How Florida regulates mobile home moves: licensing, how to look a mover up, USDOT rules and transport permits.
Researched from public sources, last checked March 14, 2026.
Florida regulates mobile-home work through installer licensing. We have no license on record specific to moving a mobile home. The primary regulator is FL Dept. of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles.
Last verified July 2026
A manufactured home moving through Florida travels under an FDOT over-dimension permit — a trip permit for a single move or a blanket permit for regular routes — issued by the FDOT State Permit Office through its Permit Application System. On top of the state permit, a separate local county permit is required for the move and setup.
Source: Florida DOT · State Permit Office
Florida requires an oversize/overweight permit for any load wider than 8 feet 6 inches (102 inches). A manufactured home is almost always wider than that, so in practice a permit is required for essentially every home move.
Source: Florida DOT · FLHSMV
Florida requires at least one escort vehicle for a home over 12 to 14 feet wide, along with four warning lights. Over 14 feet, two escorts are required. Above 15 feet, a State Police escort may be added. Homes up to 16 feet wide can be permitted through the online system; wider loads need special handling.
Source: Florida Admin. Code 14-26.012
Florida has the strictest wind-zone rules in the country: no part of the state is Wind Zone I. Most of Florida is HUD Wind Zone II, and 14 hurricane-exposed coastal and South Florida counties are the highest, Wind Zone III. A manufactured home must be built for the wind zone of the county where it's installed, so a home rated for a lower zone can't be placed in a higher one. There's no state seismic requirement.
Wind Zone III counties: Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Miami-Dade, Franklin, Gulf, Hendry, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Monroe, Palm Beach, Pinellas, Sarasota.
Source: FLHSMV · HUD 24 CFR 3280.305
A manufactured home in Florida is installed by an installer licensed through the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), using auger anchors and tie-downs. After a local inspection, the home receives a Certificate of Occupancy before it can be occupied. Homes built after June 15, 1976 must carry their HUD label.
Source: Florida Admin. Code 15C-1 / 15C-2
Because homes built before June 15, 1976 predate the HUD code, they're treated as the lowest wind zone — which in practice makes them very hard to place in Florida, where every county is Wind Zone II or III. Older homes also require a pre-move inspection. The effect comes from Florida's wind-zone siting rules combined with local inspection, rather than a single outright ban.
Source: Florida Admin. Code 15C-1 (wind-zone siting)
The transport permit belongs to the mover, who applies through the FDOT Permit Application System. FDOT permits cover state-jurisdiction roads; local roads fall under the county permit. As a concierge move, the licensed carrier handles the FDOT permit for you.
Source: Florida DOT · FAC 14-26
The setup permit is handled through the local building department, and the installer must hold a state license. Transport and installation are two separate licensed roles in Florida — the mover brings the home, and the licensed installer sets and certifies it at the site.
Source: Florida Statutes §320.8249
1 company in our records holds a Florida credential for mobile home work.
Browse mobile home movers in FloridaGet free, no-obligation quotes from licensed mobile home movers in your area. Compare prices and choose the best option for your move.
