Starting a moving company in Florida? Here's what catches most new business owners off guard: Florida doesn't care how small your operation is. Even if you're running a one-person moving business with a single truck, you're required to carry workers' compensation insurance. That's unusual—most states give small businesses a pass until they hit a certain employee threshold. But Florida treats moving companies differently, and for good reason. The industry has a history of fly-by-night operators who leave customers with damaged furniture and no recourse.
The good news? If you understand the requirements upfront, getting properly licensed and insured isn't as complicated as it seems. This guide breaks down exactly what insurance coverage you need, what it costs, and how to register with the state so you can operate legally and protect your business from day one.
Florida Department of Agriculture Registration
Before you can legally operate as a moving company in Florida, you need to register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). This isn't optional—it's the law under Chapter 507 of Florida Statutes. When you complete registration, you'll receive an Intrastate Mover (IM) number that must appear on all your advertising, your truck doors, and prominently displayed in your office.
The registration costs $600 and is valid for two years. You'll need to provide your business name, mailing address, business locations, names and addresses of all owners or officers, and proof of insurance. The state requires that FDACS be named as a certificate holder on all your insurance policies, and you must give them at least 10 days' notice before making any changes to your coverage. This ensures that if you let your insurance lapse, the state knows immediately and can suspend your license.
Required Insurance Coverage
Florida's 2025 regulations significantly increased insurance requirements for moving companies, and you need to understand all four types of coverage before you start operating.
General liability insurance is your foundation. You need a minimum of $500,000 in coverage—double what many states require. This protects you when someone gets injured at your business location or during a move. Think about it: you're entering customers' homes, navigating tight staircases, moving heavy items through doorways. If your employee accidentally damages a client's wall or if a customer trips over equipment and breaks an ankle, your general liability policy handles those claims.
Cargo liability insurance covers the items you're actually moving. Florida requires a minimum of $10,000 per shipment. But here's where it gets interesting: if you're a small operation with two trucks or fewer, you can skip traditional cargo insurance and instead post a $25,000 surety bond or certificate of deposit with the state. This gives customers a guarantee they'll be compensated if something goes wrong, without you having to pay monthly insurance premiums.
Workers' compensation is where Florida gets strict. Unlike most industries, where you only need coverage after hiring three or four employees, moving companies must carry workers' comp from day one. Even if you're a solo operator with no employees, you need coverage. The reasoning is simple: moving is physically demanding work with high injury rates. Back injuries, strained muscles, and accidents are common, and the state wants to ensure that everyone in the industry has protection.
Motor vehicle liability insurance rounds out your requirements. The minimums depend on your truck size: $50,000 per occurrence for vehicles between 26,000 and 35,000 pounds, $100,000 for vehicles between 35,000 and 44,000 pounds, and $300,000 for vehicles over 44,000 pounds. Florida also requires $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) and $10,000 in property damage coverage for all commercial vehicles.
Valuation Coverage for Customer Goods
Here's something that confuses a lot of new movers: valuation coverage is different from cargo insurance. Your cargo insurance protects you from financial liability. Valuation coverage is what you offer to customers to protect their belongings.
As of 2025, Florida requires household movers to provide at least 60 cents per pound in valuation coverage for damaged or lost items. That means if you damage a customer's 50-pound television, you owe them $30 minimum. That's not much—which is why most customers opt to purchase additional full-value protection. But you must offer the 60-cent-per-pound baseline at no extra charge.
You're required to explain valuation options to customers in writing before the move. Many moving companies offer full replacement value coverage as an add-on, which gives customers much better protection and can be a good revenue stream for your business. Just make sure you understand exactly what your cargo insurance covers versus what valuation coverage you're offering to customers—they work together but serve different purposes.
Staying Compliant and Avoiding Penalties
Florida takes moving company compliance seriously, and the penalties for operating without proper registration or insurance are steep. You can face fines, suspension of your license, and even criminal charges in serious cases. But staying compliant isn't difficult if you build good habits from the start.
First, mark your calendar for insurance renewals. Set reminders 30 days before each policy expires so you have time to shop around or renew without any gaps in coverage. Remember that your insurance company must notify FDACS if your policy lapses, and your license can be suspended immediately. Second, display your IM number properly. It needs to be on the driver's side door of every truck, on all advertisements including your website, and visible in your office. These aren't suggestions—they're legal requirements that inspectors check.
Third, keep detailed records. Florida requires you to submit operational reports annually, and you need to maintain documentation of every move including contracts, inventory lists, and customer acknowledgments of valuation coverage. These records protect you if a customer files a complaint or if the state conducts an audit. Finally, make sure your contracts are compliant with Florida law. They must clearly detail services, costs, insurance coverage, payment terms, and customer rights. Using a template approved by your attorney is worth the investment.
Getting Started: Your Action Plan
If you're ready to start or formalize your Florida moving company, here's the order to tackle these requirements. First, contact insurance agents who specialize in commercial moving coverage. Get quotes for general liability, workers' comp, cargo, and motor vehicle liability. Ask specifically about policies that meet Florida's FDACS requirements—not all agents are familiar with the nuances of moving company insurance.
Once you have insurance in place, download the moving company registration packet from the FDACS website. Fill it out completely, attach proof of all required insurance coverage, and submit it with your $600 registration fee. The approval process typically takes 2-4 weeks, so plan accordingly. While you're waiting for approval, set up your compliance systems: create contract templates, design your truck door decals with space for your IM number, and establish your record-keeping procedures.
Yes, Florida's requirements are demanding. But they exist for good reasons—to protect customers from unscrupulous movers and to ensure that legitimate businesses can compete on a level playing field. When you meet these standards, you're not just checking boxes for the state. You're building a foundation for a professional, sustainable moving company that customers can trust.
