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

Yes, for property hauled for hire point to point inside Virginia in vehicles above the weight line, unless exempt.

Is there a filing fee for a Virginia property carrier permit?

No. Property permits carry only an annual per-vehicle fee and a small duplicate fee. The filing fee applies to certificates, licenses and employee hauler and taxicab permits.

What insurance does Virginia require for intrastate carriers?

It depends on vehicle weight, in three tiers, plus cargo coverage for household goods. The amounts are in the table on this page.

Do I need a USDOT number for Virginia authority?

Not for intrastate-only work, unless you haul placarded hazmat.

Virginia Intrastate Operating Authority

By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Oct 6, 2026

Virginia requires for-hire intrastate operating authority from DMV Motor Carrier Services for property carriers, unless the operation is exempt or uses only passenger cars, motorcycles, autocycles, mopeds and vehicles of 10,000 lbs GVWR or less. A general-freight property carrier gets a permit on Form OA 142 with no filing fee, files insurance proof at application, and pays $10 per vehicle each year. The $50 filing fee applies to certificates and licenses (household goods, common carriers, passenger services) and to employee hauler and taxicab permits. Property carriers need $750,000 of liability coverage for vehicles of 10,001 lbs or more, $300,000 for 7,501 to 10,000 lbs, and household goods movers $50,000 of cargo coverage.

The Virginia requirements table

Authority required: Yes
Agency: Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, Motor Carrier Services (804-249-5140)
Program name: For-Hire Intrastate Operating Authority (property carriers receive a permit; household goods and common carriers a certificate)
State carrier number: No separately named carrier number; authority appears on the vehicle registration card.
Application: Form OA 142, For-Hire Intrastate Operating Authority Permit Application, for property, employee hauler, non-profit passenger and taxicab permits; Forms OA 141, OA 150 or OA 151 for certificates and licenses. Apply online or on paper; online filing becomes mandatory February 1, 2027.
Recorded fee: From $0; every charge is listed below
Renewal: Authority renews annually; property carriers pay the $10 per-vehicle fee each year, and online renewal becomes mandatory February 1, 2027.
Statute: Va. Code 46.2-2120 (filing fees for certificates of fitness)

Authority fee schedule

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

Virginia motor carrier authority fees by charge
Charge	Fee	Set by	Notes
Property carrier permit, filing fee	$0		Permit applicants file proof of insurance instead; only employee hauler and taxicab permit applicants pay the $50 filing fee.
Property carrier permit, annual fee per vehicle	$10
Duplicate property carrier permit	$3
Certificate or license application (household goods, common carrier, passenger services), per authority type	$50	Va. Code 46.2-2120
Duplicate certificate of fitness	$3	Va. Code 46.2-2120

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Who the requirement covers

GVWR threshold: 10,001 lb or moreProperty carriers running exclusively vehicles of 10,000 lbs GVWR or less, passenger cars, motorcycles, autocycles or mopeds need no authority. From 10,001 lbs authority is required unless the operation is exempt. Lighter for-hire property vehicles still carry insurance but file nothing with DMV.
For-hire only: YesThe program covers for-hire carriers transporting property or passengers point to point within Virginia. IRP registration does not excuse a carrier from intrastate authority.
Property carriers: Yes
Passenger carriers: Yes
Household goods: YesA property carrier permit allows household goods moves only when delivery is less than 31 road miles from pickup; longer household goods moves need a household goods certificate.
Hazmat: Not confirmedThe DMV authority pages read do not set a separate hazmat trigger for authority. Placarded hazmat carriers need a USDOT number even for intrastate-only work.

Virginia insurance minimums

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

Liability minimum: $750,000 (For property carriers with vehicles of 10,001 lbs GVWR or more, a commercial policy of at least $750,000 bodily injury and property damage, filed with DMV. Vehicles of 7,501 to 10,000 lbs need at least $300,000, and vehicles of 7,500 lbs or less need $25,000 / $50,000 / $20,000 while available for hire, rising to $100,000 / $300,000 / $50,000 once a load is accepted; neither lighter tier is filed with DMV.)
By operation type: See the operation-type table below
Cargo minimum: $50,000 ($50,000 cargo coverage when transporting household goods, unless doing so only in passenger cars, motorcycles, autocycles, mopeds and vehicles of 10,000 lbs GVWR or less.)
Differs from federal: No

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.

Virginia minimum liability coverage by operation type
Operation type	Minimum liability	Notes
Property carrier, vehicles of 10,001 lbs GVWR or more	$750,000
Property carrier, vehicles of 7,501 to 10,000 lbs GVWR	$300,000
Property carrier, vehicles of 7,500 lbs GVWR or less	See note	$25,000 per person, $50,000 per incident and $20,000 property damage while available for hire; $100,000 / $300,000 / $50,000 from acceptance of a load until it is unloaded.

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Other Virginia insurance requirements

Cargo scope: Household goods carriers only

Insurance filing forms

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

Liability proof: The insurer provides DMV proof of liability insurance (and cargo insurance for household goods) before the permit or certificate issues. Only vehicles of 10,001 lbs or more require a filing.
Household goods cargo: Filed with DMV by the insurer for household goods carriers.
Note: Certificate and license applicants also file a surety bond (Form OA 435 or OA 436) or letter of credit.

More Virginia authority rules

USDOT prerequisite: value: No
USDOT prerequisite: note: Not for intrastate-only work, except placarded hazardous materials. Virginia DMV says that, other than for hazardous materials, Virginia does not require a USDOT number for carriers operating only inside the state, and anyone hauling hazardous materials that require placards must register even when the vehicle runs entirely in Virginia. The permit application, Form OA 142, has a box for a DOT number but does not call it mandatory.

Who needs Virginia authority

Any for-hire carrier moving property or passengers point to point in Virginia, unless exempt. IRP plates do not substitute for it. A property permit lets you move household goods only on short local trips; longer household moves need a household goods certificate.

Applying and fees

Property carriers file Form OA 142 with proof of insurance and pay no filing fee. DMV then charges an annual fee for each vehicle. Certificate and license applicants file a separate application and fee for each authority type, plus a bond or letter of credit, and may face a hearing.

Insurance minimums by vehicle weight

Virginia sets three insurance tiers for property carriers by vehicle weight. Only the heaviest tier files proof with DMV. Household goods carriers add cargo coverage.

Renewal and registration

Authority renews every year, and all applications and renewals move online in early 2027. Each truck must be titled in Virginia and registered for hire.

Where this fits in the Virginia 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 Virginia, 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.