By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Oct 6, 2026
The Alabama requirements table
- State carrier number
- Alabama issues no separate carrier number. The PSC issues a certificate or permit and registers each vehicle on Form B2 (vehicle registration numbers) or Form B3 (decals).
- Application
- Property carrier: APSC Form 14A. Household goods: Form 14H. The PSC sends forms on request by phone at 334-242-5176 or email to mcs.ued@psc.alabama.gov.
- Renewal
- The PSC motor carrier pages publish no renewal cycle for a property certificate or permit. What they require on an ongoing basis is proof of liability and cargo insurance kept on file, an annual report by April 30 from household goods carriers and non-charter passenger carriers, and an approved tariff from those same carriers.
Recorded fee schedule by authority type
Alabama records fees by authority type. Read each row and its notes for the fee basis, recurrence, vehicle unit and exemptions; a listed amount is not necessarily an application fee.
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Who the requirement covers
- GVWR threshold
- NoneThe PSC authority requirement has no weight threshold: it turns on carrying passengers, property or household goods for compensation between two points in Alabama. The 26,000 pound line ALEA uses is for the intrastate USDOT number, not PSC authority.
- For-hire only
- YesAuthority is required when passengers, property or household goods are carried by motor vehicle for compensation from one point in Alabama to another, unless exempted by law. A broker license is required to arrange intrastate property moves for compensation. Exemptions are in the PSC motor carrier rules 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 and in Code of Alabama Section 37-3-4.
Alabama insurance minimums
State minimums can differ from the federal filing levels; the federal side is covered in our insurance filings guide.
- Liability minimum
- $350,000 (The PSC table for property carriers sets $100,000 bodily injury for one person, $300,000 bodily injury for more than one person and $50,000 property damage, which the table totals as a $350,000 combined minimum. Self-insurance must equal five times the combined amount and needs Commission approval.)
Minimum liability by operation type
General freight is not the floor for every carrier. Hazmat and larger passenger operations carry higher minimums; buy against the row that matches what you haul.
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Other Alabama insurance requirements
Insurance filing forms
Your insurance company makes these filings with the state, not you.
- Liability proof
- Proof of liability insurance filed and kept on file with the PSC by every regulated carrier
- Note
- Filings must use the full and correct name on the PSC certificate or permit and a physical address, not a post office box. Name or address changes go to the PSC at 334-242-5176 or mcs.ued@psc.alabama.gov. The insurance rules are in PSC Motor Carrier Rules 770-X-10-.04-.01 through 770-X-10-.04-.10.
More Alabama authority rules
Who needs PSC operating authority
The trigger is pay. Hauling passengers, property or household goods for compensation from one Alabama point to another needs a PSC certificate or permit, whatever the truck weighs. Arranging those moves for pay needs a broker license. Private carriers moving their own goods are outside the rule, and the exemptions sit in the PSC motor carrier rules and the Code of Alabama.
Filing and fees
Property carriers apply on Form 14A and household goods carriers on Form 14H. The PSC mails the forms on request, and it takes payment by cashier's check or money order only. On top of the filing fee, each truck gets a PSC registration number or decal for a per-vehicle fee. The fee table on this page lists each amount from the PSC forms page.
Insurance minimums and filings
Every PSC carrier keeps liability insurance on file, and property and household goods carriers add cargo coverage. The PSC sets its minimums by operation type in split limits, and they are far lower than the federal interstate floor. The minimums table on this page lists each operation with its amount.
Keeping authority active
The PSC publishes no renewal cycle for a property certificate. Keep your insurance filings current under the exact name on the certificate, with a street address. Household goods and non-charter passenger carriers also file an annual report and keep a tariff on file.
Where this fits in the Alabama launch
A cell reading "Not confirmed" means the stored record does not confirm the value. It does not establish that the agency publishes none. Read the field note and source for scope and exceptions. For the full launch order, work through start a trucking company in Alabama, then line up IRP registration and IFTA if you run beyond state lines. To compare every state at once, see the national intrastate authority table.