Texas moving rules: what your mover must give you
By the Champion Moving team · Last updated October 16, 2026
Before a Texas mover loads anything, you are owed a written proposal with the maximum price, marked binding or not-to-exceed, plus the TxDMV rights brochure. Pay that maximum and the mover must release your goods.
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Champion Moving, 550 S Watters Rd Ste 229, Allen. Free estimates. Our own crew, no subcontractors.
Licensed & Bonded, TxDMV No. [pending]. TxDMV consumer help line 1-888-368-4689.
Champion Moving is a moving company in Allen, and every move we run in Texas starts with the paperwork the state requires. This guide sets out those rules in plain words, with the section number for each one, so you can check any mover, including us.
Who has to register with TxDMV
Any carrier that moves household goods for pay in Texas must register with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, whatever the size of its truck (Transportation Code §643.051(b)). To register, the carrier needs a valid USDOT number (43 TAC §218.13(a)(1)).
Soliciting moves without registering is a Class C misdemeanor, rising to Class B and then Class A for repeat offenses (§643.253). TxDMV can also fine a carrier up to $5,000 per violation, or $15,000 if the violation was knowing, and each day counts as a separate violation (§643.251).
What a registered mover has to display
The home page of a Texas mover's website must show the carrier's name, TxDMV's consumer help line 1-888-368-4689 and "TxDMV No." with its number (43 TAC §218.52(d)). Print ads also need a Texas street address (§218.52(b)). Each truck shows the name and "TxDMV No." on both sides, in letters at least 2 inches high (§218.52(e)).
The written proposal comes before loading
Before loading, the mover must give you a written proposal, such as a bid or quote, that states the maximum amount you could be required to pay for the listed services (43 TAC §218.56(a)). The proposal must:
- say clearly whether it is binding or not-to-exceed;
- describe the shipment and every service, with the line "Additional items and services may result in additional costs";
- say when you have to pay (for example, before unloading) and which forms of payment are accepted;
- state the mover's liability, if any, for loss or damage;
- show the carrier's name, registration number and street address.
With the proposal, the mover must also hand you the TxDMV information sheet "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move in Texas" (§218.55).
Read it before the crew starts
Check three lines: the maximum price, the word binding or not-to-exceed, and the liability amount. If any of them is blank, ask before anything goes on the truck.
Binding vs not-to-exceed
Texas has two kinds of proposal, and both carry a maximum price (Transportation Code §643.153; 43 TAC §218.56). A binding proposal sets the price for the items and services it lists. A not-to-exceed proposal sets a ceiling: the bill can come in under it, not over it. Either way, the proposal covers listed items and services only, so adding a room of furniture or a piano on move day can add cost, and that should be written down before loading.
Moves that cross state lines follow federal rules instead, and the terms are different. The table puts the two side by side.
| Topic | Moves within Texas | Moves across state lines |
|---|---|---|
| Estimate type | Binding or not-to-exceed, both with a maximum price (§218.56) | Binding, or non-binding with at most 110% collected at delivery (§375.405, §375.407) |
| Charge for the estimate | Not addressed in the Texas rules we checked | A binding estimate may carry a charge; a non-binding one must be free (§375.401(b)) |
| Default liability | None. Agreed in writing, can be $0, and must be disclosed (§218.56) | Full Value Protection; 60 cents per pound only by written waiver (Part 375 App. A) |
| Getting your goods released | Pay the maximum price on the contract (§218.57(b)) | Pay the binding amount or 110% of a non-binding estimate (§375.407) |
| Claim deadline | 90 days from delivery (§218.61) | 9 months (Part 375 App. A) |
The 60 cents per pound myth
You will read on plenty of moving sites that 60 cents per pound is the "industry default" or the "minimum" coverage. In Texas it is neither. TxDMV says the mover and the customer can agree to a limit, 60 cents per pound being one example, or to no liability at all (txdmv.gov). There is no state default. What Texas does require is disclosure: the proposal must state the mover's liability, if any (§218.56(a)(5)), and the contract must disclose it again (§218.57).
For moves across state lines the default runs the other way. Full Value Protection applies unless you sign a written waiver; only then does the released value of 60 cents per pound per article apply (49 CFR §375.201; Part 375 App. A). Texas adopts that federal liability text by reference, but as a voluntary standard, not a requirement (43 TAC §218.53).
| What you hear | What the rule says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| "60 cents a pound is the industry default" | In Texas, liability is what you agree to in writing, even $0. Across state lines, Full Value Protection is the default. | txdmv.gov; Part 375 App. A |
| "60 cents a pound is the legal minimum" | No Texas rule sets it as a floor. It is one example of an agreed limit. | txdmv.gov |
| "TxDMV requires movers to offer coverage" | Texas allows no liability. It requires the liability, if any, to be disclosed. | §218.56(a)(5), §218.57 |
| "Standard coverage is required by TxDMV" | That is the carrier's own cargo insurance ($5,000 per shipper per vehicle, $10,000 aggregate). It is not coverage you hold. | §218.16(b) |
| "Texas movers must be bonded" | The $10,000 bond rule applies to brokers. Movers need cargo insurance. | §218.41 |
| "Your estimate is your price, no matter what" | Added items and services can change the price, and the proposal has to say so. | §218.56(a)(3) |
| "TX DOT No. 000000000" | The agency is TxDMV, and the label is "TxDMV No." | §218.52 |
| "Check the Texas FMCSA database" | FMCSA is federal. Texas registrations are on TxDMV's Truck Stop lookup. | TxDMV; FMCSA |
Ask for a number, not a phrase
Ask the mover what it would pay if one specific item, say a dresser, were damaged, and get the liability written into the proposal. A low settlement offer after a move often traces back to a 60 cents per pound limit nobody explained.
