Israel

At a glanceRequirements at a glance

Carrier Licence Required

Yes

Yes, where the mover operates its own trucks. Under the Transport Services Law, no one may provide a transport service, directly or through others, without a carrier licence, and the service must match the type and conditions of the licence. A “carrier” (“movil”) is whoever operates the transport service. The licence is issued by the Traffic Supervisor at the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety, through its Freight Division, and is issued for each commercial vehicle according to the vehicle type and the kind of cargo carried. Licences must be renewed before they expire.

Residency or Registration in Israel Required

Yes. The applicant must be an Israeli resident or, if it is a company, a company registered in Israel. No Israeli-ownership percentage was found in the carrier licensing rules.

Professional Competence and Safety Supervision Required

Yes, as conditions of the carrier licence. The requirements depend on fleet size. A carrier operating up to five vehicles must complete a carrier training course and work under the supervision of a certified traffic safety officer or a safety office approved by the Ministry. A carrier operating six or more vehicles must employ a certified professional transport manager and a certified traffic safety officer approved by the Ministry’s Safety Officers Division. The carrier must also have suitable premises, including parking for its commercial vehicles.

Good Repute

Partly. Available sources indicate there is no general good-repute test, but the Traffic Supervisor may refuse a licence, after a hearing, to an applicant convicted within the previous two years of an offence under the Transport Services Law or of certain listed offences. A licence may also be suspended or revoked after such a conviction or a serious breach of licence conditions.

Vehicle Registration and Driver Licensing Required

Yes, where the mover operates its own vehicles. Each truck is understood to need registration and licensing under the Traffic Ordinance (not yet checked separately). Drivers of heavy vehicles need a professional driving licence from the Ministry of Transport’s Licensing Division, which requires training, a practical test, a medical classification, and the applicant’s consent to a criminal and traffic record check.

Compulsory Motor Insurance Required

Yes, where the mover operates its own vehicles. Under the Motor Vehicle Insurance Ordinance, no one may use a motor vehicle without a valid policy. The compulsory policy covers liability for bodily injury caused by use of the vehicle, including under the Road Accident Victims Compensation Law. It does not cover damage to property or to the goods being carried.

Carrier Liability Rules

No removal-specific liability law was identified. Available sources indicate that, where the Transport Services Law applies, the carrier may carry goods only under a waybill (a written transport agreement between the customer and the carrier) or another document set by regulation. The waybill must state the scope of the carrier’s liability and of its insurance against loss or damage, and it may not contain a general exemption from liability. Available sources also indicate that, under the Standard Contracts Law, 5743-1982, a term in a standard-form contract that fully or partly relieves the supplier of liability it would otherwise bear is presumed unfair, and a court may cancel or change it.

Consumer Protection

Yes. The Consumer Protection Law, 5741-1981 is Israel’s general consumer protection law. It is enforced by the Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Authority, which can open enforcement cases and impose financial sanctions on businesses.

Consumer Complaint Resources (For Movers Not Vetted as ITMs)

Yes. The Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Authority accepts complaints about matters such as misleading information, overcharging, and failure to provide required documents, but it does not handle personal complaints or help consumers recover money. The Israel Consumer Council, a government company established under the Israel Consumer Council Law, 5768-2008, handles individual consumer complaints. Individuals may also file claims up to a capped amount in the Small Claims Court, without a lawyer, through the Israeli Judicial Authority.

Industry Association

None found. No dedicated Israeli household-moving trade association was identified in this research.

OverviewOverview & Scope

Israel regulates goods transport by truck at the operator level, through a carrier licence issued by the Traffic Supervisor at the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety under the Transport Services Law, 5757-1997. The law’s stated aims include safety in the operation of commercial vehicles and protection of consumers and the environment. The licence is issued for each commercial vehicle and attaches to whichever business operates the trucks. A mover that runs its own trucks needs it directly. Where a mover subcontracts the trucking, the carrier’s own licence covers the transport it performs, and the mover should use carriers that hold the licences that transport requires. The licence holder must be an Israeli resident or a company registered in Israel, and must meet training and safety-supervision conditions that increase once the fleet reaches six vehicles. Available sources indicate that each trip must be covered by a waybill that states the carrier’s liability and insurance and does not exclude liability across the board. Compulsory motor insurance covers bodily injury only, so the goods themselves are protected only by whatever liability and insurance the mover offers in its contract. Consumer complaints go to the Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Authority for enforcement, and to the Israel Consumer Council or the Small Claims Court for individual disputes.

RegistrationRegistration & Compliance Essentials

Company licensing (where the mover operates its own vehicles)

1. Hold a carrier licence from the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety for each commercial vehicle the mover operates to carry goods, matching the vehicle and cargo type, as an Israeli resident or a company registered in Israel (with the Registrar of Companies at the Israeli Corporations Authority), with suitable premises including parking for commercial vehicles, and renew it before it expires.
2. Meet the licence’s competence and safety conditions: for up to five vehicles, completion of a carrier training course and supervision by a certified traffic safety officer or approved safety office; for six or more vehicles, a certified professional transport manager and an employed certified traffic safety officer.

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

3. Keep compulsory motor insurance in force for each truck.
4. Ensure every driver holds the correct professional driving licence for the vehicle driven.

Subcontracted transport

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

Customer practices

6. Ensure contracts and consumer-facing practices comply with the Consumer Protection Law.

ChecklistCompliance checklist

Company licensing

• Carrier licence held for each truck the mover operates, current and matching the vehicle and cargo type (Israeli residence or Israeli company registration, suitable premises and parking)Where applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Carrier training course completed and supervision by a certified traffic safety officer or approved safety office in placeWhere applicable (mover operates its own fleet of up to five vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Certified professional transport manager and certified traffic safety officer employedWhere applicable (mover operates its own fleet of six or more 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)

• Compulsory motor insurance in force for every truckWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired
• Every driver holds the correct professional driving licenceWhere applicable (mover operates its own vehicles)Verified by DocumentRequired

Customer practices

• Contracts and practices comply with the Consumer Protection Law, 5741-1981Verified by AffirmationRequired