How to Check a Commercial Mover's License in Canada and the US
A commercial mover running trucks between US states needs a USDOT number and, if it moves your goods for pay, active operating authority from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), usually shown as an MC number. In Canada the equivalent is a provincial carrier registration: a CVOR certificate in Ontario, an entry in the Commission des transports du Québec registry in Québec, and a National Safety Code safety certificate in most other provinces. All of these can be looked up in a few minutes, and it is worth doing before the contract is signed, not after the trucks show up.
Below: what each registration means, where to check it, and which gaps deserve questions.
Why the registration matters to a business shipper
A registration number is not a quality rating. It tells you the company is known to the regulator, has filed the insurance the law requires for its vehicles, and has a safety record someone can read. When a move goes wrong (a truck is put out of service at a roadside inspection, a claim is filed, a crew is stopped at a border crossing), the carrier's standing is what decides whether your schedule slips by an hour or by a week.
It also tells you who actually holds your goods. Many relocation companies sell and manage the project, then hand the driving to a partner carrier. That is common and legal, but the number should belong to the company whose name is on the truck, and your contract should say who that is.
United States: USDOT number and operating authority
The USDOT number
FMCSA assigns a USDOT number to carriers operating commercial vehicles in interstate commerce, which in practice covers almost any box truck or tractor used for a commercial move across state lines. Several states also require a USDOT number for trucks that never leave the state.
To check one, open the FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot, search by the number or the company name, and read three fields:
- Operating status. It should say "Authorized" for the type of operation, not "Not authorized" or "Out of service."
- Power units and drivers. A company claiming a dozen crews with one registered truck is subcontracting.
- Inspections and crashes. The 24-month summary shows how many vehicle and driver inspections ended with an out-of-service order. A high rate compared with the national average shown on the same page is a reason to ask.
Operating authority (the MC number)
A for-hire carrier moving someone else's property between states also needs operating authority. The FMCSA licensing and insurance lookup shows whether that authority is active, pending or revoked, and whether the required insurance filings are on record. For a general freight carrier with heavier trucks, the federal minimum public liability coverage is US$750,000. That figure is a floor set by regulation, not a sign of how much your equipment is covered for, which is a separate cargo valuation question.
Office furniture and fixtures can fall under the federal "household goods" definition when they are moved as part of relocating an office, so some commercial movers hold household goods authority rather than general freight authority. Either can be legitimate. What matters is that the authority is active and matches the work.
One point that surprises business buyers: much of the consumer paperwork in 49 CFR Part 375 (the "Your Rights and Responsibilities" booklet, binding estimate rules) is written for individual householders. A company moving its own office is generally expected to negotiate those protections in the contract itself, so liability limits, claim deadlines and valuation need to be spelled out in writing.
State-level rules
Some states add their own layer for moves that stay inside the state. Texas, for example, requires household goods carriers to register with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, and New York issues its own household goods carrier authority through the state DOT. If your move is local, check the state transportation agency's site for any intrastate registration on top of the federal numbers.
Canada: provincial carrier registrations
Trucking safety in Canada is regulated province by province under the National Safety Code (NSC), with each jurisdiction issuing its own carrier registration.
Ontario: CVOR
In Ontario, operators of commercial trucks with a registered gross weight over 4,500 kg need a Commercial Vehicle Operator's Registration (CVOR) certificate from the Ministry of Transportation. The CVOR record tracks collisions, convictions and inspections, and the ministry assigns each carrier a safety rating. You can ask the mover for its CVOR number and a recent carrier abstract. A carrier that hesitates to share its abstract, or one with a "Conditional" or "Unsatisfactory" rating, deserves a closer look.
Québec: the CTQ registry
In Québec, owners and operators of heavy vehicles (generally 4,500 kg and up) must be entered in the Registre des propriétaires et des exploitants de véhicules lourds, kept by the Commission des transports du Québec. The registry is searchable online and shows whether the carrier's registration is valid and what safety rating it holds ("satisfaisant," "conditionnel" or "insatisfaisant"). For a move in Montréal, Laval or Québec City, this is the first number to check.
Other provinces
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Atlantic provinces issue NSC safety certificates (Alberta calls its version a Safety Fitness Certificate). A carrier based in one province that crosses into another relies on the certificate from its home jurisdiction, which the other provinces recognise. Ask for the certificate number and the issuing province, then confirm it with that province's carrier services office.
Moves that cross the border
A Canada to US office move adds two things. First, a Canadian carrier running trucks into the US needs its own USDOT number and FMCSA authority, and a US carrier entering Canada needs to meet the requirements of the province it operates in. Second, cabotage rules generally stop a foreign truck from picking up and dropping off within the other country, so a Toronto carrier cannot simply take on a separate leg between two US cities on the same trip. Cross-border moves also need customs paperwork (an inventory, commercial invoice or equivalent, and a customs broker in most cases), which a mover should explain at the quoting stage.
A short verification checklist
Before you sign, collect these in writing:
- The legal name of the carrier that will run the trucks, and its USDOT/MC number, CVOR number, CTQ registration or NSC certificate.
- A screenshot or abstract showing the registration is active, checked by you on the regulator's own site.
- A certificate of insurance naming your company or your building as certificate holder if the landlord asks for it (most commercial buildings do).
- The cargo valuation terms: the limit per pound or per item, what full-value protection costs, and the deadline for filing a claim.
- If any part of the move is subcontracted, the same documents for that carrier.
For more on the building side of the paperwork, the office relocation service page lists what we plan for, and the cost guide shows how valuation and insurance lines usually appear on a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Does a local office mover need a USDOT number?
It depends on the state and the truck. A move that never leaves the state may not need federal operating authority, but many states still require a USDOT number for commercial trucks above a set weight, and some require their own mover registration. Ask the company which registrations apply to the trucks it will use and check them on the state and federal sites.
How can you look up a moving company's FMCSA record?
Search the company name or USDOT number on the FMCSA SAFER Company Snapshot. It shows the operating status, the number of registered trucks and drivers, and the inspection and crash summary for the last 24 months. The separate FMCSA licensing and insurance lookup confirms whether operating authority and insurance filings are active.
What safety rating should a Québec carrier have?
Look for a valid registration in the CTQ registry with a "satisfaisant" rating. A "conditionnel" rating means the commission has flagged issues the carrier must correct, and "insatisfaisant" means the carrier is not allowed to operate heavy vehicles. A carrier without a rating yet is not necessarily a problem, but ask how long it has been registered.
Does a mover's registration mean your equipment is insured?
No. The registration shows the carrier filed the liability coverage the law requires for its vehicles. Coverage for your furniture, servers and files is a separate matter set by the cargo valuation terms in your contract, so confirm the limits and the claim process in writing.
Planning a move?
Send us the addresses, the headcount and the date you are aiming for through the quote form. We reply in writing with a move plan and a free quote, including the carrier details you need for the checks above.