Moving company paperwork: every document on a job, and when the customer gets it.
A lot of moving companies got their paperwork the same way. Somebody handed over a packet years ago, the company name was changed at the top, and nobody has read it since.
That packet is probably out of date. The federal rules for interstate moves changed in 2022, and one of the forms in the old packets no longer exists. This Playbook goes through every document on a job: what it is for, when the customer has to get it, and which rule says so.
The short answer
If you only read one box
Four things. Know which rules cover the job: federal rules for a move that crosses a state line, your state’s rules for one that does not. Give the customer each document when the rule says, which on an interstate move is days before the truck arrives. Get every signature before the first box is loaded. And read every page the day the job is done.
This is an operator’s map of the documents, not legal advice and not a set of forms. Every federal section cited below was read on the eCFR in November 2026. Rules change. Check the current text before you change your paperwork.
Why the paperwork is the product
Your customer buys a move. Three other people may look at the same job later, and none of them watched it happen. All they have is the paper.
| Who reads it | What they look for |
|---|---|
| A regulator | Whether the customer got each required document, at the required time, with the required signatures. A careful move does not make up for a missing document. |
| An insurer or a claims adjuster | The inventory and the valuation choice. Together they decide what was on the truck, what condition it was in, and how much is owed for it. |
| A judge or an arbitrator | The signed contract. What your rep said on the phone is one person's word against another's. What both of you signed is the deal. |
The crew does the move. The paperwork is the only proof of what the move was.
First question: does the job cross a state line?
Everything else depends on the answer, because two different sets of rules apply.
Federal rules
The consumer protection rules in 49 CFR Part 375 apply when you move household goods for the person who owns them and pays for the move (§375.101, §375.103). The list of documents is the same in every state.
Your state's rules
A state agency decides which documents you need. Some states ask for more than the federal rules do. Some ask for very little. The list changes at every state line.
Two kinds of job count as interstate even though both addresses are in the same state: one where the route passes through another state, and one that is a leg of a shipment that started or will end in another state, for example delivery out of storage in transit on an interstate shipment. The definition is in §390.5, which §375.101 points to. If you are not sure which side a job falls on, ask your lawyer.
If you do both kinds of work, you need two sets of paperwork. Keep them apart and label them, so a crew lead cannot pick up the wrong one at 7 in the morning.
Interstate moves: before move day
Most of the interstate paperwork is due before the truck arrives. This is where old habits and the current rules are furthest apart.
| Document | When | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| A survey of the goods, on site or by video (live or recorded). The estimate is based on it. The customer can waive it, but only in writing, signed before loading. Keep the waiver with the bill of lading. | Before the estimate | §375.401(a), §375.103 |
| The written estimate, marked binding or non-binding. It shows the total charges, the forms of payment you will accept at delivery, and the valuation notice. You and the customer both sign it. | Before the bill of lading. The customer gets a dated copy when it is signed. | §375.401 |
| The two federal publications: the booklet “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” and the brochure “Ready to Move?”. Give a copy of each, or a link on your website to the FMCSA page. | With the written estimate | §375.213(a) |
| A receipt for those publications, when the customer chooses the links. Signed, dated, and stating that they agreed to read them online. | When they choose the links. Keep it for 1 year. | §375.213(f) |
| A summary of your arbitration program: how a dispute over loss, damage, or extra charges is decided by a neutral arbitrator, what it costs, and what choosing it means legally. | Before the bill of lading is signed | §375.211, §375.213(b) |
| Your complaint procedure and a tariff notice. The number to call, who pays for the call, and a note that the customer may see the parts of your tariff behind the estimate. | Before the bill of lading is signed | §375.213(b) |
| The bill of lading: the contract and the receipt in one document. It has 17 required items, and the estimate and inventory are part of it. | Given to the customer, signed and dated by them, at least 3 days before the scheduled loading date | §375.505 |
The bill of lading is not a move-day form any more
On an interstate move the customer must receive, sign, and date the bill of lading at least 3 days before the shipment is scheduled to be loaded. They can then cancel it without penalty for 3 days after signing (§375.505(h)).
The rule has no exception for jobs booked at the last minute. FMCSA was asked for one when it wrote the rule in 2022 and declined. If you take short-notice interstate jobs, ask your lawyer how to handle them before the next one comes in.
Quoting a small interstate job by phone
Our rule is that homes of 3 bedrooms or more always get an in-home or video survey, and smaller jobs can be quoted by phone. On an interstate move a phone quote needs one more thing: the customer’s written waiver of the survey, signed before loading. Without the waiver, the survey is required whatever the size of the job.
