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State guide

Start and run a trucking company in Texas

Texas layers its own carrier credential, the TxDMV Number, on top of the federal paperwork, and it splits the work between two agencies: TxDMV for registration, permits, and apportioned plates, and the Comptroller for fuel tax. The pages below walk each piece, and every fee or limit on them comes from an official agency page.

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 18, 2026

The short answer

State authority
Required

Weight trigger 26,000 lb GVWR, among others

State filing fee
From $100
USDOT number
Required first

Issued by Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Carrier Division

Credential Motor Carrier Registration (TxDMV Number)

What these terms cover

State filing fee: Annual term: $100 application fee plus $10 per vehicle plus a $100 insurance filing fee (Form E). Other terms: 7-day ($5 application), 90-day ($25 application), biennial ($100 application with $20 per vehicle). The $10 per-vehicle fee applies to the 7-day, 90-day, and annual terms; the $100 insurance filing fee applies to all terms. Household goods movers pay an additional $100 filing fee for each of Forms H and I.

USDOT number: TxDMV requires a valid USDOT Number before a carrier can apply for a TxDMV Number, including intrastate-only carriers.

Every figure above is a sourced agency fact, checked Jul 18, 2026.How we verify

Everything Texas requires, in order

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

First, the federal side

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

Two agencies share the job. The TxDMV Motor Carrier Division issues the TxDMV Number, oversize and overweight permits, and apportioned plates. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts runs IFTA on its own, with its own forms and its own filing system.

Expect four separate online portals along the way: eLINC for the initial motor carrier application, MCCS for managing that registration afterward, TxPROS for permits and routing, and TxFLEET for apportioned plates. Each Texas page on this site tells you which portal owns the step you are on.

What you will find here

The intrastate authority page owns the TxDMV Number answer: who needs it, the term options, the fee table, and the insurance filings. The permits pages cover legal size limits, single-trip and annual envelope permits, escorts, and curfews. The IFTA and IRP pages cover base-state licensing, quarterly filing, and apportioned plates through TxFLEET.

Every figure on those pages is a data field tied to the TxDMV or Comptroller page it came from. Where an agency does not publish a fact, we say so plainly instead of guessing.

Texas filing walkthroughs

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

Free calculators that cover Texas

Frequently asked questions

Does Texas require its own operating authority?

Yes. Texas requires motor carrier registration, the TxDMV Number, issued by the TxDMV Motor Carrier Division. The registration triggers turn on vehicle weight, passenger capacity, placarded hazmat, and household goods moves, so most working carriers need it. Our Texas intrastate authority page walks the triggers, terms, and fees with sources.

Which agencies handle trucking compliance in Texas?

The TxDMV Motor Carrier Division handles motor carrier registration, oversize and overweight permits, and apportioned registration. The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts administers IFTA. Plan on separate accounts with each.

Do I need federal registration before the Texas paperwork?

Yes. TxDMV requires a valid USDOT Number before you can apply for a TxDMV Number, even if you never plan to leave the state. Interstate carriers also need federal operating authority before the state steps make sense.

Where do the numbers on these Texas pages come from?

Every fee, limit, and deadline is a data field tied to the TxDMV or Comptroller page it was read from, with a source marker you can open. Anything the agencies leave unpublished is labeled as unconfirmed rather than guessed at.

Sources for this page

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

  1. TxDMV Number (Motor Carrier Registration) · Texas 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.