How to Start a Moving Company in Minnesota: MnDOT Household Goods Mover Permit

If you plan to move household goods for hire in Minnesota, you need a household goods mover permit from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) before your first truck leaves the yard. The permit is issued under Minn. Stat. 221.121, and the fee is $150 per permit. It often sets the date you can take your first booking, so it belongs at the center of how to start a moving business in Minnesota.

Minnesota does not issue a general statewide business license. Filing your LLC with the Secretary of State is a filing, not a license, and Department of Revenue tax registration is not a license either. This guide puts the steps in the order that avoids the most common delays.

Informational content only. This article is not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Fees and forms change. Confirm every figure with the agency named before you file, and consult a qualified attorney, CPA, and licensed insurance broker about your situation.

What you need before you start

Gather these before you file. A missing item usually means a rejected packet or a second round of forms.

• A company name that includes the words limited liability company or LLC
• A Minnesota street address for your registered office (a PO box alone is not accepted)
• A USDOT number (free for intrastate operations)
• An insurer that can file Form E and Form H with MnDOT
• A list of every truck you will operate, with registration details for the vehicle form
• Payment for the filing fees and the $150 permit fee

Costs at a glance

Item	Cost	Agency
Articles of Organization (LLC)	$155 online or in person; $135 by mail	Secretary of State
Name reservation	$55 for 12 months	Secretary of State
Assumed name (DBA)	$50 online or in person; $30 by mail	Secretary of State
LLC annual renewal	$0, due December 31	Secretary of State
LLC reinstatement (if missed)	$65 by mail; $85 online or in person	Secretary of State
Household goods mover permit	$150 per permit	MnDOT
USDOT number	Free intrastate; federal fee for interstate (confirm amount)	FMCSA
Insurance (Form E and Form H)	Set by your insurer	Insurer files with MnDOT

Step 1: Confirm the MnDOT permit applies to your operation

The permit is written for household goods movers. Before you spend money on filings, confirm with MnDOT how your work is classified and whether you will cross state lines, which adds the federal requirements in Step 4. Describe your planned services in writing and ask MnDOT which permit or permits you need.

Step 2: Form your LLC with the Minnesota Secretary of State

Most small moving companies organize as a limited liability company. Articles of Organization under Minn. Stat. Chapter 322C cost $155 online or in person, which the Secretary of State treats as expedited service, or $135 by mail, which is not expedited. LLC formation does not require a newspaper publication.

Your name must include limited liability company or LLC, may not contain corporation or incorporated, and must be distinguishable from every entity already on Secretary of State records (Minn. Stat. 322C.0108). To hold a name while you finish the paperwork, reserve it for $55, which lasts 12 months and renews in 12 month periods. The form is at https://www.sos.mn.gov/media/1395/namereservation.pdf.

Minnesota requires a registered office, not a registered agent, so naming an agent is optional for a domestic LLC. The office must be a Minnesota street address, but it does not have to match your yard or main office. File through Business Filings Online at https://mblsportal.sos.mn.gov/Business/Search.

Calendar the annual renewal now. It is due December 31 every year and costs $0 if the LLC is active and in good standing. If you miss it, the LLC is terminated without further notice under Minn. Stat. 322C.0705, and reinstatement costs $65 by mail or $85 online or in person. Treat December 31 as a hard deadline.

Step 3: File an assumed name if you will operate under another name

If your trucks will carry a brand name other than your LLC name, file a Certificate of Assumed Name under Minn. Stat. Chapter 333. It costs $50 online or in person or $30 by mail, and it is filed with Business Services at the Secretary of State.

Publication is the step people skip. The certificate must run for two consecutive issues in the legal notices section of a qualified legal newspaper in the county of your principal place of business. Failure to publish may render the certificate invalid. Renewal is annual at no charge. Details are at https://www.sos.mn.gov/business-liens/business-forms-fees/assumed-namedba/.

Step 4: Get a USDOT number

Registration is free for intrastate operations. Interstate operations carry a federal fee, so confirm the current amount with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration at https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ before you pay. Interstate moves may also need federal filings beyond the USDOT number, so ask FMCSA and your insurer what applies to your routes.

Step 5: Register for tax with the Department of Revenue

Register for a Minnesota tax ID and a sales and use tax account before you make taxable sales. Start at https://www.mndor.state.mn.us/tp/eservices/_/?link=NewBusinessReg. The state sales tax rate is 6.875 percent, with local taxes on top. Whether a particular moving charge is taxable depends on the service, so confirm it with the Department of Revenue or a CPA before you publish your rates.

