DOT Truck Marking Rules, State by State

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number] AL

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Alabama intrastate trucks at or over 26,001 lbs (or 16+ passengers, or placarded hazmat) follow the full federal marking rule, with the intrastate USDOT number shown with an AL suffix — e.g. USDOT 1234567 AL. Under 26,001 lbs and not hauling passengers or placarded hazmat, Alabama exempts you from the federal marking rules entirely. Farm vehicles within 150 air miles of the farm are exempt from USDOT marking.

Source: Code of Alabama 32-9A-2(a) · ALEA MCSU 'Intrastate Commercial Vehicle Regulations' PDF (full text read 2026-07-28) · ALEA MCSU page (read 2026-07-28) · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Arizona trucks that never leave the state need federal-style markings (name + USDOT number, active number required) at 26,001 lbs or more — rating OR actual weight, whichever crosses first. Also triggered by placard-level hazmat at any weight, or carrying 9+ passengers for hire. Buses and school buses are CMVs at any weight.

Source: A.R.S. 28-5201(1) (full text read 2026-07-24) · A.A.C. R17-5-202, -203, -206 (full text read 2026-07-24) · A.R.S. 28-2169 (full text read 2026-07-24) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: [your company name]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 3″ to clear it · required on both sides

Same triggers as the USDOT number: legal name or registered trade name, both sides, matching your MCS-150.

Source: A.A.C. R17-5-202 · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

California requires its carrier identification number displayed on both sides — but displaying your valid USDOT number satisfies the law (CVC 34507.5(f)(1)), and you must hold a USDOT number to get the CA number anyway. Industry practice (and our recommendation): display both lines — 'USDOT #######' over 'CA ######'. Triggers: trucks over 10,000 lbs, or hauling property for compensation at any weight. Exemptions include pickups in noncommercial/private light use, implements of husbandry, and historical vehicles (CVC 34507.5(e)).

Source: CVC 34507.5(a),(a)(1),(b),(f)(1),(g) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: [your company name]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 3″ to clear it · required on both sides

California requires the operator's name or trademark on both sides (CVC 27900). Bought a used truck? The previous company's name must be removed or covered within 60 days (CVC 27900(d)) — we can remove old markings and cut your new set in one visit.

Source: CVC 27900(a) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: [your company name] — CO PUC [your state number]

Letter size: law names 3.0″ minimum letters · required on both sides

Colorado is one of the few states with a hard number: PUC-regulated vehicles (tow trucks, movers, passenger carriers) need the company name plus CO PUC number in letters at least 3 inches tall, both sides or front and back. Plain freight trucks follow the normal USDOT marking rules instead.

Source: 4 CCR 723-6, rule 6015(a) (full text read 2026-07-28) · 4 CCR 723-6, rule 6015(b) (full text read 2026-07-28) · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Florida trucks that never leave the state need federal-style markings (name + USDOT number) at 26,001 lbs or more — counting GVWR, combined rating, OR actual weight, whichever crosses first. Under 26,001 and no placarded hazmat: exempt. Displaying a false or fraudulent identification number is a first-degree misdemeanor in Florida (316.302(12)).

Source: Fla. Stat. 316.302(1)(b) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: [your company name]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 3″ to clear it · required on both sides

Same trigger as the USDOT number: legal name or registered trade name, both sides, matching your MCS-150.

Source: Fla. Stat. 316.302(1)(b) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Hauling placard-level hazmat in Florida? The 26,001-lb exemption doesn't apply — name and USDOT number are required at any weight.

Source: Fla. Stat. 316.302(2)(f) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: [your company name] — [your city]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 3″ to clear it · required on both sides

Florida farm trucks running under the agricultural exemption aren't off the hook: at 26,001+ lbs (or 3+ axles at any weight) the truck must display the owner's name AND home town, readable from 50 feet — a Florida-specific 'name + city' decal set.

