By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Aug 5, 2026
What Wisconsin requires
These are the state-level rules attached to Wisconsin 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.
- Cargo minimum
- Wisconsin publishes no general cargo insurance amount. Section 194.41(1) lets the department require a certificate or contract protecting the owner of the property transported, in the amount and under the conditions the department sets, and requires one for a carrier transporting a building as defined in s. 348.27(12m)(a)1. The WisDOT insurance page lists liability filings only, so no cargo figure is recorded rather than invented.
Minimum liability by operation type
Review the operation-specific scope and source notes before relying on a coverage amount.
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Minimum liability by gross vehicle weight
$750,000 is the Wisconsin filing minimum for an intrastate for-hire property carrier running vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross weight. Section 194.41(6)(a) sets the general minimum by reference to the federal level under 49 USC 13906(a)(1), and s. 194.41(6)(b)1. cuts it to $300,000 for a vehicle of 10,000 pounds or less unless that vehicle is transporting hazardous materials listed in 49 CFR 172.101. Passenger and bus operations run on their own schedule; see the operation-type table.
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The $750,000 figure matches the federal general freight minimum because s. 194.41(6)(a) adopts 49 USC 13906(a)(1) by reference. The $300,000 tier at 10,000 pounds or less and the $500,000 and $1,000,000 intrastate passenger tiers are Wisconsin's own, set by 2017 Wis. Act 224 effective May 1, 2018, which cut the intrastate passenger minimums from $1.5 million and $5 million. A filing already made with FMCSA for interstate operating authority satisfies the Wisconsin intrastate filing requirement, and an active federal BMC-91X in the same legal name can be used in place of a Form E or scheduled filing.
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 certificate of insurance the underwriter files electronically with the Division of Motor Vehicles. A scheduled filing is accepted in its place, and an active federal BMC-91X in the same legal name can be used instead of either.
- If coverage lapses
- No permit or vehicle registration may be issued to a common motor carrier of property, a contract motor carrier, or a rental company, and none may remain in force, unless the approved liability certificate is on file. The insurer must file notice with the department at least 30 days before terminating or cancelling, and that notice may be waived only when an acceptable replacement filing has been made.Wis. Stat. s. 194.41(1) and (2)
Filings must be combined single limit, except that split limit, scheduled, and restricted blanket filings may be made in the cases described in ch. Trans 176, Wis. Adm. Code. Insurance is filed by the insurance company, not the carrier. Proof of insurance on file with WisDOT is a prerequisite for any for-hire carrier to get vehicle registration, vehicle registration trip permits, and Wisconsin operating authority, and the registered owner's name must match the insurance name exactly on an intrastate authority number. Wisconsin publishes no separate insurance filing fee.
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.
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Where insurance fits in the Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin intrastate authority page. For the full order of operations, work through start a trucking company in Wisconsin.