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State guide

Start and run a trucking company in Michigan

Michigan spreads trucking compliance across four agencies, and the one that licenses for-hire carriers is the state police. MSP/CVED issues CVED Authority, MDOT issues oversize permits for state trunklines only, Treasury runs IFTA, and the Secretary of State runs apportioned plates. Each page below carries its figures from the agency that publishes them.

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 29, 2026

The short answer

State authority
Required
State filing fee
From $100
USDOT number
Required first

Issued by Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (MSP/CVED), Regulatory and Credentialing Section

Credential CVED Authority (certificate of authority under the Motor Carrier Act, 1933 PA 254)

What these terms cover

State filing fee: Two separate charges apply. MCL 478.1 sets a $100 application fee for an original certificate of authority and a $50 fee for a renewal application, payable whether or not the certificate is granted. On top of that, MCL 478.2(1) levies an annual fee of $100 for each self-propelled intrastate motor vehicle operated by or on behalf of the carrier, reduced to $50 for a vehicle first placed in operation after June 30 of the fee year. Trucks and tractors used exclusively to transport household goods, and vehicles used for intrastate nonconsensual towing by a UCR motor carrier, pay $50 a year. Replacement identification is $10, a temporary 72-hour permit is $10, and replacement decals and cab cards are $5 each under the administrative rules. A renewal application filed after December 1 draws a $50 per-month late penalty under MCL 479.10(1).

USDOT number: MSP/CVED lists a valid application for a USDOT number among the approval requirements for intrastate-only carriers and wrecker companies conducting police-initiated tows, required if the GVWR is over 26,001 pounds. Interstate carriers of household goods must hold a valid USDOT number outright.

Every figure above is a sourced agency fact, checked Jul 29, 2026.How we verify

Everything Michigan requires, in order

Each step is its own page, with the Michigan figures read from the agency that publishes them.

First, the federal side

Identical in every state, and not part of the Michigan sequence below: get your own authority, USDOT number, Form 2290, and what it all costs.

Before you file

  1. Start a trucking companyFederal steps plus this state, in order
  2. DOT numberState USDOT triggers and carrier numbers
  3. CDLLicense fees, testing, endorsements

State credentials

  1. Intrastate authorityState operating authority: rule, agency, fee
  2. Insurance requirementsState liability minimums and insurer filings

Plates, fuel tax and trip permits

  1. IRP registrationApportioned plates and cab cards
  2. IFTAFuel tax license, decals, filing
  3. Trip and fuel permitsTemporary IRP and IFTA permits

Permits and state taxes

  1. Trucking permitsEvery state permit a carrier may need
  2. Oversize permitsLegal limits, permit fees, escorts

How Michigan splits the work

Four agencies, four logins. The Michigan State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division issues intrastate operating authority and runs Unified Carrier Registration, a job it inherited from the Public Service Commission by executive reorganization. The Department of Transportation issues oversize and overweight permits. The Department of Treasury runs fuel tax. The Department of State runs apportioned registration.

Each one has its own portal: the CVED Authority Portal behind MiLogin for authority, MiTRIP inside the MDOT Permit Gateway for permits, the IFTA Processing Consortium for fuel tax, and IRP e-Services for plates. Every Michigan page here tells you which agency owns the step you are on.

The weight law that makes Michigan different

Michigan controls axle loadings instead of gross vehicle weight, which is why a properly configured Michigan truck legally carries far more off the interstate system than the federal number allows. The trade is axles: the ceiling is reachable only with the full complement MDOT publishes, most of them lightly loaded, and the arrangement survives under the federal grandfather clauses.

The same law turns against you every spring. From March through May the allowable axle load drops on every road type, the wheel load allowance falls with it, and MDOT stops issuing overweight permits on its own routes except in a public emergency. Plan heavy work around that window rather than through it.

What you will find here

The intrastate authority page owns the CVED Authority answer: who the certificate reaches, the statutory fee lines, the insurance filings, and the renewal calendar. The permit pages cover legal limits, single-trip and extended permits, escorts, curfews, and the spring restrictions. The IFTA and IRP pages cover licensing, quarterly filing, apportioned plates, and the record-keeping Michigan audits.

Every figure on those pages is a typed field tied to the MSP, MDOT, Treasury, or Secretary of State document it came from. Where an agency publishes nothing, we say so plainly instead of guessing.

Michigan filing walkthroughs

Step-by-step articles for the recurring Michigan filings, written against the same sourced records as the pages above.

Free calculators that cover Michigan

Frequently asked questions

Does Michigan require its own operating authority?

Yes. A for-hire motor carrier needs CVED Authority, a certificate of authority under the Motor Carrier Act, before operating on any public roadway in Michigan. It is not weight-triggered, so a light for-hire truck needs it too. A private carrier hauling its own property sits outside the scheme.

Which agencies handle trucking compliance in Michigan?

The Michigan State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division for operating authority and UCR, the Department of Transportation for oversize and overweight permits, the Department of Treasury for IFTA, and the Department of State for apportioned registration. Expect a separate account with each.

Do I need a USDOT number before the Michigan paperwork?

Above the published weight line, yes. MSP/CVED lists a valid USDOT number application among the approval requirements for intrastate-only carriers and for wrecker companies doing police-initiated tows. Interstate household goods carriers must hold one outright. Our Michigan DOT number page carries the trigger with its source.

Where do the numbers on these Michigan pages come from?

Every fee, limit, and deadline is a typed field tied to the agency page, statute, or administrative rule it was read from, with a source marker you can open. Anything an agency leaves unpublished is marked unconfirmed rather than filled with a guess.

Sources for this page

The official pages behind the figures above. Fees and rules change, so check the source before you file.

  1. Regulatory & Credentialing Section (intrastate operating authority, CVED Authority Portal, UCR) · Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division

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.