Source: Fla. Stat. 316.302(2)(e) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number] GA

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Georgia mirrors the federal threshold for trucks that never leave the state — over 10,000 lbs GVWR and the markings are required — and adds its own twist: Georgia-only carriers display the number with 'GA' after it, like 'USDOT 1234567 GA'. Also triggered by 9+ passengers for pay, 16+ passengers regardless, or placard-level hazmat. Name + number, both sides, readable from 50 feet.

Source: GA DPS Fact Sheet #29 'USDOT # Requirements for Georgia Intrastate Commercial Motor Carriers' (official DPS publication, full text read 2026-07-24) · GA DPS Transportation Rulebook Chapter 1 (adopted 11/2/2017, text extracted 2026-07-24) · O.C.G.A. § 40-1-8(b)(4) (full text read 2026-07-24) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: [your company name]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 3″ to clear it · required on both sides

Legal name or single registered trade name, both sides, matching your MCS-150 — same triggers as the number.

Source: GA DPS Fact Sheet #29 'USDOT # Requirements for Georgia Intrastate Commercial Motor Carriers' (official DPS publication, full text read 2026-07-24) · GA DPS Transportation Rulebook Chapter 1 (adopted 11/2/2017, text extracted 2026-07-24) · O.C.G.A. § 40-1-8(b)(4) (full text read 2026-07-24) · verified 2026-07-24

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight

Georgia-only carriers also need the annual GIMC (Georgia Intrastate Motor Carrier) registration with DPS — opens October 1, deadline December 31 each year (gamccd.net/UCR). It's paperwork, not a decal, and first-timers must complete a certified safety seminar.

Source: O.C.G.A. § 40-2-140(d)(1) (full text read 2026-07-24) · GA DPS Transportation Rulebook 1-365.603 (text extracted 2026-07-24) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: [your company name] — P.U.C. No. [your state number]

Letter size: law names 2.5″ minimum letters · required on both sides

Hawaii is explicit: carriers holding a PUC certificate or permit paint the company name and P.U.C. number on both sides in letters at least 2-1/2 inches tall with a quarter-inch stroke. Small passenger vehicles (7 seats or fewer) may use an approved removable sign or put the PUC number on the bumpers instead. Sell the removal too — the rule requires the marking stripped when a vehicle leaves the fleet.

Source: HAR 6-62-20 (full text read 2026-07-28 from the PUC's own chapter PDF) · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Illinois mirrors the federal threshold for trucks that never leave the state: 10,001 lbs or more (rating or actual, single or combination) means name + USDOT number on both sides. Also triggered by 16+ passenger seating, 9+ passengers for direct pay, or placard-level hazmat. If your box truck or trailer combo runs Illinois-only, you are NOT exempt at the weights most states allow.

Source: 625 ILCS 5/18b-105(b) (full text read 2026-07-24) · 625 ILCS 5/18b-101 (full text read 2026-07-24) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: [your company name]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 3″ to clear it · required on both sides

Same triggers as the USDOT number: legal name or registered trade name, both sides, matching your MCS-150.

Source: 625 ILCS 5/18b-105(b) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number] IN

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Indiana intrastate trucks from 10,001 lbs mark both sides with the carrier name and the USDOT number with an IN suffix — the state itself suggests roughly 2-inch block letters to hit the 50-foot rule. Farm-plated vehicles staying in Indiana are exempt.

Source: Indiana DOR 'Commercial Motor Vehicle Guidebook', USDOT Number and Marking chapter (full text read 2026-07-28) · Same guidebook, 'Marking Requirements' · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number] IA

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Iowa intrastate carriers mark the carrier name plus the USDOT number with an IA suffix, each side, readable from 50 feet — painted or a securely attached removable sign (magnetics qualify if they stay put).

Source: Iowa Admin. Code 761-524.12 (text read 2026-07-28) · Iowa DOT Intrastate Manual · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number] KY

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Kentucky is unusual: the intrastate number is displayed as your USDOT number with the letters KY after it — for example USDOT 1234567 KY — alongside your carrier name, cut to the same legibility standard as the federal marking rule. KYU (the weight-distance tax licence, generally 60,000 lbs and over) is a separate credential and is NOT a door decal.

