The industry website, eMovingStorage, has some great information on moving regulations in the state of California:

California’s Public Utilities Commission, www.cpuc.ca.gov, regulates California intrastate household moving.  The mover must have a CAL-T # (with this, you can verify if a local mover is licensed and insured).  Moving companies adopt the same tariff (Tariff maximum 4, which they can charge an hourly rate up to the tariff the commission has adopted).

In California, a local move is any move within the state that is less than 100 miles and the move would be priced on an hourly basis.  An intrastate (long distance move) is over 100 miles in the state of California and is priced by weight and distance.

One important thing to remember is to make sure your local mover carries workers compensation and the proper licensing on equipment and vehicles.

The two best resources for guarding against fraudulent moving companies are the California Public Utilities Commission and the CMSA.

California Public Utilities Commission
www.cpuc.ca.gov
505 Van Ness Ave., Room 5218
San Francisco, CA 94102
1-800-877-8867, 6002# to see if they are licensed and insured.

California Moving and Storage Association
10900 E. 183rd St., Suite 300
Cerritos, CA 90703-5370
www.thecmsa.org
(562) 865-2900
(800) 672-1415 – Toll free
(562) 865-2944 – Fax

When you move with Priority Moving, you can be assured that we are an award winning, licensed, insured, and BBB accredited San Diego moving company with professional San Diego movers.

All movers are by law required to be licensed by local, State or Federal regulation.  Licensing ensures that the movers you hire have met the requirements for conducting a moving business in the locality that you are moving from/to.  A licensed mover carries the minimum insurance that the government agency charged with regulating movers deems necessary to protect consumers.  In addition, licensed movers must abide by regulations designed to ensure the safety of the public such as having equipment in good working order, having qualified drivers, agreeing to abide by dispute resolution provisions, etc.

If you hire an unlicensed mover, you may not be sufficiently covered if your stuff goes missing or is held hostage. State governments are starting to take a stronger stance on the issue and are fining and even arresting illegal movers.

Public Service Commission Fines Illegal Movers

Atlanta, (August 18, 2009) – The Georgia Public Service Commission (Commission) today unanimously levied a total of $10,000 in fines against two household goods movers found to be operating illegally in Georgia. The Commission also revoked the interim operating authority of another mover and denied the application of a fourth for intrastate authority to operate in Georgia.

The Commission action included:

• Fined Gary B. Luster, doing business as Motivated Movers, $5,000 for holding themselves out to be a legally licensed mover and/or for making illegal moves without proper authority from the Commission. (Docket Number 29575)
• Fined Derrick Hairston, doing business as The Moving Company, $5,000 for holding themselves out to be a legally licensed mover and/or for making illegal moves without proper authority from the Commission. (Docket Number 29576)
• Revoked the interim operating authority of Yoon Sik Yang, doing business as Pro Express, Inc. for the carrier’s failure to provide the Commission with requested documentation and for failure to maintain required insurance. (Docket Number 29580)
• Denied application of A Van Lines, LLC and issued a cease and desist order to stop all intrastate moves within Georgia. (Docket Number 29014)

“The Georgia Public Service Commission continues to take action against ‘rogue movers’ who violate Georgia laws and Commission rules. We will protect consumers from unscrupulous movers who are uninsured and unlicensed,” said Commission Chairman Doug Everett.

In the past year, the Commission has levied more than $181,000 in fines against illegal movers.

For more information, please visit:

http://www.psc.state.ga.us/

http://www.theweekly.com/news/2009/August/18/PSC_Movers.html

About Priority Moving – San Diego Movers:

Priority moving is an Award Winning San Diego moving company that specializes in local San Diego moves and long distance moves. Priority Moving performs over 3,500 moves per year. This includes local San Diego moves, long distance moves, international moves and secure on-site storage.

We are licensed and insured San Diego Movers (CAL T-189943). (MAKE sure your mover has a valid CAL T license at the California Public Utilities Commission).

We are accredited members of the BBB (A+ rating), the CMSA (California Moving & Storage Association), AMSA (American Moving and Storage Association), IAM (International Association of Movers) and the only approved moving company in the SDCAA (San Diego County Apartment Association).

We are also an agent for Wheaton Van Lines for your long distance moving needs.  In business for 65 years Wheaton is the only moving company ever to be awarded the Good Housekeeping Seal.

Established in 2002, Priority moving was founded on the principles of providing a consistent and high level of quality in moving. We have been featured on Fox 6 news (video on website), San Diego magazine, in the San Diego Union and numerous other news sources.

We were proud to be a certified ProMover – a designation granted only by the American Moving and Storage Association, and the only San Diego moving company honored with a supplier of the year award by the San Diego County Apartment Association.

Priority Moving, Inc.
9755 Distribution Avenue #A
San Diego, CA 92121
858-689-2525
info@prioritymoving.com
www.prioritymoving.com
Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/prioritymoving