Moving is never an easy process — it requires time, money, planning, and sometimes, a lot of courage. But in order to have a smooth moving experience, it’s important to prepare yourself and plan accordingly. In New York City, regulations exist, dictating what moving companies are not allowed to move.

What most people get wrong is that it doesn’t matter if you’re moving next door or going for a long-distance move, the level of preparation should always be at an all-time high despite the distance you’re traveling. At FlatRate, logistics and planning are the heart of our service, an essential part of our process, and the reason why we always guarantee high-quality moving services.

So where to start when you’re beginning to prepare for the big day? FlatRate highly recommends that you begin with the packing process: the earlier you make it a priority, the quicker and more efficiently you will have an idea of how small or large your inventory is. We know that packing and unpacking are both a big deal — essentially, they are the core of what moving is.

Keeping our customer’s moving needs and wants in mind, FlatRate offers a variety of packing services to ensure your inventory always has a safe arrival — using top-tier packing materials, specialized packing techniques, and a team of moving experts, we offer everything from long term storage packing, custom crating and local & long distance protection.

Planning & Preparing For Your Move

It’s important to keep in mind that despite the fact that planning is the key to a stress-free move, distance matters too as it plays an important role in the regulations movers have to follow when relocating your inventory. You might be city moving and just going down the block, or maybe you’re going for a cross-country move from NYC to Los Angeles — the rules and regulations are different in each situation and it is essential to research prior to your move day. For example, for inter-state and long-distance moves, your moving company is never allowed to transport your plants as they need a special license to move them more than 150 miles and agricultural regulations change from state to state.

Things a Moving Company in NYC is Never Allowed to Move

Because packing is such a crucial part of moving, it’s important to leave these things to the professionals: a lot of moving companies in New York offer complete packing services and FlatRate takes pride in knowing exactly how to handle your items — we’ve been doing this for decades and understand the importance of making sure your stuff is always protected. But despite our decade-long experience and high-quality packing skills, there are a few items that a moving company in NYC is never allowed to move, especially when moving long distances and internationally. Check out the list below so you can prepare yourself and strategize what to do with these items before the movers arrive:

  1. Firearms and ammunition
  2. Drugs and prescriptions
  3. Chemicals, lighter fluid, and propane cylinders
  4. Plants and fertilizer
  5. Pets
  6. Fireworks or any kind of explosives
  7. Paints and paint thinners
  8. Perishable food
  9. Nail polish and nail polish remover
  10. Matches

Other Items

In addition to this list, there are a few items that movers should never move despite them not being hazardous. When it comes to personal documents and valuable items, FlatRate recommends that customers keep those at all times and don’t expect professional movers to take care of them — moving companies don’t like to be responsible for documents and valuable items due to the inherent risk of loss or damage. After all, you know the value of your personal stuff and you should always be responsible for it.

passport moving company 1 What a Moving Company in NYC Isnt Allowed to Move

The loss of passports, and any medical, financial, school, and personal documents could be extremely hard to replicate or replace. In addition, sensitive electronics like laptops, phones, professional cameras, and collections of vinyl and CDs could be damaged by the extreme temperatures in the moving van. Here’s a list of what moving companies usually consider sentimental and personal items and recommend that movers never move:

  • Passports and IDs
  • Personal & medical records
  • Car keys and car documents
  • Cash, checks, and financial records
  • Cell phones
  • Laptops and computer disks
  • Insurance policies
  • IRAs, deeds, and tax records
  • Jewelry
  • Collections of DVDs, CDs, and vinyl
  • Cameras, photographs, and photo albums
  • Professional files and research projects
  • Stocks or bonds
  • Coin collections
  • Airline tickets

Now that you know the items that NYC moving companies should never move, you can start looking at your inventory differently: start separating the stuff that will be with you at all times, plan how to move the items that the movers can’t transport and get an idea of how many boxes you might need. FlatRate offers a variety of exclusive services as well as box delivery and we’re always one call away if you have any questions about your move.