Last updated: August 26, 2026|General household goods broker bond information — confirm current requirements with the licensing authority.

FMCSA Required — 49 CFR Part 371, Subpart B

Same $75,000 Bond.A Completely Different Rulebook.

A household goods broker files the exact same $75,000 BMC-84 as any freight broker under 49 CFR § 387.307. But the moment you sell relocation services to an individual consumer, 49 CFR Part 371 Subpart B layers ten additional disclosure, estimate, and recordkeeping rules onto your registration — rules a general property broker never has to think about.

This is the sub-category most freight bond guides skip entirely, right as FMCSA runs its most active household-goods enforcement push in years. If you hold general broker authority already, start with our freight broker bond hub. If you move people's households, this page — the bond, the extra rules, and the enforcement climate — is built for you.

$75,000

Bond Amount

10 Sections

Extra CFR Rules

Prompt

Submission

HHG Broker

Authority Type

Get HHG Broker Bond Quote See What Changes vs. a Property Broker

Quick answer

A household goods moving broker files the same $75,000 BMC-84 surety bond as any freight broker under 49 CFR 387.307. What changes is the rulebook: selling moves to individual consumers adds the disclosure, estimate and recordkeeping rules of 49 CFR Part 371 Subpart B. The carrier sets the final price, and you pay only when your bond is issued.

Who requires it: FMCSA, under 49 CFR 387.307, for brokers of household goods (with Part 371 Subpart B consumer rules on top).
Amount: $75,000, the same BMC-84 amount as a general property broker.
Typical cost (estimate): Roughly 1% to 1.5% of the bond amount at excellent credit, rising into the high single or low double digits for challenged credit. An estimate; the carrier sets the final price.
Timing: We submit complete applications to the carrier promptly; most quotes within one business day.

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Official Federal Requirements

"You must disclose prominently on your Internet website and in your agreements with prospective shippers your cancellation policy, deposit policy, and policy for refunding deposited funds in the event the shipper cancels an order for service before the date an authorized household goods motor carrier has been scheduled to pick up the shipper's property."

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) • 49 CFR § 371.117(a)

What Actually Changes When Your Broker Authority Says "Household Goods"

The bond form, the dollar amount, and the FMCSA agency are identical. Everything else about your compliance obligations is not.

General Property Broker vs. Household Goods Broker — FMCSA Obligations

Same $75,000 BMC-84. Different rulebook once an individual shipper is involved.

Requirement	General Property Broker	Household Goods Broker
Bond form & amount	$75,000 BMC-84 (or BMC-85 trust fund)	$75,000 BMC-84 (or BMC-85 trust fund) — identical
FMCSA authority type	"Broker of Property"	"Broker of Household Goods" — a distinct Motus selection
Governing regulation	49 CFR Part 371, Subpart A	49 CFR Part 371, Subpart A + Subpart B (§§ 371.101–371.121)
Advertising disclosure	General FMCSA broker rules apply	Must state business address, USDOT/MC #s, and that you broker (not transport) the move — § 371.107
Written estimates	Not specifically regulated by Part 371	Must be survey-based or waiver-based and tariff-priced — § 371.113
Carrier agreement before quoting	Not required	Signed written agreement with the specific carrier required — § 371.115
Consumer protection booklets	Not required	Must deliver/link FMCSA's "Ready to Move?" and rights booklet with signed receipt — § 371.111
Cancellation/refund policy	Not specifically regulated by Part 371	Must be prominently disclosed, with 3-year records — § 371.117
Typical enforcement focus	Non-payment to carriers	Consumer complaints (NCCDB), hostage-load reports, deposit disputes

Bond amount and form confirmed against 49 CFR § 387.307 and FMCSA's BMC-84 filing instructions for household goods brokers. Subpart B citations verified against the current eCFR text of 49 CFR Part 371, Subpart B (§§ 371.101–371.121).

The bond is the simple step. Getting Subpart B compliance right on day one is what keeps your registration off FMCSA's radar.

