Mississippi · state requirements

Commercial auto insurance in Mississippi

For Mississippi businesses running vans, pickups and trucks: the state’s minimum limits, uninsured motorist rules, MDOT filings for in-state haulers and what to have ready for a quote.

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What similar businesses pay

Minimum liability, every vehicle: $25,000/$50,000/$25,000
In-state for-hire liability: $750,000 minimum
In-state cargo cover: $5,000–$10,000

Published benchmarks, not quotes. Your price depends on underwriting.

Cost

What commercial auto insurance in Mississippi costs

$25,000/$50,000/$25,000

Minimum liability, every vehicle

Miss. Code 63-15-3(j) and 63-15-4, per the Mississippi Insurance Department, 2026

$750,000 minimum

In-state for-hire liability

MDOT general freight guidelines, non-hazardous property

$5,000–$10,000

In-state cargo cover

MDOT general freight guidelines, by load weight

$50 to file, then $10 a vehicle

MDOT authority fees

MDOT general freight guidelines, new filing and renewal

Mississippi does not set commercial auto prices. It sets the limits and filing costs shown above. Every vehicle needs at least 25/50/25. A business hauling property for pay inside the state must also carry $750,000 in liability plus $5,000 or $10,000 in cargo cover, with a certificate on file at MDOT. Premiums are priced vehicle by vehicle, so the limit you must carry is one of the biggest levers on price. Uninsured motorist cover adds to the bill, but with 28.2% of Mississippi drivers uninsured in 2023, according to Insurance Research Council estimates, it often pays when the other driver can’t.

What moves your price

The limit you carry: the 25/50/25 floor, MDOT’s $750,000 for in-state for-hire hauling or a customer’s contract terms
Whether you keep uninsured motorist cover, and at what limit up to your liability limits
Vehicle type and weight, and what you haul (hazardous materials need $1,000,000 or $5,000,000)
Each driver’s record and years of experience
Where vehicles are garaged and how far they run
Your claims history
Physical damage deductibles, and whether a lender requires collision and comprehensive

Mississippi

What’s different in Mississippi

25/50/25 is the floor, and a serious crash runs past it

Miss. Code 63-15-4 requires every vehicle operated in the state to carry liability that meets 63-15-3(j): $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for injuries, plus $25,000 for property damage. The Mississippi Insurance Department itself warns that these minimums may not be enough. Anything above your limit is yours to pay.

More than one driver in four has no insurance

The Insurance Research Council estimates that 28.2% of Mississippi motorists were uninsured in 2023, the highest rate in the country, against 15.4% nationally, according to the Insurance Information Institute. If one of them hits your van, your own uninsured motorist cover may be the only thing that pays.

Uninsured motorist cover stays on unless you sign it away

Under Miss. Code 83-11-101, every auto liability policy must include uninsured motorist cover for injuries and property damage unless a named insured rejects it in writing on a form approved by the Department of Insurance. That signature binds everyone on the policy and carries over to renewals.

Work vehicles sit outside the electronic insurance check

Officers can check insurance by plate or VIN, but the Department of Public Safety excludes commercial and fleet vehicles from that system. That makes the card essential. Insurers must mark commercial cards “Commercial Auto Insurance” or “Fleet,” and a missing card can suspend driving privileges under 63-15-4.

Partial fault reduces a claim but never erases it

Under Miss. Code 11-7-15, an injured person’s own negligence does not bar recovery. It only reduces damages by their share of fault, so a driver who was mostly to blame can still collect part of their losses from your policy.

Pain and suffering is capped; medical bills are not

Miss. Code 11-1-60 caps noneconomic damages at $1,000,000 in civil cases filed since September 1, 2004, apart from medical malpractice. Medical expenses and lost earnings sit outside the cap, so a severe injury claim can still exceed your limit.

Coverage

Coverage Mississippi businesses need

Commercial auto liability

Pays for injuries and property damage your vehicles cause to others. The legal floor is 25/50/25. In-state for-hire haulers need at least $750,000, proved by a certificate on file with MDOT.

How commercial auto works →

Uninsured motorist, bodily injury

Pays for injuries to your people caused by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver. Under 83-11-103, a driver counts as uninsured if their limits are below yours, and a hit-and-run claim needs physical contact.

How commercial auto works →

Uninsured motorist, property damage

Pays for damage to your vehicle caused by an uninsured driver. Miss. Code 83-11-101 lets the policy exclude the first $200, and you can reject this part while keeping the injury part.

How commercial auto works →

Physical damage

Collision and comprehensive for your own vehicles. The Mississippi Insurance Department notes that lenders most often require both on a financed vehicle.

How commercial auto works →

Medical payments

Pays medical expenses for people hurt in your vehicle, whoever was at fault. Mississippi has no PIP requirement, and the Insurance Department lists medical payments as optional.

