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North Dakota trucking insurance
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North Dakota Trucking Insurance

Class Insurance Agency, an affiliated office of AIC Insurance

Truck insurance for North Dakota haulers

North Dakota freight is wheat, canola and beans at harvest, and crude, water and equipment in the Bakken all year. We quote North Dakota 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.

Hauling only inside North Dakota

North Dakota does not require operating authority for intrastate commerce.[1] In-state-only carriers are not required to get a USDOT number unless they need a federal hazmat safety permit, and farm trucks that cross state lines do need one.[1]

Federal safety rules apply to in-state trucks at 26,001 lb and up, or when hauling placarded hazmat or passengers. For interstate trucks the threshold is 10,001 lb.[1] In-state drivers may be 18, while interstate drivers must be 21, which matters to underwriters.[1]

Oilfield water haulers: produced water and brine, drilling mud, tank bottoms, pipe scale and fly ash count as solid waste. Hauling them needs a North Dakota DEQ transporter permit, which costs $200 including decals and lasts up to 5 years. Trucks only passing through the state are exempt.[2]

Insurance North Dakota requires

  • No state filing. With no intrastate authority, there is no state Form E or Form H filing.[1]
  • Every vehicle needs North Dakota’s minimum auto coverage: $25,000/$50,000 bodily injury, $25,000 property damage, $25,000/$50,000 uninsured and underinsured motorist, and $30,000 no-fault personal injury protection.[3]
  • Interstate for-hire trucks and hazmat loads follow the federal minimums: $750,000 for general freight, and $1,000,000 or $5,000,000 for hazmat depending on the material.[1][4]

Brokers, shippers and oilfield operators usually ask for more than the minimum, often $1,000,000 in auto liability, so check your contracts and master service agreements.

Weights, seasonal permits and frost laws

  • 105,500 lb on state highways within axle and bridge limits. On the interstate the limit is 80,000 lb, and a permit allows up to 105,500 lb on I-94 and I-29. A 129,000 lb permit covers divisible loads on the designated network.[1][5]
  • 10% weight-exemption permits run during harvest (July 15 to November 30) and winter (December 1 to March 7), at $50 per 30 days, up to 105,500 lb on state highways.[5][6]
  • Spring load restrictions have no fixed date. NDDOT posts them on short notice when the thaw starts, in classes from 8 tons down to 5 tons, and county and township roads set their own.[7][1]
  • Energy counties. Oversize and overweight permits for county roads in coal, oil and gas counties come from the Western Dakota Energy Association.[8]
  • Heat and blizzards. Permitted overweight loads can’t move on flexible pavement at 90°F or above.[1] In winter, check closures at travel.dot.nd.gov or 511 before you roll.[9]

In-state hours of service are also different: up to 12 hours of driving after 10 off, no driving after 16 hours on duty, and a 70-hour/7-day limit. Oilfield drivers get a 24-hour restart.[1]

Permits, taxes and North Dakota freight

IRP and IFTA go through NDDOT Motor Carrier Services (701-328-1287). You only need IFTA if you run outside North Dakota.[10] Out-of-state trucks without North Dakota credentials can buy a $20 72-hour trip permit and a $15 fuel permit.[1] Oversize and overweight permits come from the Highway Patrol permit office.[5] North Dakota’s credential guide lists no weight-distance tax.

I-94 and I-29 carry the long-haul freight, and I-29 ends at the Pembina port of entry to Canada.[5][11] North Dakota produced about 1.19 million barrels of oil a day in December 2024, 97% of it from the Bakken and Three Forks[12], and US 85 is being widened to four lanes from I-94 to Watford City.[13] The state also leads the country in spring wheat, durum, canola, flaxseed, dry beans and sunflowers, with $11.8 billion in 2023 farm cash receipts.[14]

What to have ready for a North Dakota quote

  • USDOT and MC numbers, if you have them
  • Where the trucks are garaged, your usual routes and your radius
  • What you haul: grain, oilfield water or crude, equipment or general freight
  • Any oilfield master service agreements and their insurance requirements
  • 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

Do I need a Form E or intrastate authority in North Dakota?

No. North Dakota has no intrastate operating authority, so there is no state filing. Every truck still needs the state minimum auto coverage, and federal limits apply to interstate for-hire trucks and hazmat.[1][3]

Do I need a USDOT number if I only haul in North Dakota?

Only if you need a federal hazmat safety permit. Otherwise in-state carriers are not required to get one, but farm trucks that cross state lines do need one.[1]

What is the maximum legal weight in North Dakota?

105,500 lb on state highways within axle and bridge limits. On the interstate the limit is 80,000 lb without a permit and up to 105,500 lb with one, and 129,000 lb is allowed on designated routes with a permit.[1][5]

When do North Dakota frost laws start?

There is no fixed date. NDDOT posts spring load restrictions on short notice when the thaw begins, and county and township roads set their own.[7]

Do saltwater haulers need a permit in North Dakota?

Yes. Produced water and brine count as solid waste, and hauling them requires the $200 DEQ transporter permit, valid for up to 5 years.[2]

Get a North Dakota 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 (9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central).


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.