Federal guide
MC number: what it is and how to get one
An MC number is the docket FMCSA assigns when a for-hire carrier applies for interstate operating authority. Companies hauling federally regulated freight for compensation across state lines need one on top of a USDOT number. The application fee is $300 per authority type, and it is not refundable.
By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Sep 7, 2026
What an MC number actually is
Operating authority is identified as an MC, FF, or MX docket number depending on the type granted. A company may need multiple operating authorities to cover its planned operations; each authority type dictates the operation, the cargo, and the insurance level required.
One distinction saves new carriers real trouble: FMCSA grants authority by issuing a certificate, permit, or license. An assigned docket number alone does not establish an effective grant. Confirm the authority has been issued and remains active before hauling under it.
Who needs an MC number
Companies that transport passengers in interstate commerce for compensation, or transport federally regulated commodities owned by others (or arrange their transport) for compensation in interstate commerce, need interstate operating authority in addition to a USDOT number.
And who does not: Private carriers hauling their own cargo, for-hire carriers hauling exclusively exempt (not federally regulated) commodities, and carriers operating exclusively inside a federally designated commercial zone do not need interstate operating authority. Carriers staying inside one state answer to their state instead; see intrastate authority by state. Either way, the safety-registration side of the house is the USDOT number, a separate registration.
What an MC number costs
The application fee is $300, charged per authority type, so applying for two authority types costs $600. FMCSA does not refund application fees, even for mistaken or dismissed applications.
Two later-life fees worth knowing now: a name change costs $14 and reinstating a revoked authority costs $80. The docket fee is only one line of the real startup budget; the rest is tallied in how much it costs to start a trucking company.
How to apply
Create a user profile, complete identity verification, and create a company account in Motus to apply for a USDOT number and the registrations your operation needs. Claim your existing USDOT record in Motus using the company official’s Login.gov email, then manage registrations or apply for additional authority. See the Motus account guide for the current entry path.
The application is one step of seven. The full sequence, from USDOT number to issued authority, is our pillar walkthrough: how to get your own authority. Tempted to skip the wait by purchasing an existing authority instead? What that actually transfers, and what follows the MC number around, is in buying an MC number.
What happens after you file
The protest period runs for 10 days after publication in the FMCSA Register. If the application is unopposed, the published grant becomes effective when FMCSA issues the certificate, permit, or license.
FMCSA will not grant operating authority registration until the registrant has the minimum levels of financial responsibility (insurance) on file with FMCSA. Authority is issued as a certificate (motor carrier), permit (freight forwarder), or license (broker) only after FMCSA has approved the application, the insurance filing, and the process agent (BOC-3) filing, and the protest period has ended without protests. The two filings that gate the grant get their own guides: the BMC insurance filings and the BOC-3 process agent filing.
Review registration actions and current filings in Motus. FMCSA also publishes authority records and daily decisions through its registration pages. If the agency’s records disagree, contact FMCSA before relying on the status. Realistic start-to-finish timelines live in how long it takes to get authority.
MC number vs USDOT number
The USDOT number and operating authority are different registrations. The USDOT number is the safety identifier; the MC/FF docket is the for-hire authority. For-hire interstate carriers of regulated commodities need both. The full side-by-side, including who needs which and what each costs, is in operating authority vs USDOT number.