North Dakota Moving Complaints

Who regulates intrastate movers in North Dakota, and where to file when a move stays inside the state.

Who regulates intrastate movers

North Dakota Public Service Commission (PSC)

North Dakota Public Service Commission (PSC) →

Where to file a complaint

File with North Dakota Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division →

If your move started and ended inside North Dakota, it is an intrastate move. The federal FMCSA household-goods rules — including the 100%/110% release rule — do not apply. North Dakota regulates these moves instead.

The state regulator is the North Dakota Public Service Commission (PSC). Under North Dakota Century Code chapter 39-31 (“Common Household Goods Carriers”), an intrastate mover must hold operating authority from the Commission and keep the required insurance on file. North Dakota does not require movers to file a tariff and does not dictate whether a mover charges hourly or by weight and distance — so the written estimate and the contract carry extra weight here.

To report a problem with an in-state move, you can raise the authority side with the North Dakota PSC, and file a separate consumer complaint with the North Dakota Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division.

This page is general information and does not predict how any particular dispute will be resolved.

An in-state dispute, step by step

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. File with the state moving regulator

    For a move inside North Dakota, the regulator-side complaint goes to the office that oversees movers in the state.

    North Dakota Public Service Commission (PSC) →

  4. 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 North Dakota Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division →

  5. 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.

    How a card dispute works →

  6. 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 North Dakota can read the contract.

    Small claims, step by step →

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.

  1. North Dakota Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division
  2. North Dakota Public Service Commission (PSC)