Texas Moving Complaints
Who regulates intrastate movers in Texas, and where to file when a move stays inside the state.
Who regulates intrastate movers
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV)
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) →
Where to file a complaint
File with Texas Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division →
If your move started and ended inside Texas, it is an intrastate move. The federal FMCSA household-goods rules — including the 100%/110% release rule — do not apply. Texas regulates these moves instead.
The agency for in-state moves is the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV), whose motor-carrier program covers household-goods movers operating within Texas. By law, a Texas mover must be licensed with TxDMV, and a licensed mover carries an “Active” TxDMV certificate number you can verify before you book — TxDMV’s “Don’t Make a Move Without Us” page is where it walks consumers through that check.
To report a problem with an in-state move, TxDMV’s consumer-protection pages describe the complaint path for motor carriers. You can also file a separate consumer complaint with the Texas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, which handles deceptive business-practice complaints generally.
Filing with both offices is reasonable: TxDMV is the registration and enforcement side for movers, while the Attorney General’s office looks at broader consumer-protection concerns. This page is general information, and neither it nor either agency can tell you how your specific dispute will come out.
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 Texas, 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 Texas Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division →
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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 Texas 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.