How to Start a Moving Company in Virginia: DMV Certificate of Fitness, $50,000 Bond, $750,000 Liability

A moving company that carries household goods between points in Virginia needs a certificate of fitness from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), a surety bond, and liability insurance. The DMV regulates these carriers under Title 46.2, chapter 21 of the Code of Virginia. The State Corporation Commission (SCC) forms your business entity, but it does not license movers. This guide walks through how to start a moving company business in Virginia, in the order most new operators find easiest to follow.

This article is informational, not legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and forms change, so confirm every figure with the agency named before you file.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather these items before you file anything. Most of them take days or weeks to get, so start the list early.

• A business name that meets SCC rules, with a $10 name reservation if you need time to decide
• A Virginia registered agent who meets the residency and office requirements described in Step 2
• Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011) if you form an LLC, or Articles of Incorporation (Form SCC619) if you form a corporation
• A federal Employer Identification Number (EIN), which you request directly from the IRS
• A $50,000 surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit from a bank or surety company
• Insurance quotes showing at least $750,000 in liability coverage and at least $50,000 in intrastate cargo coverage
• Registration and title for each vehicle you plan to use for hire
• A list of local business license offices for every city or county where you will work and keep an office
• Written estimate and contract templates, plus an inventory form for pickup and delivery

Step-by-Step: Starting a Virginia Moving Company

Step 1: Confirm Which Moves Need the State Certificate

It is unlawful to transport property for compensation on an intrastate basis in Virginia without a DMV permit or certificate (Va. Code 46.2-2108.2). For a household goods carrier, that credential is the certificate of fitness. Before you buy a truck or sell a single move, decide which kinds of work you will accept, because the rules differ by type of move.

Two kinds of move are exempt from the state permit regime under Va. Code 46.2-2101, subdivision 2: moves that take place wholly inside one city or town, and moves between a Virginia point and a point outside Virginia. Exempt movers still must file the for-hire declaration and carry the required insurance, which Steps 5 and 6 cover. Exemption does not mean the rules do not apply.

If your customers move across state lines, you will need federal registration with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which is separate from the DMV. Check the FMCSA website at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ for the registration rules that apply to your operation.

A small local operator with a pickup truck is the case most likely to be unclear. Ask the DMV how it defines household goods and whether your specific setup needs the certificate before you take a first job.

Step 2: Form Your Business Entity

Most owners form a Virginia LLC because it is the least expensive entity to set up and maintain. The LLC filing fee is $100 for the Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011), filed online through the SCC Clerk's Information System at https://cis.scc.virginia.gov/. You can reserve a name for $10 for 120 days while you finish paperwork. The reservation can be renewed in the 45 days before it expires.

The name must contain 'limited company', 'limited liability company', 'LC', 'L.C.', 'LLC' or 'L.L.C.' and must be distinguishable from names already on file. If you want faster processing, the SCC offers expedited online filing: next day for $50 or $100 (submitted by 2:00 PM Eastern, response by 4:00 PM the next business day), or same day for $200 (submitted by 10:00 AM Eastern, response by 4:00 PM). Expedited service is online only and nonrefundable.

Your registered agent must be a Virginia resident with a Virginia street registered office, available during business hours. The agent must also be either a member of the Virginia State Bar or a member, manager, officer, trustee or general partner of the entity. An entity cannot serve as its own agent.

Virginia LLCs file no annual report. Instead, they pay a $50 annual registration fee to the SCC. It is due the last day of the 12th month after the month the LLC was organized, and every year after that. The SCC assesses the fee about two months ahead. A late payment adds a $25 penalty, and the LLC is canceled at the end of the third month after the due date.

If you will operate under a name other than your legal entity name, file an Assumed Name Certificate with the SCC for $10. It is filed with the SCC, not the circuit court. Once the entity is set up, request your EIN from the IRS website.

Step 3: Apply for the DMV Certificate of Fitness

The original certificate filing fee is $50 (Va. Code 46.2-2120). A certificate is issued for 12 consecutive months and expires if it is not renewed each year (Va. Code 46.2-2118). Plan a calendar reminder for renewal, because a lapsed certificate stops your legal authority to haul for pay.

The DMV may act on an application without a hearing unless someone protests on fitness grounds. If the DMV denies your application without a hearing, you may request one within 30 days (Va. Code 46.2-2109). Keep that 30-day window in mind if you receive a denial letter.

