Interstate Movers in California

What Makes a Move Interstate

Not distance — a state line. A move from San Francisco to San Diego is five hundred miles and is intrastate, regulated by California. A move from San Francisco to Reno is half that and is interstate, regulated federally. The two are governed by different bodies, different paperwork and different protections.

This matters commercially as well as legally: a California license number tells you nothing about a mover's authority to take your belongings to Nevada. Interstate carriers operate under federal registration, and you can check a company on the FMCSA's Protect Your Move site before you book anyone. If a move stays inside the state, the long-distance moving page is the one that applies.

The Survey, and the Estimate That Follows It

This is the first protection, and the one most often skipped by companies that quote a suspiciously low number over the phone.

49 CFR § 375.401. Confirmed September 2026. Summarized here, not reproduced in full.

With the written estimate you must also receive two federal publications: Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move and Ready to Move? (49 CFR § 375.213). They are short, they are free, and they say much of what is on this page. A mover who does not give them to you has told you something useful.

Binding and non-binding — the difference that matters

• A binding estimate fixes the price for the scope written down. If the shipment is what you said it was, the number does not move.
• A non-binding estimate is the carrier's best assessment. The final charge is based on the actual weight and services — which is where the 110% rule below becomes the thing standing between you and an open-ended bill.

Either is legitimate. What is not legitimate is not knowing which one you have. Ask, and read the words on the document rather than the number.

This rule protects you only against a carrier bound by it. Halo by California Movers USA gives a written estimate after a survey rather than a figure over the phone, which is what makes the protection below real rather than theoretical.

The 110% Rule at Delivery

This is the single most useful thing to know about an interstate move, and it exists precisely because the classic abuse is to raise the price once your belongings are on a truck two states away.

49 CFR §§ 375.405 and 375.407. Confirmed September 2026. Summarized here, not reproduced in full — your own move documents and the federal booklets govern.

Read that once more, because it inverts the situation people fear most. A driver who tells you at the curb that the price has gone up and the load stays on the truck until you pay it in full is describing something the regulation does not permit. Know the number, keep the estimate with you on delivery day, and know that the balance is a billing question rather than a hostage negotiation.

Weighing, and Your Right to a Reweigh

On a non-binding interstate move, weight is usually what you are paying for. So the weight is worth checking — and the regulation gives you two rights that almost nobody uses because almost nobody is told about them.

49 CFR §§ 375.513, 375.515 and 375.517. Confirmed September 2026.

Practically: ask for the billing weight before anything comes off the truck, not after. If the number is far from what the survey suggested, that is the moment to say so.

Valuation: The Choice That Decides Everything

Every interstate shipment moves under one of two levels of carrier liability. This is the single largest variable in what happens if something is damaged, and it is decided by a box on a form that many people sign without reading.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration guidance on liability and valuation for interstate moves. Confirmed September 2026.

The practical warning: if a mover's quote is notably cheaper than everyone else's, check which valuation it assumes before you compare anything else. Released value is free because it is worth very little, and a signature is what moves you onto it.

If Something Is Damaged: The Clock

Claims on interstate moves run on a timetable set by regulation. Two of the deadlines belong to the carrier, and knowing them tells you when silence has stopped being normal.

49 CFR Part 370, §§ 370.5 and 370.9. Confirmed September 2026. The 30-day figure is the carrier's acknowledgment deadline, not your window to file — those are often confused.

Two practical habits make a claim work: note damage on the delivery paperwork before the crew leaves, and photograph anything of value before it is loaded as well as after it arrives.

What Is Included and What Is Quoted Separately

Both lists are settled before you book. On an interstate move this list is also your comparison sheet — a quote that looks cheaper often excludes half of the left-hand column.

Delivery on an interstate move is agreed as a window in writing rather than a single promised hour, because the drive is subject to mandated rest, weather and road conditions. Ask what the window is and have it on the paperwork.

Interstate Moving FAQ

What counts as an interstate move?

Any move that crosses a state line, however short. San Francisco to Reno is interstate; San Francisco to San Diego, five hundred miles away, is not. The state line, not the distance, decides which rules apply.

Does a California license cover a move to another state?

No. California's Bureau of Household Goods and Services regulates moves within California. Once you cross a state line the move is federally regulated, and you can check a carrier on the FMCSA's Protect Your Move site before booking.

Do I have to be given a written estimate?

Yes, and it must be based on a physical survey of the goods. The exception is narrow — goods located beyond a 50-mile radius of the agent preparing the estimate — and any waiver of the survey must be in writing and signed by you before the shipment is loaded.

What is the 110% rule?

On a non-binding estimate you cannot be required to pay more than 110% of the estimate at delivery, and on paying that the carrier must hand over the shipment. Anything above it is billed afterwards rather than held over your belongings.

What is the difference between a binding and non-binding estimate?

A binding estimate fixes the price for the written scope. A non-binding estimate is an assessment, with the final charge based on actual weight and services. Both are legitimate; not knowing which you have is the problem.

Can I watch my shipment being weighed?

Yes. The carrier must give you — or whoever is paying the freight charges — the right to observe all weighings of the shipment.

Can I ask for the shipment to be weighed again?

Yes, and this is the right worth remembering. After you are told the billing weight and total charges, and before unloading actually begins, you can demand a reweigh. The freight charges must then be based on the reweigh weight. Once unloading has started, that window has closed.

What is the difference between Full Value Protection and Released Value?

Full Value Protection is the default and carries a cost. Released Value Protection is free and limits the carrier's responsibility to 60 cents per pound per article — about $15 for a 25-pound television. You only move onto released value by signing a specific statement choosing it.

How long do I have if something is damaged?

Your filing deadline is set by the terms on your bill of lading, so read it on the day you receive it. The carrier's deadlines are fixed: it must acknowledge your claim in writing within 30 days and pay, decline or make a firm settlement offer within 120 days.

When will my belongings arrive?

Interstate delivery is agreed as a written window rather than a single promised hour, because the drive is subject to mandated rest, weather and road conditions. Get the window on the paperwork.

Can you store our things in transit?

Yes, quoted with pickup, the storage period and redelivery as separate components. The storage page sets out the difference between storage in transit and permanent storage.

What paperwork should I have before the truck leaves?

The written estimate, marked binding or non-binding; the bill of lading with the valuation you chose; the inventory; and the two federal booklets. Keep the estimate with you on delivery day rather than in a box on the truck.

Does Halo subcontract interstate moves?

No. They are handled by trained, background-checked Halo employees, with a lead foreman on site and a dispatcher coordinating the route. The people who quoted the work are accountable for it.

Routes Out of California

Halo is based in San Francisco and runs interstate work from across California. Each route page covers the drive, the access at both ends and what the written estimate has to settle before the date is held.

• California to Nevada
• California to Arizona
• California to Oregon
• California to Washington
• California to Idaho
• California to Texas
• San Francisco to Seattle
• San Francisco to Chicago
• Los Angeles to Las Vegas
• Los Angeles to Chicago

Named state-to-state routes are covered on the state to state moving page. Moves that stay inside California are quoted as long-distance work.

A starting figure is not the written estimate. Once the scope is confirmed, the deposit and payment options explain how the date is reserved and how the balance can be paid.

Appliances have to be disconnected and drained before the crew arrives. Halo does not disconnect or reconnect gas, water or electrical appliances — that is work for a qualified plumber, electrician or gas fitter, and it has to be finished before the truck is loaded.