Michigan Trucking Insurance: What Carriers Should Know
Interstate trucks in Michigan meet the same federal rules as anywhere. All Michigan-registered trucks also need Michigan no-fault coverage (PIP, property protection and residual liability).
Michigan no-fault and trucks
With limited exceptions, Michigan's no-fault law requires the owner or registrant of a vehicle that must be registered in Michigan to carry personal protection insurance (PIP), property protection insurance (PPI) and residual bodily injury and property damage liability (MCL 500.3101).
For business trucks, the law generally puts PIP on the insurer of the truck, not the driver's personal policy, when the driver is hurt in a truck owned or registered by their employer (MCL 500.3114(3)). Who counts as owner or employer can get complicated for leased equipment and owner-operators, so ask about it before you sign a lease. Talk to your insurer or an attorney about how this applies to you.
Federal vs. Michigan intrastate filings
Interstate for-hire carriers file proof of liability with FMCSA on a BMC-91 or BMC-91X, and many carry the MCS-90 endorsement. If that coverage cancels and is not replaced, FMCSA can revoke the authority. FMCSA insurance filing requirements. Register for a USDOT number or MC authority with FMCSA (Motus).
For-hire carriers that run only inside Michigan need CVED Authority from the Michigan State Police, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. The application asks for business registration, proof of workers' compensation or an approved exclusion, a certificate of liability and a Form E from the insurance company. Apply for or renew CVED Authority with the Michigan State Police. Michigan State Police: what CVED Authority requires, including the Form E. Interstate carriers of general freight register for UCR. If you also haul point to point inside Michigan, check the Michigan State Police requirements for interstate carriers. You do not renew CVED Authority each year as long as your UCR is current. Register for UCR at ucr.gov.
By fleet stage
Builders: 3 to 20 trucks
This is where we focus. As you add trucks, underwriters look at every driver's record and experience, your inspection and crash history, and how you manage driver files. Keep each new driver's qualification file complete before the first run, and watch your public record as it grows. Challenge a record error with FMCSA DataQs. More in our small fleet guide.
New authority
Your filings must post before you can run. Plan for both the federal filing and, if you will haul for hire inside Michigan only, CVED Authority. Register for a USDOT number or MC authority with FMCSA (Motus). Apply for or renew CVED Authority with the Michigan State Police. See First Mile: new ventures.
Owner-operators: 1 to 2 trucks
Leased on, you run under the carrier's authority and filings, but you still own the truck, so Michigan no-fault and physical damage questions are yours to sort out. With your own authority, every filing is yours. See Independents: owner-operators.
Larger fleets: 21+ trucks
The same rules apply at scale. Safety programs, driver hiring standards and claims history carry more weight as the fleet grows.
Winter and cargo risks
Snow, ice and lake-effect storms add crash and cargo risk. Write down when drivers may hold a load for weather, how trucks, trailers and reefer units are winterized, and how drivers report a slide-off.
What you haul changes your coverage needs. Refrigerated loads may need spoilage or reefer breakdown coverage, hazmat brings extra federal insurance and placarding rules, and pulling trailers you do not own may call for trailer interchange coverage.
What to ask an agency
Ask: Are you licensed in Michigan today? (Look up an agent's license with Michigan DIFS.) Who files our federal and Michigan proofs of insurance, and how will you confirm they posted? Which insurers do you work with for operations like ours? Do you help with driver screening, CSA reviews and DOT audit prep? Ask us the same questions. Our Michigan license is pending, so we do not sell insurance yet.
Common questions
Does Michigan no-fault apply to trucks?
Yes. With limited exceptions, Michigan's no-fault law requires the owner or registrant of a vehicle that must be registered in Michigan to carry personal protection (PIP), property protection (PPI) and residual liability insurance. When a driver is hurt in a truck owned or registered by their employer, PIP benefits generally come from the insurer of that truck. Ask your agent how this applies to leased-on owner-operators. Talk to your insurer or an attorney about how this applies to you. Sources: MCL 500.3101 and MCL 500.3114.
Do we need Michigan authority if we already have a USDOT and MC number?
If you haul for hire only inside Michigan, you need CVED Authority from the Michigan State Police. Interstate carriers of general freight register for UCR. If you also haul point to point inside Michigan, check the Michigan State Police requirements for interstate carriers. You do not renew CVED Authority each year as long as your UCR is current. Register for UCR at ucr.gov. Michigan State Police: what CVED Authority requires, including the Form E. For intrastate authority, the insurance company files a Form E as proof of liability. The Michigan State Police says carriers that must renew CVED Authority do so each year from October 1 to December 1, and authority not renewed by January 1 is revoked (as of October 21, 2026). This applies to intrastate-only carriers, household goods carriers and some wreckers. Apply for or renew CVED Authority with the Michigan State Police.
What is the difference between a BMC-91X and a Form E?
A BMC-91 or BMC-91X proves liability coverage to FMCSA for interstate authority. A Form E proves liability coverage to the Michigan State Police for intrastate authority. Some carriers need both. The MCS-90 is different: it is an endorsement on the policy, not a filing.
How can we check an agent's Michigan license?
Michigan DIFS licenses insurance agents and agencies, and you can look up a license on its website. Look up an agent's license with Michigan DIFS. Our Michigan license is pending, so we do not sell insurance yet. Check us there too.
What should Michigan carriers plan for in winter?
Snow, ice and lake-effect storms add crash and cargo risk, so underwriters want to see how you train, dispatch and maintain equipment for them. Reefer and temperature-sensitive loads, hazmat, and pulling trailers you do not own each change the coverage you may need. Tell your agent exactly what you haul.
We do not sell insurance until our Michigan license is active. Until then, see your public record below with DOTView.
Last reviewed October 21, 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice or an offer of insurance. Rules change; check the sources below for current requirements.