Movers in Texas

TxDMV doesn't regulate the fees movers charge, and no Texas-only price survey is available, so the figures below are national, from HomeGuide's moving cost guide dated November 2025. Treat them as a yardstick for the written proposals you collect.

Long-distance prices swing with mileage and weight. HomeGuide also notes that peak summer dates, Fridays and weekends, and the start or end of the month cost more, so a midweek, mid-month date is worth asking about.

Each registered mover must file a tariff with its own maximum charges, and TxDMV makes those tariffs available for public inspection. Every licensed mover must also put its maximum price in writing before loading (see below).

TxDMV registration is required for every mover. Under Transportation Code §643.051(b), a carrier "may not operate a vehicle, regardless of size of the vehicle, to transport household goods for compensation unless the carrier registers" with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. TxDMV's consumer brochure (January 2025) says this covers everyone from major van lines to local movers with trucks and trailers, and that each must have an active TxDMV certificate number and follow Chapter 218 of Title 43 of the Texas Administrative Code.

Moving goods for pay without it is an offense. It's a Class C misdemeanor, rising to Class B with one prior conviction and Class A with two or more.

Texas mover insurance rules

• Registered carriers must file proof of liability insurance with TxDMV and keep evidence of insurance in the cab of each registered vehicle.
• Household goods carriers must carry cargo coverage of at least $5,000 for a single shipper's goods on one vehicle and $10,000 in aggregate per vehicle.
• A carrier whose main business is hauling between two or more cities must provide workers' compensation or set accident coverage for its employees.

Federal numbers and moves into Texas

A Texas-registered mover must also hold a federal identification number issued under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), such as a USDOT number. A move that crosses state lines, including a move to Texas from another state, is regulated by FMCSA, not TxDMV; its consumer site is protectyourmove.gov.

1. Search the company on TxDMV's Truck Stop lookup. A licensed Texas mover has an "Active" TxDMV certificate number on file.
2. If the company doesn't come up, ask for its TxDMV certificate number and search that.
3. Call TxDMV's Enforcement Division at 1-888-368-4689 to ask about the mover's complaint history.
4. Look at the ads. Print ads must show the registered name, a Texas street address and the number as "TxDMV No.", and the mover's website must show the TxDMV consumer help line and the TxDMV number.
5. Look at the truck. The rules require the company name and TxDMV number on both sides, and TxDMV says licensed movers show their USDOT number there too.

Signs of an unlicensed mover

TxDMV lists these warning signs:

• A very low advertised price that rises once your things are on the truck, with your goods held until you pay the higher amount.
• No local business address.
• Cell phones used as the business line, or the phone answered with vague names like "Movers" or "Moving Company".
• No markings on the truck, or a rental truck.

TxDMV won't recommend specific moving companies. Our city pages rank movers on public review data, explained in our terms of service, so run the TxDMV check on any name you pick from them.

Your rights document comes first. Every licensed mover must give you TxDMV's "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move in Texas" before loading.

A written proposal with a maximum price. Before loading, the mover must give you a written proposal describing the services and the maximum amount you could be required to pay. It comes in two forms:

• Binding: states the exact price of the move.
• Not-to-exceed: states the maximum price but lets the mover charge less.

For an accurate figure, TxDMV says you must tell the mover about every item and about stairs, long carries or elevators, which some movers charge extra for.

The contract. A licensed mover gives you a moving services contract before loading and won't add charges after it's signed unless you both agree in writing. Don't rely on verbal agreements. At delivery, the last amended contract or written proposal sets the total, so be ready to pay the maximum shown on the proposal. Signing at delivery only confirms delivery; it doesn't release the mover from liability.

Inventory fees. A mover may charge for a descriptive inventory only if you agree to it. If it prepares one for its own use without your agreement, it can't charge you for it.

You and the mover agree on how much the mover is liable for. Some agree to limit it to 60 cents per pound per item, and TxDMV's own example shows what that means: a lost 50-pound television would be reimbursed at 50 × $0.60 = $30. You can also agree to no liability, or to higher liability, possibly for a higher fee.

TxDMV is clear that the mover's liability limit is not insurance. Transit insurance can be bought from the mover or from a separate insurer, and a copy of the policy or other proof must be issued to you before the shipment is loaded. If your furniture is worth more than its weight at 60 cents a pound, price that cover before moving day.

Filing a claim with the mover

File a written claim with the mover within 90 days of delivery, or it could be denied. Keep the damaged goods and boxes for inspection. The mover then has these deadlines:

• 23 days to acknowledge the claim in writing, unless it's resolved within 20 days.
• 30 days from receiving the claim to inspect damaged goods or containers.
• 90 days from receiving the claim to pay, decline or make a firm written settlement offer.

Free TxDMV mediation for moving disputes

TxDMV coordinates mediation of fee and damage disputes at no cost to you. The request must reach TxDMV within 35 days after the mover answers your claim with an unsatisfactory offer or a denial, or after 90 days with no response. If mediation fails, you can take the claim to court at your own expense.

Complaints to TxDMV about a mover

File online at TxDMV.gov, email TruckStop@TxDMV.gov, or call 1-888-368-4689 (8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday). Since September 1, 2019, TxDMV can order a mover that breaks the moving rules to refund the consumer, and it can set administrative penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, or $15,000 if the violation was knowing.

1. Check the TxDMV certificate number on Truck Stop and confirm it shows "Active".
2. For a move from another state, check the mover with FMCSA instead.
3. List every item and every set of stairs, long carry and elevator before you ask for a price.
4. Get written proposals from more than one mover and note whether each is binding or not-to-exceed.
5. Read the TxDMV rights document the mover gives you before loading.
6. Agree the liability level in writing, and buy transit insurance if you need more cover.
7. Get every change to the price in writing, signed by both of you.
8. Have the maximum amount ready on delivery day.
9. Note damage at delivery and file any claim in writing within 90 days.

If you're leaving a rental, book a house cleaning service for the day after loading, since the move-out clean and your deposit go together.

Each city page lists local moving companies with the local checks that apply there. Find yours below, grouped by region.

Movers in Dallas-Fort Worth

Dallas, Garland, Irving, Mesquite, Grand Prairie, Carrollton, Richardson, Fort Worth, Arlington, Bedford, Grapevine, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Denton, Lewisville, Flower Mound, Rockwall, Weatherford, Burleson. Region guide: Dallas-Fort Worth.

Movers in North Texas and Texoma

Sherman, Wichita Falls. Region guide: North Texas and Texoma.

Movers in Houston and the Gulf Coast

Houston, Clear Lake, Pasadena, Cypress, Webster, Baytown, Katy, Sugar Land, Conroe, The Woodlands, Pearland, League City, Friendswood, Texas City, Galveston. Region guide: Houston and the Gulf Coast.

Movers in Southeast Texas

Beaumont. Region guide: Southeast Texas.

Movers in East Texas

Tyler, Longview. Region guide: East Texas.

Movers in Austin and the Hill Country corridor

Austin, Pflugerville, Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Kyle, San Marcos. Region guide: Austin and the Hill Country corridor.

Movers in Central Texas

Killeen, Waco. Region guide: Central Texas.

Movers in San Antonio and the Hill Country

San Antonio, New Braunfels, Boerne. Region guide: San Antonio and the Hill Country.

Movers in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley

Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen, Brownsville, Harlingen. Region guide: South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley.

Movers in West Texas

El Paso, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, San Angelo. Region guide: West Texas.

Movers in Panhandle and South Plains

Lubbock, Amarillo. Region guide: Panhandle and South Plains.