These documents may be sent and signed electronically, as long as you can keep them, reproduce them, and show that the customer agreed to electronic records (§390.32).
Interstate moves: at pickup
Apart from the weighing, everything in this table happens before the truck is loaded. Once loading starts, most of it can no longer be fixed.
| Document | When | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| A new estimate, if the job grew. When the customer has added items or services, you either confirm the original estimate or write a new one that lists what was added, and the customer signs it. | Before loading. An estimate cannot be changed after loading. | §375.401(i), §375.403(a)(6), §375.405(b)(7) |
| The inventory. Every carton and every loose item, each with a numbered tag that matches the list. The customer may watch and check it. Both of you sign it. | Before or at loading. The customer gets the signed copy with the bill of lading. | §375.503 |
| The bill of lading, signed at origin. The customer gets a dated copy. The driver must have it before the truck leaves, and a copy stays with the shipment. | Before loading | §375.505(c), (f) |
| The valuation choice. The statement where the customer picks full value protection or waives it for released value. It is on the estimate and on the bill of lading. | Signed with the bill of lading | §375.201, §375.401(g), §375.505(b)(12) |
| A list of high-value items. Anything worth more than $100 per pound, declared by the customer in writing. It matters when the shipment moves at full value. | Ask for it before loading | §375.203 |
| Weight tickets, when a non-binding estimate depends on weight. A certified scale, a ticket for each weighing (one ticket can hold both when the same scale is used), signed by the weigh master. The customer has the right to watch. | At each weighing. Copies go out with the invoice. | §375.507 to §375.519 |
Blank and half-filled forms
You may not require a customer to sign a blank document. They can be asked to sign an incomplete one only when the missing parts cannot be known before loading, such as the actual weight on a non-binding estimate or charges that come up in transit (§375.505(g)).
Interstate moves: at delivery and after
| Document or step | When | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| The amount you may collect. On a binding estimate, the estimate. On a non-binding estimate, no more than 110% of it. Either way you may add services the customer asked for after the bill of lading was issued. | At delivery | §375.407, §375.703 |
| The inventory, checked off. The customer checks each item and its condition, writes down anything missing or damaged, and gets a copy of those notes. | During unloading | §375.503(d) |
| The bill of lading, signed at destination. A delivery receipt can say the goods arrived in apparent good condition except as noted. It cannot contain language that releases you from liability. | At delivery | §375.505(f), §375.701 |
| An invoice for the balance, with copies of the weight tickets when the charges depend on weight. | Within 15 days of delivery, not counting weekends and federal holidays. Some charges are billed after 30 days instead (see “When the job changes” below). | §375.807, §375.519(d) |
| The job file: estimate, inventory, and bill of lading, kept together. | At least 1 year | §375.403(c), §375.405(d), §375.503(e), §375.505(d) |
Two timings in these rules pull against each other. One section says to present an invoice within 15 days of delivery (§375.807). Others say certain charges are billed after 30 days (§375.401(f), §375.403(a)(8), §375.405(b)(9)). The rule does not say how the two fit together. Ask your lawyer which charges go on which invoice.
One year is the federal minimum for those three documents. It is not a target. The federal booklet tells customers they have 9 months from delivery to file a claim, and a dispute can run long after that. Ask your lawyer and your insurer how long to keep job files, and write the number down.
The 110% limit and the choice between the two estimate types have their own Playbook: binding vs non-binding moving estimates.
What changed in 2022, and why old packets are wrong
FMCSA rewrote parts of these rules in a final rule published on April 26, 2022 (87 FR 24431), in force since June 27, 2022. Paperwork packets get copied from company to company for years, so plenty of them still follow the old version. Five things to look for in yours.
The order for service is gone
It used to be a separate document written before the move. The section that required it, §375.501, is now empty. What it held moved into the bill of lading, which went from 14 required items to 17.
The bill of lading moved to 3 days before loading
It used to be enough to give the customer a copy before the truck left their home, so it could be issued on move day. Now the customer signs and dates it at least 3 days before the scheduled loading date, and has 3 days to cancel without penalty.
The survey no longer depends on distance
The old rule required a survey only when the home was within 50 miles of the mover. That limit was removed. The survey is now required at any distance, a video survey counts, and skipping it takes a written waiver from the customer.
Both booklets go out with the estimate
The Rights and Responsibilities booklet used to be due before the order for service was signed. It now goes out with the written estimate, together with the Ready to Move? brochure, which was already due with the estimate. A link to the FMCSA page still counts, with a signed receipt.
