When you move household goods between states, your mover is generally liable for loss or damage that happens while it is handling your shipment.

For covered interstate household-goods moves, federal law requires movers to offer two levels of liability:

  • Full Value Protection
  • Released Value

These are not insurance. They are contractual liability levels authorized under the federal household-goods framework.

Separate moving insurance is a different product issued under its own policy terms.

The short version

Full Value Protection

  • Applies unless you waive it in writing and select Released Value.
  • Uses a repair/replacement-value framework.
  • The mover may repair, pay for repair, replace with an item of like kind and quality, or pay the cost of replacement, subject to applicable limits and terms.
  • Cost varies by mover. Check whether your estimate includes it or lists it separately.
  • Deductible options, if offered, can vary by mover.

Released Value

  • Costs no additional valuation charge beyond the transportation base rate.
  • FMCSA’s current consumer guidance describes it as $0.60 per pound per article.
  • Federal rules allow the released rate to be adjusted in some circumstances, so confirm the figure printed on your Bill of Lading.
  • Must be selected in writing.
  • Can result in very small recovery for expensive, lightweight items.

Separate moving insurance

  • Is different from both valuation options.
  • Has its own insurer, policy, premium, limits, exclusions, and claims process.
  • Under federal rules, an interstate mover or its employee/agent may sell or arrange separate liability insurance for the shipment only when the consumer selects Released Value.
  • Consumers may also obtain separate insurance independently from an insurer.

What valuation means

Valuation is about the mover’s legal liability for your household goods if they are lost or damaged during the covered transportation.

It is not the same thing as:

  • the mover’s business insurance;
  • federal insurance filings;
  • third-party moving insurance;
  • homeowner’s or renter’s insurance.

HGM uses valuation option to describe the liability level selected for the move.

Full Value Protection and Released Value are levels of mover liability, not insurance policies.

Full Value Protection

Full Value Protection is the default liability level for covered interstate household-goods moves unless you waive it in writing and select Released Value.

Under Full Value Protection, the mover may generally choose an allowed remedy such as:

  • repairing the item;
  • paying for repair;
  • replacing it with an item of like kind and quality;
  • paying the cost of that replacement.

Full Value Protection does not necessarily mean:

  • a brand-new item;
  • reimbursement of the original purchase price;
  • automatic payment of the full declared shipment value;
  • guaranteed payment of every claim;
  • liability for perishable, dangerous, or hazardous items included without the mover’s knowledge.

The actual result depends on the item, the claim, the valuation terms, the declared shipment value, the mover’s applicable tariff, and other lawful terms.

Declared shipment value

Under Full Value Protection, your shipment has a declared value.

That amount is generally the most the mover can owe for the entire shipment. It is not an amount you will automatically receive.

If you do not declare a higher value, federal rules set a minimum based on the higher of:

  • $6,000, or
  • $6.00 per pound of shipment weight.

Movers may adjust the per-pound figure under the federal framework, and a mover’s tariff can use higher amounts.

Check the figure printed on your own estimate and Bill of Lading.

If your belongings are worth more, you may declare a higher value, which can increase the valuation charge.

Example

If a shipment weighs 500 pounds:

500 × $6 = $3,000

Because the $6,000 minimum is higher, the minimum declared shipment value would be $6,000 under the unindexed federal framework.

If a shipment weighs 5,000 pounds:

5,000 × $6 = $30,000

That $30,000 is the most the mover could owe for the whole shipment under that declared-value framework. What you actually recover depends on what is lost or damaged and how each item is settled.

Full Value Protection cost and deductibles

Full Value Protection can involve an additional valuation charge.

The amount varies by mover.

A mover may also offer deductible options.

Ask for:

  • the declared shipment value;
  • the Full Value Protection charge;
  • any deductible;
  • high-value-item requirements;
  • applicable limitations or exclusions.

Get those terms in writing.

Released Value

Released Value is the lower-liability option.

It costs no additional valuation charge beyond the transportation base rate.

FMCSA’s current consumer guidance describes Released Value as $0.60 per pound per article.

Federal rules allow the released rate to be adjusted in some circumstances, so confirm the figure printed on your Bill of Lading.

You must select Released Value in writing. If you do not, Full Value Protection applies by default for covered interstate household-goods moves.

Example

A 10-pound item worth $1,000 is lost.

At $0.60 per pound per article:

10 × $0.60 = $6

Under Released Value, the most the mover would owe for that item under that rate is $6.

The item’s retail or market value does not control the Released Value calculation.

High-value items

For shipments released above the Released Value level, an item worth more than $100 per pound per article is an article of extraordinary value for this federal disclosure rule.

Examples can include:

  • jewelry;
  • artwork;
  • antiques;
  • collectibles;
  • silverware;
  • some electronics.

Before the move, list these items and their values in writing for the mover, and keep a copy.

If you do not notify the mover in writing about an item worth more than $100 per pound, the mover’s liability for that item may be limited to $100 per pound per article.

If you do notify the mover in writing, recovery for that item can go up to the value declared for it, but never beyond the declared value of the whole shipment.

This rule does not turn Released Value into $100-per-pound protection.

Example

A 5-pound laptop worth $1,500 is worth $300 per pound.

That exceeds the $100-per-pound threshold, so it should be disclosed in writing as a high-value item when the applicable valuation rules require it.

Separate moving insurance

Separate moving insurance is not the same thing as Full Value Protection or Released Value.

