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State guide

Start and run a trucking company in Colorado

Colorado requires its own intrastate operating authority for for-hire carriers through the Colorado Public Service Commission (PSC), on top of the federal USDOT Number. The pages below walk each piece, and every fee or limit comes from an official agency page.

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Aug 27, 2026

The short answer

State authority
Not required
USDOT number
Required first

State agency Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC)

What these terms cover

USDOT number: Colorado adopted FMCSR Part 390 for intrastate carriers (42-4-235(4)(a) C.R.S.). A USDOT number is required for any vehicle meeting the CMV definition operated in intrastate or interstate commerce; the intrastate CMV threshold is a GVWR/GCWR of at least 16,001 lbs (vs 10,001 lbs interstate). Intrastate-only carriers must mark vehicles with the USDOT number followed by the suffix 'CO'.

Every figure above is a sourced agency fact, checked Aug 27, 2026.How we verify

Everything Colorado requires, in order

Each step is its own page, with the Colorado figures read from the agency that publishes them.

First, the federal side

Identical in every state, and not part of the Colorado sequence below: get your own authority, USDOT number, Form 2290, and what it all costs.

Before you file

  1. Start a trucking companyFederal steps plus this state, in order
  2. DOT numberState USDOT triggers and carrier numbers
  3. CDLLicense fees, testing, endorsements

State credentials

  1. Intrastate authorityState operating authority: rule, agency, fee
  2. Insurance requirementsState liability minimums and insurer filings

Plates, fuel tax and trip permits

  1. IRP registrationApportioned plates and cab cards
  2. IFTAFuel tax license, decals, filing
  3. Trip and fuel permitsTemporary IRP and IFTA permits

Permits and state taxes

  1. Trucking permitsEvery state permit a carrier may need
  2. Oversize permitsLegal limits, permit fees, escorts

How Colorado organizes trucking compliance

The Colorado Public Service Commission, Motor Carrier Services Section, issues intrastate operating authority and regulates for-hire motor carriers. Oversize and overweight permits run through the Colorado Law Enforcement Agency (COLO), and IFTA plus apportioned plates are administered by the Colorado Department of Revenue. Expect separate accounts with each agency along the way.

What you will find here

The intrastate authority page owns the Colorado answer: who needs PSC authority, the filing steps, and the insurance minimums. The permits pages cover legal size limits, single-trip and annual oversize/overweight permits, and escorts. The IFTA and IRP pages cover base-state licensing through the Department of Revenue. Every figure is a data field tied to the agency page it came from.

Free calculators that cover Colorado

Frequently asked questions

Does Colorado require its own operating authority?

Yes. For-hire motor carriers transporting property or passengers in intrastate commerce must obtain operating authority from the Colorado Public Service Commission, Motor Carrier Services Section. The triggers turn on for-hire operation; our Colorado intrastate authority page walks the requirements with sources.

Which agencies handle trucking compliance in Colorado?

The PSC Motor Carrier Services Section issues intrastate operating authority. COLO handles oversize and overweight permits. The Colorado Department of Revenue administers IFTA and IRP apportioned registration. Plan on separate accounts with each.

Do I need a USDOT Number before the Colorado paperwork?

Yes. A USDOT Number is a prerequisite for federal and most state trucking credentials, and Colorado intrastate authority applications reference it. Interstate carriers also need federal operating authority before the state steps make sense.

Where do the numbers on these Colorado pages come from?

Every fee, limit, and deadline is a data field tied to the PSC, COLO, or Department of Revenue page it was read from, with a source marker you can open. Anything the agencies leave unpublished is labeled as unconfirmed rather than guessed at.

Sources for this page

The official pages behind the figures above. Fees and rules change, so check the source before you file.

  1. Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 40, Article 10.1 (Motor Carriers), including 40-10.1-105 Transportation not subject to regulation · Colorado General Assembly, Office of Legislative Legal Services

Haul Handbook publishes educational information about trucking registration and compliance requirements. This is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Rules, fees, and deadlines change; confirm with the agency before you file or pay.