Your tax structure affects your numbers. An LLC taxed as a partnership or disregarded entity passes income to its owners, who pay individual income tax of 5.35 to 9.85 percent. An LLC that files federally as a C corporation pays the 9.8 percent corporation franchise tax. A minimum fee under Minn. Stat. 290.0922 applies to C corporations, S corporations and partnerships, but a single-member LLC that reports only on the owner's individual return is exempt.

Step 6: Buy insurance and have your insurer file it with MnDOT

The permit requires two insurance filings that your insurer submits to MnDOT. Form E requires public liability of at least $100,000/$300,000 and property damage of at least $50,000. Form H requires cargo coverage of at least $50,000. These are minimums. A broker can tell you whether your customers and contracts call for more.

The name and address on the insurance forms must match your application exactly. Give your broker a copy of the Secretary of State filing before the insurer files. Ask how long its filings take to reach MnDOT, and plan your application around that date.

Step 7: Submit the permit application packet

Use the current MnDOT household goods mover forms. Do not rely on a copy saved from an old email or forum post, because packet forms change. The packet includes:

1. The mover permit application, with the legal name, address, and contact details that match your Secretary of State filing
2. A vehicle registration form listing each truck you will operate
3. Confirmation that your insurer has filed Form E and Form H
4. The $150 permit fee under subdivision 7 of Minn. Stat. 221.121

Ask MnDOT whether your fleet needs one permit or several, because the fee applies per permit. Check the current packet on MnDOT's website (mndot.gov) or by phone before you submit.

Step 8: Wait for the permit and do not operate before it is issued

You may not operate as a mover until MnDOT issues the permit. The costliest mistake is taking deposits, booking jobs, or loading a truck before the permit is in hand. MnDOT does not give a processing time in the information available to us, so ask the agency for its current estimate and schedule your first move only after the permit arrives. A copy of the issued permit in each truck is a sensible habit.

Step 9: Check city, county, and zoning rules

Licenses and permits in Minnesota are issued by agency and activity, and License Minnesota at https://mn.gov/elicense lets you browse requirements by topic, agency, or A to Z index. Locally, cities and counties may regulate where you park trucks, store equipment, and run an office. Minneapolis and St. Paul each license by category and neither issues a general business license, so ask whether your activity needs a category license. Minnesota has 87 counties, about 853 cities, and about 1,780 townships. If your yard sits in a township, township and county rules may apply. Check with the zoning office before you sign a lease.

Step 10: Renew the permit and keep filings current

The mover permit is renewed through MnDOT's renewal packet. Pull the current version rather than reusing last year's forms, and confirm your insurance filings remain in force. On the state side, calendar the LLC annual renewal for December 31 and any assumed name renewal each year.

Expected results

If you follow this order, most of your wait should be on agency processing rather than on correcting forms. Once the permit issues and the LLC is active, you may be able to accept household goods bookings in Minnesota. The timing depends on MnDOT's processing and your insurer's filing speed, so this guide cannot promise a date.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Booking or collecting deposits before the permit is issued
• Using a different company name or address on the insurance forms than on the application
• Treating the Secretary of State filing as a business license
• Listing a PO box as the registered office
• Skipping the assumed name publication
• Listing only some trucks on the vehicle form
• Assuming one $150 permit covers a fleet without asking MnDOT
• Missing the December 31 LLC renewal

Tips that save time

• Give your broker the exact legal name from the Secretary of State record before any form is signed.
• Ask MnDOT for the current packet by phone or email before you assemble anything.
• Use free advising from the Minnesota Small Business Development Center Network at https://mn.gov/deed/business/help/sbdc/ and the SBA Minnesota district office at https://www.sba.gov/district/minnesota.

When to get professional help

This is informational content, not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Talk with a Minnesota attorney before you commit to a name you will build a brand on, a CPA before you choose a tax structure, and a licensed insurance broker before you sign for Form E and Form H coverage. If you plan to operate interstate or hire drivers, ask an attorney and broker to review your federal and state obligations together.

Official resources

• Minnesota Secretary of State: https://www.sos.mn.gov/ and Business Filings Online at https://mblsportal.sos.mn.gov/Business/Search
• Minnesota Department of Revenue: https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/
• MnDOT: mndot.gov (search for household goods mover permit)
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/