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Cargo and Transit Insurance in Alabama

For APSC-regulated intrastate property and household-goods carriers, the APSC requires cargo-insurance proof and lists a $5,000 certificate-or-permit minimum. Rule 770-X-10-.04-.02 lets a common carrier establish by sworn affidavit or otherwise that its ordinary, regular cargo is worth less; the minimum then matches that value but cannot fall below $1,000. Commission-approved self-insurance may replace an insurer form; filing rules do not establish protection for your particular shipment. 1,2,4

What Is Cargo And Transit?

Cargo coverage fits a shipper protecting goods it owns or a carrier responsible for another party’s goods. The quote needs to match who bears the loss, the shipment route and storage stops. Read the national Cargo and transit guide.

Alabama Requirements

RequirementDetails
Cargo filing for APSC-regulated intrastate property or household-goods carriersAPSC-regulated property or household-goods operators must maintain cargo proof. The APSC page lists $5,000; a common carrier that establishes by sworn affidavit or otherwise that its maximum ordinary, regular cargo value is below $5,000 may use that value as its minimum security, but not below $1,000. Commission-approved self-insurance may replace an insurer form. 1,2,4

What to Watch for in Alabama

  • Separate the Carrier Filing From Your Goods Value

    The APSC filing minimum does not establish the amount recoverable for your load. Compare the carrier’s applicable security, bill-of-lading liability and shipment value; the common-carrier lower-value exception described above changes the required security, not the value of your goods. 1,4

  • Ask for the Right Self-Insurance Documents

    If the carrier uses insurance, request its insurer filing and applicable policy. If it uses self-insurance, request the Commission approval order or other accepted security instead. The APSC-hosted petition marked Revised 2021 represents net assets above $25,000, separately lists $25,000 dedicated capital, makes assets available for final cargo judgments and requires notice of a net-asset decline of 10% or more. Those form figures do not prove that your carrier qualifies. APSC’s current page tells applicants to request forms; confirm the current version before relying on that petition. 1,3

  • Check Whether an Alabama Intrastate Carrier Is Regulated

    The APSC says compensated motor transport between Alabama points generally needs intrastate authority, and its carrier section says regulated property and household-goods carriers must maintain cargo proof. Identify whether your route and carrier fall within that regime before treating a filing record as relevant to your shipment. 2

  • Match the Filing to the Carrier on Your Contract

    APSC insurance filings must use the exact name on the carrier's certificate or permit and a physical address. Match that name to the bill of lading, and ask for the insurer filing or evidence of Commission approval for a cargo self-insurance petition covering that authority; resolve gaps with the carrier or APSC before pickup. 1

Who Regulates Insurance in Alabama

Alabama Department of Insurance

The Alabama Department of Insurance oversees insurers and licensed producers, reviews insurance filings, and takes consumer complaints. Its online services page links directly to Alabama company and agent searches, licensing resources, and complaint filing. 5,6,7

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 6% of taxable surplus-lines premium Alabama’s 6% tax applies to surplus-lines premium when Alabama is the insured’s home state; until the state’s multistate compact clearinghouse is operational, Alabama guidance says 100% of the premium on a multistate policy is taxed here. Separately charged policy fees are taxable. Surplus-lines policies do not receive Alabama guaranty-fund protection if the insurer becomes insolvent. 8,9,11,10,14

  • Alabama's diligent-search rule has two exceptions: A broker generally must make diligent effort before a surplus-lines placement; Alabama guidance says three declinations satisfy it. For an exempt commercial purchaser, 15 U.S.C. § 8205 removes that search only after the broker discloses the admitted-market protection difference and the purchaser then requests placement in writing. 10,12,13

Providers With Documented State Licenses

These providers publish a national listing for Cargo and transit; the state records document licenses for the entities and roles shown below. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm the product is available in Alabama. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

  • CorgiCorgi Insurance Services, Inc.Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28Corgi’s company producer-license table lists 50 jurisdictions: 49 states and the District of Columbia, including DC license 3003091619. New Mexico does not appear in the table and is not included here; the omission does not establish that Corgi is unlicensed there. The company-reported table has no stated as-of date and does not establish product availability. 17

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Alabama

  1. Is the carrier on this Alabama-to-Alabama route subject to an APSC certificate or permit, and does its cargo filing apply to this shipment?
  2. What cargo value and carrier-liability limit will appear on my bill of lading, separate from the APSC filing amount?
  3. Can you quote protection for my company's own financial interest if the carrier's liability is below the shipment value?

