A
WILLIAM LAWTON & SONS INC (DBA LAWTON MOVING & STORAGE)
USDOT 366666 • WARWICK, RI
MoverAudit grade: A, based on federal records below
✓ No major red flags found
Complaint history
No federal complaints on record in the last 4 years. Records checked against the FMCSA household goods complaint database.
Company details
Legal nameWILLIAM LAWTON & SONS INC
Doing business asLAWTON MOVING & STORAGE
Address25 FROST AVENUE, WARWICK, RI 02888-1413
Phone(401) 861-6699
Company officerLAWTON MOVING
OrganizationCorporation
In business sinceSep 1989
Last FMCSA updateApr 2024
Fleet & authority
Power units (trucks)3
Drivers3
Operation classAuthorized For Hire
Carrier operationInterstate
Broker authorityn/a
Carrier authorityn/a
Safety ratingNot rated
Prior revocationYes
MoverAudit risk score: 0/100
Computed from objective federal flags only: broker-only registration, fleet size, complaint volume and severity, hostage-goods reports and past revocations. Lower is safer. This is a summary of public records, not a review.
Complaints vs. other checked movers
Red flags & green flags
!No federal complaints on record in the last 4 years.
!Operating authority was revoked at least once (see authority history below).
✓Liability insurance on file with FMCSA, no recent cancellations.
✓USDOT registration is active.
✓3 trucks registered with FMCSA.
✓No hostage-goods complaints on record.
✓In business since 1989: a long federal track record.
✓Never had operating authority revoked.
Roadside safety & insurance
Roadside safety record
Vehicle inspections0
Driver inspections0
Crashes, last 3 years0
FMCSA safety ratingNot rated
FMCSA safety categories (SMS BASICs), last 24 months:
Driver FitnessBelow cutoff
Controlled Substances/ AlcoholClean
Hours-of-Service ComplianceClean
Unsafe DrivingBelow cutoff
Vehicle MaintenanceBelow cutoff
Insurance on file
Liability insuranceOn file
InsurerSouthern Insurance Company
Coverage750
Policy effective sinceOct 2025
Cancellations, 3 yrs0
Stable coverage. Insurance is on file with FMCSA and no cancellations were recorded in the last 3 years.
Source: FMCSA Licensing & Insurance filings, refreshed nightly.
Insurance policy history
Oct 2014 → Oct 2017
Granite State Insurance Co. (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Oct 2014 → Nov 2022
Granite State Insurance Co. (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Oct 2014 → Oct 2022
Granite State Insurance Co. (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Oct 2009 → Oct 2014
American Guarantee & Liability Ins. Co. (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Oct 2009 → Oct 2014
American Zurich Insurance Company (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Oct 2006 → Oct 2009
Hanover Insurance Co. (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Oct 2006 → Nov 2009
Hanover Insurance Co. (Cargo)
$750k
Cancelled
Oct 2006 → Oct 2009
Hanover Insurance Co. (Bipd/primary)
$750k
Cancelled
Every liability policy this company filed with FMCSA, newest first. Frequent insurer changes or repeated cancellations are worth a direct question; one long-running policy is what stability looks like.
Recent roadside inspections
Jul 29, 2023 Driver-only, RI
1 violation, 1 out-of-service
49 CFR 391.41(a)(1) (driver), OOS
Last 1 roadside inspections from FMCSA records (up to 3 years). "OOS" means the driver or vehicle was ordered out of service on the spot.
Authority history
Oct 29, 2009 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Mar 27, 1998 Revoked
Motor property common carrier: granted -> revoked
Jul 13, 1993 Discontinued revocation
Common: involuntary revocation -> discontinued revocation
Jul 11, 1985 Transferred
Motor property common carrier: granted -> transferred
Shared identity check
Clean identity check. This company's address, phone number and officer do not match any other registered mover in our database. No sign of the "chameleon" pattern where a burned company re-registers under a fresh name.
Is William Lawton & Sons INC reliable? Our read of the record
On the evidence, William Lawton & Sons INC looks like a reliable operator: operating since 1989 with zero federal complaints in the last four years, 3 registered trucks, liability insurance on file without recent cancellations. A record like this is exactly what an honest mover's file tends to look like.
No public record can guarantee your specific move, so keep the basics: written binding estimate, USDOT 366666 on the paperwork, and reasonable deposit. But nothing in the federal file says walk away.
This assessment is generated from the public federal records shown on this page: registration, fleet, complaints, inspections, insurance and authority filings. It is a summary of records, not a review or an accusation.
Carriers to compare in Rhode Island
About William Lawton & Sons INC
William Lawton & Sons INC, doing business as Lawton Moving & Storage, is a federally registered mover based in Warwick, Rhode Island, registered with FMCSA since September 1989. Federal filings show 3 power units (trucks/tractors) and 3 drivers.
Over the last four years, the federal complaint database shows no complaints against this company. For a mover doing real volume, a clean federal record is a genuinely good sign; for a very small operation it may simply reflect a small number of moves. Combine it with the fleet data above and recent references.
How to read this report
The grade and risk score at the top are calculated by MoverAudit from objective federal flags: whether the company is a broker or a carrier, how many trucks it operates, the volume and severity of complaints, hostage-goods reports, and past authority revocations. They are not official government ratings, and they are not reviews: every input is a public federal record shown on this page.
The complaint categories come from the FMCSA household goods complaint system. A single bad move can generate complaints in several categories at once, so the category sum can exceed the total. Pay the most attention to "Hostage Goods" and "Deceptive Business Practices": those describe intent, not accidents. "Loss and Damage" at low volume is normal friction for a carrier doing thousands of moves; the same number at a tiny company is not.
The fleet numbers matter more than they look. A company advertising nationwide service with zero or one registered truck is not doing that work itself: your move will be handled by someone you have not vetted. Compare the fleet size to the promises in your quote.
If you are considering this company, use this report as a starting point, not a verdict. Get the estimate in writing and check whether it is binding, confirm the USDOT number on their paperwork matches 366666, and if a different company shows up on moving day, stop and check that company here before a single box goes on the truck.
Questions about WILLIAM LAWTON & SONS INC
Is William Lawton & Sons INC legit?
William Lawton & Sons INC has an active USDOT registration (366666). It has no federal complaints on record in the last 4 years.
Is William Lawton & Sons INC a broker or a carrier?
Federal records do not show interstate household goods authority for this company. Ask them directly who holds the authority for your move.
Where is William Lawton & Sons INC based?
25 Frost Avenue, Warwick, RI 02888-1413. Phone on file: (401) 861-6699. Registered with FMCSA since September 1989.
Sources: FMCSA Motor Carrier Census (registration, fleet), FMCSA Household Goods Complaint History via NCCDB (complaints, checked Jul 18, 2026). MoverAudit summarizes public federal records; it does not accuse any company of wrongdoing. Verify details at protectyourmove.gov.