Your Texas operating authority application was approved, and now the state is waiting on your insurance. Form E is the electronic proof of liability insurance that your insurance company files with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Your TxDMV number isn't issued until it's on file. Most Texas-only carriers over 26,000 pounds need at least $500,000 in liability coverage, and you must keep the filing active every day you hold authority.
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Who Needs a TxDMV Number in Texas?
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles requires motor carriers that operate only within Texas to register when they:
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Operate a vehicle or combination with a gross weight, registered weight or weight rating over 26,000 pounds
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Haul hazardous materials in a quantity that requires placards
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Operate a farm vehicle rated at 48,000 pounds or more
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Operate a vehicle designed to carry more than 15 passengers, including the driver
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Operate a commercial school bus
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Move household goods for pay, at any weight
This registration is the TxDMV certificate, or TxDMV number, formerly called a "TxDOT number." Before you apply, you need a USDOT number from the U.S. Department of Transportation, registered as intrastate if you stay in Texas. To keep that number active, the department says you must update Form MCS-150 with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration every two years.
Intrastate vs. Interstate Authority: You May Need Both
A USDOT number identifies your company, but it isn't permission to haul. The department explains the split this way:
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Staying in Texas needs intrastate operating authority, which is the TxDMV certificate.
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Crossing state lines needs interstate operating authority, an MC number, from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
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Doing both needs both. One authority doesn't cover the other.
Federal insurance minimums and filings apply to interstate work. Our guide to Texas commercial truck insurance covers those rules.
Minimum Insurance for Texas Intrastate Carriers
The department sets these minimum liability amounts:
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$500,000: private or for-hire carriers over 26,000 pounds
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$300,000: household goods movers with trucks under 26,000 pounds
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$1,000,000: oil, hazardous waste and other listed hazardous materials, including petroleum lubricants and fuels
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$5,000,000: listed high-hazard materials, including hazardous substances in cargo tanks, portable tanks or hopper-type vehicles over 3,500 water gallons
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$500,000: buses designed for 16 to 26 people, and commercial school buses
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$5,000,000: buses designed for 27 or more people
Household goods movers also need cargo coverage of at least $5,000 per vehicle, or $10,000 in total for loads from multiple shippers. The liability limit is a combined single limit, one limit for bodily injury and property damage together, excluding cargo. Brokers, shippers and lenders often ask for more, and a commercial umbrella policy can add limits above your primary policy.
What Form E, Form K and Forms H and I Do
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Form E is proof of liability insurance.
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Forms H and I are proof of cargo insurance for household goods carriers.
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Form K cancels a filing.
Only your insurance company can file proof of insurance or a cancellation. Even so, the department says you're responsible for keeping your insurance record "Active."
How Form E Filing Works in TxMCCS, Step by Step
On August 3, 2026, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles launched the Texas Motor Carrier Credentialing System, called TxMCCS, which replaced its two older systems. Every user needed a new account, and carriers with a certificate claim it with their USDOT number and Employer Identification Number. Older guides that tell you to hand your insurer a "Unique Identifier Number" describe the process used before TxMCCS.
Here's the order the department lists now:
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1. Apply in TxMCCS. Make sure the information matches your USDOT record. Applications with a misstatement or missing information aren't processed until they're fixed.
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2. Wait for review. The department reviews new applications within 24 to 48 business hours. If you held an earlier authority or are linked to one, review takes an additional 7 business days.
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3. Tell your insurance company once you're approved. You'll get an approval email. Your insurer then files Form E, plus Forms H and I if you move household goods.
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4. Pay your fees. After the filing posts, you'll get another email directing you to pay in TxMCCS.
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5. Get your certificate number. TxMCCS issues it once payment is complete.
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6. Carry the cab card. Keep a current copy of the insurance cab card, paper or electronic, in every truck and show it to law enforcement on request.
You'll also certify that you follow federal drug-testing rules and name your testing consortium or facility. The department says you don't need to pay a third party to apply, and it warns about solicitations that look official.
TxDMV Registration Fees
The department lists these fees for carriers other than household goods movers:
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Application: $100 for a one-year or two-year certificate. It's charged once as long as your registration stays current.
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Vehicles: $10 per vehicle for one year, or $20 per vehicle for two years.
