MC insurance requirements
$750,000 in liability for a for-hire carrier hauling general freight in trucks of 10,001 pounds or more, filed by your insurer with FMCSA before the MC authority is granted. Trucks under 10,001 pounds need $300,000. Oil and listed hazardous materials outside the top tier need $1,000,000, and bulk hazardous substances in cargo tanks, bulk explosives and highway route controlled radioactive loads need $5,000,000. Passenger carriers need $1,500,000 for 15 or fewer seats and $5,000,000 for 16 or more. There is no federal cargo minimum except for household goods. Brokers can set their own higher minimums on top of the federal floor.
Updated . Written by Andre Beukers, principal at Redoubt, a commercial insurance agency in Salt Lake City, not a government office.
What insurance do you need for MC authority?
Public liability, meaning bodily injury and property damage to others, in the amount FMCSA sets for your cargo and equipment. The limits come from 49 CFR 387.303T, and FMCSA's own filing page summarises them in a chart. The type of authority you apply for decides the number, so the first decision is what you will haul and in what. FMCSA puts it plainly: "Insurance requirements vary depending on the entity type (motor carrier, broker, freight forwarder) and the entity's type of operating authority(s), type of cargo, and vehicle type(s)."
These are minimums for the authority, not for the loads. A carrier with $750,000 has met FMCSA's floor; it has not necessarily met a broker's setup packet or a shipper contract. J.B. Hunt, on its own carrier page, gives the federal figure and then adds that "brokers may set their own requirements for minimum insurance coverage for contracted carriers." What brokers ask for, and how they check it, is covered on the trucking-company certificate page in this cluster.
- For-hire property, non-hazardous, 10,001 lb or more GVWR: $750,000
- For-hire property, non-hazardous, fleet of only vehicles under 10,001 lb: $300,000
- Oil, hazardous waste and listed hazardous materials, 10,001 lb or more: $1,000,000
- Bulk hazardous substances in cargo tanks, bulk explosives, poison gas Zone A, highway route controlled radioactive: $5,000,000
- Passengers, 15 or fewer seats including the driver: $1,500,000; 16 or more: $5,000,000
- Household goods: $750,000 liability plus cargo of $5,000 per vehicle and $10,000 per occurrence at one time and place
What are the MC number requirements?
An MC number is interstate operating authority, and FMCSA requires it in addition to a USDOT number for companies that haul federally regulated cargo owned by others for pay, or carry passengers for pay, across state lines. Private carriers hauling their own goods, and for-hire carriers hauling only exempt commodities, do not need one. The application costs $300 per type of authority, and FMCSA does not refund it.
Insurance is one of two filings, three for household goods movers, that have to be on file before FMCSA grants the authority. The regulation lists them: an insurance filing on Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X (or a BMC-82 surety bond), a BOC-3 naming process agents in each state, and, for household goods movers, a cargo filing. Both the insurance and the BOC-3 are due within 20 days of the date the application notice is published in the FMCSA Register. FMCSA estimates 20 to 25 business days for a new application through its registration system. The authority then does not become permanent until the carrier completes FMCSA's New Entrant Safety Assurance Program. The application steps themselves are on the how-to-get-an-MC-number page in this cluster.
- A USDOT number, which interstate carriers with a vehicle of 10,001 lb or more need regardless of authority
- The operating authority application and the $300 fee for each authority type
- Proof of liability insurance filed by the insurer on BMC-91 or BMC-91X
- Form BOC-3, the designation of process agents
- Household goods only: cargo insurance filed on BMC-34
Can you get an MC number without insurance?
You can apply without insurance; FMCSA expects the insurer's filing after the docket number is assigned, not before. But the authority will not be granted, and you cannot haul under it, until an insurer has filed proof with FMCSA. FMCSA's filing page: "FMCSA will not grant operating authority registration until the registrant has in effect the minimum levels of financial responsibility on file with FMCSA."
The clock starts when the application is published. The regulation, 49 CFR 365.109T, gives 20 days from publication. FMCSA's filing page adds what happens next: if the filing is not in within those 20 days, FMCSA serves a decision that the application will be dismissed unless the carrier complies within 60 days. That leaves room to shop for a policy after applying, but not much, and FMCSA does not refund application fees. The safer order is to have quotes in hand before you apply, and to bind as soon as the docket number is issued so the insurer can file against it.
FMCSA's page says a financial responsibility provider must file on the applicant's behalf, and insurers file electronically with FMCSA; Progressive, for one, issues the filing when you buy its policy. Have the policy quoted on the truck you will actually run, so the insurer can file the day the docket number arrives.
How much does MC authority insurance cost?
No regulator publishes a premium figure, and none we found breaks out new authorities. The closest published number is a carrier's own: Progressive Commercial says that in 2025 the new-policy premium per power unit, for liability and physical damage, on policies with no driver violations, averaged $926 a month (median $821) for its for-hire transport trucks, such as semis hauling various goods for others. Those are Progressive's own customers, not a market rate and not a figure for new authorities, and your quote depends on the truck, the commodity, the drivers and the limits you buy.
