Staying inside Texas? Your state authority is the TxDMV number, a certificate of registration from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Motor Carrier Division. You need it when a vehicle or combination exceeds 26,000 pounds by gross weight, registered weight or weight rating. You also need it to haul household goods for pay at any weight, or to haul placarded hazmat. Get your USDOT number first, then apply through TxDMV.
Minimum liability: $500,000 for private or for-hire carriers over 26,000 pounds. Household goods movers under 26,000 pounds need $300,000 plus cargo coverage. Placarded hazmat needs $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 depending on the material.
Who files: your insurance company files the Form E electronically with TxDMV. Forms H and I prove household goods cargo coverage, and Form K reports a cancellation.
If you cross state lines, the federal rules apply. A for-hire carrier of general freight in interstate commerce with vehicles of 10,001 pounds GVWR or more needs at least $750,000 under 49 CFR 387.9. The policy carries the MCS-90 endorsement, and your insurance company, not you, files the BMC-91 or BMC-91X with FMCSA. Hazmat limits run higher.
- TxDMV registration starts above 26,000 pounds by gross weight, registered weight or weight rating.
- The state minimum for private and for-hire carriers over 26,000 pounds is $500,000.
- Hauling household goods for pay requires TxDMV registration at any weight.
- Your insurance company files Form E electronically with TxDMV.
By truck
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Common questions
Do I need a TxDMV number if my truck is under 26,000 pounds?
Generally no, unless you haul household goods for pay or placarded hazmat, or your combination with the trailer exceeds 26,000 pounds. Check the weight rating and the registered weight, not only what you scale at.
Is $500,000 enough if I run one load to Oklahoma?
No. That load is interstate, and the federal minimum for for-hire general freight in vehicles of 10,001 pounds GVWR or more is $750,000. You would also need the matching federal registration and filing.
Who sends the Form E to TxDMV?
Your insurance company files it electronically. It is your responsibility to make sure the filing stays active, because the TxDMV number depends on it.
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Protec Consulting Group is a licensed insurance agency in Texas.
Sources: TxDMV, TxDMV Number requirements · TxDMV, Tips for Compliant Operations as a Texas Intrastate Motor Carrier · 43 Tex. Admin. Code 218.16 (Cornell LII) · 49 CFR 387.9, schedule of limits (Cornell LII) · 49 CFR 390.5, definition of interstate commerce (Cornell LII) · FMCSA, Insurance Filing Requirements · USGS, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Sand and Gravel (Construction) · Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Border Crossing Data Annual Release 2025 · Port Houston, Port Statistics · Port Houston, 2024 Annual Report · Railroad Commission of Texas, Permian Basin release · 43 Tex. Admin. Code 219.11, oversize and overweight permits (Cornell LII) · TxDOT, aggregate supply contract plans, Harrison County (legal-load and delivery notes). Reviewed: 2026-11-03.