Published by Chris Townsend
Does a mover really need a state “Certificate of Public Convenience & Necessity” (CPCN) when shuttling boxes from Carmel to Bloomington? What happens if a 90-foot rig rolls onto I-65 without the $20 oversize pass that Indiana’s OSW portal spits out in minutes? And will your truck be turned away from Burns Harbor if you ignore the Ports of Indiana’s new Clean Ports emissions study?
These questions matter because Indiana drew 82,000 net new residents in 2024—its strongest growth in two decades—adding strain to highways and city curbs. The General Assembly responded with stricter civil penalties: up to $1,500 per day for unlicensed movers, $5,000 for 10-ton overweight runs, and triple-fee fines for street closures in downtown Indianapolis. The good news? Every permit you need—from a five-day lane-closure placard to a permanent CPCN—can be filed online, often in under 30 minutes. At Three Movers we wrap the whole stack into one seamless service so you can focus on settling in, not chasing paperwork. So before preparing for a long-distance move to IN, find out all the moving permits you need and get a professional movers in Indiana with a record of keeping everything under check.
Do you really need a moving “license” in Indiana?
Yes. Under Indiana Code 8-2.1-22 any carrier that hauls household goods for pay within state lines must hold a CPCN. Advertising or operating without it can trigger civil penalties of $1,000 per day.
| Trip type | Governing layer | Key proof on truck | Typical 2025 cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intrastate (IN ➜ IN) | Indiana CPCN + decal | “IHGC-#” on cab & ads | $100 filing + $25 name change fee if needed |
| Interstate / International | FMCSA USDOT + MC + UCR | Numbers lettered 2 in. high | $0 / $300 / $37+ (fleet size) |
| City curb / lane use | Local ROW permit | Printed placard on dash | $75 – $268 in Indy; $100 app. in Bloomington |
| Oversize / Overweight | IN DOR OSW permit | PDF & route sheet | $20 – $400+ depending on load |
State-level licensing — Indiana CPCN step-by-step
- Apply in CORE portal – $100 filing fee for permanent authority; $100 for 180-day temporary authority if you need to roll sooner.
- Proof of insurance – Form H (minimum $50 k cargo) & Form E (usually $750 k liability).
- Publish your tariff – rates and fuel-surcharge formula filed with Motor Carrier Services.
- Vehicle decals – $20 per power unit; IHGC-number must appear in two-inch letters on both doors.
Penalties for skipping: cease-and-desist, daily fines, and your company placed on the DOR’s public “Illegal Movers” list.
Federal layers for cross-border runs
Any mile outside Indiana adds:
- USDOT number (free)
- MC operating authority ($300)
- Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) — 2025 fees start at $37 for fleets of one-two tractors
- BOC-3 process agent
Roadside inspectors can issue out-of-service orders and fines up to $11,000 per day for missing federal credentials.
City-level parking & right-of-way permits
| City | Permit & 2025 fee | Lead time | Fine for no permit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis | Right-of-Way Use Permit (processed through special-event portal); $75 for small street closure. | 48 hrs | Triple fee + tow |
| Bloomington | ROW use/excavation: $100 app. + $1 / sq ft surface disturbance for paved lanes. | 2 days | Stop-work order |
| Fort Wayne & South Bend | Similar ROW applications; $40–$90 typical, 48-hr posting | 2–3 days | Meter-bag fee + citation |
Three Movers works with professional carriers that file, post, and cone each spot so your truck parks curb-side, not three houses away.
Oversize & Overweight permits — the OSW portal
Indiana’s legal max is 8 ft 6 in W × 13 ft 6 in H × 80,000 lb GVW. Anything larger must travel under an OSW permit:
| Permit | Valid | 2025 fee* | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-trip ≤14 ft W | 5 days | $20 | One tall armoire too high for van |
| Single-trip 14’1”–16’ W or >100 k lb | 5 days | $30 | Heavy machinery |
| Annual oversize | 12 mo | $300 | High-cube dry vans |
| Annual oversize + overweight | 12 mo | $600 | Container tractors 96–99 in wide |
*Actual OSW fees scale with weight and distance; $10–$400 range shown in DOR fee table.
Escort & curfew rules
Loads wider than 12 ft or heavier than 120 k lb need certified pilot cars; Sunday travel banned noon-midnight on holiday weekends.
Civil penalties
Indiana assesses: $500 for 1k–5k lb overweight; $1,000 for 5k–10k; $5,000 for >10k lb over the limit. Courts can also tack on per-pound fines starting at ¢2 per lb over 1,000 lb.
Manufactured homes & tiny houses
A double-wide or tiny-home shell wider than 12 ft needs the same OSW pass plus flashing amber beacons and, on some county roads, an Indiana State Police escort. Several counties (e.g., St. Joseph) also require a County Moving Permit before the structure leaves the lot.
Ports, rail ramps & clean-truck grants
Indiana’s three state-run ports (Burns Harbor on Lake Michigan, plus Jeffersonville & Mount Vernon on the Ohio River) do not yet mandate RFID tags the way Seattle does. But in October 2024 the Ports of Indiana accepted a $500,000 EPA Clean Ports grant to study future emissions limits; voluntary diesel-engine swaps are already underway. Three Movers keeps 2018-and-newer tractors on port dray moves so you’re ahead of any rule changes.
Enforcement snapshot
| Agency | What they police | Top 2025 penalty |
|---|---|---|
| IN DOR Motor Carrier Services | CPCN, tariffs, insurance | $1,000 / day per violation |
| DOR OSW & State Police | Size/weight permits | Up to $5,000 per trip (>10k lb over) |
| FMCSA | Interstate authority | $11,000 / day for OOS operation |
| Indy DPW | Unpermitted curb closure | Triple fee + tow |
Quick permit checklist for a typical Indiana move
| Paperwork | When needed | Issuer | Turn-around |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPCN + decals | Any paid IN-only move | MCS (DOR) | 2–4 weeks |
| USDOT + MC + UCR | Crossing state lines | FMCSA / UCR Board | Same-day online |
| Indy ROW permit | Parking on Indianapolis street | DPW ROW portal | <48 hrs |
| Bloomington ROW use | Downtown curb in Bloomington | City Engineering | 2 days |
| Single-trip OSW | >8’6″ W or >80k lb | OSW e-Permits | 15 min |
| Pilot-car cert | Load >12 ft W | Private escort course | 1 day |
| Port TWIC + CBP forms | Export via Burns Harbor | TSA / CBP | 1–2 hrs |
How Three Movers keeps you covered
Three Movers has a long history of working with reliable carriers with years of experience moving in and out Indiana. Our team of professionals will help you stay covered for all types permits and licenses during your overseas move.
- CPCN on file statewide—our IHGC number is printed on every bill of lading.
- Pre-purchased city permits—cones and meter bags go down 48 hours before the truck arrives.
- OSW on speed-dial—oversize passes issued in <15 minutes when your baby-grand bumps the limits.
- Port-ready fleet—2018+ tractors, TWIC-cleared drivers, and EPA-grant-funded clean-diesel upgrades already rolling.
- No hostage loads—ever—binding estimates honor Indiana’s consumer-protection rules so you never pay extra to get your sofa back.
Bottom Line
Indiana’s mix of state certificates, city curb permits, and OSW weight rules can look like a maze, but every step exists to keep highways safe and customers protected. Three Movers maps the route, files the forms, and pays the fees long before moving day, turning red-tape hurdles into one smooth, fully-licensed ride—from South Bend’s leafy streets to Indianapolis high-rises, or across the state line and beyond.
Ready for a worry-free Indiana move? Call us at (888) 202-0036 for a free moving quote today.
