Does Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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.

Pennsylvania Trucking Insurance Requirements (2026)

By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Jul 25, 2026

What Pennsylvania requires

These are the state-level rules attached to Pennsylvania 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 property carriers with vehicles over 10,000 lb; the operation-type table below lists each class
Cargo minimum: $5,000 (Cargo liability insurance of not less than $5,000 for loss or damage to cargo carried on a motor vehicle must be filed with the Commission. It may be waived if all transportation is in dump trucks, or is limited to farm products, garbage, ashes, rubbish, coal debris, earth, crushed stone, amesite and similar construction materials, or if the value of any one load is not more than $500. A signed cargo waiver must be submitted by the applicant.)
Differs from federal: Yes

Minimum liability by operation type

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

Pennsylvania minimum liability coverage by operation type
Operation type	Minimum liability	Set by	Notes
Property or household goods in use carrier, vehicle rated 10,000 lb GVWR or GCWR or less	$300,000	52 Pa. Code § 32.12
Property or household goods in use carrier, vehicle rated over 10,000 lb GVWR or GCWR	$750,000	52 Pa. Code § 32.12
Cargo liability, motor carriers of property and household goods	$5,000	52 Pa. Code § 32.13
Passenger carrier, fewer than 16 passengers	$35,000	52 Pa. Code § 32.11	$35,000 split coverage: $15,000 bodily injury per person, $30,000 bodily injury per accident, $5,000 property damage per accident, plus $25,000 first party medical benefits and $10,000 first party wage loss benefits.
Passenger carrier, 16 to 28 passengers	$1,000,000	52 Pa. Code § 32.11	Combined single limit per accident per vehicle.
Passenger carrier, more than 28 passengers	$5,000,000	52 Pa. Code § 32.11	Combined single limit per accident per vehicle.

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
Cargo proof: Form H

Form E is the only binding proof of bodily injury and property damage insurance and Form H is the only binding proof of cargo liability insurance. Both come directly from the insurance underwriter, never from the applicant or the agent, and the insurance company must file them electronically through NIC Insurance Filings. The name and address on the Form E must match the application exactly. Brokers post a surety bond instead. On-hook insurance for towing is not accepted.

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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania intrastate authority page. For the full order of operations, work through start a trucking company in Pennsylvania.