Florida Household Moving Services Performance Bond: Requirements, Cost, and Online Application
Florida moving brokers must maintain a $50,000 Household Moving Services Performance Bond or a $50,000 Florida certificate of deposit as a condition of registration with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. An intrastate mover operating two or fewer vehicles may also use the $50,000 bond or certificate of deposit as an alternative to the liability insurance required for loss or damage to household goods. The bond protects consumers from certain losses caused by violations of Florida’s household moving laws.
Apply Online for Your Florida Household Moving Services Performance Bond
What Is a Florida Household Moving Services Performance Bond?
The Florida Household Moving Services Performance Bond is a financial guarantee required or permitted under Chapter 507 of the Florida Statutes. It helps protect consumers who use Florida intrastate movers and moving brokers.
The three parties to the bond are:
- Principal: The registered moving broker or qualifying intrastate mover purchasing the bond.
- Obligee: The State of Florida, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, or FDACS.
- Surety: The authorized surety company issuing the bond and financially guaranteeing the principal’s statutory obligations.
FDACS is designated as the obligee and sole beneficiary of the bond. However, the bond is maintained for the use and benefit of consumers who suffer qualifying losses because of the bonded mover’s or moving broker’s conduct.
This is not a construction performance bond. It is a commercial license and registration bond specifically connected to Florida household moving services.
Who Needs This Bond in Florida?
Florida law requires anyone operating as an intrastate mover of household goods or moving broker to register with FDACS before conducting business. Chapter 507 generally applies when the household move originates and ends within Florida. Interstate moves may also be subject to separate federal requirements.
The $50,000 bond requirement applies differently depending on the applicant’s business activity.
Florida moving brokers
A Florida moving broker must maintain one of the following:
- A $50,000 Household Moving Services Performance Bond issued by a surety authorized to conduct business in Florida; or
- A $50,000 certificate of deposit held by a Florida banking institution.
The bond or certificate of deposit is mandatory alternative financial security for a moving broker. A broker cannot replace this requirement merely by purchasing ordinary commercial liability insurance.
Intrastate movers operating two or fewer vehicles
A mover operating two or fewer vehicles may choose the $50,000 bond or certificate of deposit instead of maintaining the statutory liability insurance covering loss or damage to household goods.
This means the bond is an optional alternative for these smaller movers—it is not automatically required if the mover maintains the required liability insurance.
Movers operating more than two vehicles
The performance bond is not identified in Section 507.04 as a substitute for the household-goods liability insurance requirement for movers operating more than two vehicles. Those movers must maintain the applicable insurance required under Florida law.
All movers must also maintain motor vehicle liability insurance in the amounts required by Section 507.04. Purchasing the Household Moving Services Performance Bond does not replace the separate motor vehicle insurance requirement.
Florida Household Moving Services Performance Bond Amount
The current statutory bond amount is $50,000 .
| Applicant typeRequired bond amountHow the requirement appliesAuthority | |||
| Florida moving broker | $50,000 | Bond or $50,000 Florida certificate of deposit required | Fla. Stat. § 507.04(1)(c) |
| Mover operating two or fewer vehicles | $50,000 | Optional alternative to the household-goods liability insurance required by § 507.04(1)(a) | Fla. Stat. § 507.04(1)(b) |
| Mover operating more than two vehicles | Not available as the statutory insurance alternative | Must satisfy the applicable liability insurance requirements | Fla. Stat. § 507.04(1)(a)–(b) |
Florida changed the required financial security from $25,000 to $50,000 through Chapter 2024-47, Laws of Florida. The change became effective July 1, 2024. Applicants should not rely on older bond pages, forms, or instructions that still show a $25,000 requirement.
The $50,000 bond amount is not the amount the applicant pays . It is the maximum aggregate penal sum available under the bond for covered claims. The applicant pays a bond premium determined by the surety.
Legal Authority and Licensing Agency
The primary legal authorities are:
- Florida Statutes § 507.03: Requires movers and moving brokers to register with FDACS and provide evidence of the required insurance or alternative financial security.
- Florida Statutes § 507.04: Establishes the $50,000 performance bond and certificate-of-deposit requirements.
- Florida Administrative Code Rule 5J-15.001: Governs registration and incorporates the current mover and moving-broker registration applications.
- FDACS Household Moving Services Performance Bond form: Provides the required bond language, execution provisions, cancellation notice and filing address.
The obligee is:
State of Florida
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Division of Consumer Services
Florida technically uses a registration system for movers and moving brokers. Although the bond may be described online as a Florida moving company “license bond,” applicants should use the legal business name and registration classification appearing in their FDACS records.
What Does the Bond Cover?
The bond may provide a source of recovery for consumers injured by a bonded mover’s or moving broker’s:
- Fraud;
- Misrepresentation;
- Breach of contract;
- Misfeasance;
- Malfeasance;
- Financial failure; or
- Violation of Chapter 507, Florida Statutes.
The bond therefore supports compliance with Florida’s consumer-protection requirements for intrastate household moves. It does not guarantee that every dispute, service complaint or damaged-item claim will automatically be paid. Coverage depends on the facts, Chapter 507, the official bond form and the FDACS administrative claims process.
Liability for a consumer’s injury may be determined through an FDACS administrative proceeding or through a civil action in a court with jurisdiction. However, payment from the bond may be made only by order of FDACS in an administrative proceeding.
The bond is subject to successive claims, but the surety’s total aggregate liability cannot exceed $50,000 . Multiple claims do not create a new $50,000 limit for each consumer.
