49 U.S.C. § 14501 — Federal authority over intrastate transportation

(a) Motor Carriers of Passengers — (1) Limitation on state law: No state, political subdivision, or multi-state agency may make or enforce any law regulating (A) the scheduling of interstate or intrastate transportation — including cutting or reducing service — by an interstate bus carrier, (B) changing the rates for that transportation or for charter transportation, except states can require up to 30 days' notice of schedule changes, or (C) who may provide intrastate or interstate charter bus service. This rule doesn't apply to intrastate commuter bus operations, or to any intrastate bus transportation in Hawaii. (2) Matters not covered: This doesn't limit a state's normal safety regulation of motor vehicles, its power to set highway route rules based on vehicle size or weight, or its power to require minimum insurance or self-insurance from carriers. (b) Freight Forwarders and Brokers — (1) General rule: Subject to (2), no state, subdivision, or multi-state agency may make or enforce any law regulating intrastate rates, routes, or services of a freight forwarder or broker. (2) Continuation of Hawaii's authority: Nothing here, or in the 1986 Surface Freight Forwarder Deregulation Act, limits Hawaii's authority to keep regulating a motor carrier operating within Hawaii. (c) Motor Carriers of Property — (1) General rule: Except as (2) and (3) allow, a state, subdivision, or multi-state authority may not make or enforce any law about the price, route, or service of a motor carrier (other than one affiliated with a direct air carrier under section 41713(b)(4)), or of any motor private carrier, broker, or freight forwarder, when it comes to transporting property. (2) Matters not covered: This rule (A) doesn't limit a state's normal vehicle-safety regulation, its power to set highway route rules based on size, weight, or hazardous cargo, or its power to require minimum insurance or self-insurance; (B) doesn't apply to intrastate transportation of household goods; and (C) doesn't apply to a state or subdivision's authority to regulate non-consensual tow-truck operations (tows done without the vehicle owner's prior consent). (3) State standard transportation practices: (A) Continuation: This rule doesn't stop a state, subdivision, or multi-state authority from making or enforcing rules about intrastate property transport involving (i) uniform cargo liability rules, (ii) uniform bills of lading, (iii) uniform cargo credit rules, (iv) antitrust immunity for joint rates, routes, classifications, mileage guides, and pooling, or (v) antitrust immunity for agent-van-line operations under section 13907 — but only if the rule meets (B)'s requirements. (B) Requirements: A state rule qualifies if (i) it covers the same subject as, and is no more burdensome than, a federal rule under this part, and (ii) it only applies to a carrier that asks to be covered by it. (C) Election: A carrier affiliated with a direct air carrier through common ownership may choose to be subject to such a state rule. (4) Nonapplicability to Hawaii: This subsection doesn't apply to Hawaii. (5) Limitation on statutory construction: Nothing here stops a state from requiring that a tow truck operator taking a vehicle from private property without the owner's consent have prior written authorization from the property owner (or their employee or agent), or that the owner be present during the tow, or both. (d) Pre-Arranged Ground Transportation — (1) In general: No state, subdivision, or multi-state agency may require a license or fee just because a vehicle provides pre-arranged ground transportation, if the carrier providing it (A) meets all federal registration requirements for interstate passenger transport, (B) meets all vehicle and intrastate passenger licensing requirements of the state or states where it's based or registered, and (C) is operating under a contract for (i) transportation from one state (with stops along the way) to another state, or (ii) transportation from one state (with a stop in another state) back to a destination in the original state. (2) Intermediate stop defined: An "intermediate stop" is a pause in the trip so a passenger can do personal or business activity — but only if the driver doesn't pick up any other, unrelated passenger before resuming the original passenger's trip. (3) Matters not covered: Nothing here (A) makes taxicab service regulated like interstate bus transportation, (B) stops an airport, train, or bus terminal from contracting for preferred access with one or more pre-arranged ground transportation providers, or (C) stops a state or subdivision from requiring, without discrimination, that a driver providing this kind of service submit to pre-licensing drug testing or a criminal background check — done by the licensing state or subdivision, or by the carrier itself — as a condition of providing the service.