Title BPC — California Bus. & Prof. Code

This chapter may be cited as the “Household Movers Act.”

For purposes of this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the following provisions shall apply: (a) “Broker” means a person engaged by others in the act of arranging, for compensation, the intrastate transportation of used household goods by a motor vehicle over the hi…

In construing and enforcing the provisions of this chapter relating to citations and discipline, the act, omission, or failure of any officer, agent, or employee of any person or corporation, acting within the scope of his or her official duties or employment, is the act, omissio…

Every power granted to or duty imposed upon the director under this chapter may be exercised or performed in the name of the director by a deputy or assistant director or by the chief, subject to conditions and limitations that the director may prescribe.

The regulation of the transportation of used household goods and personal effects in a motor vehicle or motor vehicles over any public highway in this state shall be exclusively as provided in this chapter. Any provision of the Public Utilities Code in conflict with the provision…

The transportation of used household goods and personal effects in any truck or trailer for compensation over any public highway in this state is a highly specialized type of truck transportation. This chapter is enacted for the limited purpose of providing necessary regulation f…

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, and until the time the director adopts regulations implementing this chapter, powers granted to, or duties imposed on, the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to the former Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 5101) of Division 2 of the Public Ut…

(a) Moneys in the fund shall be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, by the bureau for the administration of this chapter. (b) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, all moneys, including fines or penalties imposed under this chapter, collected pursuant to this cha…

(a) The use of the public highways for the transportation of used household goods and personal effects for compensation is a business affected with a public interest. It is the purpose of this chapter to do all of the following: (1) Preserve for the public the full benefit and us…

(a) All moneys in the Household Movers Fund shall be transferred to the Household Goods and Services Fund by July 1, 2026. On July 1, 2026, the Household Movers Fund shall be abolished. (b) This section shall remain in effect only until December 31, 2026, and as of that date is r…

This chapter shall not be construed as a regulation of commerce with foreign nations or among the several states, except insofar as those regulations are not prohibited under the provisions of the United States Constitution and the acts of the Congress of the United States.

The director, in accordance with the State Civil Service Act and Section 159.5, may appoint and fix the compensation of clerical, inspection, investigation, and auditing personnel, as well as a deputy chief, as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter. All suc…

Protection of the public shall be the highest priority for the bureau in exercising its licensing, regulatory, and disciplinary functions under this chapter. Whenever the protection of the public is inconsistent with other interests sought to be promoted, the protection of the pu…

A household mover shall not engage in the business of transportation of used household goods and personal effects for compensation by motor vehicle over any public highway in this state, except in accordance with the provisions of this chapter, which is enacted under the power of…

(a) Each household mover shall display on each vehicle operated by it an identification symbol in the form and in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the bureau. The identifying symbols displayed by household movers subject to the Interstate Commerce Commission Or…

(a) A household mover shall not engage, or attempt to engage, in the business of the transportation of used household goods and personal effects by motor vehicle over any public highway in this state, including by any means or media, advertising, soliciting, offering, arranging a…

(a) To obtain an original permit, an applicant shall submit to the bureau an application in writing, on a form containing information prescribed by the bureau, which is verified under oath, and accompanied by proof of service upon those interested parties, as required by the bure…

(a) Before a permit is issued, the bureau shall require the applicant to establish ability and reasonable financial responsibility to initiate the proposed operations. The bureau shall require the applicant to establish their knowledge and ability to engage in business as a house…

(a) Except as provided for in subdivision (b), every household mover, as a condition precedent to the issuance, reinstatement, reactivation, renewal, or continued maintenance of a permit, shall have on file with the bureau a current and valid Certificate of Workers’ Compensation …

(a) The bureau shall accept a certificate required by Section 19239.1 as of the effective date shown on the certificate, if the certificate is received by the bureau within 90 days after that date, and shall reinstate the permit to which the certificate pertains, if otherwise eli…

The bureau shall not issue or authorize the transfer of any permit under this chapter to any person or corporation against whom a final judgment has been entered and whose name has been transmitted to the bureau pursuant to Section 3716.4 of the Labor Code, unless that judgment h…

(a) The failure of a permitholder to obtain or maintain workers’ compensation insurance coverage, if required under this chapter, shall result in the suspension of the permit by operation of law in accordance with the provisions of this section, but this suspension shall not affe…

(a) Each original application for issuance of a permit under this chapter shall be accompanied by a fee of five hundred dollars ($500). The holder of a permit issued by the Public Utilities Commission pursuant to former Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 5101) of Division 2 of th…

(a) A household mover, under its permit, may also transport used office, store, and institution furniture and fixtures. The bureau shall not regulate the service, routes, or prices charged for the transportation of used office, store, and institution furniture and fixtures by a h…

