Trucking Laws · Nationwide · November 13, 2026

FMCSA Insurance Requirements for Truckers: $750,000 to $5 Million, and What to Do If Motus Raises Yours

By Big Rig Daily Staff

Federal rules in 49 CFR 387.9 set minimum public liability insurance for motor carriers. For-hire carriers hauling non-hazardous freight in trucks of 10,001 pounds gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or more need at least $750,000. Oil, hazardous waste and most hazardous materials need $1 million. The highest-hazard bulk loads need $5 million. FMCSA's chart lists $300,000 for fleets of only lighter vehicles hauling non-hazardous property.

This guide covers each level, who files proof, and what to do if the Motus registration system shows a higher minimum than the freight requires. It is general information, not legal or insurance advice.

FMCSA insurance minimums at a glance

The first four rows come from Table 1 of 49 CFR 387.9, last amended July 21, 2026. The $300,000 row comes from FMCSA's Insurance Filing Requirements chart. That chart cites 49 CFR 387.303, a section the eCFR marks as suspended indefinitely, so 387.9 is the controlling rule for the larger trucks.

Proposals in Congress to raise the $750,000 minimum are not law. The news report on a possible 2027 highway bill push to raise the minimum covers that debate. Until a change is enacted, the table above stands.

What BIPD insurance means

BIPD stands for bodily injury and property damage. It is the public liability coverage FMCSA requires, labeled the "BIPD Insurance Requirement" on its chart. Cargo insurance is separate; the chart requires none for general freight and $5,000 for household goods.

Which minimum applies

General freight: $750,000

Flatbed, dry van and reefer carriers hauling non-hazardous interstate freight fall here, as do box trucks rated at 10,001 pounds GVWR or more. Household goods carriers need $750,000 plus $5,000 in cargo coverage.

Lighter vehicles: $300,000

FMCSA's chart lists $300,000 for for-hire, non-hazardous carriers whose vehicles are under 10,001 pounds GVWR. Many cargo vans fit, but not all. The GVWR is on the label inside the driver's door.

Hazmat, oil and hazardous waste: $1 million or $5 million

Most hazardous materials, oil and hazardous waste loads call for $1 million. The highest-hazard bulk loads in the table call for $5 million, even for some vehicles under 10,001 pounds.

Passenger carriers and brokers

FMCSA's chart lists $1.5 million for for-hire passenger vehicles seating 15 or fewer and $5 million for 16 or more. Property brokers need a $75,000 surety bond or trust fund instead.

Who files proof of insurance

The insurance company files proof with FMCSA, not the carrier. FMCSA says BMC-91 and BMC-91X are the BIPD liability filing forms, and it tells carriers not to send insurance certificates to the agency. Instead, a carrier asks its insurer to file online.

Under 49 CFR 387.7, no motor carrier may operate until the minimum coverage is in effect. Proof, usually the MCS-90 endorsement or an MCS-82 surety bond, must be kept at the principal place of business. Cancelling a policy takes 35 days' written notice.

FMCSA will not grant operating authority until the minimums are on file, and its filing page puts the burden plainly: "It is the entity's responsibility to monitor and maintain filings up to date and on file." Insurance is a separate requirement from the annual Unified Carrier Registration filing.

When Motus raises the required coverage

Trucking trade publications report that Motus ties the cargo a carrier declares to the insurance level its authority needs. In late October 2026, one of them reported that Motus had reclassified Dynamic MD, a 50-truck flatbed and step deck company in Carol Stream, Illinois, from general freight to hazardous materials. The change raised its minimum to $1 million. Its active $750,000 filing was treated as insufficient, and its authority showed an involuntary suspension.

President Vasile Sorocean told the publication he was never notified and that the reinstatement option was greyed out. The same report said an analysis by the publication and a trucking data firm found more than 6,475 companies with BIPD changes from $750,000 or below to $1 million and above that led to involuntary suspensions. That count does not say every change was an error. FMCSA did not respond to the publication's request for comment. Background on the case is in Dynamic MD's story.

A second trucking trade publication later reported that Dynamic MD's authority was reactivated two days after the first report, and that a West Virginia owner-operator's authority returned on Nov. 6 after his insurer corrected its filing.

As of Nov. 12, 2026, the FMCSA pages cited in this guide do not explain how a wrong cargo classification is reversed, and none gives a date for a fix.

What to do if Motus wrongly raises the insurance minimum

1. Check the public record. FMCSA's Motus help notice says the Public Motus Search lets anyone look up a registration by USDOT number, legal name or DBA. Compare the cargo and minimum shown with the table above. A compliance consultant quoted by the second publication suggests checking this way, without logging in, once a week.
2. Open one ticket. FMCSA says to report a Motus issue with a ticket through its contact center support page. Its advice: "Make sure you don't duplicate tickets on the same cases you open. Just follow up on them." Keep the ticket number. For more on the system, see how Motus works and how to reach FMCSA.
3. Call the FMCSA Contact Center. Call 1-800-832-5660, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, or use chat.
4. Talk to the insurance company. Only the insurer can file or update proof of coverage. Ask what limit it has on file with FMCSA and whether that matches the policy. Buying more coverage is a business decision; FMCSA does not say it is required to fix a wrong classification.
5. Know the reinstatement rules. FMCSA's FAQ lists minimum insurance and a BOC-3 on file, an active USDOT number with current contact details, and an $80 fee. Authority is "typically active within a week" after receipt and valid payment. Reinstatement is not available to a carrier placed out of service as an imminent hazard or under a final unsatisfactory rating. FMCSA does not say whether the fee applies when Motus caused the problem, and its FAQ, last updated in 2023, still points to the FMCSA Portal, so confirm the method with the Contact Center.
6. Sign up for Registration Alerts. FMCSA says the alerts carry information about system fixes as they are addressed.

FAQ

What are the FMCSA insurance requirements for motor carriers?

For-hire, non-hazardous freight in vehicles of 10,001 pounds GVWR or more needs $750,000 in BIPD liability. Most hazmat needs $1 million, the highest-hazard bulk loads need $5 million, and fleets of only lighter vehicles need $300,000.

What does BIPD insurance mean?

Bodily injury and property damage, the public liability coverage FMCSA requires motor carriers to keep on file.

What insurance does a box truck or cargo van need?

It depends on GVWR and cargo. At 10,001 pounds or more with non-hazardous freight, the minimum is $750,000. Under 10,001 pounds with non-hazardous freight, FMCSA's chart lists $300,000. Check the GVWR on the label inside the driver's door; not every cargo van is under that line.

What is the FMCSA insurance requirement for hazmat?

Most hazmat, oil and hazardous waste loads need $1 million. The bulk and high-hazard materials listed in 49 CFR 387.9 need $5 million.

Who files proof of insurance with FMCSA?

The insurance company files it electronically, using BMC-91 or BMC-91X for BIPD. FMCSA tells carriers not to send certificates themselves.

Why would Motus change a carrier's insurance requirement?

FMCSA has not explained it publicly. Trucking trade publications have reported that Motus ties declared cargo to the required minimum, and that thousands of carriers saw it rise to $1 million, followed by involuntary suspensions.

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