FMCSA Insurance Requirements for Trucking Companies

Confirm current figures in the eCFR before relying on them.

• BMC-91 / BMC-91X: the insurer's proof of public liability, filed with FMCSA.
• BMC-34: cargo filing for household goods carriers ($5,000 per vehicle, $10,000 per occurrence).
• MCS-90: endorsement attached to the policy guaranteeing public liability payments.

Brokers must file a $75,000 BMC-84 surety bond or BMC-85 trust fund (49 CFR 387.307).

For for-hire carriers of property in interstate commerce in vehicles of 10,001 lbs or more, the federal minimum is $750,000 for non-hazardous property. It's $1,000,000 for oil and certain hazardous materials, and $5,000,000 for certain hazardous materials such as some explosives, poison gases and radioactive materials. Some hazmat moved in vehicles under 10,001 lbs also requires $5,000,000 (49 CFR 387.9).

These are legal floors. Most brokers and shippers require $1,000,000 for general freight, which is why that's the common limit.

• BMC-91 / BMC-91X: the insurer's filing of bodily injury and property damage liability. 91X is used when the coverage includes self-insured retention or multiple insurers.
• BMC-34: cargo filing, required for household goods carriers.
• BMC-84 / BMC-85: a broker's $75,000 surety bond or trust fund; see freight broker bond.
• BOC-3: designation of process agents in each state, filed by a process agent company.
• BMC-35 / BMC-36: notices of cancellation, which give FMCSA advance notice before coverage ends.

You can check your filing status and history on FMCSA's Licensing & Insurance system or SAFER.

When an insurer cancels, it files a cancellation notice with FMCSA, and your authority is revoked if replacement coverage isn't filed before the cancellation takes effect. Reinstatement takes paperwork and time, and the lapse follows you into renewal pricing. Pay on time, and line up the new filing before switching insurers.

Intrastate carriers follow their state's rules. Each of our states (MD, VA, PA, NJ, FL, WV) sets its own requirements for intrastate commercial vehicles, so confirm with the state agency linked on its page. New authorities should read the filing timeline.

Make sure everyone is safe, call police when anyone is injured or vehicles must be towed, and photograph the scene, the vehicles, the load and the seal. Get the other parties' insurance information. Don't admit fault or sign anything except the police and inspection paperwork. Report the claim to your agent or insurer right away; most policies require prompt notice, and a late report can complicate coverage.

Under FMCSA rules (49 CFR 390.15), qualifying crashes must be recorded in your accident register, and drivers involved in certain crashes must be drug and alcohol tested under Part 382. For cargo, keep the bill of lading, delivery receipt notations, reefer download (if any) and photos. Exceptions noted at delivery are often what decides a cargo claim.

Brokers, shippers, warehouses and port equipment providers will ask for a certificate of insurance, often naming them as certificate holder or additional insured. Some also want a waiver of subrogation or specific limits. Send the contract to your agent before you sign, because a promise you make in a contract that your policy doesn't match is your problem, not the insurer's. Common requests include $1,000,000 auto liability, $100,000 cargo, general liability and trailer interchange for drayage.

Most coverage problems come from paperwork, not accidents. Add new trucks and drivers to the policy before they run, remove sold units, report radius or commodity changes, and pay installments on time. A cancellation for non-payment triggers an FMCSA filing cancellation and can take your authority down (see FMCSA insurance requirements). At renewal, request loss runs from your current insurer early so we can shop with them in hand.

Private carriers hauling their own goods don't need operating authority, but they still need a USDOT number, and the financial responsibility rules in Part 387 still apply to vehicles carrying hazardous materials. Passenger carriers have separate minimums of $1,500,000 or $5,000,000 depending on seating capacity (49 CFR 387.33). This site focuses on property carriers.

• FMCSA – Insurance requirements (49 CFR 387)
• eCFR – 49 CFR 387.9 financial responsibility minimums
• eCFR – 49 CFR 387.303, cargo security for household goods carriers
• eCFR – 49 CFR 387.307, property broker surety bond or trust fund