Texas
Texas intrastate authority: the TxDMV number
Updated
Texas intrastate authority is a certificate of registration from TxDMV, known as the TxDMV number. You need one to run inside Texas with a vehicle or combination over 26,000 pounds, haul placarded hazmat or move household goods for hire. An annual certificate costs $100 plus $10 a vehicle, and your insurer files proof of your liability on Form E: $500,000 for general freight over 26,000 pounds.
At a glance
- Application, annual or biennial
- $100
- Each vehicle
- $10 a year, $20 biennial
- Form E filing
- $100
- Liability minimum, over 26,000 lb
- $500,000
The TxDMV number is the Texas version of operating authority for in-state work. It covers for-hire carriers and private carriers hauling their own goods alike, and it sits next to a USDOT number registered as intrastate.
You apply through TxDMV (opens in a new tab) in its online motor carrier system, TxMCCS. TxDMV set August 3, 2026 as the launch date for TxMCCS, which replaced MCCS and eLINC. Every user has to create a new account in it.
Who needs a TxDMV number
You need one if you run any of these inside Texas:
- a vehicle or combination with a gross weight, registered weight or weight rating over 26,000 pounds
- placarded hazmat
- household goods for hire, at any weight
- a farm vehicle of 48,000 pounds or more
- a vehicle designed to carry more than 15 passengers including the driver, or a commercial school bus
Carriers that run only interstate and are registered with UCR are exempt, and so are government vehicles and farm vehicles under 48,000 pounds. A box truck whose gross weight, registered weight and weight rating all stay at 26,000 pounds or less, hauling general freight inside Texas, meets none of the triggers.
What it costs
You pick a term when you apply. The vehicle charge applies to each truck on the certificate. Household goods movers have their own fee table.
| Term | Application | Each vehicle | Form E filing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days | $5 | $10 | $100 |
| 90 days | $25 | $10 | $100 |
| Annual | $100 | $10 | $100 |
| Biennial | $100 | $20 | $100 |
One truck on an annual certificate comes to $210 with the Form E filing, before payment charges. That covers the certificate only, so plates and premiums come on top.
- Payment. Paying by card adds $0.25 plus 2.25%, and TxDMV also takes ACH. Registration fees are nonrefundable.
- Household goods. Movers add $100 for Forms H and I.
- Short terms. Hazmat and household goods carriers can't use the seven-day or 90-day terms, and the seven-day and 90-day certificates can't be renewed.
The $100 Form E charge is TxDMV's filing fee, separate from your premium. It applies to your original application and to keeping a revoked certificate number, and it isn't charged every time a new insurer files. Check whether your insurer's bill already includes it so you don't pay it twice.
The application fee is one-time while your registration stays current, and renewals carry the vehicle fee. Renew in TxMCCS before the certificate expires. TxDMV sends a notice about 30 days ahead, but a missed notice doesn't excuse a late renewal.
How to apply
- Get a USDOT number in Motus and register it as intrastate. FMCSA charges nothing for it. The Texas DOT number page walks through it.
- Create a TxMCCS account, apply and choose your term.
- TxDMV estimates standard review at 24 to 48 business hours, or seven business days more with prior or linked authority.
- Once TxDMV approves the application, have your insurer file Form E.
- After the filing, follow TxDMV's payment notice to pay the fees and get your certificate.
The application asks for:
- owner and business details, and a Texas process agent if different
- each vehicle's identification
- whether you haul household goods or hazmat
- your knowledge of the safety laws
- Part 382 drug testing compliance and any consortium details
- a valid FMCSA identifier
TxDMV has adopted a rules package dated October 8, 2026 that calls for a Social Security number from sole proprietors, with no ITIN option. Sole proprietors should ask TxDMV when it takes effect.
A certificate you held before TxMCCS can be claimed in your new account with your USDOT number and EIN.
If your USDOT number is new, allow extra time. The TxMCCS sign-in page warns that FMCSA and Motus validation problems can block newly issued USDOT numbers and hold up TxDMV issuance, with no fix date given.
Ready for Loads isn't affiliated with TxDMV. You apply directly with TxDMV, and the fees above are TxDMV's own.
