How the checker decides
The checker sorts you by the same lines the federal rules use: whether the work is interstate (including an in-state leg of a shipment that crosses a state line), whether you are paid to haul someone else’s freight or passengers or haul your own goods, what the load is, and the weight rating of your heaviest vehicle. Hazardous materials move the federal liability floor from $750,000 to $1,000,000 or $5,000,000, and some of those rules reach in-state hauling too.
Each line in your list links to the page here that explains it, with that page’s sources. Where this site doesn’t have a page on a rule, the checker leaves it out rather than guess: it does not, for example, give the federal liability minimum for passenger carriers. For in-state work it shows your state’s rules when that state has a page in truck insurance by state.
Every rule it uses
| Rule | What it says | Explained on |
|---|---|---|
| USDOT number for interstate carriers | Needed when a vehicle in interstate commerce is rated or weighs 10,001 lbs or more, carries more than 8 passengers for pay (more than 15 not for pay, driver included), or hauls placarded hazmat. | USDOT number vs. MC number |
| What counts as interstate | An in-state leg of a shipment that started or will end in another state is interstate commerce. | USDOT number vs. MC number |
| USDOT number for in-state-only carriers | Federal rules alone require it in-state only for hazmat at safety-permit levels; many states require it anyway (state rule shown when the state has a page). | USDOT number vs. MC number |
| States that require a USDOT number in-state | FMCSA lists 38 states plus Puerto Rico that require one of intrastate carriers, each on its own rules. | USDOT number vs. MC number |
| USDOT number before interstate operations | Every interstate motor carrier of property or passengers needs a USDOT number before it starts; for-hire carriers also need authority. | How to get MC authority |
| USDOT and MC numbers for brokers | A for-hire interstate carrier or a broker needs both numbers; a private fleet usually needs only the USDOT number. | USDOT number vs. MC number |
| Biennial MCS-150 update | A USDOT number is updated every 24 months on a schedule set by its last two digits. | USDOT number vs. MC number |
| MC operating authority | Needed for passengers for hire across state lines, for regulated freight owned by others hauled for pay interstate, and for arranging that transportation for pay. | USDOT number vs. MC number |
| Who doesn't need MC authority | Private carriers of their own cargo, for-hire carriers of only exempt commodities, and carriers working only inside a federal commercial zone. | USDOT number vs. MC number |
| MC authority is for interstate commerce | Federal operating authority covers interstate commerce, including an in-state leg of an interstate shipment; in-state-only hauling falls to the state. | For-hire vs. not-for-hire trucking |
| Getting MC authority | FMCSA grants authority only after the insurer's BMC-91 or BMC-91X filing and the BOC-3 are on file. | How to get MC authority |
| Broker authority | Brokers apply for their own broker authority, backed by a surety bond or trust fund rather than auto liability. | How to get MC authority |
| BOC-3 process agents | Motor carriers and brokers with federal authority file a BOC-3; authority isn't granted without it. | What is a BOC-3 filing? |
| BOC-3 states for carriers | Carriers name an agent in every state they operate in or pass through (all 48 contiguous states for lower-48 carriers). | What is a BOC-3 filing? |
| BOC-3 states for brokers | Brokers name an agent in each state where they have an office or write contracts. | What is a BOC-3 filing? |
| BMC-91 / BMC-91X liability filing | The insurer files it with FMCSA under the carrier's USDOT and docket numbers; authority isn't granted until it is on record. | What is a BMC-91X filing? |
| MCS-90 for for-hire general freight | For-hire general freight carriers in vehicles of 10,001 lbs GVWR or more in interstate commerce carry the MCS-90. | What is an MCS-90 endorsement? |
| MCS-90 for hazmat | Carriers of oil and hazardous materials, for-hire and private, carry the MCS-90 at $1,000,000 or $5,000,000. | What is an MCS-90 endorsement? |
| MCS-90 and light fleets | For-hire fleets of only vehicles under 10,001 lbs have a $300,000 filing under a different part of the rules and a different endorsement form. | What is an MCS-90 endorsement? |
| $750,000 federal minimum | For-hire, interstate, non-hazardous property, vehicles of 10,001 lbs GVWR or more. | What insurance a new trucking company needs |
| $300,000 filing for light fleets | For-hire fleets of only vehicles under 10,001 lbs hauling non-hazardous property. | What insurance a new trucking company needs |
| $1,000,000 hazmat minimum | Oil and hazmat not in the $5,000,000 row, 10,001 lbs or more: any quantity interstate, bulk only intrastate; for-hire and private. | Hazmat trucking insurance requirements |
| $5,000,000 hazmat minimum | Bulk hazardous substances in tanks or hoppers, explosives 1.1-1.3, Zone A inhalation hazards, bulk 2.1/2.2 gases and highway route controlled radioactive material; applies intrastate too. | Hazmat trucking insurance requirements |
| $5,000,000 under 10,001 lbs | Under 10,001 lbs the $5,000,000 minimum still applies interstate to explosives 1.1-1.3, Zone A inhalation hazards and highway route controlled radioactive loads. | Hazmat trucking insurance requirements |
| What bulk means | Bulk is containment over 3,500 water gallons, except any quantity of explosives 1.1-1.3 and Zone A inhalation hazards. | Hazmat trucking insurance requirements |
| Light vehicles outside the federal minimums | Vehicles under 10,001 lbs GVWR are outside the 387.9 minimums unless they carry the explosives, inhalation hazards or radioactive loads named. | What is an MCS-90 endorsement? |
| Private carriers of non-hazardous goods | No federal liability minimum and no federal insurance filing; state rules can still set one. | For-hire vs. not-for-hire trucking |
