Minnesota has no tow-specific statewide minimum — intrastate wreckers towing disabled or wrecked vehicles are exempt from chapter 221 motor-carrier insurance, leaving no-fault reparation security ($30,000/$60,000/$10,000) as the operative floor. The state sets no on-hook, garagekeepers, or cargo minimum.
Law: Minn. Stat. § 221.025, subd. 4; §§ 65B.48, subd. 1; 65B.49, subd. 3(1); § 221.141; MnDOT · Minn. Stat. § 221.025; § 221.141, subds. 1, 1a
Weight / class variation: § 221.025 exemptions apply only while the person is exclusively engaged in exempt transportation, and the tow truck must be equipped with proper and legal warning devices. A tow operator who also does non-exempt for-hire hauling is a motor carrier for that work (100/300/50 + Form E). Interstate carriers carry 49 CFR 387.303 amounts per § 221.141, subd. 1c; hazmat carriers carry 49 CFR 387.9 amounts per § 221.141, subd. 1d. No GVWR variation in the tow-applicable figures.
§ 168.054 correction: its 10/100/5 schedule applies only to pulling/towing under the § 168.053 drive-away in-transit license (delivery of vehicles owned by another from origin to destination) — not to commercial wrecker recovery. § 221.012, subd. 25 defines 'motor carrier' to exclude 'a person providing transportation described in section 221.025.' No state on-hook, garagekeepers, or cargo minimum: § 221.141 liability insurance expressly does not apply to property being transported, and its only cargo requirement is $50,000 (Form H) for household-goods movers (subd. 4). No statewide State Patrol rotation insurance requirement found; city/county or local rotation terms may set their own. Verified 2026-10-14: all fields resolved (figure or confirmed absence).
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Message us on Messenger Typically responds within 15 minutes during business hours. Prefer to talk now? Call · Text Get a quote for Minnesota →Independent-contractor test: Layered WC-specific regime — no single WC test. (1) Trucking: statutory 7-factor test, Minn. Stat. § 176.043. (2) Construction: § 181.723 (14-factor test on/after 3/1/2025). (3) Other occupations: Minn. Rules ch. 5224 occupation-specific rules, fallback general factors at 5224.0320–5224.0340. (4) Pre-1986 case-law 5-factor test (Gulke) as background.
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.
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 →
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 →
More tools: state requirements lookup · workers’ comp lookup · coverage quiz · fuel cost calculator · rotation checklist
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.