Insurance minimums and Form E
Form E is the form your insurer files with TxDMV to prove your liability coverage. Your insurance company files it electronically, and only the insurance company can file it or cancel it. A copy of your policy can't stand in for the filing.
| What you haul | Texas minimum |
|---|---|
| General freight, vehicle over 26,000 lb, for hire or private | $500,000 liability |
| Household goods, vehicle 26,000 lb or less | $300,000 liability |
| Household goods cargo | $5,000 a vehicle and $10,000 aggregate |
| Oil and listed hazardous materials | $1 million |
| Bulk or high-hazard hazardous materials | $5 million |
Private carriers file the same way as for-hire carriers.
Your Form E has to stay active in TxDMV's system, even while you take a break from running. If it lapses, TxDMV can revoke your certificate, so cancel a certificate you aren't using before you cancel the coverage. Bind your renewal early and get confirmation from your agent that the new Form E was filed before the old policy ends.
Keep proof in each truck: the current insurance cab card page with the vehicle highlighted, on paper or as a legible, accurate image on a device. You can also pull it up in TxDMV's online system when asked. It counts only while your insurance stays continuously on file.
Ask your agent which filings they will make: a Form E with TxDMV for in-state work, a BMC-91X with FMCSA for interstate authority or both. The Texas truck insurance page compares the limits brokers ask for.
In-state and interstate side by side
| Texas intrastate | Interstate for hire | |
|---|---|---|
| Who issues it | TxDMV | FMCSA |
| Numbers | USDOT marked intrastate, plus TxDMV number | USDOT plus MC |
| Application fee | $100 plus $10 a vehicle | $300 per authority type |
| Liability minimum, general freight | $500,000 over 26,000 lb | $750,000 at 10,001 lb or more |
| Proof of insurance | Form E, filed by your insurer | BMC-91X, filed by your insurer |
| Renewal | When your annual or biennial term ends | UCR every year |
A haul that never leaves Texas is still interstate commerce when the freight started or ends outside Texas or the United States. If you run both kinds of loads, you carry both columns. The MC number page covers the federal side.
Eligible carriers registered with UCR that also run in-state can convert an existing Texas certificate to one that doesn't expire by notifying TxDMV on its form. Keep your registration continuous, and tell TxDMV if your UCR ends or you switch to household goods, a non-charter bus or hauling recyclable materials or waste.
Driver rules that differ inside Texas
Two Texas DPS rules apply only to Texas-only driving:
- A driver regularly employed driving a commercial vehicle in Texas before August 28, 1989, who doesn't haul placarded hazmat, doesn't have to meet the federal medical standards for intrastate driving. School bus drivers still need a physical every year.
- DPS offers a Texas Intrastate Limb Waiver for Texas-only driving. It requires a DOT medical certificate and a skills test within 60 days.
Look up a TxDMV number
TxDMV's Truck Stop lookup (opens in a new tab) searches Texas motor carriers. Pick a search type and enter at least four characters. It returns up to 100 results, needs no login and shows each carrier's insurance filing status.
Price the rest of your setup. The cost estimator turns published fees and prices into a first-year budget and a cost per mile for your truck count, with your own insurance quote added. It's built around interstate authority and leaves out TxDMV fees, plates and state registration, so add the TxDMV fees from the table above. Cost estimator
Frequently asked questions
How much does Texas intrastate authority cost?
An annual certificate is $100 plus $10 a vehicle, and the Form E filing is $100. One truck on an annual certificate comes to $210 before payment charges, with plates and premiums on top.
How long does TxDMV take to approve a TxDMV number?
TxDMV estimates standard review at 24 to 48 business hours, or seven business days more with prior or linked authority. After approval, your insurer files Form E and you pay the fees to get the certificate.
What insurance do I need for a TxDMV number?
General freight in a vehicle over 26,000 pounds needs $500,000 in liability, for hire or private. Oil and listed hazardous materials need $1 million, and bulk or high-hazard hazardous materials need $5 million.
Do I need a TxDMV number if I have MC authority?
Only if you also run in-state loads that meet a Texas trigger. Carriers that run only interstate and are registered with UCR are exempt.
Can I renew a 90-day TxDMV certificate?
No. The seven-day and 90-day certificates can't be renewed. Annual and biennial certificates renew in TxMCCS before they expire.