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Short answer: on October 26, 2026, only 5 of the 70 companies with a Washington, DC address registered to move household goods were cleared to do it: active operating authority plus liability insurance on file. That is 7%, against 15% nationally. But most DC moves aren't handled by District companies. In the 15 Maryland and Virginia suburbs we counted, 198 of 918 registered movers were cleared (22%), led by Springfield, Virginia at 28 of 62. Whoever you hire, check them first on our mover check, which reads the federal files live.
Where the numbers come from
Every company that moves household goods across a state line has to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and carry a USDOT number. FMCSA publishes its carrier, census, insurance and revocation registers on data.transportation.gov, and our mover check reads them each time a page loads.
For this article we counted the same file ourselves on October 26, 2026. We took every row in FMCSA's carrier authority file with a household-goods registration and a business address in the city, one row per USDOT number. "Cleared" means active authority, liability insurance on file and no revocation pending, the same rule the mover check uses. Our DC count matched the live Washington, DC page exactly. A filing is a filing, not a recommendation. We haven't rated these companies or met them.
| Washington, DC movers on the federal register, October 26, 2026 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Registered to move household goods | 70 |
| Cleared to operate (authority and insurance on file) | 5 |
| Share cleared | 7% (15% nationally: 7,971 of 52,563) |
| No active authority | 65 |
| Liability cover on the cleared filings | $750,000 (4 companies) to $1,000,000 (1) |
| Cleared companies with cargo insurance on file too | 2 of 5 |
| Largest cleared fleet on file | Straight Line Movers, 5 trucks |
These numbers move. A company can file new insurance tomorrow, and another can lose its authority next week. Check on the day you book, not months later off an article like this one.
Most DC-area movers are in Maryland and Virginia
FMCSA files a mover under the city on its business address, and most of the region's moving companies have suburban addresses. Here's what we found on the same day, counted the same way:
| City on the register | Cleared | Registered | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC | 5 | 70 | 7% |
| Springfield, VA | 28 | 62 | 45% |
| Woodbridge, VA | 27 | 92 | 29% |
| Sterling, VA | 26 | 93 | 28% |
| Rockville, MD | 29 | 111 | 26% |
| Chantilly, VA | 6 | 24 | 25% |
| Gaithersburg, MD | 24 | 102 | 24% |
| Fairfax, VA | 11 | 53 | 21% |
| Hyattsville, MD | 10 | 54 | 19% |
| Upper Marlboro, MD | 7 | 44 | 16% |
| Arlington, VA | 4 | 30 | 13% |
| Alexandria, VA | 11 | 95 | 12% |
| Bethesda, MD | 1 | 9 | 11% |
| Silver Spring, MD | 9 | 90 | 10% |
| Falls Church, VA | 3 | 31 | 10% |
| Lanham, MD | 2 | 28 | 7% |
Across those 16 places, 203 of 988 registered movers were cleared (21%). The register doesn't say why some suburbs score so much higher than the District, and we won't guess. It does mean a DC search turns up a lot of suburban companies, so the address on the quote matters less than the USDOT number on it. The bigger suburbs have their own live pages: Rockville, Gaithersburg, Springfield, Woodbridge and Sterling.
A move into DC from Maryland or Virginia is interstate
The federal register covers moves that cross a state line, and for this purpose federal transportation law counts the District of Columbia as a state. So a move from Bethesda, Arlington or Alexandria into the District crosses that line, and so does a move out to the suburbs. That's why the USDOT check applies to almost every DC move, even a short one across the river. A move that starts and ends inside the District doesn't cross a state line; for that, ask the company what local license it holds.
How to check a DC mover before you book
- Ask for their USDOT number. An interstate mover must have one, and it belongs on their website and paperwork. If they won't give it to you, that's your answer.
- Look it up. Put the number into the mover check. It finds the company wherever it's filed, DC, Maryland or Virginia.
- Read the whole record. A company page shows authority, insurance, cargo cover, fleet size and any past revocations. Only 2 of DC's 5 cleared companies had cargo insurance on file as well as liability cover.
- Ask for the insurance certificate. The register shows that a filing exists; the certificate shows the policy and its limits.
- Get written estimates from at least three movers. That's FMCSA's own advice in its moving checklist.
What "insured" does and doesn't cover
The liability figure on a mover's federal record ($750,000 to $1,000,000 for DC's cleared companies) is the company's own business cover. Your belongings are covered separately, by what FMCSA calls valuation. For an interstate move, the mover must offer two options: Full Value Protection, where it repairs, replaces or pays for what it loses or damages, and Released Value, which costs nothing extra but caps its liability at 60 cents per pound per article. FMCSA's liability guide explains both. Read it before you sign anything that waives Full Value Protection.
Questions people ask
How many movers in Washington, DC are licensed?
On October 26, 2026, 5 of the 70 movers with a District address on the federal register were cleared, meaning active authority to move household goods plus liability insurance on file. The live figure is on the Washington, DC mover check.
Why are so many DC movers based in Maryland and Virginia?
The register files each company under its business address, and most of the region's moving companies are in the suburbs. In the 15 Maryland and Virginia suburbs we counted, 198 movers were cleared on October 26, 2026, against 5 in the District itself.
Do I need an interstate mover to move from Virginia to DC?
Yes. For federal moving rules the District counts as a state, so a move between Virginia or Maryland and DC crosses a state line. The mover needs active federal authority to move household goods, and you can check that by USDOT number.
Does a USDOT number mean a mover is licensed?
No. A USDOT number is a registration. To move your household goods across a state line, the company also needs active operating authority and insurance on file. 65 of the 70 DC registrations had no active authority on October 26, 2026.
Is the mover check free?
Yes. It's free for anyone moving, with no sign-up. It reads FMCSA's published files and shows what is filed. Swift Agent Sites doesn't arrange moves.
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