Household goods authority

Definition

The federal registration a mover carries, whose transfer is a filing that can be refused.

Why It Matters

Interstate movers register under the federal statute and carry a department number, with household goods carriers owing extra conditions on arbitration, on tariffs and on a proficiency examination. The transfer is the part a buyer needs to understand. It is a filing made at least ten days before closing, the parties may consummate after that wait, and the approval comes afterwards or not at all: an unsatisfactory safety rating on either side may sink it, and a transaction that is consummated and then denied is void and must be rescinded. The name-change route is closed to a real sale, because it requires a statement that there is no change in ownership, management or control. States add their own layer, and Florida's registration is not assignable, renews every two years, and asks each owner for five years of previous mover names.