A typical interstate move out of Georgia runs on a planning window of roughly eight weeks, though the dollar-and-paperwork milestones that actually protect a household are set by federal law, not by the calendar. The moment a move crosses a state line, it stops being a Georgia matter and becomes an interstate one, regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) under 49 CFR Part 375. That single jurisdictional fact changes the rules a person leaving Georgia lives under: the estimate that has to be in writing, the booklet a mover must hand over, the deadline to file a damage claim, and the level of liability coverage that applies by default. The timeline below is organized around those real consumer-protection checkpoints rather than generic to-do lists, so each week maps to something with legal weight behind it.
Two clarifications make the rest of the timeline easier to read. First, “interstate” is defined by where the goods travel, not by the mover’s address. A move from Macon to Tampa is interstate; a move from Macon to Savannah is intrastate and governed by Georgia’s Department of Public Safety instead. Second, interstate movers quote delivery as a window or spread of days, not a fixed date, because federal “reasonable dispatch” rules are built around an agreed period rather than a single guaranteed day. Knowing that early prevents a lot of moving-day friction.
Roughly 8 Weeks Out: Verify Authority and Gather Written Estimates
The first substantive step is confirming that a prospective mover holds active interstate operating authority. An interstate household-goods carrier must be registered with FMCSA and carry a USDOT number; that registration is what makes the Part 375 protections enforceable. A Georgia-based mover licensed only for in-state work does not automatically have it, so check the registration directly rather than take it on the company’s word.
This is also the stage to collect written estimates. Under 49 CFR 375.401, a mover must base its estimate on a survey of the goods and provide the estimate in writing, with both parties signing and the customer receiving a dated copy at the time of signing. The survey can be done in person or by video, and a customer may waive it only through a signed written agreement made before loading. Estimates come in two forms that behave very differently at delivery:
- A binding estimate fixes the total cost for the listed goods and services in advance. A mover is permitted to charge a fee for preparing one.
- A non-binding estimate is the carrier’s good-faith projection; final charges are calculated from the actual weight of the shipment. A mover may not charge a fee for a non-binding estimate.
Because a non-binding bill turns on weight, the federal rules give the customer leverage that few people use. Under 49 CFR 375.513 the mover must give the shipper the right to observe each weighing and must say where and when it will happen. Under the reweigh provisions, a shipper who questions the billed weight can demand a reweigh at no charge before the truck is unloaded, after which the carrier must bill from the reweigh figure rather than the original. On a long-haul interstate move priced by the pound, that is a concrete check against an inflated weight ticket, not a theoretical right.
Gathering several written estimates this far out leaves room to compare scope and service before any commitment, and it anchors every later conversation to a signed document instead of a phone quote.
Roughly 6 to 7 Weeks Out: Read the Federal Rights Booklet and Book the Move
Before a customer signs the bill of lading, the mover is required by 49 CFR 375.213 to furnish the booklet titled “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move,” along with the other required disclosures. The booklet is not promotional material; it is the plain-language summary of the same Part 375 rights covered here, and reading it before booking, rather than after the truck is loaded, is one of the few zero-cost protections a mover is legally obligated to provide.
Booking happens once the written estimates and the booklet have been reviewed. Interstate capacity tightens during the heavier demand stretch from roughly May through September, which is an industry pattern rather than a regulation, so earlier booking simply widens the pool of available dates. At booking, the agreed pickup date and the delivery spread are documented; those agreed dates are what the federal “reasonable dispatch” standard is measured against later.
Roughly 4 to 5 Weeks Out: Choose a Valuation Level
One of the most consequential and most overlooked decisions on an interstate move is the liability, or valuation, level, and it is best settled well before moving day. Federal rules set two options:
- Full Value Protection is the default level of liability under Part 375. If goods are lost, damaged, or not delivered, the mover is responsible for the replacement value up to the shipment’s declared value. It costs more, and it is what applies unless the customer affirmatively chooses otherwise.
- Released Value is the economy option and applies only when the customer waives Full Value Protection in writing. Under it, the mover’s liability is capped at 60 cents per pound, per article. FMCSA’s own example is blunt: a 10-pound stereo component worth 1,000 dollars would be covered for just 6 dollars under released value.
The practical takeaway is that released value is never automatic; it exists only if a customer signs away the default. Settling this choice in advance, and keeping the signed paperwork, removes ambiguity if a claim ever has to be filed.
Roughly 2 to 3 Weeks Out: Confirm Documents and Understand 110% at Delivery
With logistics largely locked, the focus shifts to the paperwork that governs payment and proof. The order for service and, on moving day, the bill of lading are the documents that define the agreement; the bill of lading functions as both receipt and contract for the goods, and its inventory list is the baseline for any later claim. Confirming pickup date, delivery spread, and accepted payment method now avoids surprises when the truck arrives.
