China

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

Business Registration Required

Yes

Yes — Registration with the local Administration for Market Regulation (AMR), with a business scope (经营范围) that explicitly includes road goods transport, moving transport, or a closely related category. Business registration alone does not confer the right to operate as a road transport carrier — the two are separate requirements.

Road Transport Business License Required

Yes

Yes — Any company operating goods vehicles for household moving needs a Road Transport Business License.

Explicit Coverage of Moving Services

Yes

Yes — “搬家运输” (moving transport) is explicitly named as one of the licensed categories under the Road Transport Business License framework, alongside general freight, specialized transport, and others — comparable to how France names “déménagement” as its own category.

Where the License Is Obtained

Locally, but by national standard — Issued by the county or city-level transport authority where the company’s business is registered, applying a nationally uniform legal standard set by the Ministry of Transport, rather than varying substantively province to province.

Driver Qualification Required

Yes

Yes — Drivers need a Road Transport Practitioner Qualification Certificate (道路运输从业资格证), obtained by examination through the local transport authority, in addition to an appropriate driving licence.

Safety Management System Required

Yes

Yes — Licensed operators must maintain a documented safety management system, covering safety responsibility, operating procedures, supervision and inspection, and driver/vehicle safety management.

GPS/Satellite Monitoring for Larger Fleets

Yes, above a fleet-size threshold — Operators with 50 or more heavy trucks (12 tonnes or above) or tractor units must build or subscribe to a satellite-positioning monitoring platform for their fleet, with dedicated monitoring staff.

License Validity & Renewal

4 years — The Road Transport Business License has a legal validity of 4 years; renewal must be initiated 30–90 days before expiry, and licensed operators and their vehicles undergo an annual review (年审) covering vehicle inspection, personnel qualification, and safety-system compliance.

Consumer Contract Rules

Yes, general rather than moving-specific — A moving contract is treated as a category of freight/cargo transport contract (货运合同) under the Civil Code (民法典). The Consumer Rights Protection Law provides general consumer protections, and Civil Code Article 497 addresses unfair standard-form contract terms specifically — relevant given how often moving-contract disputes involve exactly this kind of clause.

Industry Association

None dedicated — There is no national Chinese moving-industry trade association comparable to AMÖ, BAR, or the Chambre Syndicale du Déménagement. Consumer complaints and mediation run through the China Consumers Association (中国消费者协会), the 12315 hotline, and local market regulation bureaus, rather than an industry self-regulatory body.

OverviewOverview & Scope

China does not license movers province-by-province — the underlying legal standard for the Road Transport Business License is set nationally by the Ministry of Transport, though the licence itself is issued and administered locally, by the transport authority where the company’s business registration sits. A moving company must first register with the local AMR, with a business scope that explicitly covers road goods transport or moving transport, and then separately obtain the Road Transport Business License — vehicle technical standards, driver qualification, a safety management system, and — for larger fleets — satellite monitoring. On the consumer side, moving contracts are treated as a form of freight transport contract under the Civil Code rather than having a dedicated statute, with general consumer protection law and unfair-contract-terms provisions doing the work that a moving-specific statute does in Germany.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Movers must:

1. Register the business with the local AMR, ensuring the registered business scope explicitly includes road goods transport, moving transport, or a closely related category.
2. Apply for the Road Transport Business License through the local (county/city-level) transport authority, meeting the national vehicle, personnel, and safety-management-system requirements.
3. Ensure drivers hold a Road Transport Practitioner Qualification Certificate, obtained by examination, in addition to an appropriate driving licence.
4. Maintain a documented safety management system, covering safety responsibility, operating procedures, and supervision.
5. Build or subscribe to a satellite-positioning monitoring platform, with dedicated monitoring staff, if operating 50 or more heavy trucks (12 tonnes or above).
6. Renew the Road Transport Business License before its 4-year term expires, initiating renewal 30–90 days ahead, and complete the required annual review.
7. Provide moving contracts that comply with Civil Code and Consumer Rights Protection Law requirements, particularly around clear disclosure of pricing, liability, and cancellation terms, given how often disputes in this industry involve unfair standard-form clauses.
8. Retain business registration, transport licence, driver qualification, and safety/monitoring records as required for renewal, annual review, and regulatory inspection.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

• AMR business registration completed, with correct business scopeRequired
• Road Transport Business License heldRequired
• Driver Road Transport Practitioner Qualification Certificate heldRequired
• Documented safety management system in placeRequired
• Satellite monitoring platform in place, if operating 50+ heavy trucksRequiredwhere applicable
• Road Transport Business License renewed before 4-year expiryRequired
• Annual review (年审) completedRequired
• Moving contract terms compliant with Civil Code / Consumer Rights Protection LawRequired
• Business, licence, driver, and safety/monitoring records retainedRequired