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Insurance filing (Form E): $100.
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Household goods movers: the same application, vehicle and Form E fees, plus $100 for Forms H and I.
Certificates also come in seven-day and 90-day terms, which can't be renewed. All fees are nonrefundable. Renewal notices go out about 30 days before expiration, but you're still responsible for renewing if one never arrives.
Keeping Your Form E Filing Active
The department's rule calls for a new insurance filing when you change insurers, change your company name, change the type of cargo you haul or replace an active filing. Here's how to handle the most common situations.
Switching Insurance Companies
Have the new Form E filed before the old one ends. A cancellation can't take effect until 30 days after the insurer notifies the department, unless a replacement filing is already in place. The department also emails you 30 days before a cancellation if your email address on file is current. Use an email address you actually check.
Parking a Truck or Shutting Down
Your authority belongs to your company, not to the truck. The department says you can be fined for holding authority without insurance even when you aren't operating. If you stop running, cancel the certificate in TxMCCS first, then cancel the policy. Canceling isn't starting over. You can re-register later.
Leasing On to Another Carrier
If you run under another carrier's authority and insurance, that carrier is responsible for its certificate and for covering your truck. If you keep your own certificate, you still have to manage it and keep insurance filed. Canceling a certificate doesn't dissolve your limited liability company or corporation.
Checking Your Status
Confirm your filing through email notices from the department, your TxMCCS account or the department's public "Truck Stop" lookup, where anyone, including brokers, can see whether a company's filings are current. If an enforcement letter arrives, log in to TxMCCS first to see what's on file.
Accidental or Workers' Compensation Coverage for For-Hire Carriers
A registered carrier whose primary business is for-hire transportation between two or more cities must provide workers' compensation for all its employees or accidental insurance coverage. Under the current rule text, accidental coverage must include at least:
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$300,000 for medical expenses for at least 104 weeks
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$100,000 for accidental death and dismemberment
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70 percent of the employee's pre-injury income for at least 104 weeks
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A $500 maximum weekly benefit
A proposal published August 28, 2026 would replace that list with a reference to the minimums in the Texas Transportation Code and keep the requirement itself. This explains how the rule reads, not whether it applies to your company. Talk to an attorney about your operation, and see our workers' compensation page for how coverage works.
What Happens If Your Filing Lapses
The department says that failing to keep continuous proof of insurance on your certificate can lead to administrative penalties, administrative sanctions or revocation of your certificate. A lapse also shows on the public lookup, so brokers and shippers may hold loads until the filing is active again. Keeping the number of a revoked certificate requires a new insurance filing.
2026 Rule Changes Texas Carriers Should Know
Besides the move to TxMCCS, two rule actions affect intrastate carriers this year:
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Adopted, effective October 29, 2026: changes to the department's application rules for sole proprietor motor carriers, with related cleanup.
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Proposed August 28, 2026: changes to the insurance rule. They would let carriers without a safety rating apply to be self-insured, and they would streamline the accidental coverage wording. The comment period closed September 28, 2026, and adoption was still pending at the time of writing.
Dallas-Fort Worth: Why Underwriters Look Closely
North Texas roads are busy, and insurers price trucks partly on where they run. The Texas Department of Transportation's 2025 crash data, current as of April 7, 2026, shows:
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Dallas County: 3,778 crashes involving commercial motor vehicles, the second-highest count in Texas after Harris County, with 37 people killed
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Tarrant County: 2,183 commercial motor vehicle crashes and 16 people killed
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Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties together: 7,593 crashes, about 20 percent of the 38,533 statewide, and 65 people killed
Ask your advisor how your routes, radius and garaging affect your quote. Common local situations include:
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Dump truck and construction haulers near the 26,000-pound line. Check the weight rating before you assume you don't need a TxDMV number. See dump truck insurance.
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Local movers. Household goods movers need a TxDMV number at any weight, plus cargo filings.
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Tow and car hauling operators. See tow truck insurance and auto hauler insurance.
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Hail and parked equipment. North Texas storms damage trucks and trailers sitting in yards. Liability and Form E don't pay for your own truck, so ask about physical damage coverage.
