Hotshot CDL and DOT rules by state

Hotshot owners often ask whether the rules change at the state line. For the CDL, they don't: the license classes are federal and the same everywhere. For registration, they can: many states want their in-state carriers to have a USDOT number even if they never cross a state line. This page covers both, with a table you can search.

The rules that don't change by state

• CDL classes. A Class A CDL at 26,001 lb or more combined with a trailer rated over 10,000 lb; a Class B for a single vehicle of 26,001 lb or more; a CDL with H endorsement for placarded hazmat.
• Interstate USDOT. Any vehicle or combination of 10,001 lb or more in interstate commerce needs a USDOT number.
• Interstate safety rules. Medical card, hours of service, inspections and securement apply in every state for interstate operations.

Check your rig with the hotshot GCWR and non-CDL weight checker, and read the detail in do you need a CDL to hotshot.

SOURCE: Sources: FMCSA, Do I need a USDOT number? (page updated Sep 3, 2025; checked Oct 2026) and 49 CFR 383.91.

State table

Search for your state, or filter to see which states require a USDOT number for intrastate carriers. Every row cites the FMCSA list.

"No state rule listed by FMCSA" means FMCSA doesn't list the state as requiring a USDOT number for intrastate registrants. The state may still have its own registration, permit or number. Puerto Rico also appears on FMCSA's list.

Interstate or intrastate: which are you?

Interstate commerce isn't only about crossing a state line yourself. Under federal rules it also covers trips between two places in one state when the route passes through another state, and trips inside one state that are part of a shipment that started or will end in another state or country. A hotshot hauling a machine from a port to a job site in the same state may still be in interstate commerce if the machine came from overseas. When in doubt, treat the work as interstate and follow the federal rules.

Why intrastate rules matter for hotshots

Many hotshot owners start local: oilfield runs, equipment moves for nearby contractors, deliveries for a supply house. That work can be fully intrastate, which puts it under state rules instead of, or in addition to, federal ones. In the 38 states on FMCSA's list, you still need a USDOT number, and many of those states apply safety rules similar to the federal ones. Getting the registration right at the start avoids a costly stop at a scale.

What else to check in your state

1. Intrastate authority. Some states require their own operating authority or a state number for for-hire carriers.
2. Weight thresholds. Some states apply safety rules to intrastate vehicles at different weights.
3. Non-commercial license classes for heavy trucks, trailers or combinations.
4. Registration weight. How you plate the truck and trailer, and whether that affects IRP or other requirements.
5. Intrastate hours of service and medical card rules, which can differ from federal ones.
6. Weigh station rules for vehicles over 10,000 lb.

Who to contact in your state

For intrastate registration and safety rules, start with your state's department of transportation or the agency that handles motor carrier registration, which in some states is the public utility or public service commission or the department of motor vehicles. For license classes, contact your state's driver license office. For weight, size and permits, contact the state's permit office. Ask specifically about vehicles in your weight range and whether you haul for hire.

How states adopt federal rules

Most states adopt the federal motor carrier safety rules for intrastate carriers, often with changes: different weight thresholds, longer allowed driving hours for intrastate drivers, or exemptions for certain industries such as agriculture. That's why two hotshots doing the same in-state work in different states can face different rules. Federal grant programs encourage states to stay close to the federal rules, so the differences are usually details rather than whole new systems, but the details can decide whether you need a medical card or logs on intrastate runs.

Printable checklist

Setting up to run in a new state

Before your first load into a state you haven't run, check its weigh station rules, any state permits your rig needs, height and length limits for your combination, and whether your registration covers it. If your truck is IRP-registered, make sure that state is on your apportioned cab card. For oversize loads, every state has its own permit; see oversize load permits by state.

Exceptions and edge cases

• The CDL line counts actual weight. A rig rated 26,000 lb but loaded heavier is a Class A vehicle on that trip, in every state.
• Intrastate only. State rules govern; federal interstate rules may not apply, but many states adopt them.
• Hazmat. Placarded loads need a CDL with H endorsement everywhere, and intrastate hazmat carriers needing a safety permit must get a USDOT number.
• Farm and agricultural exemptions exist in many states and are narrow; check them before relying on one.

Keeping your records state-ready

If you run in several states, keep a folder in the truck with your USDOT and MC information, registration and IRP cab card if you have one, IFTA license and decals if required, insurance card, medical card and any state permits. Officers in each state will ask for the documents their rules require. Having them in one place makes an inspection short.

Common mistakes

• Assuming in-state work needs no USDOT number
• Assuming a state's plates or registration decide the CDL class
• Forgetting that a trip with interstate freight can be interstate commerce even inside one state
• Not checking each new state's rules before running there

The full federal rule set is in DOT regulations for hot shot trucks, setup choices in hotshot setup, and the light-rig side in non-CDL hotshot.

Dispatch across state lines

With hotshot dispatch, we plan lanes around the states you're registered in and the rules for your rig. You approve every load, and the broker sends the rate confirmation straight to you.