Check a Mover’s USDOT Number and Registration

Keep a record of the company you actually checked

Use the FMCSA registered-mover search for interstate household-goods moves. The result identifies the business type and registration details. A USDOT number identifies a business; it does not by itself establish current authority for your move or the quality of its service.

• Record the legal business name, any trading name, USDOT number, business type, and the date you checked.
• Match the contact details to your estimate. If a broker is arranging the move, record both the broker and the transporting carrier.
• Review registration and complaint information. Ask the company to resolve a mismatch before you agree to the booking.
• Keep the written estimate, inventory, contact details, and a copy of the record you reviewed together. Recheck if the assigned carrier changes.

Use discrepancies as questions, not instant verdicts

Illustrative example: the website uses a trading name while the estimate uses a legal company name. Ask how they connect and check the record. A similar name is not a verified match. An unresolved mismatch is a reason to pause the booking, not proof that a named business committed fraud.

Follow FMCSA’s steps for selecting a mover, and use our broker-versus-carrier guide and pre-hire questions to complete the conversation. Intrastate requirements vary; use the relevant state regulator for a move wholly within one state.

A USDOT number is a moving company's federal ID, and it's the single most useful thing you can check yourself. For any interstate (state-to-state) move, the mover must have an active USDOT number with household-goods authority. Here's how to verify it in a few minutes, for free, on public government records.

Verify it step by step

1. 01

   Find the USDOT number

   It should appear on the mover's website, written estimate, and the side of its trucks. If you can't find one anywhere for an interstate move, that alone is a reason to stop.

2. 02

   Look it up on FMCSA SAFER

   Go to safer.fmcsa.dot.gov and search the USDOT number (or company name). The Company Snapshot shows operating status, authority, and the legal + 'doing business as' names.

3. 03

   Confirm active authority

   Check that the operating status is 'active', not 'inactive,' 'out-of-service,' or 'revoked', and that the company is authorized for household goods (HHG) if your move is interstate.

4. 04

   Check insurance and the registration date

   The snapshot's insurance section shows whether required coverage is on file. An old MCS-150 registration date is a good sign of real tenure; a brand-new one on a company claiming decades of experience is not.

5. 05

   Match the name

   Confirm the legal name on SAFER matches the name on your estimate and the truck. A mismatch can mean you're dealing with a broker or a re-registered company hiding a record.

What about in-state moves?

A move that stays within one state ('intrastate') may not require federal USDOT authority, instead it's regulated by your state (a public-utilities commission, department of transportation, or the state DMV, depending on where you live). Search your state regulator for the mover's intrastate authority. Some intrastate movers also carry a USDOT number; either way, licensing should be verifiable.

Verifying a license is exactly the kind of homework Moving Union does before matching you, but the record is public, and you should always confirm it yourself. See the full 5-point standard we screen every mover against.