Can a mover hold your things until you pay more?
Not if you pay the maximum. Under 43 TAC §218.57(b), the carrier must release your household goods at the destination if you pay the maximum price listed on the moving services contract. TxDMV warns about unregistered movers who keep goods on the truck until the customer pays more (txdmv.gov).
Across state lines, a mover working from a non-binding estimate can collect at most 110% of it at delivery and must release the goods on that payment. Extra charges for impracticable operations are capped at 15% (§§375.405, 375.407, 375.703).
If a crew says it won't unload until you pay more
Point to the maximum price on your contract. Pay that amount and the mover must release your goods (§218.57(b)). Then report it to TxDMV or call the consumer help line, 1-888-368-4689.
Rates, fees and the tariff
Texas movers set their maximum rates and charges in a tariff on file with TxDMV, must tell you those maximums before moving you, and cannot charge more than the tariff allows (43 TAC §218.64). Charges such as travel time, fuel, stairs, long carries and packing materials belong in the proposal, not on a surprise line at the end. If a bill came in higher than expected, here is why moving bills come in higher than the quote.
Liability if something breaks
Your mover's liability for damage is whatever your written proposal says, because Texas sets no 60 cents per pound default. If something does break, claims run on firm deadlines, and the step-by-step version is in how to file a moving damage claim in Texas.
How to check a mover before you book
Look the mover up by its registration number on TxDMV's Truck Stop search. For moves across state lines, use FMCSA's mover search and SAFER. Complaints go to TxDMV, FMCSA's complaint database or the Texas Attorney General. Our list of red flags when hiring movers covers the warning signs to look for in a quote.
Champion Moving is Licensed & Bonded, TxDMV No. [pending]. You get the written proposal and the TxDMV brochure before we load, and you can read how moving with Champion works step by step.
Sources (checked Oct 15, 2026)
- Texas Transportation Code ch. 643 (§643.051, §643.153, §643.251, §643.253)
- 43 Tex. Admin. Code §218.13 (registration)
- 43 Tex. Admin. Code §218.16 (cargo insurance)
- 43 Tex. Admin. Code §218.41 (broker bond)
- 43 Tex. Admin. Code §218.52 (advertising and truck markings)
- 43 Tex. Admin. Code §218.53 (liability standard)
- 43 Tex. Admin. Code §218.55 (rights brochure)
- 43 Tex. Admin. Code §218.56 (proposals)
- 43 Tex. Admin. Code §218.57 (contract and release)
- 43 Tex. Admin. Code §218.61 (claims)
- 43 Tex. Admin. Code §218.62 (mediation)
- 43 Tex. Admin. Code §218.64 (tariff)
- TxDMV: Don't make a move without checking
- TxDMV brochure: Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move in Texas
- 49 CFR Part 375, incl. Appendix A (eCFR)
About Champion Moving
A moving company based at 550 S Watters Rd Ste 229 in Allen, TX, owned by Daniel. Our own crew handles local and long-distance moves, packing and move-in setup. More about Champion Moving
Texas moving rules questions
What does a Texas mover have to give you before loading?
A written proposal that states the maximum price, says whether it is binding or not-to-exceed, lists the items and services, says when and how you pay, and states the mover's liability, if any (43 TAC §218.56). With it comes the TxDMV brochure "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move in Texas" (§218.55).
Is 60 cents per pound the minimum moving coverage in Texas?
No. Texas has no default or minimum. The mover and customer can agree to a limit such as 60 cents per pound, or to no liability at all, and the proposal must disclose whatever was agreed (§218.56(a)(5)). For moves across state lines, Full Value Protection is the default and 60 cents per pound applies only with a written waiver (49 CFR Part 375 App. A).
Can movers hold my stuff until I pay more in Texas?
Not once you pay the maximum price on the moving services contract. At that point the carrier must release your goods at the destination (43 TAC §218.57(b)). If a crew refuses, report it to TxDMV or call 1-888-368-4689.
What is the difference between binding and not-to-exceed in Texas?
Both are Texas proposal types and both show a maximum price. A binding proposal sets the price for the listed items and services. A not-to-exceed proposal sets a ceiling, and the bill can come in lower. Items or services added beyond the proposal can cost more under either type (§218.56(a)(3)).
How long do I have to file a moving damage claim in Texas?
90 days from delivery. The mover must acknowledge the claim within 23 days and resolve it within 90. If that fails, ask TxDMV for mediation within 35 days (43 TAC §§218.61, 218.62). Moves across state lines allow 9 months to file (49 CFR Part 375 App. A).
Do Texas movers have to be bonded?
No. The Texas bond requirement, $10,000, applies to household goods brokers (43 TAC §218.41). Movers must carry cargo insurance of at least $5,000 per shipper per vehicle and $10,000 aggregate per vehicle (§218.16(b)).
Keep reading
Get the maximum in writing
Champion Moving gives you a written proposal with the maximum price and the TxDMV brochure before we load. Free estimates. Our own crew, no subcontractors.