Moving in Los Angeles: CAL-T licences, California rules and local movers

California’s household mover licence

The Bureau of Household Goods and Services, part of the California Department of Consumer Affairs, investigates breaches of the state’s household moving laws and the Maximum Rate Tariff. Household mover permits in California were long issued by the California Public Utilities Commission, and many movers still describe theirs as a PUC permit, but BHGS now holds the licence register and takes the complaints. Its licence search and its disciplinary records list movers by their CAL-T number.

BHGS says companies moving household goods within, into or out of California must be licensed with it, and those moving into or out of the state must also be licensed with the FMCSA. It also enforces: in a July 2026 release, BHGS said a sweep of household movers in the Bay Area and Southern California, run with the FMCSA, led to 30 citations totalling $110,230 for firms operating without a licence or proper insurance.

What California rules mean for a move within the state

BHGS also suggests confirming the company’s business address, getting a receipt for any deposit, and being wary of estimates given before a visual inspection, estimates far cheaper than the rest, and quotes that list only a P.O. box.

Parking a moving truck in Los Angeles

In the City of Los Angeles, temporary “No Parking” signs are handled by LADOT. Its FAQ directs questions about requesting temporary no parking signs to the Special Traffic Control Division on (213) 485-2298, and LADOT takes temporary sign posting fees online after you have started the request with the relevant LADOT office. We could not find a current published fee for a residential moving sign, so ask LADOT or your mover what it will cost on your street. Places such as Glendale, Burbank and Santa Monica are separate cities with their own rules, so check which city your address is actually in.

Typical moving prices

We have not found a published price survey specific to Los Angeles, so start with the national ranges in our US moving costs guide. HomeGuide puts a local move (under 50 miles) at $300–$800 for a studio or one-bedroom home and $900–$2,800 for two to three bedrooms, with hourly rates of $50 to $100 or more per mover. ConsumerAffairs, updated May 2026, gives $80–$100 an hour for a team of two movers. Both checked September 2026. HomeGuide notes that rates vary by location, and that where an area requires a parking permit for the truck, permit fees average $25 to $100.

How to choose a mover in Los Angeles

• Look up the CAL-T number. Search the firm on the BHGS licence search and make sure the name on the licence matches the name on your estimate. For moves out of California, also check the USDOT number on FMCSA’s SAFER lookup.
• Insist on a visual inspection. It is required for moves within California, and it is the basis of a realistic estimate.
• Read the not-to-exceed price. Ask what would trigger a change order, such as extra items, a long carry or waiting time.
• Ask who arranges parking signs. If your street is permit-only or busy, find out whether the mover applies to LADOT (or your city) and how much notice it needs.
• Check deposits. Get a receipt, and make sure it names the same company you are hiring. See deposits and final payments.

Moving companies in Los Angeles

These firms appear in public business listings for Los Angeles. Where a firm shows a USDOT or MC number on its website, we checked it on FMCSA’s public SAFER lookup and show it below. We did not verify CAL-T licences, so check each firm on the BHGS licence search yourself. We have not checked their insurance, prices or work, and they have not paid to appear.

More interstate movers registered in Los Angeles

These firms appear in FMCSA’s public Company Census File (checked 9 October 2026) as active, for-hire interstate carriers of household goods based in Los Angeles, with active operating authority and a registration update in the last two years. We have not checked their insurance, prices, reviews or work, and they have not paid to appear. Look up the USDOT number on FMCSA’s SAFER lookup before booking.

Moving out of state from Los Angeles: your federal rights

If your move crosses a state line, the mover must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and must give you its booklet Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move (or a link to it). The booklet sets out the points that matter most when something goes wrong:

• Written estimate after a survey. The estimate must be in writing, signed by you and the mover, and based on a physical survey of your belongings, on-site or by video, unless you waive that in writing.
• The 110 percent rule. On a non-binding estimate, the mover cannot make you pay more than 110 percent of the estimate at delivery. Anything above that is billed later, after 30 days. On a binding estimate you pay 100 percent.
• Two levels of liability. Full Value Protection is the default and costs extra. If you waive it, the mover is liable for no more than 60 cents per pound per article, so a 10-pound item worth $1,000 could pay out $6.
• Claims. You have 9 months from delivery to file a written claim. The mover has 30 days to acknowledge it and 120 days to give you a decision. Every mover must offer arbitration, and for claims of $10,000 or less the mover must agree to it if you ask.

Our guide to booking an interstate mover in the USA goes through the paperwork step by step.

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Common questions

Sources

• Consumer Guide to Household Moving, Bureau of Household Goods and Services (bhgs.dca.ca.gov)
• License Search and Disciplinary Actions, Bureau of Household Goods and Services (bhgs.dca.ca.gov)
• Bureau of Household Goods and Services Targets Unlicensed Movers in Bay Area, Southern California, 9 July 2026 (dca.ca.gov)
• Frequently Asked Questions, LADOT (ladot.lacity.gov)
• Fees, LADOT (ladot.lacity.gov)
• Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move, 49 CFR Part 375 Appendix A (ecfr.gov)
• SAFER Company Snapshot, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (safer.fmcsa.dot.gov)
• How Much Do Movers Cost? (2026) (homeguide.com)
• How Much Do Movers Cost? (2026), updated May 2026 (consumeraffairs.com)

Last checked: September 2026. City fees and state rules change, so confirm the current position with the agency before you rely on it.