Moving Cost in Iowa (2026)

Hiring movers in Iowa for a local 2-bedroom 50-mile household-goods move typically runs $450–$1,300, with fully-deregulated intrastate household-goods regime under the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) — Office of Motor Carrier Services. Iowa's combination of fully-deregulated intrastate household-goods regime (one of only 5 U.S. states alongside SC, KS, ND, SD with full deregulation), no Iowa state intrastate carrier permit required (federal MC + USDOT only), $17.94/hr BLS Laborers and Movers mean wage, Des Moines + Cedar Rapids + Iowa City + Davenport metro market concentration, voluntary blanket tariff regime (no mandatory state tariff), Iowa Attorney General Consumer Protection Division as primary HHG complaint authority, and central Midwestern location producing consistent inter-Midwest interstate pass-through volume.

State Iowa
Cities Covered 0
Typical local 2-bedroom 50-mile household-goods move $450 – $1,300
BLS Laborers and Movers wage $17.94/hr

Iowa intrastate regulator, tariff & valuation drivers

  • Intrastate regulator type: state Department of Transportation regulation
  • State regulator name: Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) — Office of Motor Carrier Services
  • Tariff filing requirement: Fully deregulated — no state tariff filing requirement (federal MC + USDOT only)
  • Valuation disclosure (FVP vs RVP): Federal FMCSA Carmack Amendment Released Value rule applies (no state supplement)
  • Intrastate license requirement: No state intrastate license — federal FMCSA MC + USDOT number sufficient
  • Overall regulation intensity: Fully deregulated — no state intrastate carrier permit or tariff requirement
  • Typical mover hourly labor rate (BLS SOC 53-7062 mean): $17.94/hr

Iowa mover licensing & permits

  • License status: Statewide license required
  • License board: Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) — Office of Motor Carrier Services (official site)
  • Permit: Iowa is one of the FULLY-DEREGULATED intrastate household-goods states — no Iowa intrastate carrier license required, federal FMCSA MC + USDOT number sufficient for in-state moves; minimum federal liability + cargo coverage; Iowa Attorney General Consumer Protection Division HHG complaint authority

How household-goods moving costs vary in Iowa

State-specific code or insurance rule: Iowa is one of only 5 U.S. states (alongside SC 1999 deregulation, KS, ND, SD) that have fully DEREGULATED intrastate household-goods moving — Iowa intrastate moves require only the federal FMCSA Operating Authority MC number and USDOT number with no state-specific intrastate carrier permit, no state tariff filing requirement, and no state-mandated FVP-vs-RVP disclosure beyond the federal Carmack Amendment baseline — making Iowa one of the most market-rate-driven intrastate moving markets in the country, and HHG consumer protection enforcement falls entirely to Iowa Office of Attorney General Consumer Protection Division under the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act.

Cities in Iowa

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