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State guide

Start and run a trucking company in Florida

Florida runs one of the lightest state layers in trucking. The state issues no separate intrastate operating authority and no state carrier number. Intrastate carriers register for a federal USDOT number instead, and FDOT sells oversize permits that carriers self-issue online. Every figure on these pages comes from an official Florida source.

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 25, 2026

The short answer

State authority
Not required

State agency Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV)

Every figure above is a sourced agency fact, checked Jul 25, 2026.How we verify

Everything Florida requires, in order

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

First, the federal side

Identical in every state, and not part of the Florida 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

What Florida asks of a new carrier

The list is shorter than in most states. A carrier hauling only inside Florida registers for a USDOT number, meets the state insurance minimums for its weight class, and follows size and weight law. A carrier crossing state lines adds federal operating authority, IRP apportioned plates, and an IFTA fuel license, the last two administered through FLHSMV in Tallahassee. Here is the split, page by page.

Where Florida stands out

Two things surprise carriers moving in from other states. First, there is no state authority application and no state fee for one, because the program does not exist. Second, oversize and overweight permits cost far less than the national norm and can be issued by the carrier itself through FDOT's online permit system. The permit pages carry the sourced fee tables.

How to read these pages

Every table cell on the Florida pages names its agency source, and a cell marked as not confirmed means the agency published nothing we could verify. When prose and a sourced field ever disagree, trust the field. Start with the launch guide, then open the permit, IFTA, and IRP pages as they apply to your operation.

Florida filing walkthroughs

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

Free calculators that cover Florida

Frequently asked questions

Does Florida require its own trucking authority for in-state work?

No. Florida has no separate intrastate operating authority program and assigns no state carrier number. State law points intrastate carriers to the federal USDOT number, which FLHSMV enforces on Florida roads. The intrastate authority page carries the statute citations and the sourced details.

Which agencies matter for a Florida trucking company?

Two do most of the work. FLHSMV handles USDOT number enforcement, IFTA fuel licensing, and IRP apportioned registration through its commercial vehicle bureau in Tallahassee. FDOT issues oversize and overweight permits through its State Permits Office. Each page names the office, contact, and source.

Does Florida charge a weight-distance tax?

No. Florida levies no weight-distance tax on carriers. Fuel tax settles through the quarterly IFTA return in the normal way, and registration settles through IRP. Only a handful of states charge by the mile, and our national weight-distance page lists them.

What makes Florida a light-touch state for carriers?

The missing paperwork. There is no state authority filing, no state carrier number, and no weight-distance tax, and the oversize permit schedule prices trip permits at some of the lowest levels in the country. The sourced quirks list on the permits page walks each difference.

Sources for this page

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

  1. Florida USDOT Numbers · Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), Florida Highway Patrol Commercial Vehicle Enforcement

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.