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State guide

Start and run a trucking company in Connecticut

Connecticut issues no operating authority for general freight. It regulates trucks by weight instead: at its own intrastate line, a truck needs a USDOT number, yearly insurance proof to the DMV and compliance with the federal safety rules the state adopts. Heavy trucks also owe a per-mile Highway Use Fee to the Department of Revenue Services.

By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Sep 28, 2026

The short answer

State authority
Not required
USDOT number
Required first

State agency Connecticut Department of Transportation, Bureau of Public Transportation, Regulatory and Compliance Unit (household goods carrier certificates); Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles (intrastate USDOT number, insurance reporting and FMCSR enforcement)

Credential Intrastate USDOT number (C.G.S. 14-163c), plus a CTDOT certificate of public convenience and necessity for household goods carriers

What these terms cover

USDOT number: For an intrastate freight carrier the USDOT number is itself the Connecticut requirement once a vehicle reaches 18,001 pounds, obtained online from FMCSA.

Every figure above is a sourced agency fact, checked Sep 28, 2026.How we verify

Everything Connecticut requires, in order

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

First, the federal side

Identical in every state, and not part of the Connecticut 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
  3. Weight-distance taxMileage tax rates and filing

How Connecticut organizes trucking compliance

Three agencies split the work. The Department of Motor Vehicles enforces the intrastate USDOT rule, collects the yearly insurance proof, runs apportioned registration from its IRP Unit in Wethersfield, licenses commercial drivers and hosts the Commercial Vehicle Operations portal. The Department of Transportation issues oversize and overweight permits and certifies household goods movers. The Department of Revenue Services licenses IFTA carriers, registers intrastate trucks for the motor carrier road tax and collects the Highway Use Fee, all through myconneCT.

For a general freight hauler, that means no state authority application at all. The work is the USDOT number, the insurance filing, and, once you cross state lines, IRP plates and an IFTA license.

What you will find here

The intrastate authority page covers the USDOT weight line, the insurance report and the household goods certificate. The permits pages cover the legal limits, the permit fees priced by weight, the escort table and the long holiday blackouts. The IFTA page covers myconneCT filing and the intrastate road tax registration, and the IRP page covers the Wethersfield office, the place of business proofs and staggered renewals.

Every figure on those pages is tied to the DMV, CTDOT or DRS page or the Connecticut statute it came from. Where an agency does not publish a fact, we say so plainly instead of guessing.

Connecticut filing walkthroughs

Step-by-step articles for the recurring Connecticut filings, written against the same sourced records as the pages above.

Free calculators that cover Connecticut

Frequently asked questions

Does Connecticut require its own trucking authority?

Not for general freight. Connecticut dropped general property from its certificate system in 1995 and now certifies only household goods movers, through CTDOT. What it does require of an intrastate freight carrier is a USDOT number at its own weight line, yearly proof of insurance to the DMV and compliance with the adopted federal safety rules.

Which agencies handle trucking compliance in Connecticut?

The DMV handles the USDOT rule, insurance reporting, IRP plates and CDLs. CTDOT issues oversize and overweight permits and household goods certificates. The Department of Revenue Services runs IFTA, the intrastate road tax registration and the Highway Use Fee.

Do I need a USDOT number if I never leave Connecticut?

Yes, once a truck reaches the state's intrastate weight line, carries placarded hazmat, or is a larger passenger vehicle. Connecticut's line sits above the federal interstate line and below the CDL line, so a mid-size straight truck can need a USDOT number without needing a CDL.

What is the Connecticut Highway Use Fee?

A per-mile fee on heavy trucks, charged since the start of 2023, charged by gross weight on vehicles in the heavier federal vehicle classes. Carriers register with DRS and file every quarter in myconneCT, even for a quarter with no Connecticut miles. It sits on top of IFTA fuel tax.

Sources

The official sources used on this page. Check the current instructions before you file or pay.

  1. Get or update a DOT number in CT · Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles

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.