TL;DR: ARS 28-4033 sets Arizona's intrastate tiers for non-hazardous property: $300,000 combined single limit at 20,001 to 26,000 pounds GVW and $750,000 above 26,000, with hazmat at the federal amounts. The heavy tier equals the federal floor, and the $1,000,000 broker standard governs working freight either way.
What liability limits does Arizona require for trucks?
Arizona's statute scales to weight and defers hazmat to federal law.
| Layer | Vehicle or operation | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| ARS 28-4033, intrastate non-hazardous property | GVW 20,001 to 26,000 lbs | $300,000 CSL |
| GVW over 26,000 lbs | $750,000 CSL | |
| ARS 28-4033, hazmat | Per federal law | $1,000,000 / $5,000,000 |
| Federal, interstate | General freight, 10,001 lbs and up | $750,000 |
| Hazmat by commodity | $1,000,000 / $5,000,000 | |
| Registration, light vehicles | Passenger-car rules | 25/50/15 |
How does Arizona's structure compare to other states?
It lands in the sensible middle. The heavy tier matches the federal $750,000, like California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania, avoiding the two-tier trap of low-floor states like Florida. The 20,001 pound entry point is distinctive: lighter than Texas's 26,000 pound registration threshold, heavier than the federal 10,001 pound interstate line, which leaves box trucks between 10,001 and 20,000 pounds governed intrastate only by registration minimums and contracts. Weight classification therefore matters at the margins, and combination weights push many hotshot setups over lines their owners did not expect.
What do the tiers mean for actual purchasing?
Little, beyond compliance. Working carriers buy $1,000,000 combined single limit because broker packets require it, clearing every statutory tier and the federal floor at once, and cargo at $100,000 for the same contractual reasons. The statutory numbers gate registration-level compliance and enforcement checks; the market numbers book freight. Hazmat operations match the federal tier to the commodity exactly, and Arizona's fuel distribution networks make the $1,000,000 petroleum tier routine business.
How does Arizona's litigation climate bear on limits?
Increasingly like everywhere: Maricopa County juries have delivered substantial commercial verdicts as part of the national severity trend, and the I-10 corridor's multi-vehicle dust-storm crashes create exactly the multi-claimant scenarios that exhaust primary limits. Fleets with assets increasingly carry excess layers above the $1,000,000 primary, priced for corridor exposure and metro growth. The statutory floors play no role in that analysis; the exposure does.
What should carriers verify about their own limits?
Four things. Weight classification: GVW and combination weights against the 20,001 and 26,000 pound lines, since the tier follows the rating. Commodity: any hazmat pulls federal amounts regardless of weight. Consistency: the Form E, any federal filing, and the actual policy limit should tell one story. And contracts: shipper packets sometimes require more than $1,000,000, and the insurance exhibit controls. The statute is a floor-check; the program is built above it.
Where are current numbers verified?
ARS 28-4033 on the Arizona legislature's site, which is short and current; 49 CFR 387.9 for the federal amounts; ADOT for filing mechanics; and the Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions, (602) 364-3100, for policy questions. The tiers have been stable, and the market layer moves on its own schedule as always.
Real questions Arizona owner-operators and fleet managers ask
What is the minimum insurance for a semi in Arizona?
$750,000 combined single limit for intrastate non-hazardous freight above 26,000 pounds GVW under ARS 28-4033, identical to the federal interstate floor. Brokered freight requires $1,000,000 by contract, which is what working carriers carry.
What does a 22,000 pound box truck need in Arizona?
$300,000 combined single limit under the statute's 20,001 to 26,000 pound tier for intrastate non-hazardous property. Interstate operation at that weight triggers the federal $750,000 floor instead, and broker freight requires $1,000,000 either way.
Are trucks under 20,000 pounds exempt from Arizona's tiers?
The ARS 28-4033 property tiers start at 20,001 pounds, so lighter intrastate vehicles ride on registration minimums and contracts. Interstate work reaches down to 10,001 pounds federally, and hazmat pulls federal amounts at any weight the rules specify.
Do Arizona fuel haulers follow state or federal amounts?
Federal: the statute defers hazardous materials to federal law, so petroleum products carry $1,000,000 and bulk high-hazard classes $5,000,000 under 49 CFR 387.9, for intrastate and interstate operations alike.
Should Arizona fleets buy more than the statutory minimums?
Working fleets already do, at $1,000,000 for contracts, and fleets with assets increasingly add excess: corridor pileups and Maricopa County verdict trends create multi-claimant severity that primary limits handle poorly. Size the tower to the exposure, not the statute.
Can Morrow write trucking insurance in Arizona?
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 Arizona, we can refer you to a licensed Arizona agent, and this guide still shows you exactly what to ask that agent for. Everything above comes from public Arizona and federal sources, not from us selling you a policy.
Related Arizona trucking guides
The other Arizona trucking questions, answered the same way.
- Trucking insurance in Arizona (start here)
- Trucking insurance requirements
- Intrastate authority and filings
- Cost of trucking insurance
- Business insurance in Arizona
- Federal minimum liability limits by commodity
- What is an MCS-90 endorsement?
- Federal minimum liability limits by commodity
- Commercial auto for trucking fleets
This guide is general information, not legal, tax, or insurance advice. Limits, forms, and deadlines change, so verify current requirements with the Arizona Department of Transportation and the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions before you rely on them. Morrow is a brand name of Afthonea Inc. Last updated: July 2026.