How commercial auto works →

Motor truck cargo

Pays for damage to the freight you haul. For in-state for-hire carriers, MDOT requires $5,000 for loads of 3 tons or less and $10,000 for heavier loads. Auto liability does not cover the load.

Umbrella or excess

Adds limits above your auto liability when a contract asks for more, or when uncapped economic damages could exceed your primary limit.

How umbrella / excess works →

Rules

Mississippi requirements

Mississippi’s compulsory insurance law covers every vehicle, business or personal. Businesses hauling property for pay inside the state also answer to MDOT, which sets higher limits and requires a certificate on file.

Requirement	Applies to	What it means
Minimum liability	Every motor vehicle operated in Mississippi	$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage, under Miss. Code 63-15-4(2) and 63-15-3(j).
Alternatives to a policy	Owners who qualify to post security or self-insure	A bond or a deposit of money or securities for the same amounts on file with the department, or self-insurance under 63-15-53, per 63-15-4(1).
Insurance card	Every insured vehicle	Paper or electronic. Commercial cards must be marked “Commercial Auto Insurance” or “Fleet,” under 63-15-4(2)(b).
No card in the vehicle	Owner or operator	A misdemeanor carrying a fine and suspension of driving privileges for one year or until proof of insurance. The case is dismissed if you prove you had coverage at the time, under 63-15-4(4)–(5).
Uninsured motorist cover	Every auto liability policy issued in Mississippi	Included at no less than the state minimums unless a named insured rejects it in writing on an approved form, under Miss. Code 83-11-101.
MDOT general freight authority	For-hire carriers of property within Mississippi, other than household goods and passengers	$750,000 liability for non-hazardous property, with a certificate on file with MDOT’s Motor Carrier Section. The fee is $50 to file, then $10 a vehicle at renewal.
In-state hazardous materials	MDOT-authorized carriers hauling hazmat	$1,000,000 or $5,000,000 in liability, depending on the material class under 49 CFR Part 387, per MDOT.
In-state cargo insurance	MDOT-authorized for-hire carriers	$5,000 for loads of 3 tons or less and $10,000 for loads over 3 tons, per MDOT.
BOC-3 process agent	Out-of-state carriers applying for Mississippi intrastate authority	A BOC-3 form must go in with the MDOT application, per MDOT’s guidelines.

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Pay less

How to lower the cost

Keep a marked commercial insurance card, paper or electronic, in every vehicle. A missing card can cost a suspension.
Raise collision and comprehensive deductibles on vehicles you could afford to repair. The Mississippi Insurance Department says higher deductibles cut those premiums, and older vehicles may not need the coverage unless a lender requires it.
Choose uninsured motorist limits on purpose. Miss. Code 83-11-101 allows anything from the state minimum up to your liability limits, and you can drop the property damage part and keep the injury part.
Check every driver’s motor vehicle record before hiring and again each year.
Keep your MDOT certificate continuous and renew each vehicle on time. Renewal is $10 a vehicle.
Compare quotes before renewal. Florin is an independent broker that compares options from several insurers.

Before you start

What underwriters ask for

Vehicle list with VINs, model years, weights, garaging addresses and any lienholder
Driver list with license numbers, dates of birth and years of experience
What you haul, including any hazardous materials
USDOT number and MDOT authority details if you haul for pay
Typical radius of operation
Loss runs from your current and prior insurers
Current declarations page showing UM limits or a signed rejection
The limits your customers’ contracts require

Common questions

Commercial auto insurance in Mississippi: questions

Is uninsured motorist coverage required on a Mississippi business policy?

It has to be included unless a named insured rejects it in writing on an approved form, under Miss. Code 83-11-101. A rejection binds everyone on the policy and carries over to renewals.

Is Mississippi a no-fault state?

No. Mississippi does not require PIP, and the Insurance Department lists medical payments as optional. Claims run against the at-fault driver’s liability, with damages reduced by each person’s share of fault under Miss. Code 11-7-15.

Do I need state authority to haul for pay inside Mississippi?

Yes, for general freight. MDOT requires intrastate general freight operating authority, $750,000 in liability for non-hazardous property, cargo cover and a certificate of insurance on file. Household goods and passenger carriers fall under separate authority.

What happens if my driver is stopped without proof of insurance?

Under Miss. Code 63-15-4, a missing card is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine and suspension of driving privileges for a year or until proof is shown. If you prove the policy was in force at the time, the case is dismissed and court costs are waived.

Does Mississippi cap damages in a truck accident lawsuit?

Only noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering, which Miss. Code 11-1-60 caps at $1,000,000. Medical bills, lost earnings and property damage are not limited by that cap.

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Sources (10)

Figures are published third-party estimates, not quotes. Coverage depends on policy terms and underwriting, and rules vary by state. Updated November 2026.