Does a Delaware truck need a USDOT number for in-state work?
Yes. Delaware requires a USDOT number for in-state commercial vehicles at 26,001 lb and over (GVWR or actual weight), even if they never cross a state line.
Checked against Delaware’s official sources in September 2026.
The rule in Delaware
Who it covers: Motor carriers and drivers in intrastate commerce with vehicles over 26,000 lb, plus placarded hazmat vehicles and vehicles seating 16 or more; Delaware extends 49 CFR 390.3 to intrastate commerce.
The weight line: Delaware's adopted federal safety rules (including Part 390, which contains USDOT registration) do not apply to intrastate vehicles or combinations of 26,000 lb or less by GVWR or actual weight, unless placarded hazmat or seating 16 or more. So the line for in-state work is 26,001 lb.
Exemptions the state lists:
- Intrastate single vehicles or combinations of 26,000 lb or less (GVWR or GVW), unless placarded hazmat or seating capacity of 16 or more
“Apart from federal regulations, some states require their intrastate commercial motor vehicle registrants to obtain a USDOT Number. These states include: ... Delaware” source
“no requirements under this chapter shall apply to any single vehicle or a vehicle in combination operated in intrastate commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds or less” source
Safety rules for in-state trucks
Delaware adopts, as state law and as later amended, 49 CFR Parts 374, 385, 386, 387, 390, 391, 392, 393, 395, 396 and 397, and amends § 390.3 to add intrastate commerce. (21 Del. C. §§ 4702(a), 4703)
- Intrastate drivers may be 18 if they have at least 1 year of driving experience (21 for interstate).
- Drivers who fail the federal medical standard may apply for an intrastate-only restricted CDL medical waiver ('K' restriction) if they meet experience and record conditions.
The federal lines, which apply in Delaware too
- 10,001 lb and interstate commerce: a USDOT number, a medical card, a driver qualification file, the hours-of-service rules and daily inspections (49 CFR 390.5).
- 26,001 lb: a CDL, for a single vehicle or a combination towing more than 10,000 lb (383.5). The CDL rules cover in-state driving as well (383.3), and drug and alcohol testing follows the CDL (382.103).
Check your own truck and trailer
Questions
Does Delaware require a USDOT number for intrastate trucks?
Yes. Delaware requires a USDOT number for in-state commercial vehicles at 26,001 lb and over (GVWR or actual weight), even if they never cross a state line.
What is the CDL weight in Delaware?
The same as everywhere: 26,001 lb for a single vehicle, or a combination of 26,001 lb towing more than 10,000 lb. The federal CDL rules apply to in-state driving too (49 CFR 383.3), and drug and alcohol testing follows the CDL (382.103).
Who administers the rule in Delaware?
Delaware Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles, Motor Carrier Services (Transportation Services).
What we could not confirm
- No Delaware agency page says in plain words that in-state carriers need a USDOT number. The answer rests on FMCSA listing Delaware, and on Delaware extending the federal registration rules to in-state commerce (21 Del. C. § 4703).
- The 26,001-lb line comes from Delaware's general exemption for in-state vehicles of 26,000 lb or less (§ 4702(b)); no Delaware source ties it to the USDOT number in words.
- Which agency enforces the in-state safety rules — the State Police or DelDOT and the DMV — was not confirmed.
Sources
- Delaware Code Title 21, Chapter 47 (Motor Carrier Safety)
- Delaware DMV Motor Carrier Services
- FMCSA, Do I Need a USDOT Number? (state list)
General information, not legal advice. It summarises Delaware’s published rules as read in September 2026; confirm with the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles or FMCSA.