# Form E Insurance Filing: The State Proof of Coverage Behind NEMT Operating Authority

Canonical URL: https://nemtguide.com/glossary/form-e-filing/ · Updated 2026-10-06

A Form E is the uniform certificate an insurance company files directly with a state transportation or utility agency to prove that a for-hire carrier's auto liability policy meets the state minimum. Your insurer files it, not you. It stays on file until the insurer sends a cancellation notice, usually a Form K, which takes effect 10 to 30 days later.

- Your insurance company files Form E with the state office that issued your operating authority. A certificate you hand a broker never takes its place.
- A Form E has a start date and no end date. It runs until a cancellation notice takes effect: 30 days in Kentucky, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania, and 10 days in Missouri.
- When the filing lapses, your authority stops: at once in Kentucky and Pennsylvania, automatically in Oklahoma, and by a suspension notice in Minnesota.
- Changing insurers? Have the new Form E take effect the same day the old coverage ends.
- Paid trips across a state line need the federal filing instead, a BMC-91 or BMC-91X sent to FMCSA, unless an exemption applies.

Many states will not let you carry paying riders until your insurance company files proof of your coverage with the office that grants your operating authority. That proof is a Form E. You never fill it out, but you need to know it exists, because when it lapses your authority stops with it.

## What a Form E is and who files it

Form E's full name is the Uniform Motor Carrier Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability Certificate of Insurance. A national association of state utility regulators set its wording, so the same form works in many states. On it, an insurance company tells a named state agency that it has issued you a liability policy, effective from a set date, and that the policy carries the state's motor carrier endorsement. Pennsylvania's PUC posts a sample.

Three things set it apart from other insurance paperwork:

- **The insurer files it.** Pennsylvania's PUC takes the forms only from insurance companies. Minnesota wants a Form E signed by an authorized company representative, not an insurance agent. Wyoming accepts forms completed by a broker, underwriter, or other authorized company representative. Oklahoma lets an agent sign only with a copy of the agent's written authority or power of attorney attached (OAC 165:30-3-11(l)).
- **It points to an endorsement on your policy.** The form certifies that your policy has been amended by the uniform endorsement to cover what the state's motor carrier law requires of you. Wisconsin's rules call that endorsement Form F (Trans 176.02). Missouri wants a true copy of the policy with the endorsement kept at your main office (7 CSR 265-10.030, amended effective July 30, 2024).
- **It runs until canceled.** The form has a start date and no end date. To end it, someone gives the agency written notice, usually on Form K, the Uniform Notice of Cancellation of Motor Carrier Insurance Policies.

The same family covers bonds and cargo. MoDOT lists Form G for a surety bond in place of insurance, Form L to cancel a bond, and Forms H and J for cargo coverage, which passenger carriers do not need.

## Which NEMT companies need a Form E

You need one when your state requires operating authority for paid passenger trips inside the state and takes proof of insurance as a filing. The kind of authority differs by state (see [passenger carrier operating authority](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/operating-authority/)), and so do the minimum the filing must show and the notice before it can be canceled. Here is what five states require for a small van, as of October 2026:

| State and authority | Minimum the Form E must show | Notice before it can be canceled |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky, taxicab or disabled persons vehicle certificate | $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, $50,000 property damage, for 7 regular seats ($600,000 per accident for 8 or more) | 30 days to the Transportation Cabinet |
| Minnesota, special transportation service certificate | $500,000 combined single limit, plus no-fault and uninsured motorist coverage | Form K, effective 30 days after MnDOT receives it |
| Missouri, MoDOT intrastate authority | $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident, $50,000 property damage, for 12 or fewer passengers | Form K, at least 10 days |
| Oklahoma, Corporation Commission license | $100,000 combined for 6 or fewer seats, $750,000 for 7 to 9, driver included | Form K, 30 days after the commission receives it |
| Pennsylvania, PUC paratransit authority | $15,000 per person, $30,000 per accident, $5,000 property, plus $25,000 medical and $10,000 wage loss, for 15 or fewer passengers | 30 days after the PUC receives it |

