Michigan Moving Complaints
Who regulates intrastate movers in Michigan, and where to file when a move stays inside the state.
Who regulates intrastate movers
Michigan State Police — Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED), Regulatory Section
Michigan State Police — Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED), Regulatory Section →
Where to file a complaint
File with Michigan Attorney General, Consumer Protection Team →
If your move started and ended inside Michigan, it is an intrastate move. The federal FMCSA household-goods rules — including the 100%/110% release rule — do not apply. Michigan regulates these moves instead.
The state regulator is the Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED), Regulatory Section. Under Michigan’s Motor Carrier Act (Public Act 254 of 1933), a company providing intrastate household-goods moving must hold a Household Goods Carrier Certificate (intrastate operating authority) from CVED and renew it annually. One Michigan-specific wrinkle: moves over 40 miles are regulated, with rates set by a state-filed tariff based on weight and mileage, while moves of 40 miles or less are treated as local, with rates negotiated between you and the mover.
To report a problem with an in-state move, you can raise the authority-and-tariff side with MSP CVED, and file a separate consumer complaint with the Michigan Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Team.
This page is general information and does not predict how any particular dispute will be resolved.
An in-state dispute, step by step
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Get all your paperwork in hand
The written estimate(s), the contract, receipts, and any texts or emails. Every step below needs these. Photograph everything.
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Put the dispute to the mover in writing
State what the paperwork says, what happened, and what you are asking for. Many disputes end here, and the written record strengthens every later step.
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File with the state moving regulator
For a move inside Michigan, the regulator-side complaint goes to the office that oversees movers in the state.
Michigan State Police — Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED), Regulatory Section →
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File a consumer complaint with the state
The consumer-protection office handles unfair and deceptive business-practice complaints, and a moving dispute is squarely that.
File with Michigan Attorney General, Consumer Protection Team →
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If you paid by credit card: a dispute may be available
The Fair Credit Billing Act lets a cardholder dispute a billing error in writing — including a charge for services not delivered as agreed — generally within 60 days of the statement. Whether a particular charge qualifies depends on the facts; the guide covers what counts.
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Small claims court or a local attorney
Intrastate moves run on state law, so the money path is the state's own courts — and a licensed attorney in Michigan can read the contract.
Did your move actually cross a state line? Then the federal rules apply instead — start with the Coverage Checker or, if goods are being held right now, the emergency page.
Sources
Every legal claim above links to one of these official sources. Rules change — check the source if you're acting on this.