Application forms and the renewal fee are set by the DMV. Check with DMV Motor Carrier Services for the current forms, the renewal fee and the documents you must submit with the application. Ask them whether they need your bond and insurance paperwork in the file, and whether your application can move forward before those are in place.

Step 4: File the $50,000 Surety Bond

An applicant for an original certificate must file a surety bond or an irrevocable letter of credit of $50,000. The bond must stay in force for the first five years (Va. Code 46.2-2122). The surety company or bank will charge a premium or fee for the bond, and that cost varies with your credit and history. Ask at least two providers for a quote before you commit.

The bond protects customers. A customer who suffers a loss from fraud, or from a violation of the chapter, can make a claim against it. The DMV may also suspend your certificate without a hearing while the bond is not sufficient. A canceled or underfunded bond can therefore shut down your operation on short notice, so track the bond's expiration and renewal terms as carefully as you track the certificate.

Step 5: Buy Liability and Cargo Coverage

Household goods carriers must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage under Va. Code 46.2-2143.1. The intrastate cargo minimum is $50,000 (46.2-2143.1 D). Cargo coverage is what pays customers when a sofa is scratched, a box is crushed or a piano is damaged in transit, so it is the part of your insurance that gets used most often.

Ask your agent for a commercial auto policy that is written for vehicles used for hire, not a personal auto policy. Confirm that the coverage meets the statute before you file, and ask the DMV whether it needs a certificate of insurance on file. Do not assume that insurance you already carry on a personal vehicle will satisfy the requirement.

Step 6: Declare Your Vehicles for Hire

Before a vehicle is used to haul for pay, its owner must declare it for hire to the DMV (Va. Code 46.2-2121.1). Do this for every truck or trailer in your fleet that you plan to use on paid moves. Vehicles used only for your own business purposes are handled differently, so ask the DMV which of your vehicles need the declaration.

A vehicle fee of $10 a year applies to each property-carrying vehicle over 10,000 pounds. The fee does not apply if the operation is exempt, if the vehicle identification marker fee was paid under Title 58.1, chapter 27, or if the fee was paid through the Unified Carrier Registration (Va. Code 46.2-2121). Ask the DMV which of these exceptions, if any, apply to your trucks before you budget for the fee.

Step 7: Check the Local Business License (BPOL)

Virginia has no general statewide business license. The local business license is the Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax under Va. Code 58.1-3700 and following. Each city or county administers its own BPOL, usually through the Commissioner of the Revenue. Localities set their own rates and filing deadlines, so the rate you pay in one locality does not tell you what another will charge.

Not every locality levies a general BPOL. Va. Code 58.1-3704 lets a locality levy none. Stafford, Rockingham, Bedford County, Washington County, Montgomery County, Louisa and Fluvanna are examples of localities without a general county license. Towns can displace the county tax, so check whether the town where you operate levies its own license.

The statute also sets a population-based floor. A locality with more than 50,000 people cannot require a license for gross receipts under $100,000. A locality with 25,000 to 50,000 people cannot require one for gross receipts under $50,000. No floor applies to localities under 25,000 people. Localities over 50,000 people may waive the license up to $200,000 (verify the waiver ceiling with the locality). Ask the Commissioner of the Revenue in each place you work whether a license applies to your expected receipts.

Step 8: Set Up Workers' Compensation Before You Hire Helpers

Workers' compensation coverage is required once you have three or more employees. Failing to carry it can bring a penalty of up to $250 a day, with a maximum of $50,000. Many moving companies start with owner-operators and hire day labor, so the employee count can change quickly. Track it as your crew grows, and do not wait until you hire the third helper to call an agent.

Before you hire anyone, get quotes for both commercial auto and workers' compensation. Labor is also the cost you will feel most in wage terms. Virginia's minimum wage is $12.77 in 2026, rising to $13.75 in 2027 and $15.00 in 2028. Price your moves with those wage levels in mind, and check the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry for any other wage rules that apply to your crew.

Step 9: Write Estimates, Contracts and a Claims Process

Put every job in writing. A written estimate should list the origin and destination, the crew size, the truck and any extra services such as packing, storage or stair carries. A signed contract should spell out what is included, how payment works and how the customer makes a damage claim. Have an attorney review your contract template before you use it with customers.

Document every move. Photograph furniture and high-value items at pickup, use an inventory sheet that the customer signs, and repeat the process at delivery. Those records are what separate a quick claim resolution from a dispute. Your bond and cargo coverage exist to pay valid claims, but the paperwork decides how quickly you can prove the loss and how much of it you must cover.