The other costs on the way to active authority are fees, not premium. FMCSA charges $300 for each operating authority applied for. The filing itself is part of the policy; Progressive says it will issue the filing when you buy the policy.
Is the MC insurance filing the same as a certificate of insurance?
No. The filing goes from your insurer to FMCSA on a federal form and is what activates the authority, while a certificate of insurance, such as an ACORD 25, goes from your agency to a broker, shipper or lender to show the coverage it asks for; the BMC-91 filing page in this cluster covers the difference in full.
What happens to MC authority if the insurance lapses?
FMCSA can start revocation proceedings. It requires granted carriers to keep proof of insurance and process agents on file "to avoid revocation proceedings." The federal policy forms are continuous until cancelled, and cancellation takes notice: 35 days between insurer and carrier under 49 CFR 387.7, and the insurer's cancellation of the filing is not effective until 30 days after FMCSA receives the BMC-35 notice. A carrier that changes insurers has to make sure the new filing posts before the old one drops off. Brokers are in the same position: under 49 CFR 387.307, FMCSA will not register a broker until the $75,000 bond or trust fund is in effect, and the registration lasts only as long as it does.
Is cargo insurance required for MC authority?
Not for general freight. FMCSA's chart lists $0 cargo for property carriers other than household goods movers; for them 49 CFR 387.303T(c) sets $5,000 per vehicle and $10,000 for losses at any one time and place. Brokers and shippers set their own cargo requirements.
Does a cargo van or small box truck need $750,000?
It depends on the weight rating. A fleet made up only of vehicles under 10,001 pounds GVWR hauling non-hazardous property needs $300,000. Once any vehicle in the fleet is 10,001 pounds or more, the $750,000 tier applies.
Do freight brokers need insurance for their MC number?
Brokers file a $75,000 surety bond (BMC-84) or trust fund (BMC-85) rather than auto liability. FMCSA will not register a broker until it is in effect.
Who files the BMC-91?
The insurer, electronically, through FMCSA's system. The carrier gives the insurer its docket number and exact legal name; the insurer files.
Where these answers come from
Each entry carries the exact words of the source so you can check it yourself. Forms and statutes change; read the current version before acting.
- 1. 49 CFR 387.303T(b)(2)(i), Security for the protection of the public: minimum limits, eCFR (current as of 2026-10-01)
“(i) Freight vehicles of 10,001 pounds (4,536 kilograms) or more GVWR Property (non-hazardous) $750,000”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Same section, (b)(1)(i): $300,000 for a fleet of only vehicles under 10,001 lb; (b)(1)(ii): $5,000,000 for 16 or more passengers, $1,500,000 for 15 or fewer; (b)(2)(ii) to (iv): $1,000,000 and $5,000,000 hazmat tiers; (c): household goods cargo $5,000 per motor vehicle and $10,000 at any one time and place. Quote is from the eCFR table rendered as text. - 2. FMCSA, Insurance Filing Requirements, overview (Wayback copy of 2026-06-17; fmcsa.dot.gov returns 403 to scripted requests)
“Insurance requirements vary depending on the entity type (motor carrier, broker, freight forwarder) and the entity’s type of operating authority(s), type of cargo, and vehicle type(s).”
web.archive.org, accessed October 3, 2026. The same page's chart lists $5,000 cargo for household goods carriers, $0 cargo for other property carriers, and a $75,000 BMC-84 or BMC-85 for brokers. - 3. FMCSA, Insurance Filing Requirements, overview
“FMCSA will not grant operating authority registration until the registrant has in effect the minimum levels of financial responsibility on file with FMCSA.”
web.archive.org, accessed October 3, 2026 - 4. FMCSA, Insurance Filing Requirements, who should file and when
“If the entity fails to comply within 20 days from the date of publication in the FMCSA Register, an FMCSA decision will be served notifying the entity that their application will be dismissed unless they comply with the requirements within 60 days.”
web.archive.org, accessed October 3, 2026 - 5. FMCSA, Insurance Filing Requirements, who should file and when
“New entities registering with the Agency for the first time should be prepared to contact their financial responsibility provider to request filing of the required forms immediately after obtaining their designated docket number.”
web.archive.org, accessed October 3, 2026. The next sentence on the page: "Once an entity applies for Operating Authority (MC/FF/MX), a financial responsibility provider must file the appropriate insurance form(s) on behalf of the applicant." - 6. FMCSA, Insurance Filing Requirements, name and address match
“match exactly the name and address provided in their application for operating authority filings. Any deviation results in the delay of granting of the authority.”
web.archive.org, accessed October 3, 2026 - 7. FMCSA, Insurance Filing Requirements, overview
“Once operating authority is granted, entities are required to maintain proof of insurance and designation of agents for process on file with FMCSA to avoid revocation proceedings.”
