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Kentucky trucking insurance
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Kentucky Trucking Insurance

Class Insurance Agency, an affiliated office of AIC Insurance

Truck insurance for Kentucky haulers

Kentucky sits on I-75 and I-65, two of the busiest north-south freight corridors in the country, and it has its own certificates, its own insurance limits and a weight-distance tax. We quote Kentucky owner-operators, new authorities and fleets by phone, email and online from our office in Vancouver, Washington, in English, Russian, Ukrainian or Romanian.

Call 360-450-2211 or start a quote online.

Kentucky certificates for carriers

  • Intrastate for-hire carriers need a Kentucky certificate: $25 to register, plus a yearly renewal of $10 per vehicle, with a Form E or ACORD certificate on file.[1]
  • Interstate for-hire carriers also get a one-time Kentucky certificate for $25 with a Form E or ACORD, but no vehicle fees, because UCR covers them.[1][2]
  • Household goods and passenger carriers need their own certificates[3], and towing certificates cost $250 plus $10 per vehicle.[1]
  • USDOT number. Intrastate carriers with trucks of 10,001 lb or more need an intrastate USDOT number[2], except farm-to-market vehicles of 26,000 lb GVWR or less. Drivers may be 18 for intrastate work.[4]

Insurance limits in Kentucky

Truck Kentucky minimum
Property trucks over 18,000 lb $100,000/$600,000 bodily injury, $50,000 property damage
Property trucks 18,000 lb or less $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury, $50,000 property damage
Hazardous materials $1,000,000 combined single limit

The filing is a Form E or ACORD certificate with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.[5] Kentucky applies most federal safety rules to intrastate carriers but not the federal insurance part, so interstate for-hire trucks follow the federal $750,000 minimum while intrastate trucks follow the table above.[4] Most brokers ask for $1,000,000 in auto liability anyway.

The KYU weight-distance tax, and KIT

  • KYU. Every carrier, interstate or intrastate, with a combined license weight over 59,999 lb on Kentucky roads pays 2.85 cents a mile. Farm plates are exempt. Returns are due quarterly, including zero-mile returns, and missing one brings a $500 revocation fee.[6] Returns are due by the last day of the month after each quarter.[7]
  • KIT is a separate fuel-tax license for Kentucky-based carriers that never leave Kentucky with trucks over 26,000 lb or with 3 or more axles.[8] You may need both.
  • IRP and IFTA also go through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.[1]

Weights, coal hauling and tolls

  • Road weight classes. AAA roads allow 80,000 lb, AA roads 62,000 lb and A roads 44,000 lb. There’s no gross weight tolerance, and a 5% axle tolerance applies only off the Interstate.[9]
  • Coal haul decal. Trucks with 5 or more axles can run up to 120,000 lb plus 5% on the certified coal haul system for $360 a year, while registered at 80,000 lb.[10]
  • Heavy permits. Metal commodities can run up to 120,000 lb on a $1,250 annual permit, and the feed permit allows 88,000 lb off the Interstate.[11]
  • Louisville tolls. The RiverLink bridges charge 5-axle trucks up to $16.62 from July 1, 2026.[12]

Kentucky freight

About 364 million tons of truck freight move in Kentucky each year. The Brent Spence Bridge has ranked as the country’s number 2 freight bottleneck, and DHL and Amazon Air run hubs at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport.[13] UPS Worldport in Louisville handled about 7.5 billion pounds of cargo in 2025.[14] More than 550 automotive companies employ over 106,000 people in the state[15], and Kentucky makes 95% of the world’s bourbon.[16]

What to have ready for a Kentucky quote

  • USDOT and MC numbers, and your Kentucky certificate and KYU numbers if you have them
  • Where the trucks are garaged, your usual routes and your radius
  • What you haul: auto parts, coal, bourbon, air freight or general freight
  • Registered weights, and any coal haul decals or heavy permits
  • Driver names, license numbers and years of experience
  • Year, make, VIN and value of each truck and trailer
  • Current policy and loss runs, if you have been insured before

Frequently asked questions

Who has to file the Kentucky KYU tax?

Any carrier running over 59,999 lb combined license weight on Kentucky roads. It’s 2.85 cents a mile, filed quarterly, including zero-mile returns.[6]

What is the difference between KIT and KYU?

KIT is a fuel-tax license for Kentucky-based carriers that stay in Kentucky. KYU is the weight-distance tax. Some carriers need both.[8][6]

I have an MC number. Do I need Kentucky authority too?

Yes, a one-time $25 Kentucky certificate with a Form E or ACORD on file, but no vehicle fees.[1]

What are Kentucky’s minimum insurance limits for intrastate trucks?

$100,000/$600,000 bodily injury and $50,000 property damage for trucks over 18,000 lb, and $1,000,000 for hazmat.[5]

Can coal trucks run 120,000 lb in Kentucky?

Yes, with a coal haul decal and only on the certified coal haul road system.[10]

Get a Kentucky truck insurance quote

Call 360-450-2211 or start your quote. We’re open Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific (10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern).


Related coverage and nearby states

Sources

General information only, checked September 2026. Rules change; confirm with the agency that issues your permits. Coverage availability, terms and filings depend on underwriting and the policy issued; a quote request does not bind insurance.