Quick answer
Search the company on the FDACS Check a Business lookup at fdacs.gov, or call 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352). Every mover and moving broker handling moves within Florida must register with FDACS. If you are moving out of state, search the mover's USDOT number on FMCSA's Protect Your Move site instead.
Here is how to check a moving company's registration in Florida: look it up with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) using its Check a Business search, or call 1-800-HELP-FLA. Under Chapter 507 of the Florida Statutes, every mover and every moving broker handling moves within the state must register there. If the company is not listed, or the name does not match the paperwork, stop before you pay anything.
This guide covers the state lookup, the federal check for interstate moves, the difference between a mover and a broker (we are a broker, and we will explain what that means), and the red flags behind most moving scams in South Florida. It is general information, not legal advice.
Step by step: the FDACS registration check
- Get the exact company name and registration number. Florida law requires movers to show Fla. Mover Reg. No. or Fla. IM No. in their ads. Check the website, estimate and truck.
- Search the FDACS Check a Business lookup at fdacs.gov. Try the business name and the registration number.
- Match the details. The registration should be active, and the name and address should match the company on your written estimate.
- Call 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352) if the search is unclear or you want to ask about complaints on file.
- Save a screenshot with the date.
Broward adds its own layer
Broward County also licenses movers located in the county for local moves under its Moving Ordinance, through Broward County Consumer Protection. A Broward-based mover doing local work may hold both a state registration and a county license.
Three more checks: the truck door, Sunbiz and the insurance
The FDACS lookup is the main test. These three take a few more minutes and catch companies that look fine on a screen but not in your driveway.
Read the truck door on move day
Chapter 507 requires each of a mover's vehicles to carry a sign on the driver's side door showing Fla. Mover Reg. No. or Fla. IM No., in letters at least 1.5 inches tall. Compare that number with your estimate before the first box goes up the ramp. A truck with no door sign at all is a reason to pause and ask.
Match the legal name on Sunbiz
Sunbiz, the Florida Division of Corporations site, shows a company's legal name, its status and when it was formed. It does not prove mover registration. It does tell you whether the business named on your estimate is active, and whether a brand-new entity sits behind a website that claims decades of experience.
Ask for proof of insurance
Florida requires movers to carry cargo liability coverage for household goods, or a bond or certificate of deposit if they run two or fewer vehicles, plus vehicle liability insurance. Ask the mover for a certificate of insurance. Condo buildings usually want one anyway, as our guide to condo and HOA moving rules in Broward explains.
Moving out of state? FMCSA rules apply
Once your goods cross a state line, federal rules take over. Interstate movers need a USDOT number and MC operating authority from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Search the mover's USDOT number on FMCSA's Protect Your Move site and confirm the authority is active.
An interstate mover must also give you two federal consumer documents: Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move and the Ready to Move brochure. Our page on long distance movers covers how out-of-state moves are planned and estimated.
| Question | Move within Florida | Move to another state |
|---|---|---|
| Who oversees it | FDACS, under Chapter 507 | FMCSA |
| What to look up | FDACS registration | USDOT number and MC authority |
| Where to check | Check a Business at fdacs.gov or 1-800-HELP-FLA | FMCSA Protect Your Move |
| Paperwork before the move | Written estimate and contract signed before service | Written estimate plus the two federal booklets |
Mover or broker: who are you actually hiring?
A mover operates the trucks and does the work. A broker arranges the move with a mover. Florida requires both to register with FDACS, and a broker's ads must show Fla. Moving Broker Reg. No..
We will be direct about our own role. Coral Go Movers is a call-first referral service, which makes us a moving broker under Florida law. You call, we match you with an independent local mover, and that mover gives you the written estimate and contract and performs the move. Under Florida law only the registered mover prepares estimates and contracts. A broker cannot.
When a broker is involved in a Florida move, the shipper, the mover and the broker all sign the written estimate and contract before any service. Every mover we send is registered with the State of Florida as required and insured.
Four questions to ask any moving company on the phone
- Are you the mover, or are you arranging the move with another company?
- What is your Florida registration number?
- Whose name will be on the contract and on the truck?
- Who do I call on move day if something changes?
Moving scam red flags
Most moving scams follow the same script: a low number up front and a much higher one once your things are on the truck.
