In the 12 months before October 24, 2026, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) involuntarily revoked the interstate operating authority of 27 household-goods movers based in South Carolina. That's according to MovePricer's compilation of FMCSA licensing, insurance and revocation data. The count equals 23.9% of the 113 South Carolina movers that now hold active federal authority. Nationally the figure is 11.8% (996 revocations, compared with 8,473 licensed movers), so South Carolina's rate is about twice as high. South Carolina ranks 2nd of 48 states on this measure.
What an involuntary revocation means
A revocation is involuntary when FMCSA ends a company's authority, rather than the company giving it up. FMCSA's licensing system issues notices to carriers whose authority to operate in the United States will be revoked because the carriers lack the required Form BOC-3. That form names an agent who can accept legal papers on the company's behalf. The other common trigger is an insurance lapse — operating without the minimum coverage required by 49 CFR Part 387. FMCSA says that before a carrier can ask for reinstatement, you must have your BOC-3 (Designation of Process Agent) form and financial responsibility/insurance filing in place.
Once its authority is revoked, a company cannot legally haul a single for-hire interstate load. FMCSA has separate complaint categories for movers that operate without the required authority and for those operating without the required insurance on file.
What it means if you already booked one
- Deposits. A company that can't legally run your interstate move may not be able to do the job you paid for. Keep every receipt, contract and message.
- Belongings in storage or on a truck. Get in writing exactly where your goods are and who has them. Holding a shipment hostage for final payment in excess of 110% of non-binding estimate is one of FMCSA's complaint categories.
- Damage or loss claims. A revocation often follows an insurance lapse. If that happened, there may be no insurer on file to back a claim. Check the company's filing history on FMCSA's licensing and insurance site before you count on coverage.
South Carolina rules and past cases
Moves that stay inside South Carolina fall under state rules. In-state household-goods movers need a Class E certificate and must file proof of liability insurance (Form E) with the Office of Regulatory Staff (ORS). The state also takes certificates away. One 2025 docket was an ORS petition to Revoke Certificates of Certain Motor Carriers for Non-Payment of Registration Fees and/or for Failure to Maintain and File Evidence of Insurance.
Federal investigators have acted against a South Carolina mover before. FMCSA's Moving Fraud Task Force, in an action announced under then–Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, shut down five household goods moving companies in Florida, South Carolina and Maryland for holding customer shipments hostage and failing to turn over records. FMCSA found that the owner of one Florida mover also ran other companies, including United West Moving and Storage, Inc. of South Carolina. The agency reported more than 100 complaints against the related companies and suspended them for at least a year.
South Carolinians have also been caught up in schemes run from other states. In a 2018 federal racketeering case in Ohio, prosecutors alleged that a network of movers gave low binding estimates and then, after loading customers' goods onto the truck, they increased the price of the move, holding the goods until customers paid. One customer told WKRC that her shipment to Charleston arrived nine days late and that the crew demanded I give him $4,000 in cash.
We found no recent action by the South Carolina Attorney General against a mover. The Attorney General's office sends reports about fraudulent movers to ORS when the company is state-regulated, and for out of state moving companies to FMCSA.
If your mover has lost its license
- Interstate moves: File a complaint with FMCSA's National Consumer Complaint Database or call 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238). FMCSA does not have authority to resolve individual claims, but it uses complaints to make decisions about which companies FMCSA will investigate.
- In-state moves: Contact ORS Consumer Services at (803) 737-5230 (within the Columbia area) or toll-free within South Carolina at 1-800-922-1531.
- General business complaints: Contact the SC Department of Consumer Affairs at 803-734-4200 or 1-800-922-1594 (in SC only).
- This article is not legal advice. For questions about getting a deposit or your belongings back, start with FMCSA and the South Carolina Attorney General's office.
How to check a mover before you sign
- Ask for the company's USDOT number. For an in-state move, also ask for its Class E certificate number.
- Look the mover up on ProtectYourMove.gov, which lets you review both the consumer complaint history as well as the company's on-road safety performance records. You can also check its USDOT record with MovePricer's free lookup at movepricer.com/check.
- For in-state movers, call ORS to check complaint history. You can also verify rates by requesting a copy of the approved tariff from the household goods carrier for comparison.
- Check again the week you move. A mover's status can change between the day you book and the day the truck arrives.