Virginia Moving Permits & Licenses: All You Need to Know

Ready to move from Roanoke’s Blue Ridge foothills to Virginia Beach’s boardwalk—or ship a full container out of Norfolk?
Every Virginia relocation touches at least three tiers of regulation: state‐level certificates and oversize clearances, city “no-parking” or right-of-way permits, and the familiar federal filings that follow any interstate or overseas shipment. Miss even one, and you can face a $2,500 misdemeanor for unlicensed hauling, 30 ¢-per-mile damage fees on oversize loads, or a $5,000 customs penalty. The guide below lists every permit, license, fee, and filing you need—plus how we at Three Movers (your move-management partner) line them up so your move rolls without a single citation.

Intrastate carriers must hold a Virginia DMV Household-Goods Carrier Certificate backed by a $50 000 surety bond, publish a tariff for trips beyond 30 road miles, and display the certificate number on every truck. Richmond, Virginia Beach, and Arlington each sell “no-parking” or right-of-way permits that reserve curb space, while the DMV’s Hauling-Permit desk uses SUPERLOAD to route anything taller than 13′ 6″ or heavier than 80 000 lbs. Cross the Potomac and you add a USDOT number, an HHG MC docket, IFTA decals, IRP plates, and Unified Carrier Registration; load a container in Portsmouth and you also need an FMC OTI license and a 10 + 2 Importer Security Filing. Fines range from $500 city tickets to $2 500 state misdemeanors, and an unpermitted oversize convoy can run 30 ¢ per mile in damage fees. The roadmap below walks through every clearance—local, state, federal, and international—so you and Three Movers can roll from the Blue Ridge to the Baltic with zero compliance hiccups.

11 Virginia’s Regulatory Backbone

1.1 Household-Goods Carrier Certificate (DMV)

Virginia treats movers that travel more than 30 road miles as “household-goods carriers.” They must hold a Certificate of Fitness issued by DMV’s Motor-Carrier Services, filed on Form OA 150 with a one-time $50 fee and a 30-day public-notice period. Each carrier also posts a $50,000 surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit for five years and keeps $750,000 public-liability plus $50,000 cargo insurance on file.

1.2 Tariff & Distance Rules

All intrastate moves beyond the 30-mile mark must follow a published tariff lodged with DMV 30 days before it becomes effective. Shorter hauls are tariff-exempt but still require the certificate.

1.3 Penalties

Operating—or even advertising—without a certificate is a Class 1 misdemeanor carrying fines up to $2,500 and 12 months jail. DMV investigators may also revoke registrations for repeat violations.

2 Local Street-Use & Parking Permits

City	Permit Name	Lead-Time	Typical Cost*	Key Rule
Richmond	Temporary Parking Permit	72 hrs notice	≈ $25 per sign/day	Must post city-issued “No Parking” signs
Virginia Beach	Right-of-Way Permit	10 business days	Fee depends on lane footage	Needed for any truck over 8′6″ W or 13′6″ H
Arlington Co.	Moving Van/Container Permit	≥ 5 days ahead	$40–$75 per 20′ space/day	Curbside only; no travel-lane blockage
Alexandria	Reserved Parking Permit	3 business days	$40 first sign + $25/additional	Max 5 spaces (100′)
Norfolk	Moving & Hauling Permit	Online 24/7	$50 base + lane fees	Requires traffic-control sketch

*May 2025 published rates; verify before filing.

3 State-Level Vehicle Clearances

3.1 Legal Dimensions & Hauling Permits

Virginia caps legal size at 8′ 6″ W × 13′ 6″ H × 40′ single/65′ combo and 80,000 lbs GVW dmv.virginia.gov. Anything larger needs a DMV Hauling Permit ordered through EZ Haul/SUPERLOAD:

Permit	Scope	Base Fee	Mileage Fee	Notes
Single Trip (legal weight)	One origin-to-destination move	$20 dmv.virginia.gov	—	—
Single Trip (overweight)	OS/OW	$20	30 ¢/mi dmv.virginia.gov	+ structure fees
Blanket (12 mo.)	Multiple moves	$100 dmv.virginia.gov	+ $40/yr if OW	Add $360/yr damage fee
Superload	> defined max	$30 dmv.virginia.gov	30 ¢/mi	Route engineering required

3.2 IFTA, IRP & UCR

Any power unit over 26,000 lbs crossing state lines must display an IFTA fuel-tax decal and file quarterly via VirginiaMCS. The same tractor needs IRP apportioned plates and an annual Unified Carrier Registration payment

4 Crossing State Lines

• USDOT Number – identifies safety and insurance record; biennial MCS-150 update is mandatory.
• HHG Operating Authority (MC docket) – $300 one-time fee per authority type FMCSA with proof of $750 k liability/cargo on Form OP-1.
• BOC-3 Process Agent Filing – blanket designation for all 50 states before authority activates.

