Published by Chris Townsend
Before you load the first box for a Grand Rapids townhouse or a trans-Atlantic shipment from the Port of Detroit, Michigan law requires your mover to collect a maze of permits and operating credentials. Intrastate carriers must hold Michigan State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED) authority, publish state-regulated tariffs on moves that exceed 40 miles, renew decals every year, and maintain liability insurance. Cities such as Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and Lansing demand their own right-of-way (ROW) or lane-closure permits for curb space, while the Michigan DOT issues oversize/overweight clearances—$15 for a basic oversize single-trip, $50 when the load is also overweight. Cross state lines and you add a USDOT number, an HHG MC operating authority, a blanket BOC-3 process-agent filing, IFTA fuel-tax decals, IRP apportioned plates, and Unified Carrier Registration. Ship goods overseas and the list expands to an FMC Ocean Transportation Intermediary license, a 10 + 2 Importer Security Filing, and TSA Indirect Air-Carrier or Certified Cargo Screening compliance. Skip any layer and penalties can reach $500 per missing Detroit ROW permit, $1,000 per unauthorized haul under Michigan’s Motor Carrier Act, or $5,000 for a late customs filing. Below is every clearance—local, state, federal, and international—plus how we at Three Movers line them up so your Michigan move rolls without a single citation.
Do You Really Have Every Green-Light?
A Michigan household-goods move can trigger more than a dozen separate authorizations: CVED operating authority, annual decals, a published tariff for trips over 40 miles, Detroit or Ann Arbor ROW permits, MDOT oversize clearances for any truck taller than 13 ft 6 in, IFTA decals the moment the rig crosses into Ohio, federal USDOT and HHG MC numbers for interstate segments, an FMC OTI license for sea freight, and a TSA Indirect Air Carrier endorsement if anything flies out of DTW. Each carries its own clock and fee, and failure to produce even one can sideline a truck at the scale house or dock.
1. Michigan’s Regulatory Backbone
1.1 CVED Intrastate Operating Authority
Michigan’s Motor Carrier Act (P.A. 254 of 1933) requires every for-hire intrastate carrier—including household-goods movers—to obtain CVED authority before using public roads. Applications are filed through the CVED Authority Portal (CAP) and can take up to 30 days. Household-goods carriers must purchase CVED decals and renew annually .
1.2 Tariff and Distance Rules
Moves traveling more than 40 miles are subject to regulated weight-and-mileage tariffs; the carrier must supply a non-binding estimate and charge only the tariff rates . “Local moves” of 40 miles or less are exempt from tariff oversight, but the mover still needs CVED authority .
1.3 Penalties
Operating—or even advertising—as a mover without CVED authority can trigger misdemeanor charges and fines up to $1,000 per occurrence under the Motor Carrier Act; CVED revoked more than 200 carriers in a single renewal cycle for non-payment.
2. Local Street-Use & Parking Permits
2.1 Detroit
Any activity that occupies city right-of-way requires a DPW ROW permit; the 2024 fee schedule lists a $200 base fee and a $500 fine for failing to obtain one . Oversize or heavy hauls inside city limits need an additional heavy-hauler permit ($200 one-way) .
2.2 Grand Rapids
Movers must file a Temporary Occupancy of ROW Permit through Mobile GR to reserve curb lanes or sidewalks downtown Grand Rapids. Applications ask for truck dimensions, traffic-control plans, and proof of insurance.
2.3 Ann Arbor
A Right-of-Way and Lane-Closure Permit is mandatory if the truck blocks meters or sidewalks, and a traffic-control plan must be submitted 72 hours in advance .
2.4 Lansing
The city issues a Use-of-Right-of-Way Permit for any obstruction; the PDF form covers curb reservations for moving vans and pods lansingmi.gov.
