South Carolina Moving Complaints
Who regulates intrastate movers in South Carolina, and where to file when a move stays inside the state.
Who regulates intrastate movers
South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS) — Transportation
South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS) — Transportation →
Where to file a complaint
If your move started and ended inside South Carolina, it is an intrastate move. The federal FMCSA household-goods rules — including the 100%/110% release rule — do not apply. South Carolina regulates these moves instead.
South Carolina uses a two-agency approach. The South Carolina Public Service Commission (PSC) sets the rules under Title 58, Chapter 23 of the state code and grants a household-goods mover its Class E Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, while the Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS) provides regulatory oversight and handles consumer verification. A mover’s PSC/ORS certificate number must appear on each side of its vehicles, and you can call ORS Consumer Services to confirm a number before you book.
To report a problem with an in-state move, ORS is the consumer-facing transportation office, and you can file a separate consumer complaint with the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs.
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 South Carolina, the regulator-side complaint goes to the office that oversees movers in the state.
South Carolina Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS) — Transportation →
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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.
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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 South Carolina 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.