Is My Florida Mover Legit? How to Check a License, Insurance and Estimate

Every mover that moves household goods within Florida has to register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), carry insurance, and put its price in a signed written estimate and contract before it touches a box. That is chapter 507 of the Florida Statutes. This guide shows how to check any mover against it in about five minutes, using our own registration, Fla. Mover Reg. No. IM4125, as the worked example. It is general information, not legal advice.

The five-minute check

Run these checks on any mover before you sign anything.

• Find the number. Florida requires every mover ad to show "Fla. Mover Reg. No." or "Fla. IM No." with the number, the driver-side door of every truck to show it in letters at least 1.5 inches tall, and every estimate and contract to state that the firm is registered with the State of Florida as a mover.
• Look it up. Search the FDACS Business/License Search by business name or registration number, license type "Intrastate Movers" (or "Moving Broker"). FDACS is moving to a new system, so if a mover does not show up, search the legacy database too.
• Or call FDACS at 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352). En español: 1-800-FL-AYUDA (1-800-352-9832).
• Get it in writing. Before any work, a registered mover has to give you a written estimate and a written contract, signed and dated by you and the mover.

Who has to register in Florida

Anyone who operates as, or advertises as, a mover or moving broker for a move that starts and ends in Florida has to register with FDACS first (§507.03), whatever local licenses they also hold. Registration is renewed every two years at $300 a year, and it cannot be sold or transferred to another company. Operating without it can bring a cease-and-desist order and fines up to $5,000. Chapter 507 does not cover shipments the federal, state or a local government contracts for, so a government-arranged military household-goods shipment is not an FDACS matter, while a PPM where you hire the mover yourself is a private contract. More on that in our PCS guide for Eglin and Hurlburt.

Check us: Fla. Mover Reg. No. IM4125

Here is the same check run on us. FDACS is moving to a new license system, and our registration currently shows in its legacy lookup, not the new one, which is exactly why FDACS tells you to search both. From the FDACS Business/License Search, follow the link to the legacy database, choose license type "IM-Intrastate Mover" and search "Beach House Moving" or IM4125. On October 3, 2026, the listing showed Beach House Moving LLC as a registered intrastate mover, IM4125, valid through November 18, 2027. If you would rather call, give 1-800-HELP-FLA the same number.

What insurance a Florida mover has to carry

Florida sets floors (§507.04). A mover must carry cargo liability insurance of at least $10,000 per shipment for loss or damage it causes. A mover running two or fewer vehicles may post a $50,000 performance bond or a $50,000 certificate of deposit in a Florida bank instead, and moving brokers must keep one. Truck liability minimums run from $50,000 per occurrence for trucks under 35,000 lb to $300,000 for trucks of 44,000 lb and up. The insurer must be licensed in Florida and must name FDACS as certificate holder, so FDACS hears about a lapse, and it must suspend the registration if coverage is not kept up.

The 60-cents-a-pound rule

Florida's minimum valuation for your goods is 60 cents per pound per article, and any contract term that limits the mover's liability below that is void. A mover that limits its liability must tell you the valuation rate in writing when you sign the estimate and contract, before any work, and must tell you that you can buy valuation coverage if it offers it. Ask every mover you compare what its valuation options are, and get the answer in writing. Our coverage limits and options are on our coverage and claims page.

Estimates, contracts and how you can pay

Before any work, the estimate and contract must list the mover's name, phone and physical address; the date prepared and the proposed move dates; your name and both addresses; where your goods will be held, including during a fee dispute; an itemized breakdown and total of every cost and service, including any broker fee; and the payment methods accepted (§507.05). The mover has to accept at least two of three payment types: cash, cashier's check, money order or traveler's check; personal check; or credit card.

Can a Florida mover charge more than the estimate?

Chapter 507 sets no percentage cap on overruns for moves within Florida. Its protection is paperwork: any price change has to be written into an amendment to the contract that you sign (§507.11). The well-known 110% rule is a federal rule for interstate moves. For a move that starts and ends in Florida, the signed amendment is what protects you.

Moving within Florida vs. leaving the state

Red flags

Any one of these is a reason to slow down and check harder.

• A large deposit, or a demand for cash or a wire transfer up front. Florida law sets no cap on deposits, but the Florida Attorney General lists a large up-front deposit or cash payment as a red flag, and the Department of Defense warns military families about cash or electronic bank deposits as a down payment.
• A quote far below everyone else's, given without a real look at what you are moving.
• A call from a broker instead of the company that will do the move. In Florida a broker cannot hand you an estimate the registered mover did not prepare and sign, and cannot use an unregistered mover.
• No registration number on the ad, the truck or the paperwork.
• A contract clause asking you to waive your chapter 507 rights. Those clauses are void.
• A company name, logo or phone number that changes between the website, the email and the truck.

If a mover holds your things for more money

Once you have paid the amount in your signed estimate or contract, plus any amendments you signed, the mover has to deliver and place your goods (§507.06). A mover may never withhold prescription medicine or goods for children, such as furniture, clothing and toys, under any circumstances. If a mover refuses a law-enforcement officer's order to release your goods after the officer finds you paid the agreed amount, or the mover cannot produce a signed estimate or contract, that is a third-degree felony (§507.11). Call local law enforcement, then FDACS at 1-800-HELP-FLA.

Two more rules most people never hear about

• A mover must tell you in writing, before the move, if anyone with access to your home, including whoever gives the estimate, has a conviction for one of the felonies listed in Florida law (§507.07(10)).
• A mover cannot put your goods in a third party's self-storage unit unless the unit is in your name and you contract with the facility directly (§507.07(11)).

Where to complain

FDACS takes complaints at 1-800-HELP-FLA or online, and the Florida Attorney General's fraud line is 1-866-9-NO-SCAM (1-866-966-7226). Chapter 507 violations also count as deceptive and unfair trade practices under Florida law (§507.08). FDACS can fine a mover up to $5,000 per violation (more for felony-disclosure violations), order it to stop operating, suspend or revoke its registration, and order restitution to customers. For an interstate move, use FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database. When you are comparing quotes, our pricing page shows how ours is built.