Interstate Moving: Compare Liability Before Choosing Released Value

For a U.S. interstate household move, compare the mover’s liability with what replacing your belongings would cost before choosing the cheaper option.

Weight is not replacement cost

FMCSA says Released Value has no additional charge but limits the mover’s responsibility to 60 cents per pound per article. Choosing it requires a specific signed statement; it is not full replacement protection.

Illustration: a lost television weighs 40 pounds and would cost $800 to replace. At $0.60 per pound, the released-value ceiling is $24, leaving $776 beyond that ceiling. This assumes a valid loss claim, not a guaranteed payment.

Full Value Protection instead allows repair, replacement with a similar item, or a cash settlement for repair or current-market replacement value. Do not assume it promises a brand-new upgrade.

Compare the written alternatives

The Surface Transportation Board says interstate movers must offer Full Value Protection without a deductible; they may also offer deductible options. Obtain the price and deductible for each quote.

Ask whether the mover requires a high-value declaration. Items worth more than $100 per pound belong on that form when required. Omitting them can limit recovery to $100 per pound per item even under Full Value Protection.

The mover’s Full Value Protection is not a separate private insurance policy. If considering insurance, compare that policy separately rather than assuming the mover’s option buys it.

Keep the valuation choice, quote, deductible and any required declaration together. Do not compare only the moving charge while leaving the potential loss payment unknown.

State rules may differ for moves entirely within one state. Checked October 24, 2026; educational comparison.