A changed job gets a new estimate
The rule now speaks of a new estimate, signed by the customer before loading, in place of a revised one. Many movers still say revised estimate. The name matters less than the timing and the signature.
When the job changes
This is where money is lost. The crew arrives, the job is bigger than the estimate, everyone is in a hurry, and the truck gets loaded on a promise to sort it out later. On an interstate move the rule decides what you can collect, and it depends on what was signed and when.
| What happened | What you do | What you can collect |
|---|---|---|
| The customer has more items or wants more services, and nothing is loaded yet. | Confirm the original estimate, or write a new one listing what was added and get it signed. On a binding estimate you can also agree in writing to treat it as non-binding. If you cannot agree, you are not required to do the job. | The estimate signed before loading sets the limit: its amount if binding, 110% of it if non-binding. |
| You loaded without a new estimate. | Nothing left to do. The original estimate is treated as confirmed. | At delivery, the original binding amount, or 110% of the original non-binding estimate. |
| After the bill of lading is issued, you find a service is needed to do the job properly. | Tell the customer before doing it. Give them at least 1 hour to decide. If they agree, write it up as a signed attachment to the bill of lading. | Billed after 30 days from delivery, not at the door. |
| After the bill of lading is issued, the customer asks for something extra. | Tell them the charge and get their agreement. On a binding estimate, write a new binding estimate and have it signed. | In full at delivery, on top of the estimate limit. |
| Delivery runs into what your tariff defines as impracticable operations. | Follow your tariff. | At delivery, up to 15% of all other charges due at delivery. The rest goes on an invoice. |
Sources: §375.403(a)(6) to (9), §375.405(b)(7) to (10), §375.703.
One more line in the rule is easy to miss. You must work out charges for things like elevators and long carries before you prepare the bill of lading. If you did not ask the customer about them, you deliver the goods and bill those charges after 30 days (§375.401(f)). The cheapest fix is a better estimate. See how to write a moving estimate for the document itself.
Valuation: the signature that decides what a claim costs
Valuation is not insurance. It is the level of liability you carry for the customer’s goods. On an interstate move there are two levels, and the customer chooses between them in writing.
The default
You are liable for the replacement value of anything lost or damaged, up to the declared value of the shipment. Every shipment moves this way unless the customer waives it in writing (§375.201).
Only with a written waiver
Your liability drops to the level in the Surface Transportation Board’s released rates order. The federal booklet states it as no more than 60 cents per pound per article, at no charge to the customer.
No signed waiver, no released value
Released value applies only when the customer waives full value protection in writing. If that box is empty, or the wrong person signed it, expect the claim to be handled at full value. This is the first thing to look for when a crew lead sends in the paperwork.
Two details. When a shipment moves at more than released value, you may limit your liability for any item worth more than $100 per pound that the customer did not tell you about in writing (§375.203). That is what the high-value list is for. And if you sell or arrange real insurance on top of valuation, the customer must get the policy or proof of it at the time they buy it (§375.303).
Local moves: your state writes the list
The federal rules above do not apply to a move that stays inside one state and is not part of an interstate shipment. Your state’s rules do, and the states do not agree with each other. What follows is the pattern most local paperwork follows. It is not the rule in any particular state.
| Document | What it usually does | What changes from state to state |
|---|---|---|
| Written estimate | Often hourly: crew size, trucks, rate, estimated hours, and travel. Some states use a not-to-exceed price that caps the final bill. | Whether a written estimate is required, whether a survey is, and how far the bill may go over the estimate. |
| State bill of lading | The contract and the receipt. Start and finish times, the rates and terms from your tariff or rate sheet, the charges, and both signatures. | What must be printed on it, whether your tariff is filed with the state, and when it must be signed. |
| Valuation addendum | The customer's choice of liability level, signed. | The levels, the amounts, and the wording. Do not copy the federal figures onto a state form. |
| Paperwork for changes | A revised estimate or change order when the customer adds items or services. | When it must be signed. Before the extra work starts is the safe habit everywhere. |
| State consumer notice | Some states have their own booklet or notice of rights. | Whether one exists, and when the customer must get it. |
If you price flat rate, as we recommend, ask how your state wants a fixed price written up. Some state forms are built around hours.
Find out who regulates movers in your state. It is often the public utilities commission or the department of transportation. Your state movers association will know. Read the state’s rule yourself once, then have your forms checked against it.
