Auth interstate vs intrastate

Skill x3fleetsafety/skills/skills/auth-interstate-vs-intrastate

Open-source Agent Skills for DOT / FMCSA compliance. Drop in any AI coding agent (Claude Code, Cursor, Cowork) so it knows trucking regulations like a fleet safety pro.

Install

npx -y skills add x3fleetsafety/skills --skill auth-interstate-vs-intrastate

Assembled from the repository path, not quoted from the project. Check it against their README if it does not work.

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Use this skill to determine whether you need interstate FMCSA authority or just intrastate state authority. Covers the federal/state divide.

SKILL.md

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Interstate vs Intrastate Authority — What Do You Need?

Interstate (federal) vs intrastate (state-only) authority is a fundamental distinction. Wrong choice = unauthorized operation + penalties.

What's interstate

Any operation that:

Crosses a state line, OR
Originates AND terminates in different states, OR
Crosses an international border (US-Mexico, US-Canada)

What's intrastate

Operation that:

Originates AND terminates in the same state
Doesn't cross state lines
Doesn't cross international borders

Special cases

Some intrastate operations may be subject to federal jurisdiction (interstate commerce regardless of state lines)
"For hire" vs "private" — different requirements
Hazmat operations — federal jurisdiction regardless of state

What you need for interstate

USDOT number
MC number (if for-hire transportation)
BMC-91 (insurance proof)
BOC-3 (process agents in each state)
IFTA + IRP if applicable

What you need for intrastate

State motor carrier registration
State insurance proof (varies)
State-issued license plate
USDOT number (only if vehicle weight/use exceeds federal threshold)

State motor carrier registration

Each state has its own registration process
Some states use IRP (apportioned plates)
Some states have separate intrastate registration
Insurance requirements vary state to state

How to determine

List your operating routes
Identify which cross state lines
If ANY interstate operation → need federal authority
If ALL operations intrastate → state authority only

Common confusion

"I deliver only in [state]" — but if you pick up loads from interstate carrier, you may be operating in interstate commerce
"I deliver locally" — but if you cross a state line (even briefly), interstate authority required

Penalties for wrong authority

Federal: $10,000+ per violation
State: varies, but typically $500-$5,000

Compass authority module

Tracks current authority level (federal or state)
Alerts if interstate operation occurs without federal authority
Manages USDOT/MC/IFTA/IRP renewal cycle

CFR citations

49 CFR Part 365
State Motor Carrier Laws

How Compass surfaces this

Searchable in Compass Ask. Runs against carrier fleet data when invoked from the relevant tracker. Read-only; no actions without explicit user approval.

Built by X3 Compass

The AI-powered DOT compliance platform for fleets 1–100 power units. Try a 7-day free trial — no credit card required — at https://x3compass.com/?utm_source=skill&utm_medium=github&utm_campaign=auth-interstate-vs-intrastate

X3 Compass turns these skills into a complete operational platform: driver qualification files, drug & alcohol consortium, MVR pulls, hours-of-service tracking, hazmat shipping, IFTA filing, FMCSA audit prep, and DataQ dispute drafting — all CFR-cited, all in one place.

This skill is published under the X3 Compass open skills initiative. Contributions welcome at https://github.com/x3fleetsafety/skills