Amazon Relay Insurance: Requirements, Cost and RMIS Certificates
Last reviewed September 2026 by the Trucking Insurance Services team.
Amazon Relay insurance requirements are specific, and Amazon checks them before you haul a single load. You need the right coverages at the right limits, on a certificate that reaches RMIS, the vendor Amazon uses to verify insurance. We write Relay policies for box truck and tractor carriers and send the certificate where it needs to go, so this page covers exactly what Amazon requires, what it costs, and how to stay approved once you’re in.
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Amazon Relay insurance at a glance
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Amazon Relay insurance requirements
These are the minimums Amazon publishes in its insurance requirements guide and Relay FAQ. Each of these has to show on the certificate Amazon receives before you’re approved.
| Coverage | Amazon’s minimum |
|---|---|
| Auto liability | $1,000,000 per occurrence |
| Motor truck cargo | $100,000 |
| General liability | $1,000,000 per occurrence, $2,000,000 aggregate |
| Trailer interchange | $50,000 (tractors pulling Amazon trailers) |
We write each of these for Relay carriers: motor truck cargo, general liability and the trailer coverage sit alongside the auto liability that carries your FMCSA filing, and one certificate shows everything Amazon looks for.
or call 855-281-2924 Relay-compliant limits, and your certificate sent to RMIS within minutes of binding. |
How Amazon verifies your insurance through RMIS
Amazon doesn’t take a certificate from you directly. It uses a third-party vendor, RMIS, which gets the certificate of insurance from your agent or insurance company and checks it against Amazon’s minimums. That’s why the certificate holder on a Relay certificate is RMIS, not Amazon Relay, and why it has to come from your agent.
We handle that part for you. We know exactly where Relay proof of insurance goes, so we can endorse your policy to add the Relay coverages and get the certificate to RMIS within minutes. Our certificates go out in five minutes or less on average.
Verification doesn’t stop at approval. RMIS sends regular requests for updated certificates, and Amazon asks carriers to update their insurance in the Insurance tab of their Relay account at least 5 days before the policy ends, recommending renewal two to three weeks ahead so RMIS has time to update its records. We work your renewal ahead of that window, so your Relay account stays current.
Why Relay rejects certificates, and how we prevent it
The Relay insurance rejections we see most often come down to a few fixable things:
- A coverage or limit below Amazon’s minimum. We build the policy to Amazon’s list from the start, so the certificate matches the table above line for line.
- The wrong certificate holder. A certificate made out to Amazon Relay instead of RMIS gets kicked back. Ours go to RMIS, made out correctly.
- Coverage dropped after approval. Carriers who cut a coverage to save money get flagged on RMIS’s next certificate check, and Amazon removes them right away. We talk through the numbers with you before anything changes, so saving money never costs you your Relay access.
How much does Amazon Relay insurance cost?
For a single truck with a fully compliant policy, Amazon Relay insurance usually runs $10,000 to $20,000 a year. Here’s how that breaks down by equipment on the Relay policies we write:
| Operation | Cost |
|---|---|
| Box truck on Relay | $915 to $1,500/mo ($11,000 to $18,000/yr) |
| Tractor, line-haul on Relay | $1,165 to $1,665/mo ($14,000 to $20,000/yr) |
Amazon’s own guide estimates $12,000 to $18,000 a year for new carriers and $8,000 to $14,000 for experienced carriers with clean records, which lines up with what we see. New authorities typically land toward the higher end because there’s no operating history for an insurer to price against yet. It isn’t automatic, though: clean years bring the price down, and a well-run new venture can beat an established carrier with a poor safety record.
Relay line-haul is not last-mile delivery, and the two are priced separately. Relay moves freight between Amazon facilities; if a quote you’re comparing was written for delivery routes, it isn’t a Relay policy.
Equipment Relay accepts, and how we insure it
- Box trucks. Amazon accepts dock-height 26′ and 16′ box trucks with a functional tuck-under liftgate. Our Relay markets write both sizes, as long as the liftgate is there. More on the coverage itself on our box truck insurance page.
- Rented and leased trucks. We can write rented or leased units for Relay when they meet Amazon’s equipment requirements. The rental company has its own rules, which we cover in our guide to renting from Penske, Ryder or Enterprise.
- Tractors and power-only. Amazon says most Relay loads are power-only: you bring the tractor, Amazon provides the trailer. We write non-owned trailer physical damage and trailer interchange at the $50,000 Amazon requires, on most policies.
- Cargo vans. Amazon’s truck requirements are clear: cargo vans cannot be used for Relay loads.
Insurance gets you in the door. Your safety record keeps you there.
Meeting the insurance minimums doesn’t guarantee acceptance. To apply for Relay, your interstate authority needs to be active for at least 180 days and your safety scores need to sit under Amazon’s thresholds, and Amazon says most applications are decided within 1 to 3 weeks. Our guide to Amazon Relay requirements covers aging your authority, the safety thresholds, the application and how to stay approved, and our new venture truck insurance page covers the first-year policy.
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Applying to Relay soon? Get your insurance lined up first.
or call 855-281-2924 and talk it through with a real person. |
Frequently asked questions
What insurance does Amazon Relay require?
Amazon requires $1,000,000 in auto liability per occurrence, $100,000 in cargo coverage, and general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence with a $2,000,000 aggregate. Carriers pulling Amazon trailers also need $50,000 in trailer interchange coverage. We write all of it and put it on one certificate.
Who is the certificate holder for Amazon Relay?
RMIS, the third-party vendor Amazon uses to verify insurance. The certificate has to come from your agent or insurance company, not from you. We send Relay certificates to RMIS within minutes of binding.
How much does Amazon Relay insurance cost?
About $10,000 to $20,000 a year for one truck with a fully compliant policy: roughly $11,000 to $18,000 for a box truck and $14,000 to $20,000 for a line-haul tractor. New authorities typically pay toward the higher end, and clean years bring it down.
Can I use a cargo van for Amazon Relay?
No. Amazon says cargo vans cannot be used for Relay loads. Relay accepts 26′ and 16′ box trucks with a functional tuck-under liftgate, and tractors, and we insure both for Relay.
Can I use a rented or leased box truck for Amazon Relay?
Yes, as long as the truck meets Amazon’s equipment requirements and is listed on your own trucking policy. We write rented and leased units for Relay carriers.
How long does Amazon Relay approval take?
Amazon says most applications are approved or rejected within 1 to 3 weeks, once your authority has been active for at least 180 days. Delays usually come from insurance validation, so a correct certificate sent to RMIS up front keeps it moving.
Get Relay-compliant insurance the first time
Relay is the whole business plan for a lot of the carriers we insure, and we have markets that write it for box trucks and tractors alike. Call us with your DOT number and your equipment, and we’ll quote a policy built to Amazon’s list, bind it, and send the certificate to RMIS. The same people handle your renewal every year, so your Relay account stays current.
or call 855-281-2924 A real person answers, and certificates go out in five minutes or less on average. |
Sources: Amazon Relay insurance requirements, Amazon Relay FAQ, Amazon Relay truck requirements, Apply to Amazon Relay. Amazon’s requirements are summarized from its own pages; Amazon’s full list includes items not covered here, so confirm the current requirements with Amazon before applying. Premium figures are estimates based on the Relay policies we place, for general guidance only; your actual premium depends on your record, equipment, radius, and limits. Trucking Insurance Services LLC — 380 Dahlonega St #212, Cumming, GA 30040 — 855-281-2924