Guide · updated Nov 10, 2026

Permits and tax clearance for a mobile home move

The state-by-state list, with official oversize-permit offices and the tax or title steps we could confirm, is on the permits and tax clearance hub. This page is about how that paperwork shows up in a quote, and a few official examples we have already written up. It is a summary of those sources, not legal advice.

Ask what the quote includes

A low bid that leaves permits out is not cheaper if you have to buy them later, or if the truck cannot roll until the paperwork is done. In the written quote, ask:

• Who applies for the state oversize (and overweight, if needed) permit, and whether that fee is in the price.
• Whether escort or pilot vehicles are required on your route, and whether they are included. HomeGuide's escort range is on the cost-factors guide and the cost page.
• Whether a used home needs a tax clearance, county moving permit or decal before it can leave, and whether that is your job or theirs.
• If the route crosses a state line, whether the carrier's FMCSA census operation type is Interstate, and whether they will confirm permits for each state on the route.

We do not say how many days a typical permit takes. That wait depends on the state, the season and the load, and we have not published a source for a nationwide average.

Examples of tax or moving-permit steps we have already checked

These are the same official rules we cite on the older-or-used-home guide and on the matching state pages. They are examples, not a complete national list:

• Arizona. A used home cannot get an oversize moving permit until the county assessor issues a Form 504 tax clearance showing ad valorem taxes are paid, good for no more than 30 days (Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 28-1104).
• Colorado. The county treasurer issues an authentication of paid ad valorem taxes and an orange transportable manufactured home permit before a used home may move, and state-highway moves also need a CDOT permit (Colo. Rev. Stat. § 42-4-510).
• Texas. If a used home was sold in the last 18 months, TDHCA needs a tax statement or paid-in-full receipt from the tax assessor-collector as part of the Statement of Ownership process. See the TDHCA FAQ.
• Virginia. A used manufactured home may not leave the locality where it has been used as a residence until the owner gets a tax permit from the treasurer, issued only after local property taxes assessed or assessable against the home are paid (Va. Code § 58.1-3520). The permit expires in 45 days.

For every other state, start at the permits hub and the origin and destination state pages. Where we found the oversize-permit rule but not a statewide tax-clearance statute, the state page says so and leaves that step blank on purpose. We do not fill those gaps with a guess.

Permits and a used or older home

A used home often cannot get a moving permit until taxes are paid in the county where it sits now. If the home was built before June 15, 1976, or the HUD label is missing, tell the mover before you book. The older or used mobile home guide covers the HUD Code date and Washington's extra pre-1976 rule, which we have not confirmed as a nationwide requirement.

Use the shortlist form to give the home type and the origin and destination ZIPs, and check the sources we use for listings.

Sources

• Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 28-1104 (Form 504 tax clearance) (checked Nov 10, 2026)
• Colo. Rev. Stat. § 42-4-510 (used-home tax authentication and moving permit) (checked Nov 10, 2026)
• TDHCA Statement of Ownership FAQ (used-home tax statement) (checked Nov 10, 2026)
• Va. Code § 58.1-3520 (local treasurer tax permit for a used home) (checked Nov 10, 2026)
• FHWA list of state oversize/overweight permit contacts (checked Nov 10, 2026)