Moving Insurance: Full Value Protection vs. 60 Cents a Pound

When people shop for “moving insurance,” what they are usually looking at is not insurance at all. On an interstate move it is valuation — the level of liability the mover itself takes on for your belongings — and which level is recorded on your paperwork decides whether a destroyed $1,500 television is worth $1,500 to your claim or $15.

This page explains the two valuation options the federal rules set up, the written waiver that switches between them, and where actual insurance fits. It is general information, not legal advice, and it does not analyze your specific move — if real money is at stake, consider talking with a licensed attorney in your state.

Valuation is the mover’s liability, not an insurance policy

Under the federal liability statute, an interstate household-goods carrier is liable for loss of or damage to the property it transports — and for household goods, the default measure of that liability is replacement value, unless the shipper waives it in writing.^[1] The official “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move” document that accompanies the regulations describes the same two options in consumer terms.^[2]

Because this is the mover’s own liability, there is no third-party insurer involved. Separate third-party insurance exists and can be purchased on top, but it is a different product with its own terms — the regulations treat it as a distinct, optional purchase.^[2]

Option 1: Full Value Protection — the default

Full Value Protection (FVP) is the liability level you receive unless you waive it in writing.^[2] Under FVP, if an article is lost, destroyed, or damaged in the mover’s custody, the mover must, at its option, repair the article, replace it with an article of like kind and quality, or pay the cost of the repair or replacement.

Two practical numbers travel with FVP:

• The $6.00-per-pound minimum valuation. The minimum valuation level for determining the cost of Full Value Protection is $6.00 per pound times the weight of the shipment.^[2] A 7,000-pound shipment is therefore valued at no less than $42,000 for FVP purposes. Movers charge for FVP, and the charge scales with that valuation.
• “Articles of extraordinary value.” Items valued at more than $100 per pound — jewelry is the classic example — generally must be specifically listed on the shipping documents to be fully covered.^[3]

Option 2: Released Value — the 60-cents-a-pound floor

The alternative is Released Value Protection. It costs nothing — and it caps the mover’s liability at 60 cents per pound, per article.^[2] The weight of the item, not its value, sets the recovery: a 25-pound television is worth $15 under this option, whatever it cost.

The statute is explicit about how a move ends up here: released rates do not apply unless the shipper waives full value liability in writing.^[1]

Why this matters before, not after

The valuation option on the bill of lading sets the ceiling on any later loss-and-damage claim — the claim process itself, including the 9-month minimum filing window, is covered in how a damage claim works. A claim cannot recover more than the liability level that was in force, which is why the cheapest option at booking can become the most expensive option at delivery.

If you are looking at a claim now, the deadlines are concrete: at least 9 months from delivery to file, and at least 2 years to sue after a written denial.^[1] The Claim Deadline Checker turns your delivery date into those dates.

Scope notes

Everything above is the interstate framework — a move that stays inside one state runs on that state’s rules instead (see interstate vs. intrastate).

Last reviewed: June 9, 2026