Kentucky's Bizarre Moving Company Licensing Laws Land it in Federal Court

New companies are required to prove that there's a need for their services

In September 2012, Michael Ball wanted a license to operate a moving company in Louisville, Ky.

Ball was veteran of the moving industry who had operated his company, Michael Ball Moving and Storage, across the river in Indiana for 35 years.  He had some trucks in Louisville and used a warehouse in the city, so he probably did not expect his application to be flatly denied by Kentucky's Department of Vehicle Regulation.

Government regulators found no reason to deny Ball's application on the grounds of public safety, or because they believed he would run an unscrupulous business.

In its review of Ball's application, the department found Ball's company was "fit, willing and able to perform the proposed service and to conform to the provisions" of state law governing the moving business in Kentucky.

Instead, the Department of Vehicle Regulation decided Louisville had enough moving companies.