Properly licensed. Building-ready.

Our credentials

Impel Moving is licensed and insured for household goods moving.

• Cal-T / MTR 0192323 - California moving permit
• Regulated by the California Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS)
• US DOT 3549568 - federal carrier registration
• Certificates of Insurance prepared for buildings that require them

How to check a mover is licensed, step by step

Do this for every company you shortlist, including us. It takes about five minutes and it is the single most useful thing you can do before handing over a deposit.

• For a move inside California, look up the Cal-T or MTR number with the Bureau of Household Goods and Services. A household goods mover operating in California without one is operating illegally.
• For a move crossing state lines, look up the US DOT number in the FMCSA register and check the authority is active and the insurance on file is current.
• Confirm the legal business name on the register matches the name on your quote. A mismatch is worth asking about before anything else.
• Ask for insurance details and coverage limits in writing, and read what they cover. Cover for the building is not cover for your belongings.
• Insist on a written estimate with a documented scope. A company unwilling to put the scope in writing is telling you something.

Impel's numbers, for you to check

Both of these are ours and both are checkable without asking us for anything.

• Cal-T / MTR 0192323, regulated by the California Bureau of Household Goods and Services
• US DOT 3549568, Impel's federal carrier registration
• Certificates of Insurance prepared for buildings that require them

Is a licensed and insured mover worth paying more for?

Sometimes the licensed quote is not the higher one, and the comparison is rarely like for like anyway. What a permit and active insurance actually buy you is a company that can be held to something: a regulator that accepts complaints, insurance that exists when it is needed, and a Certificate of Insurance your building will accept. An unlicensed mover that damages your floor or loses a crate leaves you with no mechanism at all, which is a cost that does not appear on either quote.

• A regulator you can complain to if something goes wrong
• Insurance that a managed building will accept before letting a crew in
• A legal business name that matches a public register
• A written estimate you can hold the company to

What a Certificate of Insurance does

A Certificate of Insurance, often called a COI, proves that the moving company carries liability insurance. Bay Area apartment buildings, condo associations, office buildings, and managed properties often require it before a move-in or move-out can take place.

• Protects the building's common areas, including elevators, hallways, floors, and door frames
• Gives building management proof of required liability coverage
• Uses the legal building name, address, certificate holder details, and any required wording
• Does not replace valuation coverage for your personal belongings

Certificate of Insurance requests

Send us the building's moving requirements or COI sample as soon as you receive it. Our team reviews the wording, prepares the certificate, sends it to building management for approval, and gives you a copy for your records.