[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR387.303]

[Page 1065-1066]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
                      DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
 
PART 387_MINIMUM LEVELS OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR MOTOR 
CARRIERS--Table of Contents
 
Subpart C_Surety Bonds and Policies of Insurance for Motor Carriers and 
                            Property Brokers
 
Sec. 387.303  Security for the protection of the public: Minimum limits.

    (a) Definitions. (1) Primary security means public liability 
coverage provided by the insurance or surety company responsible for the 
first dollar of coverage.
    (2) Excess security means public liability coverage above the 
primary security, or above any additional underlying security, up to and 
including the required minimum limits set forth in paragraph (b)(2) of 
this section.
    (b)(1) Motor carriers subject to Sec. 387.301(a)(1) are required to 
have security for the required minimum limits as follows:
    (i) Small freight vehicles:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Transportation        Minimum
          Kind of equipment                  provided           limits
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fleet including only vehicles under   Commodities not           $300,000
 10,000 pounds GVWR.                   subject to Sec.
                                       387.303(b)(2).
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (ii) Passenger carriers

                            Kind of Equipment
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                     Effective dates
                                               -------------------------
           Vehicle seating capacity               Nov. 19,     Nov. 19,
                                                    1983         1985
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) Any vehicle with a seating capacity of 16    $2,500,000   $5,000,000
 passengers or more...........................
(2) Any vehicle with a seating capacity of 15       750,000    1,500,000
 passengers or less...........................
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    (2) Motor carriers subject to Sec. 387.301(a)(2) are required to 
have security for the required minimum limits as follows:

[[Page 1066]]



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                            July 1,     July 1,
             Kind of equipment                          Commodity transported                1983*       1984*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(a) Freight Vehicles of 10,001 Pounds or    Property (non-hazardous)....................    $500,000    $750,000
 More GVWR.
(b) Freight Vehicles of 10,001 Pounds or    Hazardous substances, as defined in Sec. 1,000,000   5,000,000
 More GVWR.                                  171.8, transported in cargo tanks, portable
                                             tanks, or hopper-type vehicles with
                                             capacities in excess of 3,500 water
                                             gallons, or in bulk Class A or B
                                             explosives, poison gas (Poison A) liquefied
                                             compressed gas or compressed gas, or
                                             highway route controlled quantity
                                             radioactive materials as defined in Sec.
                                             173.455.
(c) Freight Vehicles of 10,001 Pounds or    Oil listed in Sec. 172.101; hazardous          500,000   1,000,000
 More GVWR.                                  waste, hazardous materials and hazardous
                                             substances defined in Sec. 171.8 and
                                             listed in Sec. 172.101, but not mentioned
                                             in (b) above or (d) below.
(d) Freight Vehicles Under 10,001 Pounds    Any quantity of Class A or B explosives; any   1,000,000   5,000,000
 GVWR.                                       quantity of poison gas (Poison A); or
                                             highway route controlled quantity
                                             radioactive materials as defined in Sec.
                                             173.455.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Note: The effective date of the current required minimum limit in Sec. 387.303(b)(2) was January 6, 1983, in
  accordance with the requirements of Pub. L. 97-424, 96 Stat. 2097.

    (3) Motor carriers subject to the minimum limits governed by this 
section, which are also subject to Department of Transportation limits 
requirements, are at no time required to have security for more than the 
required minimum limits established by the Secretary of Transportation 
in the applicable provisions of 49 CFR Part 387--Minimum Levels of 
Financial Responsibility for Motor Carriers.
    (4) Foreign motor carriers and foreign motor private carriers. 
Foreign motor carriers and foreign motor private carriers (Mexican), 
subject to the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 13902(c) and 49 CFR part 368 
regarding obtaining certificates of registration from the FMCSA, must 
meet our minimum financial responsibility requirements by obtaining 
insurance coverage, in the required amounts, for periods of 24 hours or 
longer, from insurance or surety companies, that meet the requirements 
of 49 CFR 387.315. These carriers must have available for inspection, in 
each vehicle operating in the United States, copies of the following 
documents:
    (i) The certificate of registration;
    (ii) The required insurance endorsement (Form MCS-90); and
    (iii) An insurance identification card, binder, or other document 
issued by an authorized insurer which specifies both the effective date 
and the expiration date of the insurance coverage.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Sec. 387.301(a)(1), the filing of 
evidence of insurance is not required as a condition to the issuance of 
a certificate of registration. Further, the reference to continuous 
coverage at Sec. 387.313(a)(6) and the reference to cancellation notice 
at Sec. 387.313(d) are not applicable to these carriers.
    (c) Motor common carriers: Cargo liability. Security required to 
compensate shippers or consignees for loss or damage to property 
belonging to shippers or consignees and coming into the possession of 
motor carriers in connection with their transportation service, (1) for 
loss of or damage to property carried on any one motor vehicle--$5,000, 
(2) for less of or damage to or aggregate of losses or damages of or to 
property occurring at any one time and place--$10,000.

[47 FR 55944, Dec. 14, 1982, as amended at 48 FR 43333, Sept. 23, 1983; 
48 FR 45775, Oct. 7, 1983; 48 FR 51780, Nov. 14, 1983; 49 FR 1991, Jan. 
17, 1984; 49 FR 27767, July 6, 1984; 50 FR 40030, Oct. 1, 1985; 53 FR 
36984, Sept. 23, 1988; 54 FR 52034, Dec. 20, 1989; 55 FR 47338, Nov. 13, 
1990; 62 FR 49941, Sept. 24, 1997; 67 FR 61824, Oct. 2, 2002; 68 FR 
56198, Sept. 30, 2003]