3. State-Level Vehicle Clearances
3.1 Oversize & Overweight (MDOT MiTRIP)
Michigan’s legal envelope is 8 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft 6 in high, 60 ft long, 80,000 lbs GVW . Exceed those limits and you must buy an MDOT permit through MiTRIP. Fees:
- Single-trip oversize (legal weight): $15 MichiganMichigan
- Single-trip oversize + overweight: $50
- Annual extended permits: $30 oversize / $100 overweight
3.2 IFTA & IRP
Trucks over 26,000 lbs that leave Michigan must display a no-fee IFTA license and decals and file quarterly fuel-tax returns. The same power unit needs IRP apportioned plates issued by the Secretary of State.
4. Crossing State Lines
- USDOT Number: Required for any mover hauling household goods across state borders .
- HHG MC Operating Authority: FMCSA issues an MC docket (HHG) after a $300 filing fee and proof of $750 k liability insurance .
- BOC-3 Process Agent: A mover must designate a legal agent in every state on Form BOC-3 before authority is granted .
5. Going Global from the Great Lakes State
5.1 Ocean Freight Licensing
If we arrange sea transport through Detroit or Port Huron, we hold an FMC Ocean Transportation Intermediary (OTI) license; electronic applications cost $125 and must be renewed every three years under the 2016 FMC rule.
5.2 Importer Security Filing (10 + 2)
CBP requires 10 data elements 24 hours before cargo loads at the foreign origin port. Late or inaccurate filings incur $5,000 per violation (19 CFR § 149).
5.3 Air-Cargo Security
Household goods that fly from DTW must either be screened by a Certified Cargo Screening Facility or move under a TSA-approved Indirect Air-Carrier (IAC) program per 49 CFR 1548.
6. Special Endorsements & Facilities
- Hazardous Materials CDL Endorsement: Required if transporting propane grills, fuel cans, or other placarded items; governed by 49 CFR 383.141..csa.fmcsa.dot.gov
- Public Warehouse Registration: Any Michigan warehouse storing household goods for hire must register with CVED and post a bond (Motor Carrier Act §5).
7. Compliance Snapshot – Key Permits & Typical Fees (May 2025)
| Permit / License | Issuer | Renewal Cycle | Fee* |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVED Intrastate Authority + Decal | MSP CVED | Annual | $100 app + $25 decal |
| Detroit ROW Permit | DPW | Per move | $200 base; $500 violation |
| MDOT Single-Trip Oversize | MDOT | Per trip | $15 |
| MDOT Single-Trip OS/OW | MDOT | Per trip | $50 |
| MDOT Extended Oversize | MDOT | 12 months | $30 |
| MDOT Extended Overweight | MDOT | 12 months | $100 |
| IFTA License & Decal | MD Treasury | Annual | $0 + tax return |
| IRP Plate | MI SOS | Annual | Mileage-based |
| USDOT Number | FMCSA | Biennial update | $0 |
| HHG MC Authority | FMCSA | One-time | $300 |
| FMC OTI License | FMC | 3-year renewal | $125 e-filing |
| TSA IAC / CCSP | TSA | Annual security update | Varies |
*Representative fees; agencies adjust rates periodically—always verify before filing.
How Three Movers Keeps You Compliant
- Active CVED & Tariff: Our authority and tariff filings are renewed every January, so your intrastate contract starts legal.
- Instant City Reservations: We submit Detroit, Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, or Lansing ROW applications the same day your load dates are locked, posting signage 48 hours ahead.
- Automated MDOT Routing: Oversize loads run through MiTRIP simulations; if escorts or night moves are required, we book them before wheels turn.
- Borderless Paper Trail: From IFTA e-filings to ISF transmissions and TSA air-cargo manifests, our compliance desk closes every loop so state troopers and customs agents wave us through.
Get Started With Us Now
Michigan’s layered permit structure protects highways, neighborhoods, and your belongings—but it can feel like paperwork quicksand. With Three Movers, every certificate, decal, bond, and tariff line is already stamped “approved.” You get to focus on new neighbors and new horizons while we shoulder the compliance load from the sidewalk to the straits and beyond.