Five more documents to keep ready
These are not required on every job. Each one exists for a specific moment, and when that moment comes you will not have time to write it.
| Document | What it is for | When it is signed |
|---|---|---|
| Waiver for a risky request | The customer insists on something you advised against, such as forcing a piece through a stairwell it barely fits. The waiver records that you warned them and they chose to go ahead. | Before the crew does it. Never after the damage. |
| Full and final settlement | Closes a claim. The customer accepts a payment or a repair as the complete answer to it. | When the claim is settled, before the money goes out. |
| Card authorization | The cardholder's permission to charge a named card for a stated amount and purpose. It is your evidence if the charge is disputed. | Before the card is charged, above all when the cardholder will not be at the move. |
| Photo and video release | Permission to use pictures or video of the customer, their home, or their belongings in your marketing. | Before you publish. Ideally before you film. |
| Storage contract | Covers goods that sit in your warehouse: rates, access, your liability while they are there, and what happens when the bill is not paid. | Before the goods go into storage. |
A waiver is not a shield
There is no wording for these five here, on purpose. What a waiver or a settlement is worth depends on how it is written and on the law of your state. On an interstate move, a delivery receipt or shipping document may not contain language that releases you from liability at all (§375.701). A lawyer writes these.
Two federal deadlines belong next to these on interstate jobs. A written claim must be acknowledged within 30 days of receiving it, and paid, declined, or answered with a firm offer within 120 days (§370.5, §370.9). And when storage in transit is about to run out and become permanent storage, the customer must be told in writing at least 10 days before, or 1 day before when the storage period is shorter than 10 days (§375.609).
The one rule: paperwork is checked the same day
If you take one habit from this Playbook, take this one. Every page from a finished job is read by someone in the office the day the job is done. The crew lead sends a photo of each signed page before leaving the customer. If something is missing, the crew is still nearby and the customer still answers the phone.
- Every signature and date is there: estimate, bill of lading at origin and at destination, inventory.
- The valuation choice is marked and signed by the customer named on the bill of lading.
- Anything added on the day has its own signed estimate or attachment, written before the work was done.
- The inventory has tag numbers, condition notes, and whatever the customer wrote down at delivery.
- The amount collected matches the paperwork and stays inside the limit for that type of estimate.
- On hourly jobs, the start and finish times are written and initialed.
A mistake found that day is a phone call. The same mistake found next week is a refund. How to run that check every day, and who runs it, is in the moving company dispatch Playbook.
The driver has paperwork too. Everything above is about the customer and the shipment. The file that proves the person behind the wheel is allowed to drive is a separate job with separate rules, covered in the driver qualification file Playbook.
Where to get the forms
Not from this page, and not from another mover.
Somebody else's contract
Their tariff, their state, and wording from a year you do not know. If they bought those forms, the forms were licensed to one carrier, and that carrier is not you.
Forms that match your company
From a transportation lawyer, or from a tariff and paperwork provider that writes forms for household goods carriers. They match your tariff, your authority, your states, and the current rule.
Your forms and your tariff have to agree with each other. The federal rule says your rates, charges, and payment terms must follow your published tariff (§375.215). That is the reason to get both from the same source. Our list of lawyers for moving companies is where to start.
When the forms arrive, hold them next to the tables in this Playbook. If the packet still has an order for service in it, or a bill of lading meant to be signed at the door on an interstate job, it was written for the old rule.
Download the checklist
One file, free, no sign-up. The first page is a map of every document by stage. The second is a checklist for one job, with a column for the crew lead and a column for the office.
- Download
Moving company paperwork checklist
A one-page map of every document, grouped by stage and marked interstate or local, plus a per-job checklist the crew lead and the office both tick.
PDF, 2 pages
Before you rely on it
The checklist follows the federal rules (49 CFR Parts 370 and 375) as we read them in November 2026. It is not a form and it is not legal advice. Rules change, and every state adds its own. Have a lawyer from our lawyers for moving companies list check your packet against the current text.
The recap
- A regulator, an insurer, and a judge only ever see the paper. To them, the paperwork is the move.
- Interstate moves follow 49 CFR Part 375. Local moves follow your state. Keep two labeled sets.
- Interstate: survey or signed waiver, written estimate, the two federal publications, arbitration and complaint summaries, then the bill of lading.
- The bill of lading is signed by the customer at least 3 days before loading. The order for service no longer exists.
- If the job grew, a new estimate is signed before loading. After loading, the original estimate stands.
- Full value protection is the default. Released value needs the customer's written waiver.
- At delivery: the binding amount, or no more than 110% of a non-binding estimate, plus extras the customer asked for.
- Keep a waiver, a settlement, a card authorization, a photo release, and a storage contract ready. A lawyer writes them.
- Read every page the day the job is done.
- Buy your forms from a lawyer or a tariff and paperwork provider. Never copy another mover's.