Failure to maintain any of the above can earn an FMCSA out-of-service order at the next scale house.

5 Going Global from Hampton Roads

Requirement	Agency	Rule
Ocean Transportation Intermediary License	FMC	$1,304 e-file + $75k–$150k bond; required to book sea freight
Importer Security Filing (10 + 2)	CBP	10 shipper + 2 carrier data elements 24 hrs pre-load; $5,000 fine for late/incorrect
Indirect Air-Carrier Security Program	TSA	Renewal shifted from annual to once every 3 years (49 CFR 1548.7)

6 Special Endorsements & Facilities

• Hazardous-Materials CDL – required for propane grills, fuel cans, or other placarded goods; TSA background vetting applies (49 CFR 383).
• Public Warehouse Registration – storage-in-transit facilities must file bond with DMV under § 46.2-2155 dmv.virginia.gov.

7 Compliance Snapshot (May 2025)

Permit / License	Issuer	Renewal	Typical Fee
Household-Goods Certificate	VA DMV	Permanent + $10/vehicle/yr	$50 filing
$50k Surety Bond	Private	5 yrs	Market rate
Richmond Temp Parking	DPW	Per move	≈ $25/sign/day
VB Right-of-Way	VB Planning	Per move	Variable
Arlington Moving-Van Permit	Arlington DOT	Per move	$40–$75/space/day
Hauling Single Trip	DMV	Per trip	$20–$30 + 30 ¢/mi
Blanket Hauling (12 mo.)	DMV	Annual	$100 + OW surcharges
IFTA Decal	DMV	Annual + Q filing	$0 decal + tax
IRP Plate	DMV	Annual	Mileage-based
USDOT Number	FMCSA	Biennial update	$0
HHG MC Authority	FMCSA	One-time	$300
FMC OTI License	FMC	3-year	$1,304 + bond
TSA IAC Listing	TSA	3-year	Variable

How Three Movers Keeps You Compliant

1. Carrier Vetting – We only contract carriers whose certificates, bonds, and insurance are live in DMV and FMCSA databases—no guesswork.
2. Curb-Space Concierge – Our permit desk files Richmond, Virginia Beach, Arlington, Alexandria, or Norfolk applications the same day you lock dates, posts signage, and monitors enforcement so your driver never hunts for legal curb space.
3. EZ Haul Routing – Oversize wardrobe? We run real-time SUPERLOAD simulations, pay mileage surcharges, and arrange pilot cars before the truck leaves the driveway.
4. Borderless Paper Trail – From IFTA log uploads to ISF transmissions and TSA manifests, we close every federal loop—so scale masters and customs officers wave the load through.

Because Three Movers coordinates licensed professionals—rather than putting our own trucks on the road—you get one point of contact and zero paperwork headaches.

Bottom Line

Virginia’s permit matrix is designed to protect roads, neighborhoods, and your belongings—but it can feel like regulatory quicksand. Fines and downtime mount fast when even a “minor” document is missing. Partner with Three Movers and every certificate, bond, decal, and tariff line arrives stamped “approved,” leaving you free to focus on new neighborhoods and new horizons while we shoulder the compliance load from the Blue Ridge to the seven seas.

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Key References

1. VA DMV Household-Goods Carrier requirements- dmv.virginia.gov
2. Code of Virginia § 46.2-2149 & 2150 (household-goods distance rule & certificate)- Virginia Law
3. DMV intrastate notice procedures- dmv.virginia.gov
4. Surety-bond rule- dmv.virginia.gov
5. Hauling permit definition & fee schedule- dmv.virginia.gov
6. Annual overweight-permit statute § 46.2-1140.1- Virginia Law
7. Richmond temporary parking permit guidance- Richmond
8. Virginia Beach Moving & Hauling portal- City of Virginia Beach
9. Arlington County Moving-Van/Container Permit- Arlington County
10. IFTA rules- dmv.virginia.gov
11. IRP Full Reciprocity Plan- dmv.virginia.gov
12. UCR online-filing notice- dmv.virginia.gov
13. FMCSA Protect-Your-Move resources (USDOT/MC/BOC-3)- FMCSA
14. FMC fee schedule for OTI licenses
15. TSA cargo program & IAC renewal rule- TSAeCFRFederal Register