Illinois Tow Truck Insurance Requirements

1. What insurance do you need to register a tow truck in Illinois?

The Illinois Secretary of State handles tow-truck registration and plates. Its VSD 404 checklist sets out the coverages below. A combined single limit (CSL) is one limit for covered injuries and property damage from the same accident. [1]

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These limits apply to registration. ICC approval, police rotations or customer contracts may require more coverage. VSD 552 lists the limited registration exceptions. [1] [3] [12]

What is the difference between garage liability and garagekeepers?

Garage liability addresses covered injury and property-damage claims arising from your business operations. Garagekeepers legal liability addresses damage to customer vehicles at an insured repair or storage facility when your business is legally responsible. Review the terms and exclusions for both.

You may qualify for the garagekeepers exception if you have no repair or storage facility. You’ll still need the separate $500,000 garage-liability coverage. [3]

For broader coverage options, see our Illinois tow truck insurance page.

2. Get your certificate of insurance ready

Your agent or insurer issues a certificate of insurance (COI) summarizing your policies. Submit it with your registration paperwork. The certificate needs to show the coverage already in place; it can’t change your policy.

Use the sample below to check the details with your agent. Your registration needs a current certificate for your own business and vehicles.

View the full-size sample COI image

What your COI should show

1. Issue date: The date in the upper-right corner must be within 90 days of your registration or renewal.
2. Business name and address: Both must match the vehicle registration.
3. Vehicle details: Include the year, make, model and VIN. Check that policy numbers appear in the separate policy-number fields.
4. Coverage and limits: Show each required coverage and confirm it is active. Where appropriate, your agent can use the state’s accepted statement that the policy meets the insurance requirements.
5. Certificate holder: List the Secretary of State. This identifies who receives the certificate; it does not add them to your policy as an insured.
6. Policy dates and cancellation notice: Ask your agent to check the two requirements explained below.

Provide insurance evidence for each vehicle. VSD 404 explains the required details, including policy numbers and cancellation wording. [1]

Does your policy need to expire on December 31?

Your certificate must show a December 31 expiration for the current registration year or state that coverage is continuous. If your policy renews on a different date, ask your agent about the wording the insurer can provide. The sample uses “Continuous Until Cancelled.” [1] [2]

Confirm the wording before submitting your registration. It must be supported by the insurer, and your policy’s payment and cancellation terms still apply.

3. Complete the state insurance forms

The insurance affirmation form: VSD 941

The owner or authorized signer completes and signs the Tow Truck for Hire Insurance Affirmation (VSD 941), then submits it with the COI. It confirms that the truck meets the insurance requirements. The annotated image explains the sections; use the official blank form linked below to complete your application. [2]

View the full-size VSD 941 annotated image

Get the official blank VSD 941 form

If the state believes a vehicle is uninsured or underinsured, it may request updated proof. The form requires a response within two calendar days; failing to provide the evidence can lead to registration revocation. [2]

When a coverage exception applies: VSD 552

VSD 552 documents why a particular coverage isn’t shown on your certificate. You may use it when your business meets one of these three exceptions. [3]

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List the affected vehicles and add the authorized signature, printed name and date. The signer affirms the information under penalty of perjury. If you operate an LLC or corporation without other employees, have the workers’ compensation rules reviewed; this form specifically names sole proprietors. ICC rules or customer contracts may still require coverage. [3] [12]

View the full-size VSD 552 annotated image

Get the official blank VSD 552 form

4. Find out whether you need ICC approval and filings

Some towing services also require ICC operating authority, which is approval to perform the regulated work. Tell the ICC what you tow, who requests it, where you operate and whether you remove unauthorized vehicles or offer storage. Those details determine which program may apply in addition to truck registration. [5] [9] [14]

When an ICC program requires an insurance filing, your insurer submits proof directly to the commission. You may need that filing as well as a standard COI.

Hauling vehicles for hire: Public Carrier Certificates

Transporting property for payment within Illinois may require a Public Carrier Certificate. Towing has specific classifications and exceptions, so confirm the approval your business needs before applying. [5] [15]

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These limits apply to the ICC’s ordinary, non-hazardous property category. Other cargo may require different limits. Form K is the notice used to cancel an insurance filing. [4] [11] [13]

Qualifying non-relocation towing may not need a separate cargo filing when Form E also confirms the required protection for vehicles in your care. A separate filing is needed if Form E excludes that protection. Ask your insurer to confirm the exception and that your policy meets the towing coverage requirements. [6]

Removing trespassing vehicles from private property

Removing unauthorized vehicles from private property may fall under the ICC’s relocation towing program in participating counties. This program uses Forms E and H as proof of insurance and Form K for cancellation. ^{[8] [14]}

The relocation towing law lists minimums of $100,000 for injuries to one person, $300,000 per accident, $50,000 for other property damage and $15,000 per relocated or stored vehicle. Your registered tow truck must also meet the higher Secretary of State requirements. Your agent can help arrange coverage that satisfies both. ^[7]

Towing damaged or disabled vehicles: Safety Relocator registration

If you tow damaged or disabled vehicles in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Will or Winnebago County, check the ICC’s Safety Relocator requirements. The location of the tow matters, even if your business is based in another county. ^[9]

Apply using Safety Towing Registration Form SRR-1. Your insurer submits the required insurance evidence through the ICC portal. Rule 1715.410 calls for Forms E and H for proof of coverage and Form K for cancellation. ^{[9] [16] [17]}

Under Rule 1715.430, the program requires at least $100,000 for injuries to one person, $300,000 per accident, $50,000 for other property damage and $15,000 per relocated or stored vehicle. Coverage must continue until cancelled. These amounts do not replace the higher insurance limits required for your tow-truck registration. ^[10]

Before accepting regulated work, confirm that your approval is active. We can help arrange the insurance filings with your insurer; check the ICC Motor Carrier and Towers Search for your authority status. Buying a policy or submitting an application alone doesn’t activate operating authority.

Do your contracts or routes require more coverage?

Send us the written requirements for police rotations, roadside networks and other customers before accepting that work. They may call for higher limits or additional coverage. If you cross state lines, review federal insurance and operating-authority requirements too.

For help with the next step, see roadside-network insurance requirements and our towing filings and authority guide.

Common questions about Illinois towing insurance

Do I need garagekeepers if I do not have a tow yard?

You may qualify for the VSD 552 exception if you have no repair or storage facilities. Tell us about every place you keep customer vehicles so the exception can be reviewed properly. The separate garage-liability requirement still applies. [3]

Do I need workers’ compensation for one employee?

Yes. Illinois requires workers’ compensation for an employee, including a part-time employee. The registration form’s exception applies to a sole proprietor with no other employees. [3] [12]

Do I need on-hook coverage if I own my tow truck?

Yes, when you tow customers’ vehicles. The exception applies only to a business towing vehicles it owns. Owning the tow truck itself doesn’t change the requirement. [3]

Does my insurance policy have to renew on December 31?

Not necessarily. The certificate can show a December 31 expiration or state that coverage is continuous. Your insurer must support the wording, and the policy’s cancellation terms still apply. [1] [2]

Can I submit the sample COI shown here?

No. Ask your agent for a current certificate showing your business, policies and vehicles. Use the sample to check the details before registration.