Form E: the insurance filing some states require before a ride company can operate

What Form E says

Form E is a one-page certificate in which an insurer tells a state agency that it has issued a motor carrier a policy covering the bodily injury and property damage the state’s motor carrier law requires. It is a state filing, separate from the federal insurance filing that the DOT number guide covers. Pennsylvania’s sample shows the working parts:

• The insurer names the commission it files with, the carrier, and the date the policy took effect.
• The policy is amended by an endorsement so it covers the carrier’s obligations under state law, and the certificate runs until cancelled.
• The insurer also promises a duplicate original of the policy and its endorsements whenever the agency asks.
• Neither the certificate nor the endorsement can be cancelled without cancelling the policy, and the insurer or the insured must give the agency 30 days’ written notice, counted from the day the agency actually receives it.

Wisconsin’s rule names the matching endorsement Form F, and a Form EX and Form FX pair as an alternative.

Who files a Form E?

The insurer files it, and the carrier answers for it. TxDMV says only your insurance company can file proof of insurance or a cancellation, and that you must keep your insurance record active. Minnesota has the insurer mail the certificate to MnDOT. Wyoming wants a company representative authorized to sign, such as a broker or underwriter, to complete its insurance forms, and it takes them by email, not through an online system.

Which states ask for a Form E?

Each state sets which carriers must file and for how much. These four show the range:

In Texas the passenger rule starts at vehicles designed for more than 15 passengers, driver included, so a van that seats 15 or fewer falls below it. Ask the state agency whether your vehicles fall under its rule before you assume either way.

How does a Form E filing end?

The insurer files a Form K to cancel it. Minnesota and Wisconsin make it effective 30 days after the agency receives it, and Wisconsin can waive the wait if a replacement filing arrives. Missouri requires at least 10 days. A lapse has consequences: Minnesota suspends the provider’s certificate and gives it 45 days to file proof of insurance or request a hearing, and Texas says lapsed coverage can lead to penalties, sanctions or revocation.

What Form E is not

It is not an ACORD certificate of insurance, and Wyoming turns away certificates and binders offered in its place. It is not the federal filing either. A for-hire passenger carrier that crosses state lines is under federal rules too, including the MCS-90B endorsement. The DOT number guide walks through the federal insurance filing.

Name matching is strict. Louisiana’s Public Service Commission requires the name and address on a passenger carrier’s Form E to match its application exactly, so check the named insured spelling before your agent files.

How do you get yours filed?

1. Find your state agency’s insurance form list and its minimum limits.
2. Give your agent the exact legal name and address from your registration.
3. Ask which Form E, Form F or endorsement version the agency expects, and have the insurer file it.
4. Confirm the agency shows the filing as active before you run a trip. Wyoming does not process an application until the carrier’s insurance forms arrive.