Trucking insurance in Delaware

$750,000 Minimum liability for general freight over 10,001 lbs

Monthly cost, national figures

$665 to $1,165 a month for an established hotshot with a clean record (Trucking Insurance Services)

$1,000 to $1,800 in the first two years of a new MC number (Trucker Path Insurance)

Own MC number

$300 for the OP-1 application; you name a BOC-3 process agent, UCR is $55 a year for 0 to 2 trucks, more for bigger fleets (UCR Plan), and your insurer files the BMC-91X within 20 days of FMCSA Register publication.

New authority checklist

The starting point for trucking insurance Delaware accepts is a policy issued by a state-authorized insurer, with liability no lower than 25/50/10 on lighter local trucks and $750,000 for heavy freight. Intrastate trucks over 26,000 lbs fall under federal insurance rules in Delaware, while state registration minimums govern lighter local vehicles. An agent who handles commercial truck insurance helps you pair the right filings with your truck's weight rating and cargo.

Delaware intrastate trucking insurance requirements

Delaware adopts the federal motor carrier rules as state law, including Part 387 and 49 CFR Parts 390 through 397 (Delaware Code Title 21 Chapter 47). An amendment to 49 CFR 390.3 in state law extends these rules to intrastate commerce as well as interstate travel. Hauling that begins and ends inside Delaware is what intrastate commerce means.

Wedge car hauler behind a dually with its ramps down at a rural car lot, a sedan being winched aboard

Vehicles or combinations used intrastate are outside these adopted rules when their gross weight or gross vehicle weight rating is 26,000 lbs or less. Still, federal rules reach lighter intrastate trucks in 2 cases: hauling hazardous materials that need markings or placards, and operating vehicles that seat 16 or more persons.

For other trucks used intrastate, registration minimums from the Delaware DMV apply when the weight is 26,000 lbs or less. Liability of 25/50/10 is required, along with personal injury protection: $15,000 for each person hurt and $30,000 for each accident. Funeral expenses get up to $5,000 under that coverage (Delaware Auto Insurance Guide). An agent who handles commercial truck insurance can verify your truck's weight ratings, which helps you buy the right limit.

Keeping your Delaware trucking insurance active

Delaware does not accept out-of-state insurance to title and register vehicles. State rules accept only liability policies issued by insurers authorized in Delaware; your coverage must remain in force for as long as your registration is valid, even if the truck sits idle. Always hand your license plates over to the DMV first; cancel insurance on an active registration only after that.

When the DMV audits you, your insurer has to send Delaware Insurance Certification Form FR-19 by email or fax (Delaware DMV Insurance FAQs). Strict penalties apply if coverage lapses:

An agent who writes Delaware truck policies makes sure your insurer sends Form FR-19 promptly when an audit happens.

Audit penalty of $100 per vehicle for a lapse of 1 to 30 days, plus $5 daily once 30 days pass
Reinstatement fee of $50 per registration after a suspension, with lapse fees added
The fine for a 1st uninsured offense is $1,500; repeat offenses within 3 years cost $3,000. Registration suspension follows, plus 6 months without your driver's license or your driving privileges.

Do federal limits apply to Delaware commercial truck insurance?

Federal insurance minimums apply when you haul for hire across state lines or run intrastate in Delaware over 26,000 lbs (49 CFR 387.9). Proof of liability goes to the FMCSA from your insurer on Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X, or through a BMC-82 bond (FMCSA Insurance Filing Requirements). Form BMC-91X is filed electronically, and it's what activates your federal authority.

When every vehicle in a fleet is under 10,001 lbs, federal minimums begin at $300,000; for heavier general freight, they begin at $750,000 (49 CFR 387.303). Even so, brokers such as C.H. Robinson expect $1,000,000 in auto liability plus $100,000 for cargo. We suggest asking a trucking insurance agent to quote the legal minimum as well as the $1,000,000 broker limit.

Coverage types in a truck policy

LiabilityPays for injuries and damage your truck causes to other people. The federal minimum is $300,000 to $5,000,000.
Motor truck cargoPays for the load you haul if it is damaged or stolen. Most brokers ask for $100,000.
Physical damageRepairs or replaces your own truck and trailer after a crash, fire or theft.
Non-trucking liabilityCovers a driver working for a trucking company who uses the truck between loads, off the job.
BobtailCovers a truck you drive for a trucking company when it has no trailer, such as a pickup heading home after dropping a load.
Trailer interchangePays for damage to a trailer you pull for someone else under a written trailer-sharing agreement.

Operation and cargo type	Minimum coverage
Delaware registration: intrastate 26,000 lbs or less, non-hazmat	25/50/10 liability plus $15,000/$30,000 PIP
Property fleet for hire with only vehicles under 10,001 lbs	$300,000 liability
For-hire non-hazardous property, 10,001 lbs or more	$750,000 liability
For-hire placarded hazardous materials, oil, or hazardous waste	$1,000,000 liability
For-hire or private loads of radioactive materials, poison gas, explosives, or hazardous substances in bulk	$5,000,000 liability
C.H. Robinson broker requirement	$1,000,000 auto liability and $100,000 cargo

Opening IRP and IFTA accounts in Dover

The Delaware DMV's Motor Carrier Services Section takes care of IRP and IFTA collection, audit, and compliance, along with UCR filings and Heavy Highway Use Tax returns filed on Form 2290 (Delaware Motor Carrier Services).

New accounts and new vehicles are seen by appointment only at the office in the Public Safety Building at 303 Transportation Circle, Dover, DE 19901. Call 302-744-2702 to schedule. Afterward, send IFTA returns by mail or online; IRP renewals can go by email, by fax, by mail, or online. Your Dover appointment stays easy when a commercial truck insurance agent has already given you the policy binder.

Dually pickup towing a gooseneck flatbed with a strapped skid steer on a prairie highway, a typical hotshot insurance setup

Questions people ask

Is an 18-year-old allowed to operate a commercial truck in Delaware?

Yes. A person driving commercially only inside Delaware may start at 18, but at least 1 year of motor-vehicle driving must come first (Delaware Code Title 21 Chapter 47). Part 396 recordkeeping requirements also don't apply to farm vehicles operated intrastate.

How much are the fines for breaking Delaware motor carrier safety rules?

For a 1st offense under Delaware's motor carrier safety chapter, the fine is $28.75 to $115 for each violation (Delaware Code Title 21 Chapter 47). For a 2nd offense, or any later offense, within 2 years, the cost is $115 to $575.

Do trucks from out of state need a Delaware insurance policy for driving in the state?

No, an out-of-state registered vehicle operating in Delaware doesn't have to be insured by a Delaware insurer (Delaware DMV Insurance FAQs). These vehicles must carry liability insurance that's at least the minimum their registering state requires.

Sources

Insuring a truck in Delaware

A trucking agent who places policies in Delaware can quote it by phone, or you can send your details.

A quote costs nothing, and you do not have to buy.

Call +1 866 403 5064 Send my details

Desk in a small insurance agency office with a phone and notebook, a dually and gooseneck parked outside the window