Cargo And Transit in Alabama: FAQ

Does Alabama require cargo insurance for intrastate freight carriers? 2,1,4

The APSC says its regulated property and household-goods operators must maintain cargo proof. Its page lists a $5,000 certificate-or-permit minimum. Under Rule 770-X-10-.04-.02, a common carrier may establish by sworn affidavit or otherwise that its maximum ordinary, regular cargo value is below $5,000; then the minimum security matches that value, but cannot be below $1,000. The rule's cargo provision does not apply to operators engaged exclusively in interstate commerce. Check the carrier's route, authority and filing before relying on it. 2,1,4

Does Alabama's $5,000 cargo minimum show that my shipment is fully protected? 1,4

No. The filing minimum does not establish your shipment’s coverage or recoverable value. For an insured carrier, review its current insurer filing and applicable policy; for a self-insured carrier, review the Commission approval or other accepted security. Compare the carrier’s bill-of-lading liability with the load value. If your business bears a remaining loss, request a cargo quote for that financial interest. 1,4

Cargo And Transit in Other States

Other Coverage in Alabama

Sources

  1. Insurance Requirements for Intrastate Authority. Alabama Public Service Commission; APSC certificate or permit minimums; ALL CARGO; Commission approval and replacement of insurer forms for self-insurance petitions; cargo petition form categories; filing name and address instructions (lines 65–68, 162, 165–168). Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Motor Carrier Section. Alabama Public Service Commission; Motor Carrier Services Section; intrastate authority and cargo-insurance proof. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Petition for Approval of Cargo Self-Insurance ($5,000.00). Alabama Public Service Commission; Pages 1–2; form marked Revised 2021; distinct petition for cargo valued more than $1,000; net-assets representation, assets available for judgments, 10% notice, and separate dedicated-capital line. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Alabama Administrative Code, Chapter 770-X-10, Motor Carrier General Orders and Regulations. Alabama Public Service Commission / Alabama Legislative Services Agency; Official compilation revised 6/13/2022; Rules 770-X-10-.04-.01 (compensated carriers except statutory exemptions), -.04-.02 (common-carrier cargo minimum, lower ordinary-cargo-value exception, $1,000 floor, exclusively interstate exclusion), -.04-.05(2) (five-times self-insurer net assets and sworn availability/10% notice). Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Alabama Department of Insurance. Alabama Department of Insurance; Official agency homepage. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Online Services. Alabama Department of Insurance; Links to Alabama company search, agent search, producer licensing, and consumer complaint services. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. File a Consumer Complaint. Alabama Department of Insurance; Official online complaint process. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Code of Alabama § 27-10-31: Annual Tax of Surplus Line Brokers. Alabama Legislature; Six percent tax on direct surplus-lines premiums, less return premiums and excluding state or federal taxes. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  9. Surplus Line Broker FAQs. Alabama Department of Insurance; Page 2: per-policy fees are subject to the surplus-lines broker tax under § 27-10-31. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  10. Surplus Line Broker Requirements. Alabama Department of Insurance; Current broker licensing and diligent-effort placement requirements. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  11. Surplus Lines. National Association of Insurance Commissioners; Explains that state guaranty-fund protection available in the admitted market is not available for surplus-lines policies. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  12. Surplus Line Broker FAQs. Alabama Department of Insurance; FAQ: three declinations satisfy Alabama diligent effort; FAQ references 15 U.S.C. § 8205 as a separate exception. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  13. 15 U.S.C. § 8205: Streamlined application for commercial purchasers. U.S. House of Representatives, Office of the Law Revision Counsel; Broker's due-diligence search exception for an exempt commercial purchaser requires prior disclosure that admitted-market insurance may offer greater protection/regulatory oversight and the purchaser's subsequent written request for nonadmitted placement. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  14. Instructions for Multi-State Policies. Alabama Department of Insurance; Current instruction: until SLIMPACT clearinghouse is operational, if Alabama is home state of a multistate policy, 100% of premium is taxed at 6% and remitted to Alabama. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  15. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  16. Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
  17. Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  18. About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  19. Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  20. Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  21. Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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