Does a Minnesota truck need a USDOT number for in-state work?

Yes. Minnesota requires a USDOT number for for-hire carriers at any weight, and for companies hauling their own goods with vehicles over 10,000 lb (the greater of the rating or the loaded weight).

Checked against Minnesota’s official sources in September 2026.

The rule in Minnesota

Who it covers: For-hire motor carriers at any weight. Private carriers, meaning businesses whose trucks further a non-transport business, above 10,000 lb gross vehicle weight. Vehicles over 10,000 lb doing transport that is exempt from a MN certificate under § 221.025 (e.g. solid waste and recyclables, dirt and sod within 50 miles, sand and gravel) still must comply, except school buses, commuter vans and emergency vehicles/tow trucks.

The weight line: Private carriers (e.g. a landscaper hauling its own equipment) need a USDOT number and markings on vehicles over 10,000 lb, measured as the greater of actual loaded weight or the manufacturer's rating. For-hire 'motor carriers' must comply regardless of vehicle weight.

Exemptions the state lists:

Farm trucks not used in interstate commerce
Vehicles not used in intrastate or interstate commerce
Vehicles owned and used solely for official business by federal, state or local government
Limousines with 'LM' plates (from the for-hire any-weight rule)
Transportation under § 221.025 clauses (1), (3) and (4): school/Head Start buses, commuter vans, authorized emergency vehicles and qualifying tow trucks

“an owner of a truck or truck-tractor having a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds, as defined in section 169.011, subdivision 32, shall report to the commissioner at the time of registration its USDOT carrier number.” source

“(1) motor carriers, regardless of the weight of the vehicle, ... (2) interstate and intrastate private carriers operating vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of more than 10,000 pounds;” source

The rule: Minn. Stat. § 168.185 (USDOT numbers) and § 221.031, subd. 6 (vehicle identification rule)

Who to ask: Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations

Safety rules for in-state trucks

Minnesota incorporates federal regulations, including 49 CFR parts 391, 392, 393 and 395, for intrastate motor carriers. Private carriers over 10,000 lb must comply with the driver qualification, hours of service, driving, parts and accessories, and inspection/maintenance rules. (Minn. Stat. § 221.0314 subd. 1; § 221.031 subd. 2)

Intrastate drivers subject to the incorporated driver-qualification rules may be 18.
Private carriers hauling their own construction materials, tools and equipment between shop and job site are exempt from the hours-of-service rules.
The USDOT and safety weight line is 'gross vehicle weight', meaning the greater of actual loaded weight or GVWR, not GVWR alone.
MnDOT tells private carriers such as landscapers that trucks or trailers over 10,000 lb are subject to federal regulations.

The federal lines, which apply in Minnesota 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 Minnesota require a USDOT number for intrastate trucks?

Yes. Minnesota requires a USDOT number for for-hire carriers at any weight, and for companies hauling their own goods with vehicles over 10,000 lb (the greater of the rating or the loaded weight).

What is the CDL weight in Minnesota?

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 Minnesota?

Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT), Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations.

What we could not confirm

Whether a for-hire hauler of solid waste or recyclables with trucks of 10,000 lb or less falls under the any-weight rule for for-hire carriers was not confirmed.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. It summarises Minnesota’s published rules as read in September 2026; confirm with MnDOT or FMCSA.