These are floors for the filing only. Brokers and health plans set their own limits, often higher, and you buy whichever is higher ([NEMT insurance requirements](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-insurance-requirements/)). A few other states show how the rule varies:

- **Wyoming** wants a Form E of at least $750,000 combined single limit from every contract carrier, and it does not accept ACORD certificates, binders, or insurance ID cards for intrastate authority.
- **Louisiana** asks a passenger carrier applicant for a Form E within 30 days of the application, showing $250,000 per person, $500,000 per occurrence, and $25,000 property damage, or a $525,000 combined single limit (form LPSC-T-75, revised August 2024). Non-emergency medical carriers are exempt carriers that apply for a General License Certificate instead, so ask the Commission what filing yours needs. The [Louisiana guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/louisiana/) covers that path.
- **Maryland** names a certificate of insurance, not a Form E, for its passenger permits. It must be signed by an authorized agent, list each vehicle's year, make, and serial number, name the Public Service Commission as certificate holder, and come from a policy that requires at least 10 days' written notice to the commission before cancellation (COMAR 20.95.01.18).

Trips that cross a state line follow federal rules instead. Your insurer files Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X with FMCSA, and a cancellation takes effect 30 days after FMCSA receives Form BMC-35 (49 CFR 387.313T). The [MCS-90B](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/mcs-90b/) page covers the endorsement behind that filing, and [USDOT number for NEMT](https://nemtguide.com/guides/dot-number-for-nemt/) covers when you need federal authority at all.

## How a Form E differs from the certificate you give a broker

Both documents prove insurance, but they go to different people and do different jobs:

- **Who receives it.** A [certificate of insurance](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/certificate-of-insurance/) goes to a broker, health plan, or facility. A Form E goes to the state office that issued your authority.
- **What it promises.** The ACORD 25 certificate says it confers no rights on the holder. The Form E certifies the policy is endorsed to cover your duties under the state's motor carrier law, and the insurer agrees to give the agency a duplicate of the policy on request. Pennsylvania's PUC calls certificates of insurance not binding and does not accept them.
- **Which vans it covers.** A broker certificate often lists your vehicles. State filing rules reach every one you run. Kentucky requires blanket coverage for all equipment operated under the certificate (KRS 281.655), and Oklahoma requires each filing to protect the public from any vehicle you operate, whether or not the policy lists it.
- **How it ends.** A certificate shows an expiration date and goes stale at renewal. A Form E stays in force until a cancellation notice takes effect or a replacement filing is accepted.

## How a Form E works in practice

### Changing insurers at renewal

Say you run four wheelchair vans in Minnesota under a special transportation service certificate, and your policy renews July 1 with a new insurer. Your old insurer files a Form K, and Minnesota Rules 8840.6000 make it effective 30 days after MnDOT receives it. Your new insurer files its own Form E effective July 1.

If the new filing is late, MnDOT suspends your certificate. Its fact sheet (June 2025) says the suspension takes effect five days after MnDOT mails the notice by certified mail, and the certificate is canceled if you do not provide new insurance within 45 days of the suspension date. Do not run rides on a suspended certificate, so a dispatcher should pull those vans from the schedule until the new Form E is on file. The [Minnesota guide](https://nemtguide.com/states/minnesota/) covers the rest of the certificate.

### A cancellation for nonpayment

Now say an Oklahoma company misses its installments, and the policy is canceled (see [premium finance agreement](https://nemtguide.com/glossary/premium-finance-agreement/)). The insurer files a Form K with the Corporation Commission. Thirty days after the commission receives it, the filing ends and the license is suspended automatically, without notice.

You then have 60 days to file new insurance and show, by affidavit or otherwise, that you ran no trips while uninsured. Miss that window and the license is canceled by operation of law, and it comes back only after a hearing (OAC 165:30-3-11). Every ride run in the gap is a ride without authority, so keep the vans parked until the new filing is accepted.

