Does Missouri require intrastate operating authority for for-hire trucking?

Yes. Every for-hire carrier of property or passengers operating wholly in Missouri needs it unless RSMo 390.030 exempts the operation.

Do private carriers need Missouri authority?

No. Private carriers hauling their own goods inside Missouri need no intrastate authority; in interstate commerce they register under UCR.

What insurance does Missouri require for intrastate carriers?

Split limits for bodily injury and property damage, higher limits for passenger and hazmat carriers, and cargo coverage for household goods. The amounts are in the table on this page.

Missouri Intrastate Operating Authority

By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Oct 6, 2026

Missouri requires intrastate operating authority from MoDOT Motor Carrier Services for every for-hire carrier of property or passengers operating wholly within the state, unless RSMo 390.030 exempts the operation. Interstate authority does not cover it. Carriers get a USDOT number, apply online in MoDOT Carrier Express, and have their insurer file Form E or a Form G bond for at least $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident and $50,000 property damage. Carriers outside the Unified Carrier Registration program pay $10 per power unit each year for a license decal. Private carriers hauling their own goods inside Missouri need no authority.

The Missouri requirements table

Authority required: Yes
Agency: MoDOT Motor Carrier Services (830 MoDOT Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65102; 1-866-831-6277; contactmcs@modot.mo.gov)
Program name: Missouri Intrastate Operating Authority
State carrier number: Missouri issues no separately named carrier number; authority is granted against the USDOT number in MoDOT Carrier Express.
Application: Online application in MoDOT Carrier Express (www.modot.org/mce), after a new customer application. The insurer files proof of insurance electronically. Passenger carriers add a financial statement and may need a tariff of rates and charges.
Recorded fee: From $10; every charge is listed below
Renewal: Authorized carriers not in UCR renew a $10 license decal for every power unit each year in MoDOT Carrier Express. All authorized carriers keep Form E on file, and passenger and household goods carriers submit an annual financial statement.
Statute: RSMo 390.030 (exemptions); 7 CSR 265-10.030 (insurance)

Authority fee schedule

Missouri charges a fixed amount per filing rather than pricing registration by term. Each charge below is set by its own statute or rule section.

Missouri motor carrier authority fees by charge
Charge	Fee	Notes
Annual license decal, per power unit (carriers not in UCR)	$10	Renewed every year in MoDOT Carrier Express.

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Who the requirement covers

GVWR threshold: NoneMoDOT states the authority requirement by type of operation, not weight: all for-hire carriers of property or passengers in intrastate commerce must apply. RSMo 390.030 exempts listed operations, including freight vehicles licensed for 6,000 lbs or less. The separate federal-safety-rule trigger of 26,001 lbs appears on the USDOT page.
For-hire only: YesPrivate carriers hauling only their own goods inside Missouri need no intrastate authority; private carriers in interstate commerce register under UCR.
Property carriers: Yes
Passenger carriers: Yes
Household goods: Yes
Hazmat: YesHazmat carriers need authority on the same for-hire basis and carry higher insurance: $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 depending on the material, for vehicles of 10,001 lbs or more GVWR.
Farm vehicles: RSMo 390.030 exempts vehicles used only to haul livestock, farm or dairy products, agricultural limestone or fertilizer to farms, property from farm to farm, raw forest products from the farm, or cotton products.

Missouri insurance minimums

State minimums can differ from the federal filing levels; the federal side is covered in our insurance filings guide.

Liability minimum: Missouri states its property-carrier minimum as split limits rather than a single figure. Under 7 CSR 265-10.030 a for-hire property or household goods carrier without hazmat files at least $100,000 for injury or death of one person, $300,000 for one accident and $50,000 property damage for one accident. Hazmat carriers with vehicles of 10,001 lbs or more GVWR need $1,000,000 (oil and listed hazardous materials) or $5,000,000 (the highest-risk materials).
By operation type: See the operation-type table below
Cargo minimum: $2,500 (Household goods cargo coverage of $2,500 for loss or damage on any one vehicle and $5,000 aggregate at any one time and place, filed on Form H or J. A shipper and contract carrier may agree in writing to different limits or waive cargo insurance.)
Differs from federal: Yes

Minimum liability by operation type

General freight is not the floor for every carrier. Hazmat and larger passenger operations carry higher minimums; buy against the row that matches what you haul.

Missouri minimum liability coverage by operation type
Operation type	Minimum liability	Notes
Property or household goods, no hazardous materials	See note	$100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, $50,000 property damage.
Passenger, 12 or fewer capacity	See note	$100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, $50,000 property damage.
Passenger, more than 12 capacity	See note	$100,000 per person, $500,000 per accident, $50,000 property damage.
Oil and listed hazardous materials, vehicles 10,001 lbs GVWR or more	$1,000,000
Highest-risk hazardous materials (bulk explosives, Zone A, highway route controlled radioactive)	$5,000,000

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Other Missouri insurance requirements

Cargo scope: Household goods carriers only

Insurance filing forms

Your insurance company makes these filings with the state, not you.

Liability proof: Form E (certificate of insurance) or Form G (surety bond), filed by the insurer electronically through MoDOT Carrier Express with MoDOT named as the filing agency.
Household goods cargo: Form H (cargo certificate) or Form J (cargo surety bond).
Cancellation: Form K or Form L, with at least 10 days' notice to MoDOT.
Note: The insurer must be authorized to do business in Missouri. Faxed and mailed copies are accepted only on a limited basis.

More Missouri authority rules

USDOT prerequisite: value: Yes
USDOT prerequisite: note: MoDOT requires a USDOT number before the authority application.

Who needs Missouri authority

All for-hire carriers of property or passengers in intrastate commerce must apply. Your interstate authority does not cover point-to-point hauls inside Missouri. RSMo 390.030 exempts some operations, such as farm product and livestock hauling and small freight vehicles.

Applying and fees

Apply online in MoDOT Carrier Express. Passenger carriers add a financial statement and may need a tariff. MoDOT lists no application fee; carriers outside UCR pay a license decal fee for each power unit every year.

Insurance minimums and filings

Missouri sets split limits for injury per person, injury per accident and property damage. Passenger and hazmat carriers carry more, and household goods carriers add cargo coverage. Your insurer files Form E, or a surety files Form G, with MoDOT named as the filing agency.

Renewal

Keep Form E on file at all times. Carriers outside UCR renew a decal for every power unit each year, and passenger and household goods carriers file an annual financial statement.

Where this fits in the Missouri launch

A cell reading "Not confirmed" means the stored record does not confirm the value. It does not establish that the agency publishes none. Read the field note and source for scope and exceptions. For the full launch order, work through start a trucking company in Missouri, 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.