This is the right moment to internalize how payment works on a non-binding estimate, because it catches many people off guard. Under 49 CFR 375.407, to take delivery a customer must pay up to 110 percent of a non-binding estimate at the time of delivery. Any balance above that 110 percent figure is not due at the door; the mover must bill it afterward, and Georgia’s parallel intrastate rule similarly defers the excess balance for 30 days. A binding estimate, by contrast, holds the customer to the agreed figure for the listed goods and services. Knowing the 110 percent ceiling in advance means a household can have the correct funds ready and is not pressured into overpaying to release its own belongings.
Moving Day and the Delivery Window
On loading day, the inventory is documented and the bill of lading is issued. Checking the inventory against what is actually loaded matters because that record is what a claim is later measured against. After pickup, the shipment travels on the agreed delivery spread rather than a guaranteed single date.
That spread is governed by the “reasonable dispatch” standard in 49 CFR Part 375, Subpart G. Reasonable dispatch means performing the transportation on the dates, or during the period, agreed upon and shown on the bill of lading. The same subpart contains an important anti-leverage protection: a mover that deliberately withholds a shipment after the customer has offered to pay a binding estimate, or up to 110 percent of a non-binding estimate plus any additional lawful charges, has failed to transport with reasonable dispatch and exposes itself to a delay claim under Part 370. If the agreed window is missed and the customer incurs expenses they otherwise would not have, those expenses may be recoverable through a delay-of-shipment claim, subject to recognized defenses such as force majeure.
After Delivery: The 9-Month Federal Claim Window (and Why GA’s 90 Days Does Not Apply)
This is the single most important contrast for anyone leaving Georgia. On an interstate move, federal rules give a customer 9 months from the date of delivery to file a written claim for loss or damage. Once a claim is filed, the mover must acknowledge it in writing within 30 days and provide a disposition within 120 days; if it cannot resolve the claim in that period, it must update the claimant in writing every 60 days thereafter.
By contrast, a move that stays entirely within Georgia is intrastate, governed not by FMCSA but by the Georgia Department of Public Safety, and its rule (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 570-38-3-.17) requires a written claim within just 90 days after delivery. That is a dramatic difference: nine months versus roughly three. The deadline that applies is determined by whether the move crossed a state line, not by where the moving company is based. For a household relocating out of Georgia, the federal 9-month window is the one that controls, and the 90-day intrastate rule does not apply to that shipment. Mixing the two up is an easy and costly mistake, because filing under the wrong deadline assumption can mean missing the real one.
The claim clock favors prompt documentation regardless of which window applies. Damage should be noted on the delivery inventory at unloading where possible, photographed before packaging is discarded, and recorded in writing as soon as it is discovered. The 9-month interstate window is generous compared with Georgia’s 90 days, but it is not a reason to wait; contemporaneous evidence is what makes a claim straightforward to resolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the 90-day Georgia claim rule apply if I move from Georgia to another state?
No. Crossing a state line makes the move interstate, so the federal 9-month claim window under 49 CFR Part 375 applies, not Georgia’s 90-day intrastate rule. The 90-day rule governs moves that stay entirely inside Georgia.
Why did my mover give me a delivery window instead of an exact date?
Interstate moves operate under the “reasonable dispatch” standard, which is built around an agreed period or spread of dates shown on the bill of lading rather than a single guaranteed day. The agreed window is the benchmark a delay claim would later be measured against.
What is the difference between Full Value Protection and released value?
Full Value Protection is the federal default and covers replacement value up to the declared amount. Released value is the economy option, available only if the customer waives Full Value Protection in writing, and it caps the mover’s liability at 60 cents per pound, per article.
On a non-binding estimate, how much do I have to pay at delivery?
Federal rules require payment of up to 110 percent of the non-binding estimate to take delivery. Any balance above that amount is billed afterward rather than collected at the door.
What document protects me if something is lost or damaged?
The bill of lading and its inventory list are the baseline records. Keeping them, plus the signed estimate and any valuation paperwork, gives a claim its supporting evidence.
Sources
FMCSA, Transportation of Household Goods in Interstate Commerce (49 CFR Part 375): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-375
49 CFR 375.213 (required disclosures, “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move”): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/375.213
49 CFR 375.401 (written estimate requirements): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/375.401
49 CFR 375.513 / Subpart E (right to observe weighing; reweigh at no charge): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-375/subpart-E
49 CFR 375.407 (110% rule on non-binding estimates): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/375.407
49 CFR 375.201 (normal liability; Full Value Protection / released value): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/375.201
49 CFR Part 375, Subpart G (delivery; reasonable dispatch): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-375/subpart-G
49 CFR Appendix A to Part 375 (“Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move”; 9-month claim window): https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/appendix-Atopart_375
Georgia Comp. R. & Regs. 570-38-3 (Household Goods Carriers; 90-day intrastate claim, Rule .17): https://rules.sos.ga.gov/gac/570-38-3
Georgia Department of Public Safety, Motor Carrier Compliance Division: https://dps.georgia.gov/divisions/motor-carrier-compliance-division
Disclaimer
This guide is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional moving advice. Regulations and rates change; confirm current requirements with the Georgia Department of Public Safety, the FMCSA, or a qualified professional before acting.