If you've shopped Atlanta moving companies, you've probably seen license numbers in their footers — "GA HHG #9320," "USDOT 1234567," "MC #98765." Most customers scroll right past them. But those numbers are how the state and federal government separate legal moving companies from the guy with a U-Haul. Here's what each one actually means.
GA HHG (Georgia Household Goods) Number
The Georgia Department of Public Safety regulates anyone who moves household goods within the state of Georgia. Every legal intrastate Georgia mover must hold an active HHG (Household Goods) certificate, identified by a number like "GA HHG #9320."
An HHG license requires the company to maintain cargo insurance, general liability insurance, and Workers' Compensation, file an annual tariff with the state, and submit to inspection by the Georgia DPS Motor Carrier Compliance Division. A standard business license, an LLC, or a generic GA Secretary of State registration is NOT the same thing — and is not legally sufficient to move furniture in Georgia.
USDOT Number
A USDOT number is issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and is required for any commercial vehicle that crosses state lines. If your mover is doing interstate moves — Georgia to Florida, Tennessee, the Carolinas — they must have an active USDOT number.
You can look up any company's USDOT number on the FMCSA's free SAFER website (search 'FMCSA SAFER company snapshot'). The snapshot shows operating authority status, insurance on file, safety ratings, and crash/inspection history.
MC (Motor Carrier) Number
An MC number is the federal operating authority for interstate Household Goods carriers — required in addition to a USDOT number for any company hauling household goods across state lines for compensation. If your mover is quoting you on a Georgia-to-Texas job and they don't have an MC number for HHG, they aren't legally authorized to do that move.
Local Atlanta Moves: GA HHG Is What Matters
For a typical local move within Metro Atlanta — apartment to apartment, house to house, anywhere within Georgia — the GA HHG number is the credential that matters. USDOT and MC are federal credentials for interstate work. A purely local Atlanta mover may legally not need them.
How to Verify Your Mover
Ask for the GA HHG number directly. A legal Georgia mover will give it to you in 5 seconds. · Search the GA DPS "List of Licensed Household Goods Movers" — confirm the number is active. · Search the company on FMCSA SAFER if your move crosses state lines. · Confirm the company is in good standing on the Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division.
Reading a license number: what each one covers
A GA HHG certificate is issued by the Georgia Department of Public Safety and authorizes household-goods moves inside Georgia. Ours is GA HHG #9320. · A USDOT number identifies the carrier federally and is required for interstate moves; ours is USDOT #3657392. · An MC number is interstate operating authority granted by the FMCSA and is separate from the USDOT registration.
· A local business license or an LLC registration authorizes none of the above — it only says a company exists.
How to verify a number in two minutes
Search the USDOT number on the FMCSA SAFER system and confirm the legal name matches the company on your estimate, that operating authority is active, and that insurance is on file. For intrastate work, ask for the HHG certificate and check it against the Georgia Department of Public Safety motor carrier records.
If a company gives you a number that returns a different business name, that is the answer to whether you should book them.
Why the paperwork protects you specifically
Licensing forces a carrier to maintain cargo and liability coverage, to operate under a filed tariff that governs how they may charge, and to answer to a regulator when something goes wrong. It is also what allows the mover to issue a certificate of insurance naming your building or HOA — which most Atlanta mid-rise and high-rise properties will not let a truck load without.
Call us: (404) 514-4814 · Mon–Sat, 8am–6pm · Licensed GA HHG #9320 · BBB A+