How to Start a Moving Company in Florida: FDACS Mover Registration

Starting a moving business in Florida involves more paperwork than most new operators expect. This guide explains how to start a moving business in Florida, step by step, with a focus on the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) household goods mover registration. If you move household goods for pay, you need that registration before you take a booking. Florida regulates household goods movers under Chapter 507 of the Florida Statutes, and the registration is the step most first-time operators underestimate. The sequence below follows the order most people find easiest: entity, insurance, FDACS filing, contracts, tax and local items, and the renewal calendar you must keep.

Informational notice: This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees, thresholds, and requirements change, and the figures here were verified in October 2026. Confirm current requirements with FDACS, the Florida Department of State, and the Florida Department of Revenue. Talk to a Florida attorney and a CPA before you make decisions about your business structure, insurance, or taxes.

Who Needs FDACS Mover Registration

FDACS registration covers intrastate moves, which are household goods moves that start and end inside Florida. If a move crosses a state line, you also need federal operating authority from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Moving brokers, the companies that sell and arrange moves that another carrier performs, register with FDACS as well. Brokers must post a $50,000 bond or certificate of deposit (CD).

Florida issues no general statewide business license. Your moving company's state obligations come from the agencies covered in this guide, and your city or county may add a local business tax receipt on top of them.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these items before you file anything. A missing document usually stalls the entire application, so build the list first.

• A legal entity formed through the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz). An LLC filing costs $125, and a corporation filing costs $70.
• A Florida registered agent with a physical street address. A P.O. Box does not qualify.
• Cargo liability coverage of at least $10,000 per shipment, or a $50,000 bond or CD if you operate 2 or fewer vehicles.
• Motor vehicle liability coverage that matches the weight of your vehicles: $50,000, $100,000, or $300,000.
• The FDACS registration fee of $300 per year, or $600 for a 2-year registration.
• A list of every vehicle you plan to operate, with its weight.
• A written estimate and contract template with itemized charges and at least two accepted payment methods.
• A fictitious name registration, if you will operate under a name other than your entity's legal name.
• A local business tax receipt, if your city or county levies one.
• An FMCSA USDOT number and operating authority, if you plan interstate moves.

Step-by-Step: Florida Moving Company Registration

Step 1: Decide your scope and structure

Before you spend money, decide which services you will offer. Intrastate moves, interstate moves, and brokerage each trigger different requirements. A broker that arranges interstate moves needs FMCSA authority, and a broker that arranges moves within Florida registers with FDACS, so this decision drives the rest of your paperwork.

Next, choose a legal structure. Many small moving companies form a limited liability company (LLC) because it can separate the business's debts from the owners' personal assets. That separation is not automatic. It depends on how you keep records, sign contracts, and handle money. A corporation is another option, with its own filing fee and annual report. Compare the two with an attorney or CPA before you decide.

Step 2: Form your entity with Sunbiz

File Articles of Organization for an LLC through Sunbiz eFile at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz. The required fee is $125, which is the $100 filing fee plus the $25 registered agent designation. Your name must end in “Limited Liability Company,” “LLC,” or “L.L.C.,” and it must be distinguishable from names already on the state's records. Search the name first using the Sunbiz corporation search. If you need to hold a name while you prepare, you can reserve it for 120 days for $25. Corporations file Articles of Incorporation for a Florida Profit Corporation for $70, which includes the $35 registered agent designation.

Do not treat the name as approved until you receive a filing acknowledgment. Florida's Division of Corporations does not offer expedited filing service, and no guaranteed turnaround is published. The Division states that online filings are processed in the order received, and images of electronically filed documents post within 3 business days of processing. If you need faster handling, the walk-in service at 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, Tallahassee, is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, and most requests there are completed while you wait.

Name a registered agent in the same filing. The agent needs a physical Florida street address and must sign to accept the appointment. An entity cannot serve as its own registered agent, but an individual owner or officer may serve. The designation carries a required fee of $25 for an LLC and $35 for a corporation, and changing the agent later costs the same amount.

Step 3: Buy insurance that meets the FDACS tiers

Florida requires motor vehicle liability coverage under s. 507.04, and the required limit depends on vehicle weight. Use this table as your starting point, then confirm it with your insurer.

Vehicle weight	Required motor vehicle liability
Under 35,000 lbs	$50,000
35,000 to 44,000 lbs	$100,000
44,000 lbs and over	$300,000

If you operate trucks in more than one weight class, ask your insurer and FDACS how the limits apply to each vehicle. Request certificates that show the limits and list the vehicles you plan to operate. Confirm the limits before you buy the policy. A $50,000 policy on a truck in the 35,000 to 44,000 lb class will not meet the requirement.

Step 4: Choose your cargo protection

Cargo liability protects your customers' household goods while you have them in your possession. Under Chapter 507, you must carry cargo liability of at least $10,000 per shipment. Operators with 2 or fewer vehicles may instead post a $50,000 bond or CD. Pick the option that fits your fleet size, and confirm with FDACS how the bond or CD must be filed and whether the choice changes when you add a vehicle.

Step 5: File the FDACS household goods mover registration

Submit your registration through FDACS at fdacs.gov. Locate the household goods mover registration section, and have ready your entity details, insurance certificates, cargo protection documentation, and the fee. The fee is $300 per year, so a 2-year registration totals $600. Ask FDACS for the current renewal schedule and submission method, because processing timelines can change.

Veterans may qualify for a fee waiver. Confirm eligibility and the application steps with FDACS before you assume the $300 fee applies to you.

Treat the registration as a gate. Do not accept bookings for intrastate moves until your registration is issued, and ask FDACS whether any step must be completed before issuance.

