Area Moving Companies Fined Following Operation by New Jersey Attorney General

TRENTON, NJ - Moving companies from Bayonne, Jersey City and Hoboken were among the 23 unlicensed movers  issued Notices of Violation (“NOVs”) and assessed civil penalties totaling $125,000, as a result of Operation Safe Move, a State-led undercover operation targeting movers doing business without being licensed by the Division, as required by law, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Consumer Affairs (“Division”) announced.

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In a statement, Platkin announced that the covert civil enforcement investigation was conducted over a three-day period in June.

As part of the operation, Investigators with the Division’s Office of Consumer Protection (“OCP”) posed as consumers seeking to move their belongings from a storage unit in Monroe Township to another location within the state. The investigators identified numerous unlicensed movers advertising online and hired them for a “move.”

On June 12, 2024, the movers hired by the OCP investigators appeared at the Monroe location, expecting to find a storage unit full of items to load, and were instead met by a team of OCP investigators seeking verification of licensure. Also awaiting the movers were members of the New Jersey State Police (“NJSP”) Mobile Safe Freight Unit, who conducted motor vehicle safety inspections on their trucks.

Twenty-one of the movers, including AJS Moving Service in Bayonne, First Class Express Movers in Jersey City, and Tommy’s Moving in Hoboken were assessed $5,000 civil penalties for operating without licenses. Two companies—Tera Movers, LLC, of Newark and Piece of Cake Moving, of Queens, New York—were cited as second-time offenders and assessed enhanced civil penalties of $10,000 each.

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“Unlicensed movers can be a consumer’s worst nightmare,” said Attorney General Platkin. “These rogue operators are doing business outside regulatory oversight and often lack the necessary skills, experience, and insurance to protect the belongings entrusted to them. By proactively identifying and putting a stop to these businesses, we’re reducing the risk they pose to New Jersey residents.”

Under New Jersey’s laws and regulations, all intrastate movers—those performing residential moves that both begin and end in this state—must be licensed by the Division’s Regulated Business Unit. They are also required to observe statutes and regulations pertaining to the storage and transportation of household goods, including that they maintain cargo liability insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, and bodily injury and property damage insurance.

Movers also must provide the Division with proof of vehicle registration and insurance coverage and must include the mover’s license number on the outside of the vehicle, as required by State regulations. Movers also must provide a consumer with a written estimate of the costs of the move.

There are approximately 309 licensed public movers in New Jersey, officials said.

“New Jersey’s legal and regulatory requirements are in place to protect the consumers and their possessions,” said Cari Fais, Acting Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs.  “We urge residents to make sure they hire a mover from the pool of businesses licensed to provide services in compliance with those requirements.”

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