- A large cash deposit up front. A big cash payment before a written estimate exists leaves you with nothing to point to later.
- No written estimate. Florida requires an itemized written estimate and contract, signed before service. A verbal number is not one.
- A phone estimate with no inventory. A real estimate depends on what you are moving. If nobody asks about rooms, furniture, stairs or box count, the number is bait.
- An unmarked rental truck. A registered mover can still rent equipment, but a crew that arrives with no company name anywhere deserves a closer look.
- Changing company names. A different name on the website, the estimate and the phone greeting can mean a business re-registering to shed complaints.
- Pressure to sign blank or partial paperwork. Do not sign anything with empty lines for charges.
If a mover holds your goods for more money
Under Chapter 507, a mover may hold goods only if you have not paid the amount in the written contract or estimate, and it cannot refuse delivery over an acceptable form of payment. Keep your paperwork, note the truck plate and names, and call 1-800-HELP-FLA. For an interstate move, contact FMCSA. This is not legal advice.
What legitimate paperwork looks like
A real estimate reads like a plan. It lists both addresses, the date, the crew and truck, and each charge on its own line: labor, travel, packing, materials, and accessorial services such as stairs, a long carry or a shuttle truck. It names the valuation option you chose, the deposit and the payment terms. The company name and registration number on it match what FDACS shows.
For a local move, our page on local movers in Coral Springs explains how hourly estimates are usually laid out. If you want to know whether the numbers are in a sensible range, compare them with the planning figures in how much movers cost in Coral Springs.
Booking a condo or 55+ move for a parent
Adult children often arrange moves for parents in condo communities east of Coral Springs, such as the large Wynmoor 55+ community in Coconut Creek. Run the same registration check, and be the one on the phone when a company calls back with a price.
- Ask the association what it requires from the mover, usually a certificate of insurance and a set moving window.
- Make sure the written estimate is in the parent's name or yours, with your phone number on it.
- Be present, or on a video call, when the crew arrives and when the estimate is signed.
Our page on Coconut Creek movers covers condo and townhome moves in that city.
What a moving coordinator looks for on an estimate
The first thing to check is whether the names match. The company on the phone, the company on the estimate and the company FDACS shows should be the same business. A mismatch is not always fraud, but it always needs an explanation.
Next, check how the estimate was built. A video walk-through or an in-home look beats a number pulled from a bedroom count. If the mover never asked how far the truck parks or how many flights of stairs there are, the price on paper will not survive move day.
Last, read the deposit and cancellation lines together. A reasonable deposit with clear cancellation terms is normal. A large cash deposit with no terms is the pattern in most of the complaints people describe.
Quick answers
Do moving companies need a license in Florida?
They need to register. Under Chapter 507, every mover and moving broker handling moves within Florida must register with FDACS and carry the insurance the law requires. Broward County also licenses movers located in the county for local moves. Interstate movers need a USDOT number and FMCSA operating authority. This is general information, not legal advice.
How do I report a moving company in Florida?
For a move within Florida, contact FDACS by calling 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352) or through its consumer complaint options at fdacs.gov. Keep your written estimate, contract, receipts and photos ready. For an interstate move, use the complaint tools linked from FMCSA's Protect Your Move site. Broward residents can also contact Broward County Consumer Protection about local movers.
Is it a red flag if a moving company is a broker?
Not by itself. Brokers are legal in Florida when they register with FDACS and say they are brokers, and their ads must show a moving broker registration number. The red flag is a broker that hides it, or one that hands you its own estimate. Under Florida law the registered mover prepares the estimate and contract, and a broker cannot.
What is an IM number for a Florida mover?
It is the intrastate mover registration number FDACS issues to a registered mover. Florida law requires the mover to show it in ads as Fla. Mover Reg. No. or Fla. IM No., and the same phrase must appear on the driver's side door of its vehicles. Search the number in the FDACS lookup and confirm it matches the company name on your written estimate.
Check first, then sign
A registration check costs you a few minutes and can save the whole move. Look up the mover with FDACS, use FMCSA for interstate moves, ask whether you are dealing with a mover or a broker, and do not pay a large deposit before you hold a written estimate. If you would rather start with a registered, insured local mover, call (831) 293-1195 and we will match you with one for your Coral Springs area move.
