Moving can be a stressful time, not only because of all the physical preparation involved but also because of the emotional toll it takes. To add to the melee, there are some cities that require moving permits in order to allow movers to park their trucks or cars legally in front of your new home for unloading.
These moving permits include “No Parking” signs that are placed temporarily in front of your new home in order to reserve a spot for you.
If you’re moving to a city that requires such permits, you’ll have to add the task of “Obtain temporary moving permit” to your to-do list. Fortunately, obtaining a moving permit is not actually hard, it’s just stressful. The site Moving Permits makes applying for permits easy; it allows you to apply for 1-day moving permits or more, handles all the paperwork for you, and sets up your “No parking” signs for you. Of course, if you prefer not to use the site, you can go to each city’s website and find a permit application or instructions there (link provided below).
Cities That Require or Recommends Temporary Moving Permits
Here are the 13 major cities in the US that require or is recommended that moving permits is obtained:
- Alexandria, VA
- Arlington, VA
- Boston, MA
- Brookline, MA
- Cambridge, MA
- Chicago, IL
- Hoboken, NJ
- Manhattan Beach, CA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Portland, OR
- San Francisco, CA
- Seattle, WA
- Washington D.C.
If you’re concerned that the city you’re moving to may require moving permits, you can check it out on Moving Permits or ask your movers. Unfortunately, it’s usually not up to the movers to get the permits; that’s on you.
What Happens If You Don’t Get a Moving Permit?
While moving permits cost money (the fee differs from city to city), it can end up costing you a lot more money if you don’t get one. Not to mention unwarranted stress and anxiety on the day of your move.
If you don’t have a moving permit, be prepared for any of the following consequences:
- The moving truck may not find parking in front of the building; the movers will then need to park far away and haul your belongings down the street to your new apartment. (And they will undoubtedly charge you extra, for both time and manpower.)
- The moving truck will be forced to double park and will then get a ticket. On top of that, it may even be forced to move, ending in the above scenario or in a worse scenario:
- The movers may simply refuse to move your things. If you’re moving long distance or from out-of-state, that can be disastrous.
Stay Calm, Plan Ahead
While some cities officially say that you only need to apply for a moving permit 2 business days ahead of your move, we say leave a lot more time. Applying a month or at least 2 weeks in advance is a good way to cross another task off your list and make sure you’re prepared when moving day comes.
Other ways to stay ahead of the game is to take advantage of the best apps for moving and create a moving timeline for yourself. Bear in mind that the timeline for a long-distance move will be different than the timeline for a local move. But the underlying principle is: When in doubt, leave plenty yourself plenty of extra time!
