Does West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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.

West Virginia Trucking Insurance Requirements (2026)

By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Sep 28, 2026

What West Virginia requires

These are the state-level rules attached to West Virginia 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 for the main class; the operation-type table below lists each class
Cargo minimum: $50,000 (150CSR9 rule 3.3 sets cargo minimums for freight equipment hauling nonhazardous property: $20,000 on any one vehicle and $20,000 aggregate for vehicles under 10,000 pounds GVWR, and $50,000 and $100,000 for vehicles of 10,000 pounds or more. Rule 3.3.2 lifts the cargo minimum for vehicles hauling raw coal, or only solid waste or other discarded property going to disposal. Passenger equipment carries $15,000 (1 to 15 passengers) or $20,000 (16 or more) for passengers' property.)
Differs from federal: Yes

Minimum liability by operation type

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

West Virginia minimum liability coverage by operation type
Operation type	Minimum liability	Notes
For-hire vehicles of 10,000 lb or more hauling nonhazardous property, statutory floor	$750,000	W. Va. Code 24A-5-5(g).
Intrastate freight vehicles, nonhazardous property, as published by the Commission	$700,000	$200,000 per person and $600,000 per accident bodily injury plus $100,000 property damage, totaled by the Commission's chart as a $700,000 combined single limit. Below the statutory floor in the row above.
Hazardous property: 1.1, 1.2 or 1.3 explosives, poison gas, highway route controlled quantity radioactive materials, and bulk hazardous substances in tanks over 3,500 water gallons, vehicles of 10,001 lb or more	$5,000,000	The same $5,000,000 applies to explosives, poison gas and highway route controlled quantity radioactive materials in vehicles of 10,000 lb or less.
Hazardous property: oil listed in 49 CFR 172.101, hazardous waste, hazardous materials and hazardous substances, vehicles of 10,001 lb or more	$1,000,000
Passenger vehicles seating 5 or fewer	$225,000	$100,000 / $200,000 bodily injury plus $25,000 property damage.
Passenger vehicles seating 6 to 12	$525,000	$200,000 / $500,000 bodily injury plus $25,000 property damage.
Passenger vehicles seating 13 to 20	$650,000	$200,000 / $600,000 bodily injury plus $50,000 property damage.
Passenger vehicles seating 21 to 30	$800,000	$200,000 / $750,000 bodily injury plus $50,000 property damage.
Passenger vehicles seating 31 or more	$975,000	$200,000 / $900,000 bodily injury plus $75,000 property damage.

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: Certificate of insurance, policy endorsement or surety bond in the forms the Commission prescribes, filed in duplicate; for wrecker companies the Commission accepts only a Form E filed by the insurer

Under 150CSR9 rule 3.6 the filing must carry the full limits, be written by an insurer authorized in West Virginia, name the carrier exactly as its authority is held, and show an expiration date at least 45 days after issuance. Coverage cannot be cancelled until 30 days after written notice reaches the Commission in Charleston. The Commission's wrecker instructions state that insurance cards and certificates are not acceptable and that a Form E must physically reach the Motor Carrier Section before registration is processed. No separate insurance filing fee is published beyond the $25.00 annual insurance registration.

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