By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Aug 9, 2026
What Washington requires
These are the state-level rules attached to Washington intrastate operating authority. A field reading "Not confirmed" means the agency publishes no figure; the note explains what the agency does say.
- Cargo minimum
- WAC 480-14-250 requires only liability and property damage cover from a common carrier, so no cargo minimum is recorded for general freight. Household goods carriers are the exception: WAC 480-15-550 requires $10,000 of cargo cover for vehicles rated under 10,000 pounds and $20,000 for vehicles rated 10,000 pounds or more, proved on a certificate of liability insurance or Form H.
Minimum liability by operation type
General freight is not the floor for every carrier; buy against the row that matches what you haul.
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Who files the proof of insurance
Your insurance company makes these filings with the state, not you. Ask for them by form name when you bind coverage.
- Liability proof
- Form E, the Uniform Motor Carrier Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Certificate of Insurance, or Form G, the equivalent surety bond
The policy may be written by an insurer authorized in Washington or by an unauthorized insurer providing surplus lines coverage under RCW 48.15.040. Failing to keep evidence of insurance on file is itself grounds to suspend or cancel the permit.
The federal minimums, for contrast
Cross a state line for hire and the federal financial-responsibility levels take over, filed with FMCSA by your insurer. The amounts below render from 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; the filing mechanics live in our BMC-91 and BMC-34 insurance filings guide.
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Where insurance fits in the Washington launch
Coverage sits early in the sequence: the federal filing sequence needs your insurer's proof of coverage on file before authority activates, and the state rules above attach to the credential covered on the Washington intrastate authority page. For the full order of operations, work through start a trucking company in Washington.
Frequently asked questions
Does Washington set its own trucking insurance minimums?
- Yes. Washington publishes its own financial-responsibility rules for intrastate carriers, and they are not a copy of the federal levels. Each figure the state publishes renders in the tables here with the official source beside it.
Do federal insurance minimums still apply to a Washington carrier?
- Interstate operations file proof of coverage with FMCSA under 49 CFR Part 387 no matter which state the carrier is based in. The state rules on this page govern intrastate-only operations; the federal table shows the levels an interstate filing must meet.
What insurance does a new Washington carrier line up first?
- Primary liability comes first: the state and federal filings both ride on an active liability policy. Cargo coverage follows where the state or your shippers require it, and physical damage on the truck is a lender requirement rather than a state rule.
Where do these figures come from?
- Every dollar amount renders from the state agency publication or statute cited beside it, or from the federal regulation for the contrast table. When an agency publishes no figure, the field reads "Not confirmed" with a note on what the agency does say.
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.