Horse Transporter Licensing Information 

When you begin researching potential horse transporters, you should question each one of them about whether or not they have valid authority, and licenses. You could be told many lies by those unlicensed and unscrupulous horse transporters. All truly licensed and insured horse transporters will gladly provide you with any licensing information that you may request.

One of the biggest untruths is that a horse transporter is too small and is therefore not required to have a DOT (Department Of Transportation) number. The Federal Department of Transportation regulations stipulate that any horse transporter crossing the state lines to make money must have a DOT number and conform to the rules therein. Many small mom and pop horse haulers simply tell you that they don’t require one since they operate a vehicle less than 26,001 lbs. This fact actually only applies to a CDL which we will address later.

If your prospective horse transporter is unable to provide a DOT number, then they are not legally licensed to cross state lines with your horse - period. If they are stopped, your horse can be impounded and the horse transporter will be immediately put out of service, not to mention they will incur a very large fine.

Additional authority is an FMCSA MC number, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration number, required for any hauler of horses where the horse is other than a pleasure horse. Ie: Race Horse, Show Horse etc. The DOT number mandates that they carry a minimum of $ 750,000.00 liability insurance. An MC number indicates they are licensed to carry non exempt cargo as listed in Rule 119 of the FMCSA, and in doing so must produce proof of Cargo Insurance. It's up to you or your broker to obtain proof of insurance from your horse transporter.

As a horse owner you should consider purchasing Trip Insurance from an Equine Insurance Agency for Death and Dismemberment. The value of your horse to you is that of the purchase price and any training or awards they have received. To determine actual value you would need an Equine Appraiser to certify the value for you to receive it. In the case of Trip Insurance you can purchase whatever you want similar to Flight Insurance for yourself. 

To verify your horse transporter licensing status as well as their safety record you can visit www.safersys.org, scroll down and select Company Profile, enter their DOT number or Company Name to verify the licensing. You will also be shown any violations they may have against them.

Legitimate horse transport companies will list their license numbers on their own web sites as well as on any providers site. Some unlicensed ones will list their Drivers License Number or Tag number neither of which means anything. Remember only you can protect your horse if you put him or her with an improperly licensed horse transporter.  

Commercial Drivers License 

Federal Law defines the need for a Class A CDL as follows: If the weight or combined weight of the truck and trailer exceed 26,001 lbs provided  the trailer GVWR exceeds 10,000 lbs. If the trailer is less than 10,000 lbs then a Class B is required. Realize that any horse trailer exceeding a 4 horse will most probably have a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating over the 10,000 lb limit. Should the combination be less than 26001 lbs no CDL is required.

Federal Law listed on FMCSA Web Site

Class A -- Any combination of vehicles with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.

If the transporter isn’t licensed to drive the vehicle they could be made to leave the trailer in impound until a licensed driver can come get it. Again leaving you and your horse out to dry.

State Licensing Requirements 

Each state imposes additional requirements regarding the movement of livestock as well as licensing for haulers. For example the State of Florida requires each truck of a commercial hauler to be registered with the Department of Agriculture and to display a tag on the rear issued by the state. If you reside in Florida or are shipping into or out of Florida be sure that the transporter is duly licensed by the D.O.A.

The horse transporter should be fully aware of all required licensing, but some are truly obscure and require diligent research to find the proper requirements. Nonetheless, ignorance of the law does not excuse them.

Each states horse transport licensing requirements can be found by calling their Department of Agriculture, so if you wish please call them and get the straight answers.

Some states require permits issued by the state to bring a horse in or to move it within the state. Rhode Island requires state issued permits to bring horses in for final residence. New York requires a permit to move a stud within the state.