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Title 49, TransportationRelease 119-110

§14710 Enforcement of Federal Laws and Regulations with Respect to Transportation of Household Goods

Title 49 › SUBTITLE IV — INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION › PART B — MOTOR CARRIERS, WATER CARRIERS, BROKERS, AND FREIGHT FORWARDERS › CHAPTER 147 — ENFORCEMENT; INVESTIGATIONS; RIGHTS; REMEDIES › § 14710

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

States can enforce the consumer protection rules in this law that apply to people shipping household goods across state lines, as decided by the Secretary. If a carrier is fined in a state action, the fine must be paid to and kept by the State. Before starting such a civil case, the State must give written notice to the Secretary or the Board and include the complaint, or give the notice right away if prior notice isn’t possible. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration must run an outreach plan to improve coordination and enforcement of federal rules about household-goods moves between federal, state, and local law enforcement and consumer protection offices. “State authority” means a state agency that can regulate moves of household goods inside the State.

Full Legal Text

Title 49, §14710

Transportation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Enforcement by States.—
Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, a State authority may enforce the consumer protection provisions of this title that apply to individual shippers, as determined by the Secretary, and are related to the delivery and transportation of household goods in interstate commerce. Any fine or penalty imposed on a carrier in a proceeding under this subsection shall be paid, notwithstanding any other provision of law, to and retained by the State.
(b)Notice.—
The State shall serve written notice to the Secretary or the Board, as the case may be, of any civil action under subsection (a) prior to initiating such civil action. The notice shall include a copy of the complaint to be filed to initiate such civil action, except that if it is not feasible for the State to provide such prior notice, the State shall provide the notice immediately upon instituting such civil action.
(c)Enforcement Assistance Outreach Plan.—
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shall implement an outreach plan to enhance the coordination and effective enforcement of Federal laws and regulations with respect to transportation of household goods between and among Federal and State law enforcement and consumer protection authorities. The outreach shall include, as appropriate, local law enforcement and consumer protection authorities.
(d)State Authority Defined.—
In this section, the term “State authority” means an agency of a State that has authority under the laws of the State to regulate the intrastate movement of household goods.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2005—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–115, § 173(a), (e), temporarily substituted “a State authority other than the attorney general of the state may, as parens patriae,” for “a State authority may” in first sentence and inserted second sentence which read as follows: “Any civil action for injunctive relief to enjoin such delivery or transportation or to compel a person to pay a fine or penalty assessed under chapter 149 shall be brought in an appropriate district court of the United States.” See Termination Date of 2005 Amendment note below. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–115, § 173(b), (e), temporarily amended subsec. (b) to read as follows: “Exercise of

Enforcement

Authority.—The authority of this section shall be exercised subject to the requirements of section 14711(b)–(f) of this title.” See Termination Date of 2005 Amendment note below.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Termination Date of 2005 Amendment Pub. L. 109–115, div. A, title I, § 173(e), Nov. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2426, provided that: “The

Amendments

made by this section [amending this section and section 14711 of this title] shall cease to be in effect after
September 30, 2006.” Deemed References to Chapters 509 and 511 of Title 51General references to “this title” deemed to refer also to chapters 509 and 511 of Title 51, National and Commercial Space Programs, see section 4(d)(8) of Pub. L. 111–314, set out as a note under section 101 of this title. Working Group for Development of Practices and Procedures To Enhance Federal-State Relations Pub. L. 109–59, title IV, § 4213, Aug. 10, 2005, 119 Stat. 1759, as amended by Pub. L. 111–147, title IV, § 422(j), Mar. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 87; Pub. L. 111–322, title II, § 2202(j), Dec. 22, 2010, 124 Stat. 3525; Pub. L. 112–5, title II, § 202(j), Mar. 4, 2011, 125 Stat. 17; Pub. L. 112–30, title I, § 122(i), Sept. 16, 2011, 125 Stat. 349; Pub. L. 112–102, title II, § 202(i), Mar. 30, 2012, 126 Stat. 274; Pub. L. 112–140, title II, § 202(i),
June 29, 2012, 126 Stat. 395; Pub. L. 112–141, div. G, title II, § 112002(f),
July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 983, directed the Secretary of Transportation to establish a working group to enhance the Federal-State partnership with respect to interstate transportation of household goods to remain in effect until Sept. 30, 2012.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

49 U.S.C. § 14710

Title 49, Transportation

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110