We move households both ways between Washington, DC and Canada: Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and the rest of the country, with the customs paperwork prepared. Written, flat quotes after a quick video call.
Brands we work with
Bringing a household from Washington, DC into Canada means declaring what you carry. Your goods are listed on CBSA forms and presented at the port of entry, and your status as a returning resident or a first-time settler decides how they are assessed. Provincial licensing, health coverage and vehicle rules then follow once you arrive in Ontario, Quebec or British Columbia.
Goods arriving with you are listed on a BSF186A accompanying list, and goods shipping separately are listed on a BSF186 goods-to-follow list. Both are filed with the Canada Border Services Agency at the port of entry. Motion prepares these with your inventory, so the paperwork is ready when the truck reaches the border.
Used personal and household effects are generally duty-free when relocating to Canada. Returning residents must have owned and used the goods abroad for at least six months under tariff item 9805.00.00. Settlers bringing goods to Canada for the first time are assessed under different conditions, so the status you declare matters.
From the DC area, trucks bound for Toronto cross at the Peace Bridge or Queenston-Lewiston, Montreal loads use Lacolle-Champlain, and Vancouver loads use the Pacific Highway crossing at Blaine. Motion runs one carrier across the border, so the carrier that loads in Washington is the one that delivers in Canada.
Once you are in Canada, the province sets the next steps. Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia each run their own driver licensing, vehicle registration and health coverage, and Quebec conducts most official business in French. Check each province’s requirements before you arrive so nothing stalls your first weeks.
Tell us your origin and destination in the quote form at the top of this page and we will book your video call.
Get my free quoteRoad distances from Washington, DC
703 km
Frederick, MD ↔ Toronto
880 km
Baltimore, MD ↔ Montreal
4,600 km
Frederick, MD ↔ Vancouver
772 km
Washington, DC ↔ Toronto
Moving between Washington, DC and Toronto? We pick up anywhere in Washington, DC and deliver to Toronto, the GTA, Ottawa, Hamilton, London and the rest of Ontario, or the other way round. Your move is assessed on a video call, the rate is locked in writing, and we help you prepare the customs paperwork before the truck reaches the border.
Moving between Washington, DC and Montreal? We pick up anywhere in Washington, DC and deliver to Montreal, Laval, Longueuil and the rest of Quebec, or the other way round. Your move is assessed on a video call, the rate is locked in writing, and we help you prepare the customs paperwork before the truck reaches the border.
Moving between Washington, DC and Vancouver? We pick up anywhere in Washington, DC and deliver to Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond and the rest of British Columbia, or the other way round. Your move is assessed on a video call, the rate is locked in writing, and we help you prepare the customs paperwork before the truck reaches the border.
Moving from Washington, DC to Canada is a single-carrier job with Motion Transport. One truck and one crew take your household from a rowhouse in Capitol Hill, a Virginia townhouse or a Maryland suburb to Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver, with no transfer at the border. We prepare the customs paperwork for the Canada Border Services Agency, and the load crosses once with one carrier answerable for it.
Moves out of Washington tend to follow the school year and the federal posting cycle, so summer is a busy stretch in both directions. The same logic helps customers moving from Canada into the Washington area, because southbound space is planned rather than left to chance.
Plan for the Beltway. I-495 and the I-95 corridor jam at rush hour, and many DC streets and condo buildings restrict truck access. Tell us about parking permits, loading docks and elevator bookings early so the crew arrives with a plan.
Mind the humidity. Washington summers are hot and damp, and basements in older rowhouses hold moisture. Let furniture, rugs and stored boxes dry out before packing so nothing travels north carrying mildew.
List what you own. Customs wants an itemised inventory with values, and the cleaner your list, the smoother the BSF186 and BSF186A filings. Start one room at a time, and keep receipts for anything bought recently.
Check provincial rules. Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia each handle driver licensing and health coverage separately, so look up the requirements before you arrive. Quebec conducts most official business in French.
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Origin, destination, rough timeline. A specialist texts you back within five minutes, Mon-Sun, 9am-7pm ET.
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We assess your move accurately over a video call, no in-person visit needed, then lock your rate in writing. Klarna available on deposits $500+.
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Picked up at your door and delivered to your new one, in Washington, DC or in Canada. Cargo-liability insured. Balance due after delivery, before offloading.
Sources: Canada Border Services Agency (Form BSF186, Memorandum D2-2-1) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP Form 3299). Rules depend on your situation; confirm yours with the border agency.
The same company loads in the DC area and delivers in Canada, so nobody hands your goods to a second carrier at the border.
We prepare the BSF186 and BSF186A forms for CBSA with you, so the port of entry receives a complete package.
Moving south into the Washington area is the same service in reverse, run on trucks already returning from Canada.
A planner walks through your rooms with you on a video call, then quotes the move, so scope is agreed before booking.
Washington condos and rowhouses often restrict trucks, so we plan loading around building rules and street access.
“I was helping my daughter to relocate from New Jersey to Toronto and we worried so much about the cross border move. … The pick up in New Jersey was made so smooth that we didn't need to worry about even the packing. The shipment arrived Toronto in 3 days, without needing us to clear the customs!”
ada choungNew Jersey → Toronto · July 2026
Read the full review on Google →“Moving from Montréal to Texas felt like a lot to handle at first. … His approach was different — his communication was on point, he was thorough, and everything he said matched the reviews I read. … The team worked hard, took care of my stuff, and made the whole thing way easier than I expected.”
André LavoieMontréal → Texas · December 2025
Read the full review on Google →“We are moving to the United States and so far Charles and Brent have made our movement swift and smooth. I am sure just as the stuff was picked up on time, it will be delivered on time . Thank you for promptly answering our calls always… wishing your company the very best.”
Shilpa ThackerMoving to the United States · November 2025
Read the full review on Google →Reviews quoted word for word from Motion Transport’s Google Business Profile (5.0 from 216 reviews); … marks a shortened review.
5.0 · over 200 Google reviews
Real customers. Real moves. A moving specialist personally answers every quote.
Read all reviews on GoogleTiming depends on the route, the fulfilment partner and the date, so we give a ballpark rather than a promise.
Generally no, used personal and household effects are duty-free when you relocate. Returning Canadian residents must have owned and used the goods abroad for at least six months under tariff item 9805.00.00. Settlers bringing goods to Canada for the first time are assessed under different conditions, so check which apply to you.
It depends on the destination. Toronto loads normally cross at the Peace Bridge or Queenston-Lewiston, Montreal loads at Lacolle-Champlain, and Vancouver loads at the Pacific Highway crossing at Blaine. Eastern runs leave the DC area on I-81 or I-83 and US-15.
You need a BSF186 for goods following later and a BSF186A for goods accompanying you, both filed with the Canada Border Services Agency at the port of entry. Motion prepares the paperwork with your inventory, so the load crosses with documents already in order.
Yes, Motion runs these corridors in both directions with the same single carrier. A southbound move from Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver to the DC area is handled end to end, with no transfer at the border and customs paperwork handled for you.
Walk us through your home on video and we will tell you how the move runs.
