating motor vehicles transporting property in interstate or foreign commerce.
- Part 372—Exemptions, Commercial Zones, and Terminal Areas, Subpart B, Commercial Zones
- Outlines exemptions to part 372 and defines Commercial Zones.
- Part 379—Preservation of Records
- The preservation of record rules for household goods motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and water carriers.
U.S. Code Title 49: Subtitle IV: Part B—Motor Carriers, Water Carriers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders
- Chapter 147, § 14710. Enforcement of Federal Laws and Regulations with Respect to Transportation of Household Goods
- The authorization for a State authority to enforce the FMCSA consumer protection provisions that apply to individual shippers that are related to the delivery and transportation of household goods in interstate commerce.
- Chapter 147, § 14711. Enforcement by State Attorneys General
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The authorization for a State, as parens patriae, to bring a civil action on behalf of its residents in an appropriate district court of the United States to enforce the consumer protection provisions related to the delivery and transportation of household goods by a household goods motor carrier.
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- Chapter 137, § 13702. Tariff Requirement for Certain Transportation
- A carrier may provide transportation services that is for movement of household goods only if the rate for such transportation or services is contained in a tariff that is in effect.
- Chapter 139 (Registration)
- A person may provide transportation as a motor carrier, service as a freight forwarder , or service as a broker for transportation only if the person is registered under this chapter to provide such transportation or service.
- Chapter 141, § 14104. Household Goods Carrier Operations
- The Secretary may issue regulations, including regulations protecting individual shippers, in order to carry out this part with respect to the transportation of household goods by motor carriers.
- Chapter 147, § 14706. Liability of Carriers under Receipts and Bills of Lading
- A carrier providing transportation or service subject to jurisdiction under subchapter I or III of chapter 135 shall issue a receipt or bill of lading for property it receives for transportation under this part. That carrier and any other carrier that delivers the property and is providing transportation or service subject to jurisdiction under subchapter I or III of chapter 135 or chapter 105 are liable to the person entitled to recover under the receipt or bill of lading.
- Chapter 147, § 14708. Dispute Settlement Program for Household Goods Carriers
- As a condition of registration, a carrier providing transportation of household goods must agree to offer to shippers of household goods arbitration as a means of settling disputes between such carriers and shippers of household goods concerning damage or loss to the household goods transported and to determine whether carrier charges, in addition to those collected at delivery, must be paid by shippers for transportation and services related to transportation of household goods.
Federal Register Notices Regarding Interstate Moves of Household Goods
- November 16, 2022: Definitions of Broker and Bona Fide Agents
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is issuing this interim guidance to inform the public and regulated entities about FMCSA's interpretation of the definitions of “broker” and “bona fide agents” as it relates to all brokers of transportation by motor vehicle.
- April 26, 2022: Implementation of Household Goods Working Group Recommendations
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) amends the Transportation of Household Goods regulations to incorporate recommendations from the Household Goods Consumer Protection Working Group (Working Group) contained in the Recommendations to the U.S. Department of Transportation to Improve Household Goods Consumer Education, Simplify and Reduce Paperwork, and Condense FMCSA Publication ESA 03005 (Recommendations Report).
- June 20, 2012: Final Rule: Transportation of Household Goods in Interstate Commerce; Consumer Protection Regulations
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) amends the regulations governing the transportation of household goods to remove an obsolete requirement related to collect calls, resolve ambiguities, and reduce a regulatory burden on household goods motor carriers.
- June 4, 2012: General Notice: State Enforcement of Household Goods Consumer Protection
- FMCSA provides an updated list of statutory provisions and FMCSA regulations that State household goods regulatory authorities and State attorneys general may enforce, reflecting amendments to FMCSA's regulations regarding brokers of household goods.
- April 30, 2012: Final Rule: Transportation of Household Goods in Interstate Commerce; Consumer Protection Regulations: Released Rates of Motor Carriers of Household Goods
- FMCSA harmonizes its regulations with a recent Surface Transportation Board (STB) order that requires certain information about household goods motor carrier liability to appear on the estimates and bills of lading that carriers must provide to individual shippers.
- Nov. 29, 2010: Final Rule: Brokers of Household Goods Transportation by Motor Vehicle
- FMCSA amends its regulations to require brokers that arrange the transportation of household goods in interstate or foreign commerce for consumers to comply with certain consumer protection requirements.
- July 5, 2007: Final Rule: Amendments To Implement Certain Provisions of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU)
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) adopts as final certain regulations required by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).
- Nov. 17, 2006: State Enforcement of Household Goods Consumer Protection
- The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) gives State household goods regulatory authorities and State attorneys general the right to enforce certain consumer protection provisions that apply to individual shippers and are related to interstate movement of the goods. This notice specifies the Federal statutory and regulatory provisions that States may enforce.
- July 12, 2005: Final Rule: Transportation of Household Goods; Consumer Protection Regulations; Final Rule
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) adopts as final its interim regulations at 49 CFR part 375 published in the Federal Register on June 11, 2003 (68 FR 35064) and subsequent technical amendments published on March 5, 2004 (69 FR 10570), April 2, 2004 (69 FR 17313), and August 5, 2004 (69 FR 47386). The final rule specifies how motor carriers transporting household goods by commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce must assist their individual customers who ship household goods. As no further amendments are necessary, the interim regulations at part 375 are adopted without change.
- Aug. 5, 2004: Transportation of Household Goods; Consumer Protection Regulations; Corrections
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published in the Federal Register of June 11, 2003, an interim final rule revising the requirements governing the interstate transportation of household goods (68 FR 35064).
- April 2, 2004: Transportation of Household Goods; Consumer Protection Regulations; Interim Final Rule; Technical Amendments and Delay of Compliance Date
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) makes further technical amendments to the interim final rule published on June 11, 2003, governing the interstate transportation of household goods (68 FR 35064).
- March 5, 2004: Transportation of Household Goods; Consumer Protection Regulations; Interim Final Rule
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) amends its interim final rule governing the interstate transportation of household goods (68 FR 35064, Jun. 11, 2003).
- September 30, 2003: Transportation of Household Goods; Consumer Protection Regulations; Delay of Compliance Date; Interim Final Rule
- The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) delays the compliance date for the new part 375, Transportation of Household Goods; Consumer Protection Regulations, which was published as an interim final rule on June 11, 2003.
- June 11, 2003: Transportation of Household Goods; Consumer Protection Regulations; Interim Final Rule
- The Federal Motor Carrier (FMCSA) amends its regulations governing the interstate transportation of personal effects or property used, or to be used, in a private residence (household goods).
Last updated: Monday, November 4, 2024