Does Washington set its own trucking insurance minimums?

The stored record marks state and federal minimums as different. Review the operation-specific rows and source notes; the difference does not establish one amount for every carrier.

Do federal insurance minimums still apply to a Washington carrier?

Federal insurance requirements depend on the vehicle, commodity and operation. Review the federal table and its cited regulation alongside the applicable state requirements; state location alone does not settle coverage or filing scope.

What insurance does a new Washington carrier line up first?

Review the liability, cargo and filing requirements for your operation before comparing coverage. The source notes identify the stored state and federal scope; insurer and contractual requirements need their own check.

Where do these figures come from?

The tables show stored amounts with their recorded sources. A field marked "Not confirmed" is a verification gap. Review its note; that label does not establish that the agency publishes no amount or that no requirement applies.

Washington Trucking Insurance Requirements (2026)

By Haul Handbook editorial team· 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 this guide has not confirmed that value. The note explains the gap; unknown is not evidence of absence.

Liability minimum: $750,000 liability for nonhazardous freight in vehicles of 10,000 lb or more; the operation-type table below lists each class
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.
Differs from federal: Yes

Minimum liability by operation type

Review the operation-specific scope and source notes before relying on a coverage amount.

Washington minimum liability coverage by operation type
Operation type	Minimum liability	Notes
Property, nonhazardous, vehicles rated 10,000 lb GVWR or more	$750,000
Property, nonhazardous, vehicles rated under 10,000 lb GVWR	$300,000
Bulk hazardous substances in cargo tanks, portable tanks or hopper vehicles over 3,500 water gallons, and bulk Division 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3, Division 2.3 Hazard Zone A, Division 6.1 Packing Group I Hazard Zone A, bulk Division 2.1 or 2.2, or highway route controlled quantities of Class 7 material	$5,000,000	Vehicles rated 10,000 lb GVWR or more. Materials are as defined in 49 C.F.R. 171.8 and 173.403.
Oil listed in 49 C.F.R. 172.101, and hazardous waste, materials and substances not caught by the $5,000,000 rows	$1,000,000	Vehicles rated 10,000 lb GVWR or more.
Any quantity of Division 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 material, Division 2.3 Hazard Zone A, Division 6.1 Packing Group I Hazard Zone A, or highway route controlled quantities of Class 7 material	$5,000,000	Vehicles rated 10,000 lb GVWR or more, whether or not the load is in bulk.
Property, hazardous, vehicles rated under 10,000 lb GVWR	$5,000,000	The light-vehicle table gives hazardous property a single $5,000,000 figure with no intermediate tier, so a small truck carrying a placardable load files the same amount as a bulk tanker.
Household goods carrier, vehicles rated 10,000 lb GVWR or less	$300,000
Household goods carrier, vehicles rated 10,001 lb GVWR or more	$750,000
Solid waste collection company, vehicles rated under 10,001 lb GVWR	$300,000
Solid waste collection company, vehicles rated 10,001 lb GVWR or more	$750,000
Solid waste collection company transporting biomedical waste not subject to federal regulation	$1,000,000
Solid waste collection company transporting hazardous or biomedical waste subject to federal regulation	See note	The rule sets the limit as the federal minimum combined single limit coverage rather than a Washington figure, so no state amount is recorded.

Scroll sideways to see every column.

Who files the proof of insurance

The rows identify stored proof-of-coverage filings. Confirm which filing applies to your authority and who submits it before requesting a form.

Liability proof: Form E, the Uniform Motor Carrier Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Certificate of Insurance, or Form G, the equivalent surety bond
Household goods cargo: Form H, the Uniform Motor Carrier Cargo Certification of Insurance, or a certificate of liability insurance
Cancellation: Form K, Notice of Cancellation, filed at least 30 days before the cancellation effective date

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

Federal financial-responsibility requirements depend on the operation, vehicle and commodity. Review the rows and exclusions in 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.

Federal minimum public liability levels by operation (49 CFR Part 387)
Operation	Vehicle	Liability minimum
For-hire property carrier, non-hazardous	GVWR under 10,001 lb	$300,000
For-hire property carrier, non-hazardous (general freight)	GVWR 10,001 lb or more	$750,000
For-hire carrier of certain hazardous materials	Any	$1,000,000
For-hire and private carriers of explosives, poison gas, or radioactive materials	Any	$5,000,000
For-hire carrier of household goods	GVWR 10,001 lb or more	$750,000
For-hire carrier of passengers	15 or fewer passengers	$1,500,000
For-hire carrier of passengers	16 or more passengers	$5,000,000
Broker of property or household goods	None	None
Freight forwarder of property	None	None
Freight forwarder of household goods	None	None

Scroll sideways to see every column.

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.