Source: 601 KAR 1:005 Section 8 (full text read 2026-07-28) · 601 KAR 1:005 · 601 KAR 1:040 · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Maine gives intrastate trucks a break between 10,000 and 26,000 lbs — no USDOT number needed unless it's a bus or hauls hazmat. Over 26,000 lbs the federal-style marking applies: name + USDOT number, both sides, before the truck goes to work.

Source: Maine BMV, USDOT Number page (read 2026-07-28) · C.M.R. 29-250 ch. 168 · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number] MD

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Maryland-only carriers over 10,000 lbs display a Maryland-issued number in the federal marking style with an MD suffix — the state's own example reads 'Rotz Trucking USDOT 12345 MD'. Farm trucks are exempt from the display.

Source: MDOT SHA 'Maryland Intrastate DOT Numbers' brochure (full text read 2026-07-28) · Same brochure · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Minnesota is broad: FOR-HIRE motor carriers mark the name + USDOT number regardless of vehicle weight (limousines on LM plates excepted), and private carriers join at 10,001 lbs. Both sides, readable from 50 feet.

Source: Minn. Stat. 221.031, subd. 6 (text read 2026-07-28) · MnDOT 'Minnesota Trucking Regulations', Section 15 (USDOT Number & Vehicle Marking) · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Nebraska intrastate trucks over 10,000 lbs follow the federal marking rule — name + USDOT number, both sides, readable from 50 feet. Farm-registered trucks staying in Nebraska are exempt from the marking by statute.

Source: Neb. Rev. Stat. 75-363 (text read 2026-07-28) · Same statute, subsection (11) · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Nevada law (NRS 482.2912): trucks that never leave Nevada still need a USDOT number displayed once they exceed 26,000 lbs — GVWR, combined rating, OR actual loaded weight, whichever is greater. The Nevada DMV will refuse to register or renew the vehicle without it (NRS 482.230, 482.2918). Exception: farm vehicles and covered farm vehicles are exempt (NRS 482.2912(4)).

Source: NRS 482.2912(1) · NRS 482.230(4) + 482.2918 · verified 2026-07-23

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Nevada-registered vehicles hauling hazardous material need a displayed USDOT number regardless of weight (NRS 482.2912(2)). Our rule triggers on placard-level hazmat; NV's definition of hazardous material may reach non-placardable loads too — if you haul any hazmat, confirm with the NV DMV Motor Carrier Division.

Source: NRS 482.2912(2) · verified 2026-07-23

Goes on the truck: [your company name] — [your city], NJ

Letter size: law names 3.0″ minimum letters

New Jersey is stricter than the federal rule and it applies to EVERY commercial vehicle, even light ones: owner name plus the municipality of your principal place of business, in letters at least 3 inches tall, in plain view. Pickup with a business name on it? This is the rule that covers it.

Source: N.J.S.A. 39:4-46(a) (text read 2026-07-28) · NJ Dept. of Agriculture 'New Jersey Law Governing Vehicle Markings' · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

New Mexico intrastate carriers display the NM-assigned safety identification number preceded by USDOT — it reads like a normal USDOT marking, but the number is issued by New Mexico. Name and number, both sides, readable from 50 feet.

Source: 18.2.3.10 NMAC (read 2026-07-28) · Same part · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

New York bites at 10,001 lbs — any truck used in business at that weight displays the legal name (personal name works for sole operators) and USDOT number on both sides of the power unit, never the trailer. No room on the doors? NYSDOT says the front fender. Farmers earning money from their product are included.