Get Your BMC-84 Now Bond vs. Trust Fund — Which Is Right?

The 10-Section Checklist: 49 CFR Part 371, Subpart B

Subpart B applies whenever you sell to an individual shipper in interstate or foreign commerce (§ 371.101). Here is every section, in order, and what it actually requires of your brokerage.

§ 371.101

Applicability

Subpart B applies when you serve an INDIVIDUAL shipper (a consumer moving personal belongings) in interstate or foreign commerce. Commercial and government shippers are outside its scope.

§ 371.103

Definitions

Establishes the terms used throughout Subpart B, including who counts as an "individual shipper" and what counts as an "order for service."

§ 371.105

Authorized carriers only

You may arrange transportation only through a motor carrier holding a valid USDOT number and valid FMCSA operating authority — no exceptions for a carrier you personally vouch for.

§ 371.107

Advertising & website disclosure

Your ads and website homepage must show your physical business address, your USDOT and MC numbers, a plain statement that you broker (not transport) the shipment, and — if you provide carrier-behalf estimates — that those estimates are tariff-based.

§ 371.109

Carrier identification

You must tell the individual shipper which motor carrier(s) you intend to use for their move.

§ 371.111

Federal consumer protection booklets

Deliver or link to FMCSA's "Ready to Move?" and "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move" booklets at the time of estimate, and obtain a signed, dated receipt.

§ 371.113

Written estimates

An estimate you provide must rest on a physical survey the carrier performed (or a signed, plain-English survey waiver) and must be priced off that carrier's published tariff.

§ 371.115

Carrier agreements before estimating

You need a signed written agreement with a specific motor carrier, adopting your estimate as its own, before you can quote on that carrier's behalf.

§ 371.117

Cancellation, deposit & refund policy

Prominently disclose your cancellation, deposit, and refund policy on your website and in shipper agreements. Keep 3 years of cancellation records, including refund proof.

§ 371.121

Penalties

FMCSA may impose civil penalties or revoke your broker registration for Part 371 violations — independent of whether your BMC-84 bond is in good standing.

Note: Subpart B does not apply to commercial or government relocation contracts — only to individual consumers moving personal household goods (§ 371.101). Brokers running both individual and corporate relocation books only need Subpart B controls active on the consumer-facing side.

Why FMCSA Is Watching Household Goods Brokers So Closely

Subpart B did not appear in a vacuum. It exists because household goods brokering is where FMCSA sees the highest volume of consumer harm — and the agency has spent the past several years building enforcement capacity specifically aimed at it.

7,500+

2022 complaint volume

Moving company and broker complaints logged with FMCSA in 2022 — more than double the 2015 total.

16 states

2023 enforcement sweep

FMCSA's March–April 2023 investigation sweep targeting a spike in "HHG hostage" complaints — shipments held hostage for extra fees.

11 states

Enforcement partnership

State agencies — including Attorneys General offices — now share FMCSA enforcement data and run joint HHG investigations.

Operation Protect Your Move

FMCSA launched Operation Protect Your Move in May 2024 as a nationwide crackdown on scam interstate household goods movers and brokers. Investigators prioritize operators with the worst records in FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database (NCCDB) and the agency's HHG Top 100 Carriers list — not brokers with clean histories. That distinction matters for underwriting: a documented Subpart B compliance file (signed carrier agreements, disclosed cancellation terms, delivered consumer booklets) is the paper trail that keeps a legitimate broker off the enforcement short list, separate from whether the BMC-84 bond itself is current. FMCSA can revoke a registration for Subpart B violations under § 371.121 regardless of bond standing.

Registering as an FMCSA Household Goods Broker

The path runs through the same Motus registration system as any broker authority — with one selection early on that determines which rulebook follows you for the life of your registration.

