How to Start a Moving Company in Texas: A Founder's Guide
Moving companies look simple — a truck, two people, and a listing. The law disagrees. Here's how to start one in Texas.
People move constantly in Houston, Dallas, and Austin, and a good local mover gets booked on reputation alone. But household-goods moving is heavily regulated in Texas, and the license you need depends on one question: do your trucks ever leave the state?
1. Decide your lane: Texas-only or interstate
If every move starts and ends inside Texas, you're an intrastate carrier regulated by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV). Cross a state line and you're an interstate carrier under the FMCSA — different registration, different insurance filings, a $300 federal application fee.
2. Form the business
File a Certificate of Formation (Form 205) with the Texas Secretary of State — $300 through SOSDirect — naming a registered agent with a Texas street address. Get a free EIN from the IRS, open a business bank account, and check with the Comptroller whether your services need a sales tax permit. File your annual franchise tax report by May 15.
3. Get a USDOT number
A USDOT number is free: apply through the FMCSA's Unified Registration System. If you operate only in Texas, register as an intrastate carrier. The number is an identifier, not operating authority.
4. Register with TxDMV
Moving household goods for pay triggers TxDMV registration at any truck size. Apply in TxMCCS, TxDMV's online system, using your USDOT number. Your insurer files proof of insurance electronically: Form E for liability, Forms H and I for cargo. For trucks under 26,000 pounds: $300,000 liability and $5,000 cargo per vehicle ($10,000 aggregate for several shippers' goods on one truck). TxDMV charges a $100 insurance filing fee on top of application and per-vehicle fees. Your certificate isn't active until filings are in and fees are paid.
5. Going interstate? Add FMCSA authority
For interstate moves, apply for MC operating authority as a household-goods motor carrier: $300 per authority type, non-refundable, through the same FMCSA portal. Your application is published for a 21-day protest period. Authority won't activate until your insurer files proof of insurance (BMC-91 or BMC-91X for liability, BMC-34 for cargo) and you file a BOC-3 naming a process agent in every state you serve. Federal minimums: $750,000 in public liability for vehicles over 10,001 pounds, plus the same $5,000/$10,000 cargo minimums. Interstate carriers also follow 49 CFR Part 375 and register under the Unified Carrier Registration program.
6. Follow the Texas consumer rules
Texas doesn't just license movers, it scripts the sale. For intrastate moves you must give a written proposal before loading, sign a moving services contract, hand over the Rights and Responsibilities sheet, and keep a tariff — your published rate schedule — on file.
7. Trucks, crew, and pricing
Start with one reliable truck sized to the jobs you want — most local moves run on a 16- to 26-foot box truck — and a crew you can train. Price by the job: walk the home, note stairs and long carries, then quote a flat rate or a not-to-exceed estimate.
8. Brand it like a business customers trust
People hand a mover everything they own, so they choose on trust — and trust starts with the brand. We rebuilt Rise Up Moving's brand as it grew from San Francisco to Dallas. When your identity is ready to carry that weight, book a free discovery call.
Launch checklist
- LLC filed; EIN and bank account open
- USDOT number (intrastate) in hand
- TxDMV certificate active; Form E and Forms H and I filed
- Truck insured; crew hired; drug testing in place
- Written proposal, contract, and tariff ready
- Reviews system ready from day one
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Fees and rules change — confirm current amounts with TxDMV and the FMCSA before you apply.
FAQ
Do I need a TxDMV number if my truck is small?
Yes — at any vehicle weight. Weight only sets the liability minimum: $300,000 for trucks under 26,000 pounds.
How much does it cost to get authority to move household goods?
A USDOT number is free. Texas-only authority means TxDMV application and per-vehicle fees plus a $100 insurance filing fee. Interstate authority adds a $300 FMCSA application fee per authority type, plus BOC-3 and insurance filings.
Can I move a customer from Houston to Oklahoma with only a TxDMV number?
No. Any move crossing a state line needs FMCSA interstate operating authority (an MC number) as well as your USDOT number.
Do I need a tariff if I quote by the hour?
Yes. Keep a tariff — a published schedule of rates and charges — on file, and give customers a written proposal before loading and a signed contract.
