State number decals

A USDOT number is federal. Some states issue their own number on top of it, and a few require one where no USDOT number applies at all.

If you run only inside one state — intrastate — the federal marking rule may not reach you, but your state's rule does. Three of them issue a number you have to display:

  • California issues a CA number through the California Highway Patrol.
  • Texas issues a TxDMV number.
  • Kentucky issues a KYU number for vehicles over the weight threshold.

Most states issue nothing extra. They either adopt the federal marking rule for intrastate carriers or write their own version of it, and your USDOT marking covers you. That is a real answer, not a shrug, and it is worth knowing before you buy a decal you do not need.

The one thing that catches people out: a state number does not replace your USDOT number. Where both apply, both go on the door.

We cut these as pairs, same as everything else. If you are not sure which number your operation needs, the state pages below answer it per state, with the citation and a link to the agency that issues it.