By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 19, 2026
The Kentucky requirements table
- Application
- Application filed through the Motor Carrier Portal (apps.transportation.ky.gov/MotorCarrierPortal). The division publishes step-by-step Motor Carrier Portal instructions for the Intrastate Carrier Authority (ICA) application. Consumer complaints against carriers use form TC 95-622.
- Filing fee
- The application/certificate fee is not published on the Division of Motor Carriers Inter/Intrastate Carriers page; recorded as null rather than invented.
Who the requirement covers
Kentucky insurance minimums
State minimums can differ from the federal filing levels; the federal side is covered in our insurance filings guide.
- Liability minimum
- An insurance carrier authorized to transact business in Kentucky must file a Form E (Uniform Motor Carrier Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Certificate) proving liability coverage that complies with KRS 281.655. The specific minimum dollar amount is set by KRS 281.655 and is not stated on the authority page; recorded as null rather than invented.
Who needs Kentucky intrastate authority
The trigger is the nature of the work, not a single weight figure. If you transport another party's goods within Kentucky for compensation, you need the intrastate for-hire certificate. Private carriers hauling their own goods, passenger operations, and household goods movers follow different rules, with passenger and household goods carriers handled as separate authority regimes by the same division.
Kentucky does not issue a state carrier number of its own. You are identified by your USDOT number, your KYU number where the weight distance tax applies, and the authority certificate itself.
Insurance and how you apply
Your insurance company makes the state filing, not you. An insurer authorized in Kentucky files a Form E to prove liability coverage that meets the statute. The application itself goes through the Motor Carrier Portal, and the division publishes step-by-step instructions for the intrastate carrier authority application.
Here is the honest part on numbers. Kentucky governs the liability minimum by statute but does not print the dollar amount on the authority page, and it does not publish the certificate fee there either. Rather than guess, both sit in the data as unconfirmed with a note. When the state publishes them, the fields get filled and dated.
Keeping the certificate current
Kentucky maintains intrastate authority through the same Motor Carrier Portal you applied in. The division did not publish a fixed renewal interval on its authority page, so we do not state one rather than repeat an unverified cycle. Keep your insurance filing active, since a lapse in the Form E on file is the common way authority goes inactive.
Where this fits in the Kentucky launch
A cell reading "Not confirmed" means the agency did not publish a figure we could verify, so we left it open rather than guessed. For the full launch order, work through start a trucking company in Kentucky, 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.
Frequently asked questions
Does Kentucky require intrastate operating authority?
- Yes, for for-hire carriers. A business that transports another party's property inside Kentucky for payment must hold an intrastate authority certificate from the Division of Motor Carriers. Private carriers hauling their own freight are treated differently.
What insurance does Kentucky require?
- Liability coverage that meets the state statute, filed by your insurer on a Form E. Kentucky sets the minimum by statute but does not publish the dollar amount on its authority page, so we record it as unconfirmed rather than invent one.
Does Kentucky issue a state carrier number?
- No. Kentucky assigns no state carrier number of its own. Carriers are identified by their USDOT number, their KYU number where the weight distance tax applies, and their intrastate authority certificate.
How much does the certificate cost?
- The Division of Motor Carriers does not publish the certificate fee on its authority page, so we show it as unconfirmed rather than guess. Budget for the insurance your carrier files and the federal costs, which are the amounts you can pin down up front.
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.