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An insurance filing is proof of coverage sent to a state or federal agency for your towing business. The filings you need depend on your trucks, services, and operating area.
We help arrange towing coverage and coordinate insurance filings with your insurer. Send us the agency’s requirements while you’re preparing your registration or operating-authority application so we can check the insurance documents you’ll need.
Policies, certificates, filings and operating authority
A policy, a certificate, and a filing serve different purposes. Here’s what each one does:
- Insurance policy: The contract describing your coverage, limits, conditions and exclusions.
- Certificate of insurance: A summary of policy information requested by a customer, network or agency.
- Insurance filing: Proof submitted to a regulator by the insurer or authorized filer.
- Operating authority or permit: Approval to perform an activity regulated by the issuing agency.
Use consistent legal business information on your insurance and operating applications. The agency needs to match the filing to the name and address on your application.
Federal insurance requirements for interstate towing
Federal requirements depend on the movement, vehicle weight, and services you provide. A USDOT number identifies your business. It doesn’t, by itself, tell you which insurance filings or operating authority you need.
FMCSA requires $750,000 in financial responsibility for qualifying for-hire emergency tows across state or national borders using trucks with a GVWR or GCWR of 10,000 pounds or more. A later move can have different requirements based on the vehicle or cargo being transported. See the FMCSA towing guidance.
An initial roadside tow and a later trip from your yard to an auction are separate movements. Describe both when you apply so the insurance and authority review covers all the work you plan to do.
How federal insurance filings work
If your operating authority requires insurance evidence, the insurer or an authorized filer sends it to FMCSA. The filing must match your application and show the required coverage. FMCSA’s insurance filing requirements explains the process.
Ask about filings when you request a quote. Before accepting work that requires authority, confirm that the filing has been accepted and the authority is active.
Illinois registration and ICC filings
For Illinois tow truck registration, you’ll need a certificate with the required coverage and vehicle information. The Secretary of State’s registration publication explains what it must show.
The Illinois Commerce Commission runs separate programs, including public-carrier and safety-relocator authority. For applicable public-carrier operations, the insurer files liability evidence on Form E. Confirm the program and filings for your services through ICC transportation services.
Our Illinois towing requirements guide explains how truck registration, certificates, and ICC insurance filings fit together.
Texas permits and other state requirements
Texas has separate tow truck permits for consent, private-property, and incident-management towing. Each category has insurance requirements. Plan your company license, truck permits, and other approvals alongside the date you want coverage to begin.
Indiana Motor Carrier Services and Wisconsin DOT’s insurance filing resources explain their state programs. Ohio, Missouri, and Minnesota also have rules and exemptions that depend on the type of operation.
Include every state where you regularly work, plus local permits and police-rotation requirements. We’ll use those details to help arrange the appropriate insurance documents.
Customer certificates and policy endorsements
You may need a certificate for a roadside network and an insurance filing for a regulator at the same time. Allow time for both when planning your start date.
If a customer requests additional-insured status or another policy term, have the insurer confirm the necessary coverage or endorsement before the certificate is issued. The certificate must accurately reflect the policy. See Texas Department of Insurance certificate guidance.
Steps to prepare your towing insurance filings
- Identify your legal business name, trucks, services and operating states.
- Confirm the required registrations, licenses and authority with the relevant agencies.
- Give your agent the insurance requirements and application identifiers.
- Select coverage and complete the insurer’s approval and binding steps.
- Confirm filing acceptance and the required operating approvals before starting regulated work.
Get help with towing insurance and filings
Have your business and truck addresses, vehicle list, driver information, services, and any USDOT or authority identifiers ready. Include agency instructions and customer contracts with your quote request.
We’ll compare available policies and coordinate the insurance documents for your operation. You can then confirm the required approvals with the issuing agencies before starting regulated work.
Get a Tow Truck Insurance Quote
See Texas towing requirements and our network requirements guide.
