About $290 a month
Commercial auto, Connecticut
Insureon average for Connecticut small-business customers, updated March 2026
Connecticut · state requirements
Commercial auto insurance in Connecticut
For Connecticut contractors, delivery businesses and truck operators: the state’s minimum limits, DMV reporting rules, lapse penalties and what commercial auto typically costs.
- Independent brokerage: we compare several insurers
- Licensed agents review every application
- No cost and no obligation to buy
Get commercial auto quotes in Connecticut
What similar businesses pay
- Commercial auto, Connecticut
- About $290 a month
- Commercial auto, Connecticut (annual)
- About $3,480 a year
Published benchmarks, not quotes. Your price depends on underwriting.
Cost
What commercial auto insurance in Connecticut costs
About $3,480 a year
Commercial auto, Connecticut (annual)
Insureon average for Connecticut small-business customers, updated March 2026
Insureon reports that its Connecticut small-business customers pay an average of $290 a month, or $3,480 a year, for commercial auto, based on policy data updated March 19, 2026. Most of those customers have fewer than five employees and five years or less in business, so the figure mostly reflects pickups, vans and cars. A one-van service business near the state floor can pay well under it, while a freight truck of 10,001 pounds or more that needs the $750,000 limit the DMV lists, or a passenger van that needs $1.5 million, will pay far more.
What moves your price
- The town where each vehicle is garaged and how far it runs
- Vehicle type and weight, especially above the 10,001 and 18,001 pound thresholds the DMV uses
- Liability limits above 25/50/25, and the UM/UIM limit, which by default matches your bodily injury limit
- Whether vehicles cross into New York, Massachusetts or Rhode Island on interstate work
- Each driver’s record and experience with the vehicle class
- Your claims history and any reported lapse in coverage
Connecticut
What’s different in Connecticut
25/50/25 is the floor, with UM/UIM to match
Every registered vehicle needs at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage, plus uninsured and underinsured motorist cover of at least 25/50. The standard UM/UIM amount equals your bodily injury limit, and you may buy up to double it (C.G.S. 38a-336).
An uninsured commercial vehicle can be a felony
Under C.G.S. 14-213b, operating or allowing operation of an uninsured vehicle brings a fine of $100 to $1,000. An owner of a commercially registered vehicle who knowingly runs it uninsured commits a class D felony, punishable by up to $5,000, up to five years in prison or both.
Insurers report cancellations to the DMV every month
Under C.G.S. 38a-343, insurers notify the DMV of cancelled policies monthly, and the DMV then issues a suspension notice. The DMV lets you pay a $200 fine under a consent agreement to resolve a lapse, and a registration stays blocked from renewal until compliance issues are cleared.
A suspended registration can cost you the truck
Police may seize the plates and impound an uninsured vehicle with a suspended registration, whether it is driven or parked, under C.G.S. 14-12h. The owner gets it back only with a valid registration and current insurance card, and a vehicle held more than 45 days may be forfeited to the state.
Trucks over 18,000 pounds need a DOT number in-state
The DMV requires an intrastate DOT number for vehicles of 18,001 pounds or more in Connecticut commerce, for placarded hazmat and for passenger vehicles above set seat counts. Interstate work drops the weight threshold to 10,001 pounds, and C.G.S. 14-163c applies the federal safety rules to both.
Heavier vehicles report insurance to the DMV every year
Carriers in those classes must send an ACORD certificate of liability insurance to the DMV Compliance Unit once a year. Other commercial vehicle owners file a DMV affidavit at registration and renewal instead.
Coverage
Coverage Connecticut businesses need
Commercial auto liability
Pays for injuries and damage your vehicles cause to others. The state floor is 25/50/25, but the DMV lists $750,000 for freight vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more, and contracts often set their own higher limits.
How commercial auto works →Uninsured and underinsured motorist
Required on every Connecticut auto liability policy at 25/50 or more. It pays for injuries to your driver and passengers when the at-fault driver has no insurance, too little or flees.
How commercial auto works →Physical damage
Collision and comprehensive for your own vans and trucks. The state does not require it, but lenders and lessors usually do, and liability never pays to fix your vehicle.
How commercial auto works →Hired and non-owned auto
Covers your business when employees use their own cars for errands or you rent a vehicle. It is liability only and does not repair the car being driven.
How commercial auto works →Umbrella or excess
Adds limits above your auto policy when a contract or a heavy vehicle calls for more than your primary limit allows.
How umbrella / excess works →Motor truck cargo
Pays for damage to freight you haul for others. Auto liability does not cover the load in your truck.