How Much Does a Florida Household Moving Services Performance Bond Cost?
The bond amount and bond premium are different:
- Bond amount: The $50,000 financial guarantee required by Florida law.
- Bond premium: The price paid to the surety company to issue and maintain the bond.
The applicant does not pay or deposit the full $50,000 when purchasing a surety bond. The exact premium depends on the surety’s underwriting requirements and may be affected by:
- Personal and business credit;
- Financial strength;
- Business experience;
- Prior bond claims;
- Ownership structure;
- The applicant’s moving or brokerage operations;
- The requested effective date; and
- The surety’s required indemnity agreement.
The annual bond premium is typically between 1-2% for qualifyin applicants.
Applicants should also remember that the bond premium is separate from the FDACS registration fee. FDACS currently describes the registration as a two-year registration with a $600 application or renewal fee.
How to Get a Florida Household Moving Services Performance Bond
1. Confirm that the bond applies to your operation
Determine whether you are registering as a moving broker or as an intrastate mover. Movers should confirm the number of vehicles operated and whether they will use the bond instead of the household-goods liability insurance option.
2. Complete the secure online application
Provide the legal business name, ownership information, business address, requested effective date and other underwriting information.
Start the Florida Moving Services Bond Application
3. Receive approval and pricing
A1SuretyBonds.com will review the application and obtain the available bond terms from an authorized surety market.
4. Purchase the bond
After accepting the quote, pay the required premium and complete any required indemnity documents.
5. Review and execute the official bond form
The principal’s name should match the legal business name used for the FDACS registration. The current form includes signature, witness, title and seal fields for the principal and surety, along with local-agent information. The form does not display a separate notary acknowledgment block.
6. File the original bond with FDACS
Florida law expressly requires the original bond to be filed with the department. Retain a copy for the business’s compliance records.
Apply Online for Your Florida Household Moving Services Performance Bond
Filing and Renewal Requirements
The current FDACS bond form directs applicants to return the completed bond to:
FDACS
Terry Lee Rhodes Building
2005 Apalachee Parkway
Tallahassee, FL 32399-6700
Although FDACS provides an online Division of Consumer Services Licensing Portal for intrastate movers and moving brokers, Section 507.04 states that the original bond must be filed with the department. Applicants should not assume that uploading a PDF alone satisfies the original-bond requirement unless FDACS provides different instructions for the particular registration transaction.
Florida mover and moving-broker registrations are renewed biennially. The bond itself is written as a continuous obligation that remains in force until canceled, rather than as a bond that automatically expires at the end of the two-year registration period.
Under the current official bond form, the surety may cancel the bond by providing 30 days’ written notice to FDACS. The surety remains responsible for defaults occurring before the 30-day cancellation period expires.
Failure to maintain the required bond, certificate of deposit or insurance can result in immediate suspension of the mover’s or moving broker’s registration. The business must then cease operating. FDACS may also seek an injunction, court costs and a civil penalty of up to $5,000.
Why Apply Through A1SuretyBonds.com?
A1SuretyBonds.com helps Florida movers and moving brokers navigate the bond application and issuance process by providing:
- A secure online application;
- Access to surety bond markets;
- Assistance selecting the correct Florida bond requirement;
- Review of the principal and obligee information;
- Help obtaining the required executed bond form;
- Experience with license, permit and registration bonds; and
- Practical support before the bond is filed with FDACS.
Submitting an application does not guarantee approval or a particular premium. It provides the information needed to determine available terms for the applicant’s business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who must obtain a Florida Household Moving Services Performance Bond?
Every Florida moving broker must maintain either a $50,000 performance bond or a $50,000 Florida certificate of deposit. A mover operating two or fewer vehicles may choose the same bond or certificate of deposit instead of the statutory household-goods liability insurance.
What is the current Florida moving-services bond amount?
The current bond amount is $50,000 . The former $25,000 requirement was increased effective July 1, 2024.
Do all Florida moving companies have to purchase this bond?
No. For movers operating two or fewer vehicles, the bond is an alternative to the required household-goods liability insurance. Moving brokers, however, must maintain the bond or an equivalent $50,000 Florida certificate of deposit.
Does the bond replace commercial auto insurance?
No. Movers must separately maintain the motor vehicle insurance required by Florida law. The performance bond does not replace commercial auto liability coverage.
How much does the bond cost?
The premium depends on underwriting factors such as credit, financial condition, business history and prior claims. The $50,000 amount is the bond’s financial limit, not the premium paid by the applicant.
Where is the bond filed?
The original completed bond is filed with FDACS. The current form directs filings to the Terry Lee Rhodes Building at 2005 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-6700.
How long does the bond remain active?
The official bond form states that the bond continues in force until canceled. Florida registrations are generally renewed every two years, but the bond is written as a continuous obligation.
What happens if the bond is canceled?
The official bond form permits cancellation after 30 days’ written notice to FDACS. If the business does not replace the required security, FDACS may immediately suspend its registration and require it to stop operating.
Can I apply online?
Yes. Applicants can submit the secure A1SuretyBonds.com application online. After issuance, the original executed bond must be filed according to FDACS requirements.
Apply for Your Florida Household Moving Services Performance Bond Online
Florida moving brokers and qualifying intrastate movers can begin the bonding process by completing the secure online application. Make sure the business name and registration classification match the information being submitted to FDACS.
Apply Online for Your $50,000 Florida Household Moving Services Performance Bond
For assistance, contact A1SuretyBonds.com at 800-737-4880 or info@a1suretybonds.com .