What is the BIPD filing for FMCSA authority?

The federal-minimum primary auto-liability coverage for general-freight carriers is $750,000 under 49 CFR §387.7. Hazmat carriers face higher minimums under §387.9 ($1M to $5M depending on cargo class). Passenger carriers are governed by §387.33T ($5M for vehicles seating 16 or more passengers including the driver; $1.5M for 15 or fewer).

The BIPD filing is filed by the carrier's insurer, not by the carrier directly. The insurer files Form BMC-91 (or 91X) electronically with FMCSA once the policy is in place, and FMCSA's records then show the carrier as having active financial-responsibility coverage.

BIPD on file is one of the three things required for new-authority activation, due within 20 days of the application notice publishing in the FMCSA Register (49 CFR §365.109T). Missing BIPD, like a missing BOC-3, is a common reason a new MC does not activate. The carrier coordinates with their insurer to ensure the policy is bound and the BMC-91 is filed inside that 20-day window.

Maintenance after activation is the carrier's responsibility. Lapsed insurance triggers an FMCSA suspension - the BMC-91 is automatically removed when the insurer notifies FMCSA the policy is canceled or non-renewed, and the authority is no longer active in FMCSA's records (Motus public search).