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Tow Truck Insurance in Michigan

Michigan’s $750,000 figure applies intrastate only to wreckers that are commercial motor vehicles at 26,001+ lbs — lighter intrastate wreckers fall under Michigan no-fault instead. The state sets no tow-specific on-hook, garagekeepers, or cargo minimum.

Michigan state minimums

Verified from state law
Auto liability
Wreckers that are commercial motor vehicles under 49 CFR 383.5 (GVWR/GCW 26,001+ lbs, 16+ passengers, or hazmat placard): $750,000 for-hire nonhazardous property; hazmat $5,000,000 / $1,000,000
Lighter wreckers in intrastate commerce (not 383.5 CMVs): Michigan no-fault applies — residual liability $250,000 / $500,000 BI default (electable down to $50,000 / $100,000); $10,000 PD; plus property protection insurance (benefits capped at $1,000,000 per accident) and PIP
Part 387 does NOT apply to lighter intrastate wreckers. No $300,000 tier exists in 49 CFR 387.9.
On-hook (in-tow) — No statewide minimum — your city/county or rotation agreement may still set one
Filings
Proof of active liability insurance submitted to MSP CVED for intrastate operating authority
Form E not confirmed from an official MSP source — not asserted here.

Law: MCL 480.11a, 480.11a(3); 49 CFR 383.5, Part 387; MCL 500.3009, 500.3121(6), 500.3101 · Michigan Attorney General towing page

Weight / class variation: Part 387 applies intrastate only to 383.5 CMVs (26,001+ lbs GVWR/GCW, 16+ passengers, hazmat placard). No-fault limits apply to all other registered motor vehicles. Caution: 383.5 uses GVWR/GCW; whether a wrecker-plus-towed-vehicle combination counts toward the 26,001-lb GCW threshold was not settled in the sources read.

How we verified these numbers ▸

Michigan adopts 49 CFR Part 387 (MCL 480.11a), but 480.11a(3) exempts non-CMV vehicles in intrastate commerce — so the $750,000 figure applies intrastate only to 383.5 CMVs. The $300,000 under-10,001-lb figure sometimes stated for Michigan does not exist in 49 CFR 387.9 and is removed. The circulated weight-tier figures ($300k at 40,000+ lbs, $100k at 35,000–39,999, $50k under 35,000) do not appear in Michigan law. No Michigan tow-specific on-hook, garagekeepers, or cargo minimum. MSP rotation-list (No Preference Geographic Towing List) insurance specifics were not confirmed from an official source. HB 5146 (2025, pending) addresses towing rates/practices, not insurance minimums. Verified 2026-10-14: all fields resolved (figure or confirmed absence); filings stated as proof-of-insurance requirement without a named form.

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Workers’ comp in Michigan

Required?
Conditional
Trigger
3+ at one time, or 1 employee at 35+ hrs/wk for 13+ wks
State fund only?
No

Independent-contractor test: Statutory 3-part disjunctive test, MCL 418.161(1)(n), as construed in Hoste v. Shanty Creek Mgmt., 459 Mich. 561 (1999). Hoste held the statutory test superseded the old common-law economic-reality test for WC.

Not required doesn’t mean not liable: if you don’t carry workers’ comp — even where it isn’t required for you — an injured worker may be able to sue you in court instead of being limited to comp benefits, because the exclusive-remedy shield generally depends on having coverage.

See the full workers’ comp detail for Michigan →

What coverage do you need?

Minimums are the legal floor, not a recommendation — most operators carry more. Your operation (light-duty, heavy-duty, repo, rotation, motor club) decides which coverages fit. Take the coverage quiz →

Police rotation in Michigan

Rotation is a local contract, not state law. Rotation agreements commonly require auto liability around $1,000,000 CSL, on-hook/cargo $50,000–$100,000, garagekeepers $50,000–$500,000, and the agency named as additional insured — check your agency’s agreement for its exact terms. Rotation readiness checklist →

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Nearby states

Ohio · Indiana · Wisconsin

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More tools: state requirements lookup · workers’ comp lookup · coverage quiz · fuel cost calculator · rotation checklist

Sources

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Informational only — not legal advice and not a quote. Requirements change — confirm the exact limits with your state DOT / public utilities commission and your rotation agreement before you buy. Minimums are the legal floor, not a recommendation — most operators carry more.

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