The bureau shall establish rules and regulations governing the notification to shippers of any delay in the delivery of goods beyond the date agreed to by the household mover and the shipper, if any, at the time the service was undertaken. All household movers shall observe such …

(a) The bureau may establish rules for the performance of any service of the character furnished or supplied by household movers. Every household mover shall observe these rules. Failure to do so is unlawful. A violation of the chapter or the bureau’s rules may be grounds for dis…

It is unlawful for the owner of a household mover motor vehicle employing or otherwise directing the driver of the vehicle to permit the operation of the vehicle upon any public highway for compensation without first having obtained from the bureau a permit pursuant to this chapt…

(a) Except as provided in Section 19237, a household mover in compliance with this chapter has a carrier’s lien on used household goods and personal effects to secure payment of the amount specified in subdivision (b) for transportation and additional services ordered by the cons…

(a) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) “Consignor” means the person named in the bill of lading as the person from whom the household goods and personal effects have been received for shipment and that person’s agent. (2) “Consignee…

Every household mover shall add a prominent link to its Internet Web site that immediately directs all consumers to the bureau’s Internet Web site.

(a) The bureau, in granting permits pursuant to this chapter, shall require a household mover to procure, and continue in effect during the life of the permit, adequate protection against liability imposed by law upon the household mover for the payment of damages for personal bo…

The protection required under this article shall be evidenced by the deposit of any of the following with the bureau covering each vehicle used or to be used under the permit applied for: (a) A policy of insurance, issued by a company licensed to write such insurance in this stat…

With the consent of the bureau, a copy of an insurance policy, certified by the company issuing it to be a true copy of the original policy, or a photostatic copy of the policy, or an abstract of the provisions of the policy, or a certificate of insurance issued by the company is…

The protection against liability shall be continued in effect during the active life of the permit. The policy of insurance or surety bond shall not be cancelable on less than 30 days’ written notice to the bureau.

The bureau may establish such rules and regulations as are necessary to enforce this article.

(a) The bureau shall establish or approve maximum or minimum or maximum and minimum rates to be charged by household movers for the transportation of used household goods and personal effects and for accessorial service performed in connection with the transportation. (b) In esta…

A household mover shall not advertise, quote, or charge a rate or an amount for the transportation of used household goods and personal effects that is based on the amount of cubic feet or other volumetric unit measurement of those household goods and effects. In addition to any …

The bureau may establish procedures by which any household mover may charge or collect a greater rate than the maximum rate established under this chapter.

The bureau shall make any rules that are necessary to the application and enforcement of the rates established or approved pursuant to this chapter.

A household mover shall not directly or indirectly pay any commission to a shipper, consignee, or the employee thereof, or to the payer of the transportation charges, or refund, or remit to those persons, in any manner or by any device any portion of the rates or charges so speci…

No household mover, no officer or agent of a household mover, and no person acting for or employed by a household mover shall, by means of known false billing, classification, weight, weighing or report of weight, or by any other device, assist, suffer, or permit any corporation …

No person, no corporation, and no officer, agent, or employee of a corporation shall, by means of false billing, false or incorrect classification, false weight or weighing, false representation as to the content or substance of a package, or false report or statement of weight, …

No person, no corporation, and no officer, agent, or employee of a corporation, shall knowingly, directly or indirectly by any false statement or representation as to cost or value or the nature or extent of damage, or by the use of any false billing, bill of lading, receipt, vou…

(a) Each household mover maintaining an office or place of business within this state and offering intrastate service shall keep in that office or place of business all books, accounts, papers, and records required by the bureau to be kept within this state. Those books, accounts…

The bureau may require any household mover to file with it a true copy of any contract, agreement, or arrangement between the household mover and any other household mover in relation to any traffic affected by this chapter.

The bureau may prescribe the forms of any accounts, records, and memoranda, including those pertaining to the movement of traffic and the receipt or expenditure of money, to be kept by household movers, and the length of time the accounts, records, and memoranda shall be preserve…

If the bureau has prescribed the forms of accounts, records, and memoranda to be kept by a household mover for any of its business, it is unlawful for any household mover to keep any accounts, records, or memoranda for that business other than those so prescribed or those prescri…

The bureau and its authorized employees, representatives, and inspectors shall at all times have access to all lands, buildings, and equipment of household movers used in connection with the operation of their businesses as household movers in this state, and also all accounts, r…

The employees, representatives, and inspectors of the bureau may inspect and examine any lands, buildings, equipment, accounts, books, records, and memoranda, including all documents, papers, and correspondence kept or required to be kept by household movers.

Sections 19258 to 19260.3, inclusive, shall, to the extent deemed necessary by the bureau, apply to persons having control, direct or indirect, over or persons affiliated with any household mover.