Source: NYSDOT 'Q & A's for DOT Number Request' (official NYSDOT document, full text read 2026-07-28) · 17 NYCRR Part 820 · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number] NC

Letter size: law names 3.0″ minimum letters · required on both sides

North Carolina is specific: intrastate trucks over 26,000 lbs display the USDOT number with 'NC' after it — 'USDOT 1234567 NC' — in letters at least 3 inches tall, both sides. That's a statutory inch minimum, not just a readability standard. Farm-rate-plated vehicles are exempt.

Source: N.C.G.S. § 20-101(b) (full text read 2026-07-24) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: [your company name]

Letter size: law names 3.0″ minimum letters · required on both sides

Owner name, both sides, 3-inch minimum letters — same trigger as the number.

Source: N.C.G.S. § 20-101(b)(i) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Ohio splits the rule by how you operate: haul FOR HIRE inside Ohio and the markings (name + USDOT number) kick in at 10,001 lbs — but haul only your OWN goods and the line is 26,001 lbs. Passenger triggers follow the same split (9+ for hire, 16+ private), and placard-level hazmat requires markings at any weight either way.

Source: OAC 4901:2-5-01(B) (full text read 2026-07-24) · OAC 4901:2-5-03(A),(B) (full text read 2026-07-24) · OAC 4901:2-5-02(C) (full text read 2026-07-24, eff. 1/1/2026) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: [your company name]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 3″ to clear it · required on both sides

Same split triggers as the USDOT number: legal name or registered trade name, both sides, matching your MCS-150.

Source: OAC 4901:2-5-01(B) (full text read 2026-07-24) · OAC 4901:2-5-03(A),(B) (full text read 2026-07-24) · OAC 4901:2-5-02(C) (full text read 2026-07-24, eff. 1/1/2026) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Oregon: for-hire carriers mark at any weight; PRIVATE intrastate trucks only join at over 26,000 lbs GCWR (or placarded hazmat / 15+ seats). Name + USDOT number, both sides, 50-foot rule.

Source: ODOT Commerce & Compliance Division, 'Truck Cab Marking Requirements' (read 2026-07-28) · OAR 740-100-0010 · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Pennsylvania has its own number: trucks that never leave PA need federal-style markings (name + USDOT number) at 17,001 lbs or more — counting rating OR actual weight, single OR combination, whichever is greater. A pickup pulling a heavy trailer can cross 17,001 combined. Also triggered by 9+ passengers for pay, 16+ passengers regardless, school buses, and placard-level hazmat.

Source: 67 Pa. Code § 231.7 (full text read 2026-07-24) · 67 Pa. Code § 231.8(1) (full text read 2026-07-24) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: [your company name]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 3″ to clear it · required on both sides

Same triggers as the USDOT number: legal name or registered trade name, both sides, matching your MCS-150.

Source: 67 Pa. Code § 231.7 (full text read 2026-07-24) · 67 Pa. Code § 231.8(1) (full text read 2026-07-24) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number] SC

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

South Carolina bites at 10,001 lbs — much lower than most states — and covers plumbers, landscapers and construction trucks, not just big rigs. The intrastate number is displayed with an SC suffix: USDOT 12345 SC, plus your MCS-150 name, both sides, readable from 50 feet. A pickup that only crosses 10,001 lbs when towing may use magnetic signs while the trailer is hooked up.

Source: SCDMV 'Frequently Asked Questions · Same SCDMV FAQ, Q3 (lettering): marking per 49 CFR 390.21 · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Source: Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1340-06-01 (full chapter read 2026-07-24) · PRIMARY TO CONFIRM: TN DOSHS CVE page / phone · FMCSA 'Do I Need a USDOT Number?' (updated 9/3/2025, full text read 2026-07-24) · TN Dept of Revenue MC-Intrastate-1 (read 2026-07-24) · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Texas trucks that never leave the state need USDOT number + legal name on both sides at more than 26,000 lbs (gross, registered, or rated weight — whichever crosses first), or with 16+ passenger seating, or hauling placard-level hazmat at any weight. Texas quirk: farm vehicles are exempt only under 48,000 lbs — a heavy farm truck is still a CMV. Operating unmarked is a Class C misdemeanor (Transp. Code 642.002).

