Montana Moving Complaints
Who regulates intrastate movers in Montana, and where to file when a move stays inside the state.
Who regulates intrastate movers
Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) — Motor Carriers
Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) — Motor Carriers →
Where to file a complaint
File with Montana Department of Justice, Office of Consumer Protection →
If your move started and ended inside Montana, it is an intrastate move. The federal FMCSA household-goods rules — including the 100%/110% release rule — do not apply. Montana regulates these moves instead.
The state regulator is the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC), which issues motor-carrier certificates of public convenience and necessity — the Class D certificate is the one that covers household-goods carriers. A mover authorized to operate intrastate holds a PSC certificate. (Montana’s Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Services handles separate registration and safety items.)
To report a problem with an in-state move, you can raise the certificate side with the Montana PSC, and file a separate consumer complaint with the Montana Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection.
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 Montana, the regulator-side complaint goes to the office that oversees movers in the state.
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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 Montana Department of Justice, Office of Consumer Protection →
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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 Montana 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.