Virginia Moving Complaints
Who regulates intrastate movers in Virginia, and where to file when a move stays inside the state.
Who regulates intrastate movers
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) — Household Goods Carrier
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) — Household Goods Carrier →
Where to file a complaint
File with Virginia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Section →
If your move started and ended inside Virginia, it is an intrastate move. The federal FMCSA household-goods rules — including the 100%/110% release rule — do not apply. Virginia regulates these moves instead.
The state regulator is the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), through Motor Carrier Services. Under the Code of Virginia (Title 46.2, Chapter 21, Article 4), no household-goods carrier may operate intrastate without a DMV certificate of fitness. One Virginia-specific line to know: the household-goods-carrier authority is required for moves farther than 30 miles from the origin. A licensed carrier also keeps a $50,000 surety bond on file with DMV and must file tariffs showing its rates and charges, available for public inspection.
To report a problem with an in-state move, you can raise the certificate side with DMV Motor Carrier Services, and file a separate consumer complaint with the Virginia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Section.
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 Virginia, the regulator-side complaint goes to the office that oversees movers in the state.
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) — Household Goods Carrier →
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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 Virginia Attorney General, Consumer Protection Section →
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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 Virginia 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.