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California · moving & household-goods research

California Moving & Household-Goods Intelligence

Research current BHGS household-mover (CAL-T) authority, federal interstate carrier evidence with a California business/HQ location, official max-rate tariff rules, and BHGS citations. MoveTrustHub organizes evidence. It does not rank movers and does not publish a Trust Score.

Universe
Unknown

Complete CAL-T roster is search-only — not zero

Current
397

FMCSA interstate records with a California business/HQ location — not California licenses

Observations
132

Official BHGS table rows with violation section 19237

Tariff / rate
2026-01-01

Maximum Rate Tariff 4 effective date

As-of
2026-09-03

Publication snapshot, not live licensing

Trace this number
  • Source: Official BHGS citations HTML table, filtered to violation section 19237
  • Source date: 2026-09-03
  • Grain: citation row
  • Coverage: household-mover permit citations on the mixed BHGS table; other BHGS industries excluded
  • Numerator: 132 19237 rows (120 UNLICENSED, 12 with CAL-T/T number)
  • Denominator: that official table — not every California moving action
  • Calculation: Count table rows whose violation section contains 19237. CAL-T parsed from License # / CAL-T / T- prefixes.
  • Caveat: A citation is not a revocation. A listed fine amount is not confirmed paid. Name-only is UNSAFE for profile attach.

Who regulates California household-goods movers?

The current regulator is the Bureau of Household Goods and Services in the California Department of Consumer Affairs. The California Public Utilities Commission is not the current household-goods mover regulator; that authority transferred to BHGS. A Household Mover permit is identified by a CAL-T number. CAL-T is not a USDOT number.

BHGS home · Household Movers license search

What authority do I need?

This is research guidance, not legal advice. Which credential matters depends on the move.

  • Move within California. California state Household Mover (CAL-T) authority is central. A USDOT number does not by itself prove the mover can perform your California intrastate move. Verify on BHGS license search.
  • Move into or out of California. FMCSA/USDOT interstate authority is central. A California mover permit does not by itself prove interstate authority. BHGS also has a separate Interstate Mover application for companies that only move into or out of California. Verify USDOT on MoveTrustHub Verify DOT and FMCSA SAFER.

Mixed or edge cases exist (for example a company that does both). Do not merge state and federal results merely by business name.

Market findings

  • California household-goods moves inside the state are licensed by BHGS under a Household Mover permit identified as a CAL-T number. That is not a USDOT number and not FMCSA interstate authority. CPUC is not the current regulator; household-goods authority transferred to BHGS.
  • No official bulk CAL-T mover roster was acquired. Public verification is OPEN_SEARCH_ONLY at search.dca.ca.gov/hhm_search. The complete California licensed-mover count is UNKNOWN, not zero.
  • The official BHGS citations table includes 132 rows whose violation section is 19237 (household-mover permit). 120 are marked UNLICENSED and 12 carry a CAL-T/T number. A citation is not a revocation. A listed fine amount is not confirmed paid. Name-only unlicensed rows are not attached to MoveTrustHub profiles.
  • BHGS publishes Maximum Rate Tariff 4 effective January 1, 2026. The tariff sets maximum rates and rules for moves within California. A tariff is not an actual invoice and not a quality score. Written estimates after visual inspection and a not-to-exceed price are official consumer rules.

Find movers — keep the universes separate

Research California state authority

CAL-T Household Mover permits. Search-only. Complete licensed-mover count is unknown.

Verify a CAL-T permit on BHGS

BHGS citations (household movers)

132 official table rows use violation section 19237. 120 are marked UNLICENSED. 12 carry a CAL-T/T number. Other BHGS industries on the same page are excluded. A citation is not a revocation. Name-only unlicensed rows are not attached to profiles.

  • 2022: 19
  • 2023: 51
  • 2024: 27
  • 2025: 29
  • 2026: 6

Official BHGS citations and disciplinary actions

Tariff / rate / consumer rules

Maximum Rate Tariff, effective January 1, 2026. A tariff is not an actual invoice and not a quality score.

  • Written estimate only after visual inspection of the goods
  • Verbal or internet-only estimates are prohibited
  • Not-to-exceed price required for household moves
  • Additional services require a Change Order for Moving Services
  • Valuation / additional protection choices are in the official consumer booklet
  • Required documents include the moving services agreement and Important Notice About Your Move

Maximum Rate Tariff PDF · Tips for moves within California · Tips for moves into and out of California

Insurance / financial responsibility

BHGS permit applicants must file evidence of insurance. Official minima: GO 100: $250,000 BI one person; $500,000 BI more than one person; $100,000 property damage other than cargo; or $600,000 combined single limit. Cargo: GO 136: $20,000 per shipment. Workers' compensation when applicable. A Household Mover permit is not proof of confirmed current insurance. This page does not create an “insured” badge from license presence.

Complaints

Coverage OPEN_SEARCH / CONSUMER COMPLAINT PROCESS. No bulk complaint report was acquired. A complaint is not a violation. No complaint row is not a clean record. Official consumer page: loss or damage claims must be filed in writing within nine months after delivery.

File a BHGS complaint

Evidence depth

FamilyAccessLimitation
BHGS authorityOPEN_OFFICIALNo bulk roster. CPUC terminology is historical.
California license verificationOPEN_SEARCH_ONLYNot scraped. Complete count UNKNOWN.
FMCSAEXISTING_GRAPHNot CAL-T. Not California licensed.
state enforcementOPEN_HTML_TABLEMixed BHGS industries on the same page; only 19237 counted. Citation ≠ revocation.
tariff/rate sourceOPEN_PDFTariff ≠ invoice. Tariff ≠ quality.
insurance/financial responsibilityOPEN_FAQPermit presence is not a live insurance certificate check.
complaint processOPEN_SEARCH / CONSUMER PROCESSNo bulk complaint report acquired. Complaint ≠ violation.
consumer guideOPEN_HTMLGuidance, not a quote calculator.

What we don't yet know

Missing is not zero.

  • Complete CAL-T mover roster: OPEN_SEARCH_ONLY / SOURCE_NOT_ACQUIRED
  • Complete current licensed-mover denominator: UNKNOWN
  • Complete enforcement history: PARTIAL_HTML_TABLE
  • Current insurance certificate universe: SEARCH_OR_REQUEST
  • Bulk complaints: SOURCE_NOT_ACQUIRED
  • State CAL-T ↔ USDOT exact crosswalk: SOURCE_NOT_ACQUIRED

Semantic rules

  • CAL-T != USDOT
  • CALIFORNIA STATE AUTHORITY != FMCSA INTERSTATE AUTHORITY
  • FMCSA ACTIVE != CALIFORNIA LICENSED
  • CALIFORNIA LICENSED != INTERSTATE AUTHORIZED
  • LICENSE != CONFIRMED CURRENT INSURANCE
  • TARIFF != ACTUAL PRICE
  • COMPLAINT != VIOLATION
  • NOTICE != FINAL ACTION
  • MISSING != ZERO
  • NO TRUST SCORE
  • NO PAID RANKING

No Trust Score. No paid ranking.