--- kind: "section" citation: "49 U.S.C. § 14710" title: "49" title_heading: "Transportation" number: "14710" heading: "Enforcement of Federal laws and regulations with respect to transportation of household goods" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/49/14710" units: - "Subtitle IV — Interstate Transportation" - "Part B — Motor Carriers, Water Carriers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders" - "Chapter 147 — Enforcement; Investigations; Rights; Remedies" --- # §14710. Enforcement of Federal laws and regulations with respect to transportation of household goods - (a) **Enforcement by States.—** Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, a [State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8) authority may enforce the consumer protection provisions of this title that apply to [individual shippers](/usc/49/13102.md?p=13), as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/49/13102.md?p=20), and are related to the delivery and [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) of [household goods](/usc/49/13102.md?p=10) in interstate commerce. Any fine or penalty imposed on a [carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=3) in a proceeding under this subsection shall be paid, notwithstanding any other provision of law, to and retained by the [State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8). - (b) **Notice.—** The [State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8) shall serve written notice to the [Secretary](/usc/49/13102.md?p=20) or the [Board](/usc/49/10102.md?p=1), as the case may be, of any civil action under [subsection (a)](#a) prior to initiating such civil action. The notice shall include a copy of the complaint to be filed to initiate such civil action, except that if it is not feasible for the [State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8) to provide such prior notice, the [State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8) shall provide the notice immediately upon instituting such civil action. - (c) **Enforcement Assistance Outreach Plan.—** The Federal [Motor Carrier](/usc/49/13102.md?p=14) Safety Administration shall implement an outreach plan to enhance the coordination and effective enforcement of Federal laws and regulations with respect to [transportation](/usc/49/10102.md?p=9) of [household goods](/usc/49/13102.md?p=10) between and among Federal and [State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8) law enforcement and consumer protection authorities. The outreach shall include, as appropriate, local law enforcement and consumer protection authorities. - (d) **State Authority Defined.—** In this section, the term “[State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8) authority” means an agency of a [State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8) that has authority under the laws of the [State](/usc/49/10102.md?p=8) to regulate the intrastate movement of [household goods](/usc/49/13102.md?p=10). ## Source credit (Added Pub. L. 109–59, title IV, § 4206(b)(1), Aug. 10, 2005, 119 Stat. 1754; amended Pub. L. 109–115, div. A, title I, § 173(a), (b), Nov. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2426.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### Amendments 2005—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–115, § 173(a), (e), temporarily substituted “a State authority other than the attorney general of the state may, as parens patriae,” for “a State authority may” in first sentence and inserted second sentence which read as follows: “Any civil action for injunctive relief to enjoin such delivery or transportation or to compel a person to pay a fine or penalty assessed under chapter 149 shall be brought in an appropriate district court of the United States.” See Termination Date of 2005 Amendment note below. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–115, § 173(b), (e), temporarily amended subsec. (b) to read as follows: “Exercise of Enforcement Authority.—The authority of this section shall be exercised subject to the requirements of sections 14711(b)–(f) of this title.” See Termination Date of 2005 Amendment note below. ### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries ### Termination Date of 2005 Amendment Pub. L. 109–115, div. A, title I, § 173(e), Nov. 30, 2005, 119 Stat. 2426, provided that: “The amendments made by this section [amending this section and section 14711 of this title] shall cease to be in effect after September 30, 2006.” ### Deemed References to Chapters 509 and 511 of Title 51 General references to “this title” deemed to refer also to chapters 509 and 511 of Title 51, National and Commercial Space Programs, see section 4(d)(8) of Pub. L. 111–314, set out as a note under section 101 of this title. ### Working Group for Development of Practices and Procedures To Enhance Federal-State Relations Pub. L. 109–59, title IV, § 4213, Aug. 10, 2005, 119 Stat. 1759, as amended by Pub. L. 111–147, title IV, § 422(j), Mar. 18, 2010, 124 Stat. 87; Pub. L. 111–322, title II, § 2202(j), Dec. 22, 2010, 124 Stat. 3525; Pub. L. 112–5, title II, § 202(j), Mar. 4, 2011, 125 Stat. 17; Pub. L. 112–30, title I, § 122(i), Sept. 16, 2011, 125 Stat. 349; Pub. L. 112–102, title II, § 202(i), Mar. 30, 2012, 126 Stat. 274; Pub. L. 112–140, title II, § 202(i), June 29, 2012, 126 Stat. 395; Pub. L. 112–141, div. G, title II, § 112002(f), July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 983, directed the Secretary of Transportation to establish a working group to enhance the Federal-State partnership with respect to interstate transportation of household goods to remain in effect until Sept. 30, 2012.