Apply via Motus — Select "Broker of Household Goods"

1–2 days to apply

File Form OP-1 through FMCSA's Motus registration system and choose "Broker of Household Goods" as your operating authority type — a distinct selection from "Broker of Property (non-household goods)." Pay the $300 application fee. This selection is what activates Part 371 Subpart B against your registration.

File Your BMC-84 Bond ($75,000 — Same as Any Broker)

Varies by surety

File the identical $75,000 BMC-84 surety bond (or BMC-85 trust fund) required of any property broker under 49 CFR § 387.307. Your household goods authority type does not change the bond form or dollar amount — only your ongoing compliance obligations. We file only with Treasury-listed sureties; approval timing is set by the carrier.

Build Your Subpart B Compliance Set Before You Advertise

Before advertising

Before your first ad or website goes live, prepare the § 371.107-compliant disclosures (business address, USDOT/MC numbers, broker-not-carrier statement), a delivery plan for the § 371.111 consumer protection booklets, and your § 371.117 cancellation/deposit/refund policy. If you plan to provide carrier-behalf estimates, line up signed § 371.115 agreements with those carriers before quoting.

File Form BOC-3 — Process Agents

1–2 days

Designate a process agent in every state where you do business. A single blanket BOC-3 filing (available from several FMCSA-registered providers) covers all 50 states. Typical cost is $40–$60.

Wait for ACTIVE Status, Then Keep Records Running

Ongoing obligation

FMCSA activates your household goods broker authority once your bond, BOC-3, and application clear review. From day one, keep the § 371.113 estimate records and § 371.117 cancellation records — both carry a 3-year retention requirement — because FMCSA reviews these first in a consumer-complaint investigation.

From the Producer's Desk

Underwriting observations — household goods broker bonds

The question that trips up nearly every first-time HHG broker applicant is "wait, is this a different bond?" It isn't — the $75,000 BMC-84 prices the same whether the broker checked "property" or "household goods" on the OP-1 form, because the surety underwrites the applicant's credit and financial responsibility, not the Subpart B obligations. Those obligations sit with FMCSA compliance, not with the bond.

Where it does affect the file: brokers who have already had a Letter of Probable Violation from a prior HHG operation, or who show up with active NCCDB complaints, tend to get flagged the same way a freight broker with a bond drawdown history does. It is not about the bond amount — it is that a surety reads a documented consumer-complaint pattern as a signal about how the applicant will run the next operation.

The most common compliance gap I see isn't the bond — it's brokers who launch a website before they've nailed down the § 371.117 cancellation policy or lined up § 371.115 carrier agreements. Both are free to fix on paper. Neither gets checked before FMCSA activates the authority. They only get checked when a shipper complains, which is exactly when you don't want to be building the paperwork from scratch.

BuySuretyBonds.com production team — freight transportation bonds

Frequently Asked Questions

Household goods broker-specific questions about the BMC-84 and Part 371 Subpart B

Is the household goods broker bond a different bond from a regular freight broker bond?

No — the financial instrument is identical. Under 49 CFR § 387.307, a household goods broker files the same $75,000 BMC-84 surety bond (or BMC-85 trust fund) as a general property broker. What changes is not the bond, but the FMCSA registration and the rulebook that comes with it: you select "Broker of Household Goods" as your operating authority type on Form OP-1 (via the Motus registration system), a category 49 U.S.C. § 13904 names separately from general property-broker registration, and once registered you must comply with the ten additional sections of 49 CFR Part 371 Subpart B that a non-HHG broker never has to touch.

Why does Part 371 Subpart B only apply to some of my business?

Because the trigger is the customer, not the cargo. Under 49 CFR § 371.101, Subpart B applies when you offer brokerage services to an INDIVIDUAL shipper — a consumer moving personal household goods — in interstate or foreign commerce. If the same brokerage also arranges relocations for a corporate client's employee relocation program billed to the company, or moves government office furniture, those commercial/government engagements fall outside Subpart B. Many HHG brokers run both lanes and only need Subpart B compliance (estimate rules, disclosures, cancellation policy) switched on for the individual-consumer side of the business.

