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State guide

Start and run a trucking company in Minnesota

Minnesota splits trucking compliance between two agencies. MnDOT issues the free, non-expiring certificate of registration for for-hire freight and the oversize permits, while DPS Driver and Vehicle Services runs IRP, IFTA and the CDL. Every fee, limit and deadline on these pages comes from one of those agencies or a Minnesota statute.

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Sep 28, 2026

The short answer

State authority
Required
State filing fee
From $0
USDOT number
Required first

Issued by Minnesota Department of Transportation, Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations

Credential Motor Carrier of Property Certificate of Registration

What these terms cover

State filing fee: No fee. The 2026 Resource Book fee table lists the motor carrier of property application at $0 with no vehicle registration fee, on both new and renewal tables, and property carriers file no renewal application. Other Minnesota authorities do charge: see the fee schedule.

USDOT number: MnDOT lists a USDOT number as step two of getting a certificate of registration, and the 2026 Resource Book states all carriers applying for Minnesota operating authority must obtain one from FMCSA. An intrastate USDOT number costs nothing; MnDOT does not issue USDOT numbers.

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

Everything Minnesota requires, in order

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

First, the federal side

Identical in every state, and not part of the Minnesota 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 Minnesota organizes trucking compliance

Two counters, one for the carrier and one for the truck. The MnDOT Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations owns the carrier side: the motor carrier of property certificate of registration, the Initial Motor Carrier Contact education every new carrier must finish, and the oversize and overweight permit system.

DPS Driver and Vehicle Services owns the truck and the driver. Its IRP and IFTA office in St. Paul, which Minnesota also calls Prorate, issues apportioned plates and the fuel tax licence from one account, and DVS exam stations give the CDL tests. So plan on MnDOT for authority and permits, and DVS for plates, fuel tax and licences.

What you will find here

The intrastate authority page covers the certificate of registration: who needs it, the exemptions in Minn. Stat. 221.025, the Form E insurance filing, and the education deadline that can void a new registration. The permits pages cover legal size and weight, single trip and job permits, the per-mile damage fee, escorts, and Minnesota's travel bans.

The IFTA and IRP pages cover the shared DVS office, quarterly returns, and the February expiry every Minnesota apportioned registration shares. Four more Minnesota pages sit beside them: the CDL page, the USDOT number page, trip and fuel permits, and insurance requirements.

Each figure on those pages is a data field tied to the agency page, manual or statute it was read from. Where an agency publishes nothing, we say so instead of guessing.

Minnesota filing walkthroughs

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

Free calculators that cover Minnesota

Frequently asked questions

Does Minnesota require its own operating authority?

Yes, for hauling property for hire inside Minnesota, unless the haul is one of the exempt kinds in Minn. Stat. 221.025. The credential is a MnDOT certificate of registration. Our Minnesota intrastate authority page walks the filing, insurance and education steps with sources.

Which agencies handle trucking compliance in Minnesota?

MnDOT's Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations handles the certificate of registration, the carrier education program and oversize or overweight permits. DPS Driver and Vehicle Services handles IRP, IFTA, trip and fuel permits, and the CDL.

Do I need a USDOT number before the Minnesota paperwork?

In most cases, yes. Minnesota requires truck owners above its published weight line to report a USDOT number when they register the vehicle, and MnDOT lists the USDOT number as step two of getting a certificate of registration. Our Minnesota DOT number page carries the trigger and the statute.

Does Minnesota charge a weight-distance tax?

No. Minnesota levies no weight-distance or mileage tax on trucks, so there is no third return to file beside IFTA and IRP.

Where do the numbers on these Minnesota pages come from?

Each fee, limit and deadline is a data field tied to the MnDOT or DPS page, the 2026 Commercial Vehicle Resource Book, or the Minnesota statute it was read from, with a source marker you can open. Anything the agencies leave unpublished is labeled as unconfirmed.

Sources

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

  1. Motor carriers of property (Commercial Vehicle Operations) · Minnesota Department of Transportation
  2. Minnesota Commercial Vehicle Resource Book 2026, Section 02 - Intrastate Carrier (operating authority, exemptions, fee tables, insurance by carrier type, printed pages 21 to 30) · Minnesota Department of Transportation, Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations

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.