Rules
Connecticut requirements
Connecticut sets one liability floor for every registered vehicle, then adds DMV reporting, DOT number and higher-limit rules for heavier trucks, hazmat and passenger vehicles.
| Requirement | Applies to | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum liability | Every vehicle registered in Connecticut | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident bodily injury and $25,000 property damage under C.G.S. 14-112 and 38a-335. |
| Uninsured and underinsured motorist | Every auto liability policy | At least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident; the standard amount equals your bodily injury limit, up to double on request (C.G.S. 38a-336). |
| Continuous coverage | Every registered vehicle | Insurers report cancellations monthly (C.G.S. 38a-343); a lapse brings a DMV suspension notice that a $200 fine under a consent agreement can resolve (C.G.S. 14-12g). |
| Operating uninsured | Owners and operators | Fine of $100 to $1,000; a class D felony for a commercially registered vehicle run uninsured knowingly (C.G.S. 14-213b). |
| Insurance card in the vehicle | Every registered vehicle | The insurance identification card and registration must be carried at all times; going without is an infraction under C.G.S. 14-13. |
| Intrastate DOT number | In-state vehicles of 18,001 lb or more, placarded hazmat, over 8 paid passengers or over 15 unpaid | Apply through FMCSA and update every 24 months, per the DMV; federal safety rules apply under C.G.S. 14-163c. |
| Interstate DOT number | Vehicles of 10,001 lb or more crossing state lines, plus hazmat and passenger vehicles | Issued by FMCSA; interstate carriers face a new entrant safety audit, per the DMV. |
| Annual insurance report | Vehicles that need a DOT number or seat more than 15 | Send an ACORD certificate to the DMV Compliance Unit once a year; other commercial vehicles file a DMV affidavit at registration or renewal. |
| Freight vehicle minimums | Freight vehicles of 10,001 lb GVWR or more | $750,000 non-hazardous; $1 million or $5 million for hazardous materials, per the DMV’s commercial vehicle insurance page. |
| Passenger vehicle minimums | Vehicles seating more than 8 passengers | $1.5 million, rising to $5 million at 16 passengers or more, per the DMV. |
Compare commercial auto options in Connecticut.
One application, quotes from several insurers, reviewed by a licensed agent. Start with your email and finish later if you need to.
Pay less
How to lower the cost
- Keep coverage continuous: a reported lapse can mean a $200 DMV fine and a registration you cannot renew until it is cleared.
- When you switch insurers, mail the new declarations page to the DMV Insurance Compliance Unit so the old insurer’s cancellation notice does not become a warning letter.
- Check each driver’s motor vehicle record before hiring and every year after.
- Use hired and non-owned auto cover for occasional employee errands instead of adding vehicles you rarely use.
- Raise physical damage deductibles on older vans and trucks you could afford to repair.
- Compare quotes at renewal; Florin is an independent broker that compares options from several insurers.
Before you start
What underwriters ask for
- Connecticut Secretary of State business number, which the DMV uses for compliance checks
- USDOT number, if any vehicle is 18,001 lb or more in-state or 10,001 lb or more interstate
- Vehicle list with VINs, GVWR, values, lienholders and the Connecticut town where each is garaged
- Driver list with license numbers, dates of birth and years of experience
- Your current declarations page, including your UM/UIM limits
- Loss runs from current and prior insurers
- How far vehicles run and whether they cross state lines
- The limits your customers or contracts require on certificates
Common questions
Commercial auto insurance in Connecticut: questions
How much does commercial auto insurance cost in Connecticut?
Insureon reports an average of $290 a month, or $3,480 a year, for its Connecticut small-business customers as of March 2026. Heavy trucks, passenger vans and businesses with claims or lapses pay more.
What happens if my business policy lapses in Connecticut?
Your insurer reports the cancellation to the DMV, which sends a warning or suspension notice. You can usually resolve it by showing current coverage and paying a $200 fine; ignoring a registration suspension for 30 days can put the owner’s driver’s license at risk.
Do I need a USDOT number for in-state trucking in Connecticut?
Yes, if the vehicle is 18,001 pounds or more, carries placarded hazmat or carries more than 8 passengers for pay, per the DMV. Interstate operations need one from 10,001 pounds.
How much liability does a Connecticut truck need?
The DMV lists $750,000 for non-hazardous freight vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more GVWR and $1 million or $5 million for hazardous materials. Lighter vehicles need the 25/50/25 floor unless a contract asks for more.
How much uninsured motorist cover do I need in Connecticut?
At least 25/50. Under C.G.S. 38a-336 the standard amount equals your bodily injury liability limit, and you can buy up to double that amount.
I changed insurers and got a DMV warning letter. What do I do?
The DMV says a change of insurer can trigger a notice from the old company. Mail a copy of your new declarations page or permanent insurance card to the DMV Insurance Compliance Unit.
Can a business be charged for an employee driving an uninsured company vehicle?
Yes. C.G.S. 14-213b bars owners from permitting operation without the required insurance, and doing so knowingly with a commercially registered vehicle is a class D felony.
Get covered.
Tell us about your business once. We compare options and a licensed agent follows up, usually the same day.
Sources (5)
- Insureon: commercial auto insurance in Connecticut (updated March 19, 2026)
- Connecticut DMV: commercial vehicle insurance reporting and minimum levels
- Connecticut DMV: get or update a DOT number
- Connecticut DMV: insurance, tax and registration compliance
- Connecticut General Assembly OLR: penalties for driving without insurance (2016-R-0037)
Figures are published third-party estimates, not quotes. Coverage depends on policy terms and underwriting, and rules vary by state. Updated November 2026.