What is Georgia’s 110% rule on non-binding estimates, and how does it cap what you can be charged?

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Georgia’s 110% rule limits the pressure a mover can apply at your door, not the total you may eventually owe. On a non-binding estimate, a licensed Georgia carrier may not require you to pay more than 110% of the estimated amount as a condition of releasing your goods at delivery. If the final charges come in higher than that, the mover must hand over your belongings once you pay 110%, and it must then wait 30 days before demanding the remaining balance. Understanding that distinction, a cap on delivery-day leverage rather than a cap on the final bill, is the whole point of the rule.

How the math works at delivery

Picture a non-binding estimate of $2,000. The rule sorts delivery day into two cases.

  • Final charges at or below 110% ($2,200 or less): the mover can require payment in full at delivery before unloading.
  • Final charges above 110% (more than $2,200): you pay 110%, which is $2,200, and the mover must release your goods. The amount above $2,200 does not disappear, but the mover cannot hold your possessions hostage for it on the spot.

That second case is where the protection lives. Without the rule, a crew could stand in your driveway with everything you own and announce a number far above the estimate. The rule says: collect 110%, release the load, and bill the rest later.

The 30-day clock on the balance

The remaining balance is not waived. It stays due, but Georgia’s rule requires the mover to defer collecting it for at least 30 days, typically by sending an invoice during that window. This buys you time to review the charges, compare them against your estimate and inventory, and question anything that does not add up, all without your furniture being held over your head. The leverage shifts from the moving truck back to a normal billing process.

A few things the rule does not do. It does not let a mover decide on a whim to charge 110%; the 110% figure is a ceiling on what can be demanded at delivery, not a number the company gets to choose. It does not cap the total forever, so legitimate charges above 110% remain collectible after the wait. And it applies to non-binding estimates, the kind that can move with actual weight or services; a binding estimate works on a different, fixed-price footing.

What to do at the door

Bring your written non-binding estimate to delivery and do the arithmetic in advance: know your 110% figure before the truck arrives. If a crew demands more than 110% before unloading, that is the moment the rule protects, and you can decline to pay above the cap as a condition of release. Note the 30-day provision so you are not rattled by a later invoice for a legitimate balance.

These provisions sit under the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s Maximum Rate Tariff rules, administered by its Motor Carrier Compliance Division; the current text and figures should be confirmed with DPS before you rely on them, since tariff details are updated periodically. If a mover ignores the cap or the waiting period, the in-state complaint path is the DPS Motor Carrier Compliance Division, and a deceptive practice around the estimate can also be raised with the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division. Know your 110% number, hold the line at the door, and keep the paperwork; that is how the rule actually works in your favor.

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