Do I need a signed agreement with a mover before I can give a shipper an estimate?

Yes, and this is one of the most commonly missed steps. Under 49 CFR § 371.115, before you provide a written estimate on behalf of any motor carrier, you must have a signed written agreement with that specific carrier adopting your estimate as its own. The estimate itself, per § 371.113, must be based on a physical survey the carrier performs (or a properly executed plain-English waiver of that survey) and must be priced off that carrier's published tariff — you cannot simply quote a number you think is fair. Skipping the § 371.115 agreement is a Part 371 violation independent of whether your BMC-84 bond is current.

What happens if I don't post a cancellation and refund policy?

Under 49 CFR § 371.117(a), you must prominently disclose your cancellation policy, deposit policy, and deposit-refund policy — on your website and in your shipper agreements — for any order canceled before the carrier's scheduled pickup date. You must also keep three years of records showing every cancellation request and its outcome, including proof the shipper deposited or received the refund. Missing or vague refund language is one of the fastest ways an HHG broker ends up in FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database, and § 371.121 authorizes penalties — including registration revocation — for Part 371 violations, separate from any claim against the BMC-84 bond.

Does FMCSA's crackdown on moving fraud affect brokers who already follow the rules?

Operation Protect Your Move, FMCSA's ongoing nationwide enforcement initiative launched in May 2024, targets HHG movers and brokers with the worst records in FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database and the agency's HHG Top 100 Carriers list — not brokers with clean complaint histories. FMCSA logged more than 7,500 moving-company and broker complaints in 2022, over double the 2015 figure, and an earlier 2023 sweep across 16 states focused specifically on "HHG hostage" complaints (shipments held for extra fees). A broker who documents Subpart B compliance — signed carrier agreements, disclosed cancellation terms, delivered consumer-protection booklets — builds the paper trail that keeps them off the enforcement radar. The bond protects carriers and shippers from non-payment; it does not substitute for Subpart B compliance, and a registration revoked for consumer-protection violations happens independently of bond status.

Can I get a household goods broker bond with bad credit or as a new business?

Yes. The $75,000 BMC-84 for household goods brokers underwrites the same way as the standard freight broker bond — credit score drives most of the pricing decision, with rates roughly 1%–1.5% of the bond amount at excellent credit and rising into the high single digits or low double digits for challenged credit or no operating history. New HHG brokers without a track record can still bind coverage; expect a request for basic business information rather than a decline. Use our BMC-84 premium calculator for a personalized estimate before you apply.

Who needs a household goods broker bond?

Brokers of household goods moves. It is required by FMCSA, under 49 CFR 387.307, for brokers of household goods (with Part 371 Subpart B consumer rules on top). The bond amount is $75,000, the same BMC-84 amount as a general property broker.

How do I get a household goods broker bond?

Request a quote with the form on this page. A licensed agent submits your application to a Treasury-listed surety carrier; once the carrier issues your bond, file it as the requiring agency directs.

What happens after I apply?

We submit complete applications to the carrier promptly; most quotes come back within one business day. The carrier decides approval and the final premium, and you pay only when your bond is issued.

Official FMCSA Resources

49 CFR Part 371, Subpart B — Special Rules for Household Goods Brokers

The eCFR text of every section, §§ 371.101–371.121, governing household goods brokers

FMCSA Protect Your Move — Regulations & Enforcement

Official FMCSA resource on household goods consumer protection rules and the current enforcement program

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Get an HHG Broker Bond Quote

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For general pricing across credit tiers, see our surety bond cost guide. Curious how the deep-dive Subpart B rules connect to the core bond mechanics? Read our complete BMC-84 guide.

Reviewed by

Eric Drummond, Licensed Surety Producer

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All content is researched from official state and federal sources (.gov). BuySuretyBonds.com works with Treasury-listed surety carriers.

49 CFR Part 371, Subpart B — FMCSA Required

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