How much liability insurance does a new authority need?

The floor depends on what you haul. A for-hire general freight carrier running vehicles rated over 10,000 pounds files at least $750,000 in public liability coverage, and hazmat operations run higher, up to $5,000,000 for the highest-risk classes. The full table on this page lists each minimum with its source.

Do I need a cargo insurance filing?

The federal cargo filing (BMC-34 or BMC-83) applies to household goods carriers and household goods freight forwarders, at a $5,000 minimum. Other freight has no federal cargo filing, but brokers and shippers often demand cargo coverage by contract before they tender a load.

Federal registration

Truck Insurance Filings: BMC-91, BMC-34, and the FMCSA Minimums

Your insurance company, not you, files proof of coverage with FMCSA after you apply for authority. The BMC-91 or BMC-91X covers public liability, the BMC-34 covers cargo for household goods carriers, and FMCSA will not grant the authority until the filings it requires are on record.

Cover image: BMC-91 and BMC-34 insurance filings for motor carriers

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

Who files the forms

A financial responsibility provider (insurance or surety company) must file the required forms on the applicant's behalf. Applicants may not file insurance forms for themselves.

So your job is to buy a policy from an insurer that files with FMCSA and tell them your docket number. The insurer handles the rest. The same third-party pattern applies to your process agent designation, covered in the BOC-3 filing guide.

The BMC form family

Each filing form matches one kind of financial responsibility. Here is the full set:

Form	What it does
BMC-91	Public liability (bodily injury and property damage, BIPD) insurance filed by the insurer for motor carriers
BMC-91X	Public liability (BIPD) insurance, alternate filing for coverage split among insurers
BMC-82	Surety bond alternative for motor carrier public liability
BMC-34	Cargo insurance, required for household goods carriers and household goods freight forwarders
BMC-83	Cargo surety alternative to BMC-34
BMC-84	$75,000 surety bond for brokers and freight forwarders
BMC-85	$75,000 trust fund agreement for brokers and freight forwarders, filed by a financial institution

Minimum coverage by operation

The minimum depends on what you haul and what you weigh, per 49 CFR Part 387 (property carriers 387.303, brokers and freight forwarders 387.307, endorsements 387.15), as displayed on FMCSA's insurance filing requirements page. Every amount below renders from the sourced data record, cell by cell:

Operation	Vehicles	Liability (BIPD) minimum	Cargo minimum	Bond or trust	Forms filed
For-hire property carrier, non-hazardous	GVWR under 10,001 lb	$300,000	None	None	BMC-91, BMC-91X, or BMC-82
For-hire property carrier, non-hazardous (general freight)	GVWR 10,001 lb or more	$750,000	None	None	BMC-91, BMC-91X, or BMC-82
For-hire carrier of certain hazardous materials	any	$1,000,000	None	None	BMC-91, BMC-91X, or BMC-82
For-hire and private carriers of explosives, poison gas, or radioactive materials	any	$5,000,000	None	None	BMC-91, BMC-91X, or BMC-82
For-hire carrier of household goods	GVWR 10,001 lb or more	$750,000	$5,000	None	BMC-91, BMC-91X, or BMC-82, plus BMC-34 or BMC-83
For-hire carrier of passengers	15 or fewer passengers	$1,500,000	None	None	BMC-91, BMC-91X, or BMC-82
For-hire carrier of passengers	16 or more passengers	$5,000,000	None	None	BMC-91, BMC-91X, or BMC-82
Broker of property or household goods	none	None	None	$75,000	BMC-84 or BMC-85
Freight forwarder of property	none	None	None	$75,000	BMC-84 or BMC-85
Freight forwarder of household goods	none	None	$5,000	$75,000	BMC-84 or BMC-85, plus BMC-34 or BMC-83

These are federal floors for the FMCSA filing, not market rates. Brokers you work with will usually ask for more coverage than the floor, and your premium depends on your record, your trucks, and your lanes. Budget context lives in what it costs to start a trucking company.

The MCS-90 endorsement

All for-hire interstate motor carriers and all hazmat safety permit carriers need the MCS-90 endorsement on their insurance policy (or MCS-82 on a surety bond) under 49 CFR 387.15.

The MCS-90 rides on the policy itself rather than being a separate FMCSA filing. When you shop for a policy, ask the agent to confirm the endorsement is included, because a policy without it does not satisfy the federal rule.

The filing window

A financial responsibility provider must file the required insurance forms on the applicant's behalf after the docket number is assigned. If the entity fails to comply within 20 days from the date of publication in the FMCSA Register, FMCSA serves a decision notifying the entity that the application will be dismissed unless it complies within 60 days.

Miss the window and the application is dismissed, which means starting over. The full application sequence and what happens at each step is in how to get your own authority, and the difference between the safety registration and the for-hire authority is in operating authority vs USDOT number.

Brokers and freight forwarders

Brokers and freight forwarders do not file liability coverage. They file the financial security shown in the table above, through a BMC-84 surety bond or a BMC-85 trust agreement. What that looks like in a brokerage is covered in what a freight broker authority is.

Effective January 16, 2026, brokers, freight forwarders, and financial responsibility providers must comply with new broker and freight forwarder financial responsibility rules intended to ensure funds are available to satisfy unpaid freight charges.

Frequently asked questions

How much liability insurance does a new authority need?: The floor depends on what you haul. A for-hire general freight carrier running vehicles rated over 10,000 pounds files at least $750,000 in public liability coverage, and hazmat operations run higher, up to $5,000,000 for the highest-risk classes. The full table on this page lists each minimum with its source.
Who sends the BMC-91 to FMCSA?: A financial responsibility provider (insurance or surety company) must file the required forms on the applicant's behalf. Applicants may not file insurance forms for themselves.
Do I need a cargo insurance filing?: The federal cargo filing (BMC-34 or BMC-83) applies to household goods carriers and household goods freight forwarders, at a $5,000 minimum. Other freight has no federal cargo filing, but brokers and shippers often demand cargo coverage by contract before they tender a load.
What is the MCS-90 endorsement?: All for-hire interstate motor carriers and all hazmat safety permit carriers need the MCS-90 endorsement on their insurance policy (or MCS-82 on a surety bond) under 49 CFR 387.15.
What happens if my insurer never files?: A financial responsibility provider must file the required insurance forms on the applicant's behalf after the docket number is assigned. If the entity fails to comply within 20 days from the date of publication in the FMCSA Register, FMCSA serves a decision notifying the entity that the application will be dismissed unless it complies within 60 days.

Sources

Primary statutes and official agency pages this guide relies on. Laws and fees change, so confirm against the current source before you act.

Insurance Filing Requirements · Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), U.S. DOT
Get Operating Authority (Docket Number) · Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), U.S. DOT

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.