web.archive.org, accessed October 3, 2026 - 11. FMCSA, Do I Need a USDOT Number? (Wayback copy of 2026-09-22)
“Companies that operate commercial vehicles transporting passengers or hauling cargo in interstate commerce must be registered with the FMCSA and must have a USDOT Number.”
web.archive.org, accessed October 3, 2026 - 12. 49 CFR 365.109T(a)(5) and (6), FMCSA review of the application, eCFR
“Financial responsibility is indicated by filing within 20 days from the date an application notice is published in the FMCSA Register: (i) Form BMC-91 or 91X or BMC 82 surety bond—Bodily injury and property damage”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. 365.109 (the 90-day version) is suspended; 365.109T is in effect. Paragraph (a)(6) puts the BOC-3 on the same 20 days; (a)(5)(iii) lists BMC-34 cargo for household goods. - 13. 49 CFR 365.110, Need to complete New Entrant Safety Assurance Program, eCFR
“operating authority obtained under procedures in this part does not become permanent until the applicant satisfactorily completes the New Entrant Safety Assurance Program”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 14. 49 CFR 387.301T(a)(1), Surety bond, certificate of insurance, or other securities, eCFR
“no certificate or permit shall be issued to such a carrier or remain in force unless and until there shall have been filed with and accepted by the FMCSA surety bonds, certificates of insurance”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 15. 49 CFR 387.7(b)(1), Financial responsibility required, eCFR
“Policies of insurance, surety bonds, and endorsements required under this section shall remain in effect continuously until terminated. Cancellation may be effected by the insurer or the insured motor carrier giving 35 days' notice in writing to the other.”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 16. 49 CFR 387.313T(d), Cancellation notice, eCFR
“surety bonds, certificates of insurance and other securities or agreements shall not be cancelled or withdrawn until 30 days after written notice has been submitted to the FMCSA”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. The notice is Form BMC-35 for insurance. - 17. 49 CFR 387.15, Forms (MCS-90 and MCS-82), eCFR
“The endorsement and surety bond shall be issued in the exact name of the motor carrier.”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 18. 49 CFR 387.323T(a), Electronic filing of certificates of insurance, eCFR
“Insurers may, at their option and in accordance with the requirements and procedures set forth in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, file forms BMC 34, BMC 35, BMC 36, BMC 82, BMC 83, BMC 84, BMC 85, BMC 91, and BMC 91X electronically”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 19. 49 CFR 387.307(a), Property broker surety bond or trust fund, eCFR
“A broker must have a surety bond or trust fund of $75,000 in effect. FMCSA will not register a broker until a surety bond or trust fund for the full limits of liability prescribed herein is in effect. The broker registration shall remain in effect only as long as a surety bond or trust fund remains in effect”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 20. J.B. Hunt, Carrier requirements and onboarding, basic requirements: insurance
“The USDOT requirement for auto liability insurance coverage for freight motor carriers is $750,000. However, brokers may set their own requirements for minimum insurance coverage for contracted carriers.”
jbhunt.com, accessed October 3, 2026. A broker's statement about its own carrier requirements. - 21. J.B. Hunt, Carrier requirements and onboarding, types of coverage
“There is no USDOT requirement for maintaining cargo insurance for freight motor carriers, only carriers who transport household goods.”
jbhunt.com, accessed October 3, 2026. The same page: trailer interchange requirements "vary by company and there is no USDOT requirement". - 22. Progressive Commercial, How we process commercial insurance filings
“With our automated process, filings are usually completed within 48 hours after you call us.”
progressivecommercial.com, accessed October 3, 2026. A carrier's statement about its own filing process. - 23. Progressive Commercial, Insurance filings
“When you purchase a policy from Progressive, we'll issue a filing for you. Once you file for authority, we can take care of the rest.”
progressivecommercial.com, accessed October 3, 2026 - 24. Progressive Commercial, Commercial auto insurance cost (2025 customer averages)
“For-hire transport trucks have an average monthly premium of $926. These trucks are usually heavy freight trucks, like semis, that haul various goods for others.”
progressivecommercial.com, accessed October 3, 2026. The page's footnote to these figures reads: "2025 new policy premium per power unit for liability and physical damage coverage for policies with no driver violations." The table gives an $821/month median for For-Hire Transport Truck.
FMCSA will not activate the authority without the filing
The insurer's BMC-91 filing that gates an MC number, and how it differs from a certificate.
Elsewhere on the site
Applying for authority, or already have a docket number?
Text Redoubt your docket number, what you will haul and in what truck, and the date you want to run your first load. We will tell you what has to be filed, in what order, and what the brokers you plan to work with will ask for.
This is general insurance information, not legal advice or a coverage determination. The policy forms, the endorsements the carrier issues, and the holder’s written requirement control.