Step 6: Write a signed estimate and contract for every move

Section 507.05 requires a written, signed estimate and contract before any service begins. The estimate must itemize the costs, and you must accept at least two payment methods. Build a template once, then use it for every job.

• List each charge separately, with its rate or amount. Do not bundle fees under a single lump sum.
• Show at least two accepted payment methods on the document, such as check and card, so the customer knows how to pay.
• Get the customer's signature on the estimate and the contract before any packing or loading begins.
• Give the customer a signed copy, and keep your own copy in the job file.

Step 7: Add federal authority for interstate moves

Any move that crosses a state line requires FMCSA authority, including a USDOT number and operating authority. Start at fmcsa.dot.gov and confirm the forms, fees, and filings that apply to your situation.

Step 8: Check sales tax and local tax obligations

Businesses that sell taxable goods or services must register as sales and use tax dealers with the Florida Department of Revenue before they begin business. The state sales tax rate is 6%. Whether your moving services are taxable, and how charges such as packing materials are treated, is a question to confirm with the Department of Revenue before you quote a job. Register through the Department of Revenue e-services registration page.

The local business tax receipt is a tax, not a competency license. It does not show that you are qualified to move households. Not every county or city levies it, and the cost varies by location, so check with the city and county where you will operate. The local business tax receipt falls under Chapter 205 of the Florida Statutes.

Step 9: Register a fictitious name if you need one

If you will market under a trade name such as “Gulf Coast Movers” while your LLC has a different legal name, file a Fictitious Name Registration. The registration is filed with the Division of Corporations statewide, not with your county. It costs $50 to register and $50 to renew. It is valid for 5 years and expires on December 31 of the fifth year. Renewal is filed between July 1 and December 31 of the expiration year.

The name must be advertised at least once in a newspaper in the county of your principal place of business. No proof of advertisement is filed with the state, but the requirement still applies to you. File through the Sunbiz fictitious name page.

Step 10: Set up your compliance calendar

Most lapses happen because a deadline was missed, not because a company chose to break a rule. Put every date below on a shared calendar with two reminders.

• LLC annual report: file between January 1 and May 1 each year for $138.75. A $400 late fee applies after May 1, for a total of $538.75. Failure to file by the third Friday in September leads to administrative dissolution.
• Corporation Profit Annual Report: file between January 1 and May 1 each year for $150. A $400 late fee applies after May 1, for a total of $550.
• FDACS registration renewal: confirm your renewal date and method with FDACS, especially if you hold a 2-year registration.
• Fictitious name renewal: file between July 1 and December 31 of the expiration year for $50.
• Insurance and bond or CD renewals: confirm the renewal dates with your insurer and FDACS.
• Local business tax receipt: confirm the renewal schedule with your city or county.

Costs at a Glance

Item	Amount	Confirm with
LLC Articles of Organization	$100 filing fee	Sunbiz
Corporation Articles of Incorporation	$35 filing fee	Sunbiz
Name reservation	$25 for 120 days	Sunbiz
Registered agent designation	$25 for an LLC, $35 for a corporation	Sunbiz
LLC annual report	$138.75 (January 1 to May 1); $538.75 after May 1	Sunbiz
Corporation Profit Annual Report	$150; $550 after May 1	Sunbiz
FDACS household goods mover registration	$300 per year; $600 for 2 years	FDACS
Moving broker bond or CD	$50,000	FDACS
Fictitious name registration	$50 to register; $50 to renew	Sunbiz
Sales and use tax registration	Confirm	Florida Department of Revenue
Local business tax receipt	Varies, or not levied	Your city or county
FMCSA authority (interstate moves)	Confirm	FMCSA
Motor vehicle and cargo insurance	Set by your insurer	Your insurer

What Results to Expect

Completing these steps may put your company in a position to take intrastate household goods bookings, and a signed estimate and contract may give your customers a clear written record of what they agreed to pay. Organized filings may also reduce back-and-forth with the agencies, although no processing timeline is guaranteed. Your results will depend on your entity type, your insurance, your local rules, and how carefully you keep records after registration.

Tips for a Smoother Registration

• Run the Sunbiz name search and request insurance quotes in the same week. Certificates can take time to collect, and they are needed for the FDACS filing.
• Ask FDACS for its current forms and checklist before you buy anything, so you know exactly what it will review.
• Keep one folder, digital and paper, with your Sunbiz acknowledgment, insurance certificates, FDACS registration, contract template, and tax registration.
• Ask your insurer to confirm the FDACS requirements in writing, and keep that confirmation with your registration file.
• Meet with a Florida attorney or CPA before you choose between an LLC and a corporation, because the choice affects your filings and taxes.
• Use the Florida SBDC Network for planning help as you prepare your business plan and budget.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming your name is approved before you receive the filing acknowledgment.
• Using a P.O. Box as the registered agent address.
• Naming the entity itself as its own registered agent, which is not allowed.
• Buying a $50,000 motor vehicle policy for trucks in a higher weight tier.
• Quoting a move by phone and collecting a deposit without a signed estimate and contract.
• Operating under a trade name without a fictitious name registration.
• Missing the May 1 annual report deadline and paying the $400 late fee.
• Treating the local business tax receipt as a state license or as proof of competency.
• Skipping FMCSA authority on a move that crosses a state line.
• Running a broker operation without the $50,000 bond or CD.

Next Steps

Start with the scope decision and the Sunbiz name search this week. Then request insurance quotes, confirm the FDACS fee and renewal process, and ask the Department of Revenue whether your services are taxable. Once those answers are in hand, file your entity, complete the FDACS registration, and build your contract template before you accept your first booking.

Reminder: This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Confirm every fee and deadline with the agency named in this guide, and consult a qualified Florida attorney or CPA for decisions about your specific situation.