TL;DR: Delaware sets no trucking tier table: registration requires 25/50/10 liability plus compulsory 15/30 PIP, and the federal $750,000 to $5,000,000 tiers govern interstate and hazmat operations. The $1,000,000 broker standard is the operative number, and the chemical corridor makes federal hazmat tiers routine Delaware business.
What liability limits does Delaware require for trucks?
A registration package plus federal deference.
| Layer | Coverage | Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Registration, all vehicles | Liability | $25,000 / $50,000 / $10,000 |
| Personal injury protection | $15,000 / $30,000 | |
| Federal, interstate and reached hazmat | General freight, 10,001 lbs and up | $750,000 |
| Hazmat by commodity | $1,000,000 / $5,000,000 | |
| Market, brokered freight | Liability and cargo | $1,000,000 + $100,000 |
How does the compulsory PIP fit into the limit structure?
Below it, as first-party protection. The 15/30 PIP pays occupants' medical and wage losses regardless of fault, an unusual feature for a deregulated state, while the add-on model leaves tort claims fully intact: a seriously injured claimant collects PIP benefits and still sues against the liability limits. For fleets, employee injuries route through workers comp first, and the PIP layer functions mostly as coverage for other occupants plus a fixed per-unit cost. It changes claim mechanics, not the liability-limit analysis, which remains governed by severity and contracts.
What do working Delaware carriers carry?
$1,000,000 combined single limit and $100,000 cargo, the broker standard, clearing the federal floor and every packet. The chemical trade carries its federal tier as a matter of course, $1,000,000 for petroleum and listed materials, $5,000,000 for the bulk high-hazard classes moving through the refinery and chemical corridor, with pollution coverage answering what the auto form excludes. Fleets with I-95 exposure and assets add excess layers priced for corridor severity and Northeast medical costs, and port drayage carries its interchange schedule.
Why do the registration minimums matter so little?
Because 25/50/10 was set for passenger cars and functions as a registration gate, not an operating standard: a single serious truck injury exceeds the per-person limit many times over, and no freight partner accepts registration minimums. Their only operational significance is enforcement, an unregistered or underinsured vehicle is illegal, and the PIP companion requirement, which does apply meaningfully to every unit. The working numbers live in federal law and contracts, as everywhere.
How does Delaware's environment bear on prudent limits?
Through the corridor and the chemistry. I-95's density produces multi-vehicle, multi-claimant events; Northeast medical costs inflate every injury file; and chemical freight carries consequence severity that makes its federal tiers floors rather than targets, with pollution exposure argued separately. Delaware's courts are business-literate but not discount venues for injury claims. The analysis lands where it usually does: $1,000,000 as the working baseline, excess sized to what the operation could lose, hazmat tiers matched exactly to commodities.
Where are current numbers verified?
21 Del. C. 2118 for the registration and PIP amounts, 49 CFR 387.9 for the federal tiers, and the Department of Insurance, (302) 674-7300, for policy questions. The registration package has been stable for years, the federal tiers move rarely, and the contract layer moves on its own commercial schedule and governs in practice, so check the insurance exhibit in front of you before the statute behind you.
Real questions Delaware owner-operators and fleet managers ask
What is the minimum insurance for a semi in Delaware?
At registration, 25/50/10 liability plus 15/30 PIP. Operationally, $750,000 federally for interstate work and $1,000,000 by broker contract, which is what working carriers carry. No state trucking tier sits between.
Does Delaware's PIP change how much liability I need?
No, it adds a first-party layer without reducing tort exposure: injured claimants collect PIP and still sue against liability limits. Size liability to severity and contracts exactly as in at-fault states, with PIP as claim mechanics rather than protection.
What limits do chemical haulers need in Delaware?
The federal tiers by commodity, $1,000,000 for petroleum and listed materials, $5,000,000 for bulk high-hazard classes, plus pollution coverage for the release scenarios auto forms exclude. The corridor's chemistry makes this standard Delaware underwriting.
Are Delaware's registration minimums ever enough?
Only for staying registered. No broker tenders against 25/50/10, interstate work federalizes at 10,001 pounds, and one serious injury exceeds the per-person limit immediately. The package is a gate, with PIP as its meaningful component.
Should Delaware fleets buy excess coverage?
Fleets with I-95 exposure and assets generally should: corridor pileups, Northeast medical costs, and chemical-freight severity all stress $1,000,000 primaries. Size the tower to realistic worst days on the corridor, not to registration floors.
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
- 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
- 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 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.