TL;DR: Indiana for-hire intrastate carriers apply to DOR Motor Carrier Services for operating authority, with the insurer-filed Form E and a tariff due within 60 days before the certificate issues. Floors mirror federal levels: $300,000 under 10,000 pounds, $750,000 above, with passenger tiers. Workers comp applies from the first employee.
Which rules apply to trucking in Indiana?
Two aligned layers at the crossroads of America. Interstate freight runs on the federal scheme: FMCSA authority, 49 CFR 387.9 tiers, insurer-filed BMC certificates, the MCS-90. Intrastate for-hire carriage runs through the Department of Revenue's Motor Carrier Services division: the IOA application, an insurer-filed Form E, and a tariff, with a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity issuing once both documents arrive, and a 60-day deadline that dismisses applications whose paperwork does not. Indiana pegs its floors to the federal levels, so the two layers ask for the same coverage in different envelopes.
What insurance does Indiana require?
| Operation | Requirement |
|---|---|
| For-hire non-hazardous property, under 10,000 lbs | $300,000 CSL |
| For-hire property, 10,001 lbs and up | $750,000 CSL |
| Passenger, 15 or fewer | $1,500,000 |
| Passenger, 16 or more | $5,000,000 |
| Hazmat | Federal tiers, $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 |
| Brokered freight | $1,000,000 liability and $100,000 cargo by contract |
The mirror is complete, weight tiers, passenger tiers, and hazmat all track the federal amounts, which keeps Indiana simple: one $1,000,000 policy clears the state authority, any federal filing, and every broker packet at once.
How does the 60-day rule work?
As a real deadline: after the authority application, DOR must receive both the Form E from the insurance company and the carrier's tariff within 60 days, or the application is dismissed and the process restarts with a new filing. The Form E follows uniform conventions, insurer transmission, exact name matching, cancellation notice obligations, and the tariff is the Indiana particular, a rate document many first-time applicants have never prepared. Applicants who bind coverage and draft the tariff before applying convert the 60 days from a risk into a formality.
What about workers comp and injury coverage?
Indiana requires workers compensation from the first employee under the Worker's Compensation Board, through a private market with moderate Midwest rates. Indiana is an at-fault tort state with no PIP layer, and its liability environment is notably calmer than its neighbor to the northwest: Indiana juries and damage rules run moderate, one reason carriers domicile on the Indiana side of the Chicago metro. Owner-operator classification follows Indiana's tests, with occupational accident coverage standard in leases.
What defines Indiana trucking risk?
Volume and junctions. Indiana's interstates, I-65, I-70, I-69, and the I-80/I-94 corridor across the north, carry crossroads freight densities, with Indianapolis anchoring a distribution economy and northwest Indiana absorbing Chicago's freight and theft spillover. Steel and limestone hauling add trade severity, winters add seasonal frequency, and the state's moderate legal environment keeps severity closer to claims' medical facts than to venue reputations. Underwriters treat Indiana as writable Midwest freight with corridor exposure to price.
Where are Indiana requirements verified?
DOR Motor Carrier Services for authority and filing rules, including the CMV guidebook; FMCSA for the federal layer; the Worker's Compensation Board for coverage questions; and the Department of Insurance, (317) 232-2385, for policy matters.
Real questions Indiana owner-operators and fleet managers ask
Does Indiana require intrastate operating authority?
Yes, through DOR Motor Carrier Services: the IOA application, an insurer-filed Form E, and a tariff, with the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity issuing once both documents arrive within the 60-day window.
What are Indiana's minimum trucking insurance limits?
Federal-mirror floors: $300,000 for for-hire property under 10,000 pounds, $750,000 above, passenger tiers at $1,500,000 and $5,000,000, hazmat at federal amounts. Brokers require $1,000,000 regardless.
What happens if my Form E misses Indiana's 60-day window?
The authority application is dismissed and the process restarts. Binding coverage and preparing the tariff before applying keeps the deadline comfortable; the Form E itself comes from the insurer, not the carrier.
What is the tariff Indiana requires?
A rate document filed with DOR alongside the Form E, a survivor of regulated-era practice that first-time applicants often have not prepared. Both documents must arrive within 60 days for the certificate to issue.
When does workers comp apply in Indiana?
From the first employee, under the Worker's Compensation Board through a private market at moderate Midwest rates. Owner-operator classification follows state tests, with occupational accident coverage standard in leases.
Can Morrow write trucking insurance in Indiana?
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 Indiana, we can refer you to a licensed Indiana agent, and this guide still shows you exactly what to ask that agent for. Everything above comes from public Indiana and federal sources, not from us selling you a policy.
Related Indiana trucking guides
The other Indiana trucking questions, answered the same way.
- Trucking insurance in Indiana (start here)
- Trucking insurance requirements
- Intrastate authority and filings
- Minimum liability limits for trucks
- Cost of trucking insurance
- Business insurance in Indiana
- 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 Indiana DOR Motor Carrier Services and the Indiana Department of Insurance before you rely on them. Morrow is a brand name of Afthonea Inc. Last updated: July 2026.