How to Start a Moving Company in Michigan: Household Goods Carrier Authority From the State Police

Most people who search for how to start a moving company business in Michigan focus on the LLC paperwork. That part is simple. The step that stops new movers is operating authority. A household goods carrier that moves belongings within Michigan needs CVED Authority from the Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, Regulatory and Credentialing Section. The authority is issued under the Motor Carrier Act, 1933 PA 254, and you apply online through the CVED Authority Portal (CAP). Michigan has no general statewide business license, but moving is a regulated activity, so this approval is not optional.

This guide follows the order that works in practice: form the entity, set up insurance, apply for CVED authority, register vehicles, clear local rules, and calendar your renewals. Plan for several weeks of paperwork. The state review alone can take up to 30 days.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Before you choose a structure, sign a lease, or accept a contract, talk with a Michigan business attorney and a CPA. The figures below were verified on October 22, 2026, but confirm each one with the agency named before you pay.

Materials and information you need before you start

Gather these items before you open a filing account. Missing one usually delays the whole sequence.

• A business name that includes Limited Liability Company, L.L.C., or L.C. (for an LLC)
• A Michigan resident agent and a registered office address. The office can be your business location, but a P.O. box alone is not enough.
• A federal Employer Identification Number from the IRS
• Proof of workers' compensation insurance, or an approved exclusion
• A certificate of liability insurance and a Form E from your insurer
• A list of every truck or tractor you plan to use, and how each one will be used
• Any continuous contracts you hold, and tariff membership if you will move household goods more than 40 miles outside a continuous contract
• A budget for filing and renewal fees (see the fee summary below)

Step-by-step: from entity to operating authority

Step 1: Choose your legal structure

Most moving companies in Michigan form a limited liability company. Michigan imposes no franchise tax. A standard LLC is a pass-through entity, so its members report the income on their Michigan individual income tax return at the flat 4.25% rate for the 2026 tax year. An LLC that elects federal C corporation treatment is subject to the 6% Michigan Corporate Income Tax instead. A corporation files Articles of Incorporation for Profit Corporation (Form CSCL/CD-500) with LARA for a $60 filing fee.

A sole proprietorship or general partnership does not file with LARA. It files an assumed name certificate with the county clerk in each county where it does business, under MCL 445.1. County fees for sole proprietors are set by statute and by each county clerk, so confirm the amount with the clerk's office.

Each structure has tradeoffs for liability, taxes, and owner paperwork. Ask a CPA which one fits your expected revenue and whether you plan to bring in partners.

Step 2: Check your name and file the Articles of Organization

Search the MiBusiness Registry business search at https://mibusinessregistry.lara.state.mi.us/search/business before you settle on a name. An LLC name must include Limited Liability Company or the abbreviation L.L.C. or L.C., with or without periods. If you want to hold the name while you assemble insurance and vehicle paperwork, file the name reservation (Form CSCL/CD-540) for $25. The reservation lasts six months following the month of filing.

File the Articles of Organization (Form CSCL/CD-700) through the MiBusiness Registry Portal at https://mibusinessregistry.lara.state.mi.us/ for the $50 filing fee. The articles must include a resident agent and a registered office. Michigan calls this a resident agent. The agent must be a Michigan resident, a Michigan corporation, a foreign corporation with a certificate of authority to transact business in Michigan, a Michigan LLC, or a foreign LLC authorized to transact business in Michigan. Later changes to the agent are filed on Form CSCL/CD-520.

LARA does not publish a guaranteed standard review time for routine filings. If your launch date depends on speed, pay for expedited review. The Expedited Service Request is Form CSCL/CD-272, and its fee is paid on top of the document filing fee:

Expedited tier	Added fee	Timing
24 hour review, formation document	$50	Within 24 hours
24 hour review, existing entity document	$100	Within 24 hours
Same day review, formation document	$100	Same day
Same day review, existing entity document	$200	Same day
Two hour review	$500	Must be received by 3 p.m.
One hour review	$1,000	Must be received by 4 p.m.

After formation, an LLC files an Annual Statement (Form CSCL/CD-2700) each year for $25. The first is due February 15 of the year after formation. An LLC formed or qualified after September 30 does not owe a statement on the February 15 immediately following its formation.

Step 3: Get your EIN and sales tax registration

Apply for a federal Employer Identification Number through the IRS. You will need it for payroll, for a business bank account, and for most vendor forms. Then decide whether you will sell anything taxable. If you plan to sell packing supplies such as boxes, tape, or furniture covers to customers, you will likely need a sales tax license, so confirm that with the Michigan Department of Treasury at https://www.michigan.gov/taxes. The registration is free and can arrive in as little as 7 business days. Michigan's state sales tax rate is 6%. Whether your moving labor itself is taxable is a question for Treasury or your CPA, so settle it before you publish a price list.

Step 4: Set up workers' compensation and liability coverage

Your crew must be covered by workers' compensation insurance, or you need an approved exclusion. Ask your insurer which option applies to your drivers and helpers, and confirm with the Michigan State Police what it will accept as an approved exclusion. Then request two documents from your insurance agent: a certificate of liability insurance and a Form E. Your CVED application is incomplete without both, so have the agent issue them before you file. Keep copies in your records and keep the policy active, because a lapse can hold up your application or a renewal.

