Honduras

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

Permiso de Explotación and Certificado de Operación Required

Yes

Yes, where the mover operates its own vehicles. Commercial public cargo transport requires both documents from IHTT: the Permiso de Explotación authorizes the provision of land transport service, and the Certificado de Operación is the document accrediting authorization to exploit that service. Where a mover subcontracts the transport, the carrier’s own permit covers the transport it performs, and the mover should use carriers that hold the licences that transport requires.

Applicant Eligibility

Available to an individual merchant (comerciante individual), a company constituted as a business entity (sociedad mercantil), or a cooperative, each with corresponding identification and tax registration (RTN) documentation.

Application Requirements

A formal application (which may require granting power of attorney to a legal professional to process it), corporate constitution documents, a certificate confirming no criminal record from the Judicial Branch, a tax solvency certificate from the Servicio de Administración de Renta (SAR), a certificate confirming no outstanding debts with the State from the Procuraduría General de la República, and current annual vehicle tax/inspection proof (Tasa Única Anual Vehicular).

Vehicle Age and Condition Requirements

Yes, where the mover operates its own vehicles. Vehicles proposed for the service must comply with age limits set under Article 23 of the Law on Land Transport, and pass a physical-mechanical inspection under Article 48.

Leased Vehicles

Yes, where applicable. If the vehicle owner differs from the certificate holder, a lease-with-purchase-option contract must be presented.

Fleet Expansion

Yes, where applicable. Adding vehicles to an existing Permiso de Explotación requires a separate application, with any incoming vehicle required to be less old and in better condition than the vehicle it replaces, where applicable.

Permit Validity

Confirmed at 12 years for the specialized cargo category; the equivalent figure for general cargo (the category relevant to household moving) was not confirmed in this research. Check the current validity period with IHTT.

Consumer Protection

Yes. The Ley de Protección al Consumidor (2008) is Honduras’s consumer protection statute, administered by the Dirección General de Protección al Consumidor within the Secretaría de Desarrollo Económico (SDE).

Consumer Complaint Resources (For Movers Not Vetted as ITMs)

Yes, accessible. Consumers can file complaints in person, by free national hotline (115), or through the online SOL-SDE platform, providing identification, supporting documentation (invoice or contract), and other required information. Recognized complaint categories explicitly include “Deficiencia en la Prestación del Servicio” (deficient service provision), directly applicable to moving-service complaints. The Directorate holds administrative sanction powers, including imposing fines.

Industry Association

None dedicated. No dedicated Honduran moving-industry trade association was identified in this research.

OverviewOverview & Scope

Honduras licenses commercial cargo transport through IHTT, requiring both a Permiso de Explotación and a Certificado de Operación for the “carga general” category relevant to household goods moving, distinct from the “carga especializada” category for hazardous or specially-handled goods. Applicants must provide corporate documentation, tax solvency and no-debt certifications, and vehicles must meet age and physical-mechanical inspection requirements. Fleet expansion requires separate approval, with a replacement-vehicle condition applying in some cases. These obligations attach to the company operating the vehicles: where a mover subcontracts road transport, the carrier’s own permit covers the transport it performs, and the mover should use carriers that hold it.

On the consumer side, Honduras has a well-documented, functional consumer protection system dating to 2008, with a free hotline, online complaint platform, and administrative sanction powers. There is no dedicated Honduran moving-industry trade association.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Company licensing (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

1. Hold a Permiso de Explotación and Certificado de Operación from IHTT under the general cargo (carga general) category, supported by corporate constitution, tax registration (RTN), criminal record, tax solvency, and no-outstanding-debt documentation.

Vehicles and drivers (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

2. Ensure vehicles comply with age limits and pass physical-mechanical inspection.
3. Provide a lease-with-purchase-option contract if the vehicle owner differs from the certificate holder.
4. Apply separately to IHTT when adding vehicles to the fleet.

Subcontracted transport

5. Where transport is subcontracted, use carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they perform.

Customer practices

6. Ensure consumer-facing practices comply with the Ley de Protección al Consumidor.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

Company licensing

• Permiso de Explotación and Certificado de Operación held from IHTT (general cargo category)Where applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired

Subcontracted transport

• Where transport is subcontracted, the mover uses carriers that hold the licences required for the transport they performWhere applicableVerified by AffirmationRequired

Vehicles and drivers (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

• Vehicle age limits (Art. 23) met and physical-mechanical inspection (Art. 48) passed for each vehicleWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Lease-with-purchase-option contract held for each vehicle whose owner differs from the certificate holderWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles not owned by the certificate holder)Verified by DocumentRequired
• IHTT approval obtained before adding vehicles to the Permiso de ExplotaciónWhere applicable (mover adds vehicles to its fleet)Verified by DocumentRequired

Customer practices

• Consumer-facing practices comply with the Ley de Protección al ConsumidorVerified by AffirmationRequired