| Part 387 and private carriers | Part 387 Subpart A reaches for-hire property carriers and hazmat carriers, not private carriers of non-hazardous goods. | For-hire vs. not-for-hire trucking |
| Household goods cargo filing | Household goods carriers file cargo security on a BMC-34 or BMC-83: $5,000 per vehicle, $10,000 per occurrence. Other carriers have no federal cargo filing. | What insurance a new trucking company needs |
| No federal cargo filing for general freight | General freight carriers have no federal cargo requirement (contracts may still ask for cargo coverage). | What insurance a new trucking company needs |
| BMC-84 bond or BMC-85 trust | A property broker needs $75,000 in a surety bond (BMC-84) or trust fund (BMC-85) before FMCSA registers it. | What is a BMC-84 freight broker bond? |
| UCR for interstate carriers | Interstate motor carriers register every year, for-hire and private. | What is UCR registration? |
| UCR for brokers | Brokers in interstate commerce register every year and pay the lowest bracket. | What is UCR registration? |
| UCR with only light vehicles | Carriers with an MC number and only light vehicles still register, usually in the lowest bracket. | What is UCR registration? |
| Who UCR doesn't reach | Carriers operating only intrastate, and private motor carriers of passengers. | What is UCR registration? |
| IFTA and IRP vehicle test | Two axles over 26,000 lbs, three or more axles at any weight, or a combination over 26,000 lbs, run in two or more jurisdictions. | IFTA vs. IRP |
| IRP and passengers | Under IRP, passengers count only when carried for hire. | IFTA vs. IRP |
| IFTA for one-state carriers | IFTA licensing applies only when a qualified vehicle runs in two or more member jurisdictions. | IFTA vs. IRP |
| IFTA members | IFTA's members are the 48 contiguous states and the 10 Canadian provinces (not Alaska or Hawaii). | IFTA vs. IRP |
| Form 2290 | Filed for each truck with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 lbs or more used on public highways in the July-June period. | What is Form 2290? |
| CDL: single vehicle | A single truck rated 26,001 lbs or more needs a Class B CDL. | Do I need a CDL for a box truck? |
| CDL: combination | A combination rated 26,001 lbs or more with a towed unit over 10,000 lbs needs a Class A CDL. | Do I need a CDL for a box truck? |
| CDL: passengers and placarded hazmat | A smaller vehicle designed for 16 or more people including the driver, or any vehicle with placarded hazmat, needs a CDL (Group C). | Do I need a CDL for a box truck? |
| State CDL lines | The federal CDL line is the same everywhere; a state can only add lines of its own. | Do I need a CDL for a box truck? |
| DOT medical certificate | Interstate drivers of vehicles rated 10,001 lbs or more must be medically certified. | Do I need a CDL for a box truck? |
| H endorsement | Drivers of placarded loads need the H endorsement, cleared by TSA. | Hazmat trucking insurance requirements |
| When hazmat needs placards | Table 1 materials need placards in any quantity; non-bulk Table 2 materials need none below 1,001 lbs aggregate. | Hazmat trucking insurance requirements |
| Hazardous Materials Safety Permit | Required interstate or intrastate for highway route controlled radioactive material, more than 55 lbs of explosives 1.1-1.3, the listed inhalation hazards, and bulk methane or natural gas of 3,500 gallons or more. | Hazmat trucking insurance requirements |
| In-state carriers follow state rules | Carriers that stay in one state follow that state's limits, filings and cargo rules. | What insurance a new trucking company needs |
| State insurance filings (Form E / Form H) | Intrastate for-hire property carriers, household goods movers (Form H too) and intrastate passenger carriers typically have the insurer file a Form E with the state. | What are Form E and Form H filings? |
| California Motor Carrier Permit | A California MCP is needed for any motortruck with two or more axles over 10,000 lbs GVWR, private or for-hire, for hazmat, and for any vehicle hauling property for pay. | California commercial truck insurance requirements |
| California MCP limits and filing | The insurer files an MC 65 M with the DMV: $750,000 for most carriers, $300,000 for only vehicles under 10,000 lbs with no bulk petroleum or hazmat, $1,000,000-$5,000,000 for bulk petroleum and hazmat. | California commercial truck insurance requirements |
| California USDOT and CA numbers | California carriers get a USDOT number even if they never cross a state line, because the CHP won't assign a CA number without one. | California commercial truck insurance requirements |
| California MCP for interstate carriers | A carrier hauling only interstate freight doesn't need an MCP; one load that stays inside California and it does. | California commercial truck insurance requirements |
| California household movers | In-state household movers need a Bureau of Household Goods and Services permit, not an MCP. | California commercial truck insurance requirements |
| California passenger carriers | Charter-party carriers and passenger stage corporations file insurance with the CPUC. | California commercial truck insurance requirements |
| California CPUC limits by seating | CPUC minimum liability by seating: $750,000 up to 7, $1.5 million 8-15, $5 million 16 or more. | Limousine and party bus insurance |
After the list
Most of these filings depend on your insurer: the BMC-91X, the MCS-90 and state filings such as a Form E are made by the insurance company, not by you. Tell whoever quotes your insurance which filings you need and in which state. Once you have a USDOT number, the trucking compliance calendar works out your own deadlines.
General information as of October 2026, not legal advice. Rules change and have exceptions the checker can’t ask about, such as exempt commodities and commercial zones. Confirm with FMCSA or your state’s motor carrier agency before you operate.