TL;DR: Delaware issues no intrastate operating authority for general freight. Registered vehicles carry 25/50/10 liability plus compulsory 15/30 personal injury protection, commercial vehicles over 10,001 pounds need intrastate USDOT numbers, and interstate or hazmat work follows the federal tiers with FMCSA filings. Workers comp applies from the first employee, and brokers require $1,000,000.
Which rules apply to trucking in Delaware?
A minimal state layer with one distinctive feature. Delaware deregulated general-freight intrastate authority, keeping carrier regulation for passenger operations under its public-carrier statutes, so ordinary trucking between Delaware points needs no certificate and files no state insurance proof. Two state requirements do apply: commercial vehicles over 10,001 pounds need intrastate USDOT numbers even when they never leave the state, and every registered vehicle, trucks included, carries Delaware's compulsory personal injury protection at $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident under 21 Del. C. 2118, alongside 25/50/10 liability minimums. Interstate and hazmat operations run the full federal stack: FMCSA authority, 49 CFR 387.9 tiers, insurer-filed BMC certificates, the MCS-90.
What insurance is legally required?
| Operation | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Any registered vehicle | 25/50/10 liability plus 15/30 PIP |
| Intrastate CMVs over 10,001 lbs | Intrastate USDOT number and marking |
| Interstate general freight | $750,000 federal floor, BMC filing, MCS-90 |
| Hazmat, including the chemical corridor's bulk work | $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 federal tiers |
| Brokered freight | $1,000,000 liability and $100,000 cargo by contract |
Delaware's PIP is the notable piece: unlike most deregulated states, a first-party medical layer rides on every registered truck, paying regardless of fault while leaving tort rights intact, the add-on PIP model rather than true no-fault. The registration liability minimums remain irrelevant at trucking severity; the federal floors and the $1,000,000 broker standard govern working operations.
How does Delaware's add-on PIP work for fleets?
The 15/30 PIP pays medical expenses and lost wages for occupants and certain pedestrians regardless of fault, and because Delaware preserves tort claims fully, serious injuries still proceed against liability limits. For fleets, employee drivers route through workers comp first, making truck PIP most relevant for other occupants, and the layer's cost is priced into every Delaware commercial auto policy. It is a small state's version of the Northeast first-party tradition, and it surprises carriers arriving from at-fault states.
What about workers comp and the state's trades?
Workers compensation applies from the first employee under Title 19, through a private market overseen by the Division of Industrial Affairs. Delaware's freight profile is corridor and chemistry: I-95 through Wilmington carries some of the East Coast's heaviest through-traffic, the Port of Wilmington generates drayage, and the chemical industry's legacy means hazmat tankers are routine on Delaware roads, carrying the federal $1,000,000 and $5,000,000 tiers as ordinary business. Underwriters price the corridor and the commodities accordingly.
What does the absence of state filings mean in practice?
The usual deregulated-state trade: less paperwork, no warning system. No filing exists to suspend, so nothing external flags a lapsing policy; enforcement happens at registration verification, roadside inspection, and broker certificate monitoring. Continuity discipline is the carrier's own responsibility, and the practical standard is the same as filing states: replacement coverage bound and verified before old policies end, every time.
Where are Delaware requirements verified?
The Delaware DMV for registration and the PIP requirement, FMCSA for USDOT numbers and federal authority, the Division of Industrial Affairs for workers comp, and the Delaware Department of Insurance, (302) 674-7300, for policy questions.
Real questions Delaware owner-operators and fleet managers ask
Does Delaware require intrastate operating authority?
Not for general freight; Delaware's carrier regulation survives mainly for passenger operations. Trucking between Delaware points requires proper registration, the compulsory PIP layer, and an intrastate USDOT number for vehicles over 10,001 pounds.
What is Delaware's PIP requirement for trucks?
Compulsory personal injury protection at $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident on registered vehicles under 21 Del. C. 2118, paying medical and wage losses regardless of fault while preserving tort claims, the add-on PIP model. It rides on commercial trucks like everything else registered in the state.
Do I need a USDOT number for Delaware-only trucking?
Over 10,001 pounds, yes: Delaware requires intrastate USDOT numbers even for vehicles that never cross state lines, obtained free through FMCSA and marked per the federal standard.
What limits do Delaware carriers actually carry?
The market standard: $1,000,000 liability and $100,000 cargo, clearing the federal floor and broker packets. The chemical corridor's hazmat work carries its federal tier, $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 by commodity, as routine business.
When does workers comp apply in Delaware?
From the first employee, through the private market under the Division of Industrial Affairs. Owner-operator classification follows state tests, with occupational accident coverage the usual lease answer outside the comp system.
Can Morrow write trucking insurance in Delaware?
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 Delaware, we can refer you to a licensed Delaware agent, and this guide still shows you exactly what to ask that agent for. Everything above comes from public Delaware and federal sources, not from us selling you a policy.
Related Delaware trucking guides
The other Delaware trucking questions, answered the same way.
- Trucking insurance in Delaware (start here)
- Trucking insurance requirements
- Intrastate authority and filings
- Minimum liability limits for trucks
- Cost of trucking insurance
- Business insurance in Delaware
- 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 Delaware DMV and the Delaware Department of Insurance before you rely on them. Morrow is a brand name of Afthonea Inc. Last updated: July 2026.