Minnesota Moving & Household Goods Intelligence

Minnesota Household Goods Mover Permit

Household goods movers are people or entities who move personal effects and property used or to be used by the owner in the owner's dwelling. Under Minnesota Statutes section 221.121, a person who wants to operate as a household goods carrier applies to the commissioner; MnDOT issues the permit to an applicant that files a complying application, pays the $150 fee and meets the insurance requirements, and does not issue one to an applicant with an unsatisfactory safety rating. MnDOT says: "NOTE: You may not legally operate as a motor carrier until you receive your household goods mover permit." Apply through MnDOT's household goods mover page.

A permit is effective for 12 months and is renewed each year by registering the vehicles operated under it ($75 per vehicle, with an identification card for each). The permit, the annual renewal, vehicle registration, continuous insurance and the safety rating are separate requirements; MnDOT does not publish one combined license status, and this page does not invent one.

Statewide operating authority

"(d) All permits granted to household goods carriers must allow statewide operation. Notwithstanding any geographical restrictions imposed upon a permit at the time it was granted or any state law or rule to the contrary, the holder of a household goods permit may operate statewide." That means permit authority covers all of Minnesota. It does not mean the carrier is headquartered in Minnesota, serves every move, holds interstate authority, or is recommended.

Minnesota permit vs USDOT and MC

MnDOT's steps include getting a USDOT number from FMCSA; there are intrastate and interstate USDOT numbers. A USDOT number is a federal identifier, not the Minnesota permit. An MC number is federal interstate authority and is not required for a move that stays in Minnesota. MnDOT's Carrier Search prints a carrier's MnDOT # and USDOT # together, but this page holds no Minnesota permit roster, so no Minnesota permit is linked to a USDOT or MC record here (0 exact bridges, which is not zero overlap), and nothing is matched by name.

Insurance requirements

Before providing transportation, your insurance underwriter must file a Form E – “Uniform Motor Carrier Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Certificate of Insurance” and a Form H – “Uniform Motor Carrier Cargo Certificate of Insurance” with our office.

• Not less than $100,000/$300,000 public liability (Form E)
• Not less than $50,000 destruction of property (Form E)
• Not less than $50,000 cargo insurance (Form H)

Minnesota law also requires the cargo insurance or bond of $50,000 to be filed with MnDOT and kept continuously in effect; failing to keep insurance on file suspends the permit. Having insurance on file is a legal requirement, not a measure of quality.

Rates and shipment records

Every household goods mover must keep its own tariff showing rates and charges (section 221.161), keep its effective tariffs open for public inspection at its place of business, and provide copies on request. It must not charge more, less or differently than its tariff (section 221.171). MnDOT does not publish a tariff library, so no tariffs are collected here. A tariff is not a quote, and there is no statewide Minnesota moving price.

The mover must keep a record of each shipment, such as a bill of lading or freight bill, showing the parties, date, origin and destination, a description of the goods, the weight or volume if used for the rate, the exact rates, the total charges including special services, and each participating carrier, and keep it for at least three years (section 221.172). A shipment record, a tariff and a quote are three different things.

Complaints and compliance

MnDOT takes complaints about for-hire motor carriers through its motor carrier complaint form (complaint page). Moves across state lines go to FMCSA (FMCSA complaints). MnDOT can order violations corrected and assess administrative penalties of up to $5,000 per audit or investigation, and a permit is suspended without a hearing if insurance lapses, renewal or vehicle fees go unpaid, or a penalty is not paid. Company-level complaint records and enforcement actions are not published in bulk, so no counts are shown. A complaint is not a finding, and nothing is matched to a company by name.

Check a mover

Use MnDOT's Carrier Search with a MnDOT #, USDOT # or company name; the carrier's page lists each authority type (for example Household Goods), its status and the status date. For interstate authority, search the federal record, for example Find USDOT 3244649.

Federal overlay

MoveTrustHub's federal research lists 66 interstate household-goods carriers with a Minnesota headquarters address (observed 2026-09-26). A Minnesota address is not a Minnesota permit and not a service area, and those carriers are not added to any Minnesota permit count. See them in federal research.

What this page does not mean

• No count of Minnesota permit holders: MnDOT publishes no roster, and missing is not zero.
• No combined Minnesota permit plus FMCSA mover count.
• No statewide Minnesota moving price. A tariff is not a quote.
• No Trust Score, ranking or recommendation.
• No Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Bloomington, county or city moving-intelligence page.

Law cited from the 2025 Minnesota Statutes; MnDOT pages retrieved 2026-09-26T13:40:00Z. Snapshot move-mn-state-intel-v1.