## How to get a Form E on file

1. **Find out what your state wants.** Your state guide names the office, the authority, and the minimum. Kentucky wants the Form E on file before you apply, from an insurer authorized in Kentucky.
2. **Match your name exactly.** Louisiana wants the name and address on the Form E to match your application. Pennsylvania wants your full and correct legal name, with every partner of a partnership listed (52 Pa. Code 32.2).
3. **Ask the insurer to file, and give it the deadline.** Pennsylvania dismisses an application if binding proof of insurance is not filed within 60 days, and you start over with a new fee. Louisiana wants the Form E within 30 days of receiving your application. Oklahoma wants every requirement met within 30 days of receiving it.
4. **Confirm it reached the agency.** Missouri takes filings electronically through MoDOT Carrier Express. Pennsylvania's PUC runs an insurance hotline at 717-787-1227.
5. **Keep the endorsement with your records.** Missouri requires a true copy of the policy with the endorsement at your main office, ready for inspection.
6. **Plan every change of insurer.** Line up the new Form E to take effect the day the old coverage ends, before the old insurer's notice period runs out.
7. **Add the federal filing if you cross state lines.** A BMC-91 or BMC-91X with FMCSA covers paid interstate trips. A state Form E does not.

For the other licenses and enrollments a new company stacks up, see [NEMT certification](https://nemtguide.com/guides/nemt-certification/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can my insurance agent file a Form E for me?

Usually the insurance company itself files it, and some states insist on that. Minnesota wants it signed by an authorized company representative, not an insurance agent (MnDOT fact sheet, June 2025). Pennsylvania's PUC takes the forms only from insurance companies. Oklahoma accepts an agent's signature only with the agent's written authority or power of attorney attached. Ask your agent to have the insurer file it.

### Does a Form E expire when my policy renews?

No. The form names a start date and says coverage continues until it is canceled. Pennsylvania's rules require filings to stay in force continuously until terminated, and Kentucky's law calls each filing continuous until canceled under proper notice. The state keeps relying on it until a cancellation notice or a replacement filing arrives, so tell your agent before you change insurers.

### Is a Form E the same as the certificate of insurance I send my broker?

No. A certificate of insurance, usually an ACORD form, goes to a broker or facility and only reports coverage. A Form E goes to the state, comes from the insurer, and ties the policy to the state's motor carrier law until it is canceled. Pennsylvania's PUC says certificates of insurance are not binding and will not accept one, and Wyoming does not accept ACORD certificates, binders, or insurance ID cards for intrastate authority.

### How long after a Form K does my filing end?

It depends on the state. Kentucky, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania require 30 days of written notice, and Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania count the 30 days from the day the agency receives it. Missouri requires at least 10 days. A replacement Form E from a new insurer can end the old one sooner, on the day the replacement takes effect, in Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania.

### Do I need a Form E for rides into another state?

A state Form E covers your authority inside that state only. For paid trips across a state line, FMCSA takes your insurer's filing on Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X, and a cancellation takes effect 30 days after FMCSA actually receives the Form BMC-35 notice (49 CFR 387.313T). A company that runs both kinds of trips keeps both filings. [USDOT number for NEMT](/guides/dot-number-for-nemt/) says which trips need federal authority.

## Official resources

- [MnDOT: STS Insurance Fact Sheet](https://edocs-public.dot.state.mn.us/edocs_public/DMResultSet/download?docId=36491510)
- [Pennsylvania PUC: Motor carrier insurance and sample Form E](https://www.puc.pa.gov/motor-carrier/insurance/)
- [MoDOT: Intrastate operating authority insurance requirements](https://www.modot.org/sites/default/files/documents/motor_carriers/insurancerequirements.pdf)
- [Kentucky Division of Motor Carriers: Passenger vehicle certificates](https://drive.ky.gov/Motor-Carriers/Pages/Passenger-Vehicle.aspx)
- [Wyoming DOT: Insurance forms for operating authority (Forms E, G, H, J, K, L)](https://www.dot.state.wy.us/home/trucking_commercial_vehicles/operating_authority.html)