Fees and Figures at a Glance

Item	Amount or requirement	Source
Name reservation	$10 for 120 days	SCC
LLC Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011)	$100	SCC
Expedited LLC filing	$50 or $100 next day; $200 same day; online only, nonrefundable	SCC
LLC annual registration fee	$50 (no annual report)	SCC
Assumed Name Certificate	$10	SCC
DMV original certificate of fitness	$50 filing fee	Va. Code 46.2-2120
Certificate renewal fee	Confirm with DMV Motor Carrier Services	DMV
Surety bond or letter of credit	$50,000, in force for the first five years (premium varies)	Va. Code 46.2-2122
Household goods liability coverage	At least $750,000	Va. Code 46.2-2143.1
Intrastate cargo coverage	At least $50,000	Va. Code 46.2-2143.1 D
Vehicle fee	$10 a year per property-carrying vehicle over 10,000 pounds, unless an exception applies	Va. Code 46.2-2121
Local BPOL license	Set by each locality; confirm locally	Va. Code 58.1-3700 et seq.
Workers' compensation penalty	Up to $250 a day, maximum $50,000, for employers with three or more employees who lack coverage	Virginia workers' compensation law

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Looking for a state business license from the SCC. The SCC forms your entity and collects its fees. It does not license movers. Your operating authority comes from the DMV.
• Hauling for pay before the paperwork is complete. Moving for compensation without the required DMV authority, or without declaring the vehicle for hire, creates legal exposure from the first job.
• Assuming local moves are free of insurance rules. Moves wholly inside one city or town are exempt from the state permit regime, but the for-hire declaration and insurance requirement still apply.
• Letting the bond or insurance lapse. While the bond is not sufficient, the DMV may suspend your certificate without a hearing.
• Missing the LLC annual registration fee. A late payment adds a $25 penalty, and the LLC can be canceled at the end of the third month after the due date.
• Naming an ineligible registered agent. An entity cannot be its own agent, and the agent must meet Virginia's residency, office and availability rules.
• Assuming every locality has the same license. Some localities levy no general license, towns can displace the county tax, and rates and deadlines are set locally.
• Hiring helpers before workers' compensation is in place. Coverage is required at three or more employees, and the penalty can reach $50,000.
• Skipping written estimates and inventory sheets. Without them, damage claims turn into disputes over what was in the truck and what condition it was in.

Tips for a Smoother Launch

• Call the DMV and the insurance agent in the same week, and ask each one what documents the other will need. Filing in the right order can save a round of resubmissions.
• Ask your surety and your insurance agent to put renewal dates on one shared calendar with your DMV certificate, SCC annual fee and BPOL deadlines.
• Call the Commissioner of the Revenue in each city or county where you plan to work. Ask whether a general license applies and what gross receipts floor, if any, covers your business.
• If you need help with a business plan, financial projections or your first hires, the Virginia Small Business Development Center network at https://www.virginiasbdc.org/ offers free guidance.

What to Expect

The DMV application and the bond may be the longest steps, while the SCC filing can move faster with online expedited service. Processing times vary, so ask DMV Motor Carrier Services for current timing before you set a launch date or sign a lease on a truck. A launch plan that allows for a delayed approval may help you avoid taking deposits on moves you cannot yet perform.

Preparing the bond, insurance, vehicle declarations and entity documents together may mean fewer back-and-forth requests from agencies, though results depend on each applicant's file. Keep a written checklist and update it whenever an agency changes a form or requirement.

Official Resources

• Virginia State Corporation Commission, Clerk's Office: https://www.scc.virginia.gov/businesses/
• SCC Clerk's Information System (online filing and business search): https://cis.scc.virginia.gov/
• Virginia Department of Taxation (Virginia Tax): https://www.tax.virginia.gov/
• Virginia Small Business Development Center network: https://www.virginiasbdc.org/
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (interstate movers): https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/
• Virginia DMV Motor Carrier Services: contact DMV directly for current forms, renewal fees and processing times

Get Professional Advice Before You Sign

Moving company formation involves entity choice, contracts, liability exposure and tax reporting. Consult a Virginia-licensed attorney for your contracts and liability structure, and a certified public accountant (CPA) for tax treatment and your entity election. Confirm every fee, deadline and requirement in this guide with the named agency before you rely on it. This content is informational only and is not legal or tax advice.