What Intrastate Truck Insurance Costs
Thumann Agency's general starting range for commercial auto insurance is about $150 to $400 or more per month per vehicle. Heavy trucks, for-hire haulers and new authorities are rated differently from a pickup or van. The biggest price factors are truck weight and value, cargo, limits, driver records, radius, garaging, years in business and claims history.
Prices shown are general starting ranges for common Texas business policies. Your actual cost is set during the quote process and depends on your specific business. We don't guarantee pricing or savings.
For a closer look at pricing, read our guide to average costs of commercial truck insurance.
How Thumann Agency Helps Texas Carriers
We've been an independent Dallas broker since 1996. You get a dedicated advisor, and with access to more than 80 carriers, we compare options for your operation. After you bind a policy, we coordinate with the insurance company so your Form E matches your TxDMV application. Existing clients can get same-day certificates of insurance, and we offer Spanish-language service. See our commercial truck insurance page, commercial auto insurance in Dallas and commercial auto insurance in Fort Worth. Ready to price a truck? Use our truck insurance quote form.
"We called needing to increase our business insurance and ended up moving over our business and personal insurance to Thumann. Bryan Long was patient with all of our questions and changes and continues to get us our commercial insurance certificates when we need them."
Tylena & Westley Campbell, Waxahachie, Texas
Talk to Us about your authority and your filing, or Get a Quote.
Frequently Asked Questions About Texas Form E Filing
How long does a Form E filing take in Texas?
It depends on your insurance company and your application status. The state reviews new applications within 24 to 48 business hours, and your insurer files Form E after approval. Bind your policy early and tell your advisor the moment your approval email arrives. Then check TxMCCS or the department's public lookup to confirm the filing posted before you dispatch a load.
Can I file Form E myself?
No. Only your insurance company can file proof of insurance or a cancellation with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. You still have to keep the filing active. Give your insurer your exact company name and USDOT number as they appear on your application, because a mismatch slows things down. We coordinate the filing with the insurance company for our clients.
Does Form E cover my cargo or my truck?
No. Form E proves you carry liability insurance, which pays for injuries and damage you cause to others. It doesn't pay for your own truck or the freight you haul. Household goods movers file separate cargo proof on Forms H and I. Other carriers can add physical damage and motor truck cargo coverage, and contracts often require them.
Is Form E the same as a federal insurance filing?
No. Form E is the Texas filing that backs your intrastate authority with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. If you also haul across state lines, your interstate authority from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration needs its own federal proof of insurance, filed by your insurer. One doesn't replace the other, so a carrier running both kinds of loads needs both filings kept current.
What should I send to get an intrastate truck quote?
Send each truck's year, make, model, weight rating and value, plus trailers. Add what you haul, your usual radius, where trucks are parked, driver names and license details, your USDOT number, your TxMCCS application status and any broker or shipper insurance requirements. Include your current policy and recent claims history if you have them, so we can compare carriers quickly.
Need Help With Your Form E or Intrastate Truck Insurance?
Tell us about your trucks, weight ratings, cargo, radius and where you are in the TxMCCS process. We'll compare carriers that write your operation and coordinate your Form E with the insurance company. Get a Quote or Call Us at (972) 991-9100.
Last Reviewed: November 2026
Author: Lauren Thumann Director of Marketing.
Sources: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles: TxDMV Number, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles: Becoming a Texas Motor Carrier (Intrastate), Texas Department of Motor Vehicles: Modernized Motor Carrier Credentialing System Launching August 3, 2026, Texas Register: Proposed Rules, Title 43, August 28, 2026, Texas Department of Motor Vehicles: Proposed and Adopted Rules for 2026, Texas Department of Transportation: 2025 Crash Statistics
Disclaimer: This information is provided for general educational purposes only and is not legal, tax, or insurance advice, or a full description of any policy. Coverage terms, conditions, limits, and exclusions vary by carrier and by state, including Texas. Not all coverages or discounts are available in all states. Prices shown are general starting ranges and are not a guaranteed quote. Reviews and ratings are from verified customers and reflect their own opinions and experiences. For details about your specific needs, please contact Thumann Agency directly. Thumann Agency is licensed and operates under Texas Department of Insurance regulations. Texas motor carrier registration, insurance filing and fee requirements are set by law and Texas Department of Motor Vehicles rules and can change. Whether the accidental or workers' compensation rule applies to your company is a legal question for an attorney.