Source: Texas Transp. Code 548.001(1) (full text read 2026-07-24) · Texas DPS CVE Markings page (full text read 2026-07-24) · Texas Transp. Code ch. 643 (full text read 2026-07-24) · 43 TAC ch. 218 adopted text, 12/12/24 (full document read 2026-07-24) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: [your company name]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 3″ to clear it · required on both sides

Same triggers as the USDOT number: legal name or registered trade name, both sides, matching your MCS-150.

Source: Texas DPS CVE Markings page (full text read 2026-07-24) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Utah trucks that never leave the state need federal-style markings (name + USDOT number) at 26,001 lbs or more — rating OR actual weight, whichever crosses first. Also triggered by placard-level hazmat at any weight, 16+ passenger seating, or 13+ seats on a 13,000-lb vehicle. Unusual Utah wrinkle: if the driver is under 18, the threshold drops to 16,001 lbs. Government, military, fire/emergency, and personal RVs are excluded.

Source: Utah Code 72-9-102(3) (eff. 5/6/2026, full text read) · Utah Admin. Code R909-1-3(1) (full text read 2026-07-24) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: [your company name]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 3″ to clear it · required on both sides

Same triggers as the USDOT number: legal name or registered trade name, both sides, matching your MCS-150.

Source: Utah Admin. Code R909-1-3(1) · verified 2026-07-24

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Vermont's own guide sets the intrastate line at 26,001 lbs (or 16+ passengers / placarded hazmat). Qualifying trucks carry the federal-style marking: name + USDOT number, both sides, readable from 50 feet.

Source: Vermont DMV 'A Guide to the Motor Carrier Safety Regulations in Vermont' (VN-166, full text read 2026-07-28) · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Washington intrastate carriers follow the federal-style marking: legal name (or single trade name) exactly as on your MCS-150, plus USDOT number, both sides, readable from 50 feet. No separate WA state number goes on the door.

Source: WAC 446-65-030 (full text read 2026-07-28) · WAC 446-65-010(1)(q) (full text read 2026-07-28) · WA Dept. of Licensing, 'Intrastate commercial vehicles' · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: [your company name]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 3″ to clear it · required on both sides

The name on the truck has to match the MCS-150 exactly — a DBA only works if it is the single trade name on file.

Source: WAC 446-65-030 (full text read 2026-07-28) · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

West Virginia requires the USDOT number displayed on ANY vehicle operated for hire — no weight floor — plus commercial vehicles 10,001 lbs and up, 16+ passenger vehicles, and placarded hazmat. Marking manner follows the federal rule: name + USDOT number, both sides, readable from 50 feet.

Source: 150 CSR 9 (PSC motor carrier rules), rule 4.13.1 (full text read 2026-07-28) · 150 CSR 9, rule 4.13.3 (full text read 2026-07-28) · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: [your company name] — WV PSC [your state number]

Letter size: law names 3.0″ minimum letters · required on both sides

For-hire carriers running under WV PSC authority also display the authorized trade name in letters at least 3 inches tall plus a certificate or permit number, on each side. This is on top of the USDOT marking, not instead of it.

Source: 150 CSR 9, rule 4.12.1 (full text read 2026-07-28) · verified 2026-07-28

Goes on the truck: USDOT [your USDOT number]

Letter size: readable from 50 ft in daylight — we cut 2″ to clear it · required on both sides

Wisconsin applies the federal thresholds from 10,001 lbs to intrastate carriers: legal name (or DBA) plus USDOT number, both sides, readable from 50 feet. Intrastate for-hire carriers also carry a Wisconsin PC/LC authority number.

Source: Wisconsin State Patrol Motor Carrier Investigation Unit, USDOT Number document, May 2023 (full text read 2026-07-28) · Same document, 'How do I display my USDOT Number?' · verified 2026-07-28