Items movers will not move

What interstate movers typically won't take

Why moving companies exclude these items

Hazardous materials are federally regulated — interstate carriers can face real legal liability for transporting flammable, corrosive, or combustible items, so this isn't a company preference so much as a legal requirement. Perishables and plants are excluded largely for practical reasons (survival in a dark truck for days, and in the case of plants, some states' pest-prevention rules on crossing state lines). Valuables and documents are excluded because standard moving insurance doesn't meaningfully cover them if lost — see our guide on moving insurance.

What to do with excluded items

• Hazardous materials: use them up before the move, give them to a neighbor, or take them to a household hazardous waste collection event — check your city or county's schedule
• Perishables: plan meals to use up food in the weeks before moving, or donate unopened non-perishables to a local food bank
• Plants: transport valuable ones yourself in your car if the distance allows, or gift/sell ones you can't take
• Valuables and documents: keep with you at all times during the move, never in the truck
• Vehicles: drive it yourself, have a friend/family member drive it, or book a separate auto-transport service

Items that need special handling, not an outright ban

Some items aren't fully prohibited but require prior written notice, special preparation, or come with limited liability if something goes wrong in transit. United Van Lines lists batteries in personal mobility devices (like power wheelchairs), cordless power tools, empty and certified scuba tanks, unloaded firearms, clean fuel storage containers, and unopened alcoholic beverages in this middle category — movable with advance notice, but claims for damage to these items "may be denied" even if you prepared them properly. (Source: United Van Lines) Always confirm your specific mover's policy rather than assuming an item in this category is automatically fine.

Cross-country moves: outdoor items may need pest certification

On some long-distance moves — especially out of gypsy moth quarantine states in the Northeast and upper Midwest — outdoor items like firewood, patio furniture, and anything that's been stored outside may require a gypsy moth inspection certificate before a mover will load them, to prevent transporting pest eggs across state lines. (Source: MoveBuddha) Ask your mover early if this applies to your route, since getting items inspected and certified can take time you don't want to lose the week before moving day.

The federal disclosure rule behind the moving hazmat ban

The hazmat exclusion isn't just a mover policy — it's a specific legal obligation on you as the customer. The federal regulation governing interstate movers states plainly: "Federal law forbids you to ship hazardous materials in your household goods boxes or luggage without informing your mover." (Source: 49 CFR Part 375, Appendix A) If you do need to formally offer a hazardous material to a carrier for transport, you become a "hazardous materials shipper" under federal law and take on separate compliance obligations under 49 CFR Parts 171–173 — which is a large part of why movers simply refuse these items outright rather than handle the paperwork. It's also why hiding a propane tank in a box rather than disclosing it isn't just a mover-policy violation — it's the shipper's legal exposure, not only the mover's.

Frequently asked questions

Related resources

• All moving guides
• Moving insurance explained
• Moving box calculator