Verify Any Mover
In 90 Seconds
BHGS license search, the FMCSA snapshot, and the paperwork test, the free checks that filter out nearly every moving scam. We use our own numbers as the example, because you should check us too.
By the Discount Movers Team · Updated July 2026 · Licensed California household mover · CAL-T #201759 issued by the BHGS · US DOT #4372335 · BBB A+ Rated
Why This Page Exists
Verify Us. Verify Anyone.
The best protection against moving fraud costs nothing and takes ninety seconds: look the company up before you book. This page shows exactly how. Using our own license numbers as the worked example, because a mover who won’t hand you its numbers has answered your question already.
Step by Step
The 90-Second License Check
Step 1, California license (BHGS)
- Go to the BHGS website: bhgs.dca.ca.gov and open its household mover license search.
- Search the company name or license number and confirm the status is active and the name matches the company quoting you, exactly, not approximately.
- No result, lapsed status, or a mismatched name = stop.
Step 2, Federal record (FMCSA SAFER)
- Go to safer.fmcsa.dot.gov and search by US DOT number (ours: 4372335).
- Read three fields: Entity Type (Carrier is what you want; Broker means middleman), Operating Status (must be authorized), and whether the company’s name and address match its marketing.
- For interstate moves, also glance at the safety record on the same snapshot.
Step 3, The paperwork test
A legitimate California mover will do a visual inspection, put a Not to Exceed price in writing, and hand you the state consumer booklet without being asked. Those aren’t courtesies; they’re requirements.
The Pattern
How the Scam Version Reads
Fraudulent movers follow a script so consistent it’s almost a checklist: a too-good quote from a web form with no inspection; a deposit to “lock your date”; a different company’s name on moving day, arriving in a rented truck; a revised, doubled price once your goods are loaded, the setup for a hostage load. Every step of it collapses against the ninety-second check above.
More on your legal protections: California moving laws · coverage math: valuation guide.
Reading the BHGS Search Result
The state search returns more than a yes or a no. In the BHGS online license search, a valid household mover permit shows a Carrier Status of "Active", which the bureau describes as a permit currently in good standing. Any other status, or no record at all, means the company cannot legally move household goods inside California today, whatever its website says. Compare the legal name on the record with the name on your quote and on the truck; a company trading under a name the bureau has never heard of is the first sign that something is off.
The same lookup page also lists citations and disciplinary actions, which the bureau publishes under Business and Professions Code section 27. The outcomes it describes include a cite and fine order, where the licensee pays a fine matched to the violation, and a stipulated settlement negotiated before a hearing. It also lists a letter of public reprimand and a suspension that bars the mover from operating for a set period. A permit can be active and still carry a history, so read both parts before you sign. If you want the underlying file, the bureau accepts written requests naming the licensee and license number at 4244 South Market Ct, Ste D, Sacramento, CA 95834.
Operating without a permit is not a paperwork lapse in California. The BHGS states that a mover who fails to obtain a permit may face an administrative fine under Business and Professions Code section 19279.1. It adds that under section 19277(b), anyone operating as a household mover without a permit may be guilty of a misdemeanor. That offense is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000, up to one year in jail, or both, for each violation. That is why the license search is worth the ninety seconds: it separates a regulated business with something to lose from an operator who has already decided the rules do not apply.
Paperwork the Permit Requires
Step 3 above names three paperwork requirements; here is what the bureau says about each one, because those rules are a second way to verify a mover. The bureau's household movers information page says a mover may give a written estimate only after a visual inspection of the items to be moved, and that verbal estimates or estimates given over the Internet are illegal and may not be enforceable. So a company that prices your move from a web form or a phone call and never looks at your belongings is already outside the regulation, no matter what its license search says.
Every household move must carry a Not to Exceed price. The BHGS describes it as the maximum amount you can be charged unless you request additional services, and any such changes must then be written into a Change Order for Moving Services. The bureau adds that the Not to Exceed amount must be reasonable. We put that figure in writing before the crew loads anything; if a mover tells you the final price will be worked out after the truck is full, that is the hostage-load setup described above, not a quote.
Timing matters too. When a mover is hired three or more days in advance, the bureau requires it to give you three documents. They are a copy of its moving services agreement, an Important Notice About Your Move document, and the booklet titled Important Information For Persons Moving Household Goods (within California). The booklet lays out the rules the mover must follow and your rights under them. Ask for all three by name. A licensed company keeps them on hand because the bureau expects it to; a company that has never heard of the booklet has probably never held the permit either.
The Federal Check for Interstate Moves
If your move crosses a state line, the California permit alone is not enough, and the FMCSA's registered mover search is the tool for the second check. The agency says the search returns the location of the mover's headquarters, its contact information, its registration status, and the type of moving business it is registered as, such as carrier, broker, or freight forwarder. You can also check complaint history through the same search. Our record is filed under US DOT #4372335, and the entity type on it reads Carrier.
The broker distinction matters more on interstate moves because the money and the goods change hands separately. The FMCSA explains that moving brokers are sales teams that book your move and sell it to a moving company. A broker does not assume responsibility for your household goods and is not authorized to transport them. Brokers must use only interstate movers registered with the agency. The result is that the company you paid may never touch your furniture. Ask who will physically load the truck and check that name in the search too.
Federal rules also set a paper trail. The FMCSA requires a written estimate on every interstate shipment, covering transportation, accessorial, and advanced charges, dated and signed by both you and the mover. Interstate movers must offer neutral arbitration for disputes over loss, damage, or charges, and a summary of that arbitration program is one of five documents the mover must give you before a contract is executed. You keep the right to go to court instead of arbitrating. If a mover cannot produce these documents on request, its registration status is the least of your problems.
Filing a Complaint That Gets Read
The bureau's complaint process starts with you, not with the state. The BHGS consumer complaints page says to try to resolve the problem directly with the business first, and to contact the bureau at (916) 999-2041 or start the complaint online if that fails. The complaint form can also be submitted by email or by mail. Keep your first attempt with the mover in writing so the bureau can see that you made it before escalating.
The form asks for the mover's license number if you know it, its address, phone number, and email, the date of the move, and a step-by-step account of what happened with dates. The bureau wants copies of every paper involved attached, and it names contracts, bills, correspondence, invoices, and estimates specifically. That list doubles as a checklist for the move itself: keep every document the mover hands you from the first estimate to the final bill, and photograph the truck, its markings, and any damage on the day. A thin complaint with no attachments is hard for anyone to act on.
FAQ
License & Verification Questions
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