The Bureau of Household Goods and Services (BHGS) can trace its roots to the year 1911, when the Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation was established in response to unscrupulous manufacturing in the mattress industry, which contributed to fires following the1906 earthquake.
More than 50 years later, a separate regulatory body, the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, was established in 1963 in response to fraud and negligence in the television repair industry.
The two Bureaus were merged in 2009 as the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair, Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation (BEARHFTI). In 2018, regulation of the household moving industry was transferred from the California Public Utility Commission to BEARHFTI.
In recognition of the Bureau’s expanded role, Senate Bill 1483 changed the name of the Bureau to its current name, effective January 1, 2019.
Today, the Bureau holds jurisdictional authority over the following industries:
- Household Movers
- Appliance Service Dealers
- Furniture and Bedding Wholesalers
- Furniture and Bedding Retailers
- Bedding Sanitizers
- Thermal Insulation Manufacturers
- Service Contract Administrators
- Electronic Service Dealers
- Furniture and Bedding Manufacturers
- Furniture and Bedding Importers
- Custom Upholsterers
- Supply Dealers
- Service Contract Sellers
- Service Contract
Mission: The Bureau of Household Goods and Services’ mission is to protect and serve consumers while ensuring a fair and competitive market.
Vision: The Bureau of Household Goods and Services’ vision is to be an efficient organization that effectively protects consumers and improves the marketplace through quality customer service, prompt licensing, and enforcing the law.
Values:
- Accountability
- Consumer Protection
- Effectiveness
- Integrity
- Professionalism
- Service
- Education
Visit the BHGS Website at https://bhgs.dca.ca.gov/. or connect on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
CONSUMER RESOURCES:
- License Search
- Contact the Bureau
- File a Complaint
- Frequently Asked Questions, EAR
- Frequently Asked Questions, HHM
- Join the Bureau’s Interested Parties List