Step 5: Apply for CVED Authority

File the application online through the CVED Authority Portal (CAP). Search for the portal on michigan.gov, and confirm the current link there before you start. The application fee is $100. As a household goods carrier, you also submit Form H. List any continuous contracts you hold. If you will move household goods more than 40 miles and are not moving under a continuous contract, you must also have tariff membership, so arrange it before you accept those jobs.

Processing can take up to 30 days. Do not promise customers a move date until your authority is issued. For questions about your file, call the Michigan State Police at 517-284-3250.

Step 6: Register your vehicles

Your authority covers the business, and each vehicle is registered under it. Michigan charges $50 a year for each truck or tractor used exclusively for household goods, and $100 a year for each other intrastate vehicle. A replacement identification costs $10. Keep a current vehicle list, because the fee depends on how each unit is used. If a truck moves both household goods and other freight, confirm its classification with the MSP before you put it on the road.

Step 7: Clear local rules

State authority does not replace local approval. Michigan has 83 counties, about 275 to 280 cities, about 255 to 258 villages, and 1,240 townships. Your city, village, or township may require a business license, zoning approval, a certificate of occupancy, or other permits before you operate from a site or park trucks there. Home based moving operations need extra care. Confirm in writing that zoning allows commercial vehicles, dispatch, and storage at your address, and keep that answer in your file.

City income tax applies in only 24 Michigan cities, Detroit and Grand Rapids among them. If your business is located in one of them, ask Treasury how it applies to your entity.

Step 8: Calendar every renewal

Missed renewals are the most avoidable way to lose authority. The CVED renewal window runs each year from October 1 to December 1, and the renewal fee is $50. If authority is not renewed by January 1, it is revoked. If you already hold authority, renew within that window each year. An LLC's Annual Statement is due February 15 at $25, and a corporation's Annual Report is due May 15 at $25. Put all of these dates on a shared calendar with reminders at least 30 days ahead.

Expected results

Following these steps may put your company in a position to operate as a household goods carrier within Michigan once CVED authority is issued. Having the same entity name, insurance certificates, and vehicle records on file may also make banking, insurance, and customer contracts go more smoothly. Results beyond that depend on your local market, pricing, crew reliability, and service quality. No filing guarantees bookings, revenue, or approval on a particular timeline. The processing times in this guide are agency figures, not promises.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating the LLC filing as the finish line. LARA registration does not give you authority to haul household goods. CVED Authority is a separate approval.
• Using a P.O. box as the registered office or the resident agent address.
• Letting the business name differ across the articles, the insurance certificate, and the CVED application.
• Accepting household goods jobs over 40 miles without a tariff or a continuous contract in place.
• Missing the October 1 to December 1 renewal window, which leads to revocation if authority is not renewed by January 1.
• Paying for expedited service on a filing that is not time sensitive.
• Filing a sole proprietor's assumed name with LARA instead of the county clerk.
• Assuming a state filing covers local zoning, parking, or signage rules.
• Overlooking federal requirements for interstate moves. This guide covers intrastate authority only. Interstate moves require separate federal operating authority, so confirm those requirements directly with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Tips from the filing process

• Set your launch date from the review timeline, not your marketing plan. A 30 day review plus insurance lead time is the real critical path.
• Build one master sheet with your legal name, EIN, resident agent, insurance policy numbers, and vehicle list. Use it for every form so nothing drifts.
• Settle tariff and contract questions before you sell a move. Pricing errors are hard to fix after a booking.
• Ask the Michigan Small Business Development Center at https://michigansbdc.org/ for help with your business plan, and check https://www.sba.gov/district/michigan for SBA resources in your region.
• Save every confirmation from LARA, Treasury, and the MSP in one folder for each renewal year.

Fee summary

Item	Agency	Fee	Timing
Articles of Organization (LLC)	LARA	$50	Filing
Name reservation	LARA	$25	Holds the name six months
Annual Statement (LLC)	LARA	$25	Due February 15 each year
Articles of Incorporation (corporation)	LARA	$60	Filing
Annual Report (corporation)	LARA	$25	Due May 15 each year
Assumed name certificate (LLC)	LARA	$25	Effective through December 31 of the fifth full calendar year after filing
CVED Authority application	Michigan State Police	$100	Processing up to 30 days
CVED annual renewal	Michigan State Police	$50	October 1 to December 1; revoked if not renewed by January 1
Household goods truck or tractor	Michigan State Police	$50 a year each	Annual
Other intrastate vehicle	Michigan State Police	$100 a year each	Annual
Replacement identification	Michigan State Police	$10	As needed
Sales tax registration	Michigan Department of Treasury	Free	Can arrive in as little as 7 business days

Where to confirm each figure

• LARA Corporations Division: https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps (filings, name reservations, annual statements, and expedited service)
• Michigan Department of Treasury: https://www.michigan.gov/taxes (sales tax registration and tax questions)
• Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division: 517-284-3250 (CVED Authority, fees, and renewal questions)
• Your county clerk (sole proprietor assumed names) and your city, village, or township office (local licenses and zoning)

This guide is informational content, not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Rules, fees, and processing times change, so verify each one with the agency before you file or pay. Talk with a qualified Michigan attorney and a CPA about your structure, contracts, and tax position.