TL;DR: All for-hire carriers operating wholly within Arkansas need intrastate authority from ArDOT, renewed annually, with insurer-filed Form E liability at 50/100/30 and cargo proof at $5,000 for common carriers. Interstate operations follow the federal tiers with FMCSA filings. Workers comp applies at three or more employees, and brokers require $1,000,000.
Which rules apply to trucking in Arkansas?
The familiar two layers, with Arkansas keeping a real state authority system. Interstate freight runs on the federal scheme: FMCSA operating authority, liability at the 49 CFR 387.9 tiers, insurer-filed BMC certificates, the MCS-90. Intrastate for-hire carriage, loads that start and end inside Arkansas, requires operating authority from the Arkansas Department of Transportation, and ArDOT is explicit that ALL for-hire carriers of property or passengers operating wholly within the state must apply. Permits renew annually, with carriers holding both state and federal authority paying renewals through the UCR system instead.
What insurance does ArDOT require?
| Requirement | Amount |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury, per person | $50,000 |
| Bodily injury, per accident | $100,000 |
| Property damage | $30,000 |
| Cargo, common carriers | $5,000 with cargo endorsement |
| Hazmat | Federal tiers, $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 |
| Interstate general freight | $750,000 federal floor |
The 50/100/30 floors under ArDOT's Rule 13.1 apply flat, regardless of vehicle weight, for intrastate non-hazmat property, and sit far below both the federal floor and the $1,000,000 broker standard. Proof reaches ArDOT on the insurer-filed Form E for liability and Form H for cargo, and enforcement is direct: roadside inspections verify coverage, and operating without valid insurance documentation draws immediate out-of-service orders.
How does the annual renewal work?
Arkansas intrastate permits renew yearly, which adds a compliance rhythm most filing states lack: the authority itself, not just the insurance behind it, has an expiration date. Carriers running both intrastate and interstate consolidate renewal payment through UCR. The practical checklist pairs the permit renewal with insurance verification, since a renewed permit over a lapsed filing is still an out-of-service order waiting at the scales.
What about workers comp and injury coverage?
Arkansas requires workers compensation at three or more employees, a middle-ground threshold, through a private market regulated by the Arkansas Workers' Compensation Commission. Smaller operations sit outside the mandate with the usual caveat that the injury exposure remains, and occupational accident coverage is common in owner-operator leases. Arkansas is an at-fault tort state; insurers must offer medical payments and similar first-party coverages, which can be rejected in writing, and no PIP layer attaches to trucking policies.
What defines Arkansas trucking risk?
The I-40 corridor above all: one of the nation's busiest east-west truck routes crosses the state, concentrating through-freight exposure and crash frequency, with the West Memphis freight cluster anchoring the eastern end. The state's own trades, poultry, timber, and aggregates, carry their own severity profiles, rural two-lane exposure is significant, and ice storms produce seasonal claim clusters. Underwriters price the mix operation by operation, and the corridor question, how much I-40 exposure, comes early in every Arkansas submission.
Where are Arkansas requirements verified?
ArDOT's intrastate authority pages and FAQ for the permit system and Rule 13.1 amounts, FMCSA for the federal layer, the Workers' Compensation Commission for coverage thresholds, and the Arkansas Insurance Department, (501) 371-2600, for policy and insurer questions.
Real questions Arkansas owner-operators and fleet managers ask
Does Arkansas require intrastate operating authority?
Yes, for all for-hire carriers of property or passengers operating wholly within the state, through ArDOT, with annual renewals. Insurer-filed Form E and Form H proof must stay current, and roadside enforcement issues out-of-service orders for coverage gaps.
What are Arkansas's minimum trucking insurance limits?
ArDOT's Rule 13.1 sets 50/100/30 split limits for intrastate non-hazmat property, flat across weights, plus $5,000 cargo for common carriers. Interstate operations carry the federal tiers, and broker contracts require $1,000,000 regardless.
How often does Arkansas intrastate authority renew?
Annually. Carriers holding both intrastate and interstate authority pay yearly renewals through the UCR system instead of separately. Pairing the permit renewal with an insurance filing check keeps both halves of compliance aligned.
When does an Arkansas trucking company need workers comp?
At three or more employees, under the Arkansas Workers' Compensation Commission's rules. Below three, the mandate does not apply, though the injury exposure does, and occupational accident coverage commonly fills the gap in owner-operator arrangements.
Are Arkansas's state minimums enough to book freight?
No. The 50/100/30 floors satisfy ArDOT filings only; broker packets require $1,000,000 liability and $100,000 cargo, and the federal floor governs the moment a load crosses state lines. The state minimums gate the permit, not the freight.
Can Morrow write trucking insurance in Arkansas?
Not directly today. Morrow is the brand name of Afthonea Inc, licensed in Massachusetts, Florida, California, New York, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Texas. If your trucking company is based in Arkansas, we can refer you to a licensed Arkansas agent, and this guide still shows you exactly what to ask that agent for. Everything above comes from public Arkansas and federal sources, not from us selling you a policy.
Related Arkansas trucking guides
The other Arkansas trucking questions, answered the same way.
- Trucking insurance in Arkansas (start here)
- Trucking insurance requirements
- Intrastate authority and filings
- Minimum liability limits for trucks
- Cost of trucking insurance
- Business insurance in Arkansas
- Federal minimum liability limits by commodity
- What is an MCS-90 endorsement?
- Federal minimum liability limits by commodity
- Trucking and transportation insurance overview
This guide is general information, not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Limits, forms, and deadlines change, so verify current requirements with the Arkansas Department of Transportation and the Arkansas Insurance Department before you rely on them. Morrow is a brand name of Afthonea Inc. Last updated: July 2026.