Under federal rules, an interstate mover, its employee, or its agent may sell or arrange separate liability insurance for your shipment only when you choose Released Value.

If the mover sells or arranges the insurance, it must provide the policy or other written evidence of coverage when you buy it, and the Bill of Lading must show the insurance and premium.

You may also buy separate insurance independently from an insurer.

Separate insurance can have its own:

  • insurer;
  • premium;
  • covered events;
  • limits;
  • deductible;
  • exclusions;
  • valuation method;
  • storage rules;
  • claims process.

The actual insurance policy controls what the insurer covers.

If you buy separate insurance, ask for:

  • the insurer’s name;
  • the actual policy or certificate;
  • covered events;
  • limits;
  • deductible;
  • exclusions;
  • claims instructions.

Do not assume separate insurance automatically covers every loss that the mover’s valuation does not.

Federal insurance filings are different

A mover’s federal insurance or financial-responsibility filings are not the same thing as the valuation option you select for your shipment.

BMC-34

A BMC-34 filing shows that the mover has filed the cargo insurance required by federal rules to support compensation obligations for loss or damage to household goods.

The federal minimum may be far below the declared value of a consumer’s shipment.

A BMC-34 filing is not the consumer’s Full Value Protection or Released Value election.

BMC-91 / BMC-91X

These filings relate to bodily injury and property-damage public liability, such as liability arising from a traffic accident.

They are not designed to pay for the household goods being transported.

BMC-84 / BMC-85

These are broker/freight-forwarder financial-security instruments, as applicable.

They are not consumer moving-insurance policies and are not Full Value Protection elections.

Federal filings show regulatory financial responsibility. They do not guarantee the outcome or amount of a particular consumer claim.

Terms that can vary by mover

Owner-packed items

The federal liability rules do not exclude owner-packed boxes as a category.

But a mover may dispute damage inside boxes you packed, and it can be harder to show:

  • how the item was packed;
  • its condition before the move;
  • when the damage occurred;
  • what caused it.

Document valuable or fragile items before packing and review the mover’s tariff and claims terms.

Pairs, sets, and collections

HGM has not found a federal rule that sets one universal standard for how movers handle damage to part of a pair, set, or collection.

Treatment may depend on:

  • the mover’s tariff;
  • the valuation terms;
  • the specific item;
  • the claim circumstances.

Do not assume one mover’s pairs-and-sets policy applies industry-wide.

Claims still have to be filed properly

Choosing Full Value Protection does not automatically create a valid claim.

For covered interstate carrier claims:

  • the carrier cannot require a filing period shorter than nine months;
  • the claim generally must be in writing;
  • it must identify the shipment;
  • it must assert carrier liability;
  • it must seek a specific or determinable dollar amount.

Damage notes on delivery paperwork are useful evidence, but they are not, by themselves, the formal written claim.

The carrier generally must:

  • acknowledge a proper claim within 30 days;
  • pay, decline, or make a firm settlement offer within 120 days;
  • provide a written status explanation if the claim remains unresolved;
  • continue written status updates at required intervals while the claim remains pending.

These timelines do not guarantee payment or settlement within 120 days.

The valuation election affects how liability may be calculated, but the consumer still must establish and file a valid claim.

Interstate vs. intrastate moves

The federal valuation framework described on this page applies to covered interstate household-goods moves.

Moves entirely within one state may be governed by different state rules.

Some moves that cross a state line can also fall outside these federal household-goods consumer rules, such as certain short moves within one commercial zone.

The federal consumer rules are also written around individual shippers arranging and paying for their own moves; employer-paid or other third-party-paid moves may operate under different contract terms.

Do not assume the same:

  • liability options;
  • dollar amounts;
  • terminology;
  • claim rules

apply to every intrastate, commercial-zone, employer-paid, container, freight-forwarder, or international move.

Brokers and valuation

Valuation is the liability of the motor carrier, or household-goods freight forwarder, responsible for the shipment.

If a broker booked your move, make sure the valuation election appears in the carrier’s shipment documents and Bill of Lading.

A broker’s sales or booking paperwork should not substitute for the carrier’s valuation election.

What to check before you sign

Before choosing a valuation option, make sure you can answer:

  1. Am I selecting Full Value Protection or Released Value?
  2. What declared shipment value is shown?
  3. What charge applies to Full Value Protection?
  4. Is there a deductible?
  5. Have I listed items worth more than $100 per pound in writing?
  6. What does the mover’s tariff or valuation statement say?
  7. Am I buying separate insurance?
  8. If separate insurance is involved, do I have the policy or certificate, and does the Bill of Lading show it and the premium where required?
  9. What claim deadline appears in my Bill of Lading?
  10. Where and how must I submit a claim?

Keep copies of:

  • the signed valuation election;
  • the declared shipment value;
  • any high-value declaration;
  • any separate insurance policy or certificate.

Check the valuation terms on your move

Already have an estimate or Bill of Lading?

Review:

  • valuation selection;
  • declared shipment value;
  • deductible;
  • high-value declaration;
  • separate insurance, if any;
  • claims terms.

If the paperwork identifies a mover HGM has researched, the mover profile may also explain that company’s published valuation terminology.

We don’t choose your mover. We give you better information to choose yours.

Related HGM resources:

Federal concepts referenced from 49 U.S.C. § 14706, 49 CFR Parts 370, 375 and 387, FMCSA consumer guidance, and the Surface Transportation Board’s released-rates framework.
Last reviewed: October 6, 2026.