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Minnesota Truck Accidents

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (Title 49, Parts 350-399) govern all vehicles engaged in interstate traffic.

There are some situations where a tractor-trailer or other commercial motor vehicle is involved in only intrastate travel. For example, an appliance store in Squaw Lake may own a truck that only makes in-state deliveries.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety has adopted Title 49, Parts 382-384 and 390-399 of the federal regulations.

If you want to learn about the federal laws that apply to all over-the-road trucks, click here.

The following provisions are an overview of Minnesota laws that affect trucks operating only in Minnesota:

Parts and Accessories:

Minnesota has adopted Part 393 of the Federal Regulations with one notable difference. Tank trailers and distributor trailers used only for transporting liquid, gaseous, or dry fertilizer and not over 12,000 lb. are not required to have brakes of the truck towing the trailer had brakes capable of meeting Minnesota’s stopping distance requirements.

Inspection and Maintenance:

Minnesota has adopted Part 396 of the Federal Regulations with a few notable differences. Legislation passed in May 1990 requires that an annual inspection be done on commercial motor vehicles registered in Minnesota.

It’s against the law for a driver to operate a commercial motor vehicle unless the vehicle displays an inspection decal issued by a certified inspector or the vehicle carries proof that the vehicle complies with federal motor vehicle inspection requirements for vehicles in interstate commerce.

Daily inspection procedures are similar to the requirements in Sec. 396.11. One modification made was to Section 396.11(d). The exemption applies in Minnesota only to a farm truck that can be driven by a person not holding a commercial driver’s license and a commercial motor vehicle held for resale by a licensed motor vehicle dealer.

Crash reports are available from:

Department of Public Safety
Driver & Vehicle Services—Accident Records
445 Minnesota St., Suite 181
St. Paul, MN 55101
(651) 296-2060/3177

If you have been involved in a truck accident in Minnesota, click here for more information or to ask any questions you have.

In the event this material is not deemed to fully comply with the provisions of the rules of professional conduct of any particular state, this firm will not accept clients or representation that derive from the distribution of this material within those jurisdictions.

"If each time a rig is inspected it is done in an identical fashion the driver will be less likely to omit a key element of the process during a future inspection."

Learn more about State and Federal Trucking Laws

Minnesota Truck Accident News:

No Minnesota truck accident news available at this time.


Minnesota Cities:

  • Saint Paul
  • Brooklyn Park
  • Minneapolis
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  • Plymouth
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  • Duluth
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  • Eagan
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  • Rochester
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  • Coon Rapids
  • Bloomington
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  • Burnsville

    • Major Minnesota Interstates:

  • I-35
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  • I-90
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  • I-35E
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  • I-94
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  • I-35W
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  • I-694
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