How to Get Your Own Trucking Authority: MC and DOT Numbers

For owner-operators

Updated September 27, 2026

To haul freight for pay across state lines under your own name, you need your own trucking authority. You register with FMCSA for a USDOT number and operating authority (your MC number). Then you have your insurer file proof of insurance, name a process agent on a BOC-3, and register for UCR.

FMCSA grants your authority only after your insurance filing is in. After that, your first 18 months are a watched new-entrant period.

$300FMCSA fee for each type of authority

$750,000Federal minimum liability for for-hire general freight

$552027 UCR fee for 0 to 2 trucks

18 moNew-entrant safety monitoring

This guide walks through each step in order, with the source for every rule and fee. It ends where many car haulers want to go next: signing on to haul for a carrier that holds the automaker contracts. It is general information, not legal advice.

DOT Number vs MC Number

They are two different things, and most for-hire carriers need both.

USDOT number: FMCSA’s ID for your company’s safety record. You need one if your truck is 10,001 pounds or more and you run between states. Audits, inspections, and crash reports are tracked under it.
Operating authority (MC number): your permission to haul other people’s regulated freight for pay across state lines. FMCSA calls it a docket number. For a truck carrier, it starts with “MC.”

Here is what the numbers look like on a real carrier. Accelerated’s USDOT number is 873632 and its MC number is MC-382853.

What changed in 2026. FMCSA moved registration to a new online system called Motus in May 2026. FMCSA’s page says new USDOT and docket numbers are now assigned at random, and existing numbers do not change. Motus still issues docket numbers with the MC prefix. As of September 27, 2026, FMCSA says ending docket numbers is “under consideration.” The public would get to comment on a proposed rule first. Nothing about MC numbers has changed yet.

The five steps at a glance

Step 1Set up your businessLLC and EINYour state and the IRS
Step 2Apply with FMCSAUSDOT number and MC authority, in Motus$300 per authority type
Step 3File insuranceYour insurer files proof$750,000 federal minimum
Step 4Name process agentsForm BOC-3Often a blanket company
Step 5Register for UCREvery year, with your base state$55 for 0 to 2 trucks in 2027

Step 1: Set Up Your Business

Most owner-operators form a business before they apply. An LLC, filed with your state’s Secretary of State, is a common choice. Then get an EIN from the IRS. It is free, and you will need it for the heavy vehicle use tax later.

Match your names exactly. FMCSA warns that your business name and address must match your state filings word for word. A mismatch delays your authority.
Open a business bank account in the company’s name, and keep it apart from your personal money.
Talk to an accountant early. Nobody withholds taxes for you once you run your own business.

Not sure you want to run a company yet? You can lease your truck onto a carrier and haul under its authority instead. Our guide on how to become an owner-operator compares the three paths.

Step 2: Apply With FMCSA

New applicants now register in Motus, FMCSA’s registration system. FMCSA also checks your identity as part of signing up. In Motus you apply for a USDOT number and the operating authority you need. A car hauler moving other companies’ vehicles for pay applies as a for-hire motor carrier of property.

The fee: FMCSA’s authority page lists $300 for each type of permanent authority. It charges a separate fee for each kind you ask for, and it does not refund mistaken applications.
Pick only what you need. The type of authority you pick sets the insurance FMCSA will require.
Watch your email. Motus emails key letters, like your certificate, to the account owner.

Applying does not mean you can haul. FMCSA grants your authority only after your insurance filing is on record. Your process agent filing has to stay on file to keep it.

Loaded car hauler parked on a paved lot, seen from the front

Step 3: File Proof of Insurance

FMCSA will not grant your authority until your insurance is on file. Your insurance company files the form for you. FMCSA says to have it file right after you get your docket number.

The federal floor: if you haul general freight for pay in a truck of 10,001 pounds or more, you need at least $750,000 in liability coverage.
The clock: if the filing is not in within 20 days of your application being published in the FMCSA Register, FMCSA sends a notice. Your application is then dismissed unless you comply within 60 days.
Keep it on file. Once you have authority, a lapse in your insurance filing can lead to revocation.

The federal minimum is only the start. The carriers and shippers you haul for set their own bar. To sub-haul for Accelerated, for example, you need $1 million in auto liability, plus cargo coverage sized to your trailer. See our car hauler insurance requirements for the full list.

Step 4: Designate Process Agents (BOC-3)

A process agent is a person who can accept court papers for your company in a state. FMCSA requires for-hire carriers to name them, and you list them on Form BOC-3.

You can hire a “blanket” company, a service that names process agents for you. FMCSA lists the registered blanket companies on its process agents page. Like your insurance, the BOC-3 must stay on file, or your authority can be revoked.

Rather drive under a carrier’s authority while you build up? Contract with Accelerated.

Apply Now

Step 5: Register for UCR

The Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) is a yearly state registration with a fee. Every business subject to UCR registers with its base state each year. The fee must be paid before January 1 of the registration year. After that, states can take enforcement action.

2027 registration opens October 1, 2026, according to the UCR Plan.
Fees go by fleet size. The approved 2027 fee is $55 for a carrier with 0 to 2 vehicles, and $167 for 3 to 5.
Not sure you need it? The UCR Plan has a short “Do I need to register?” questionnaire.

Other Filings to Keep Current

Your authority is not a one-time job. Three more filings come up once you are running.

Biennial Update (MCS-150)

FMCSA wants your company’s details updated every two years, even if nothing changed. The last digit of your USDOT number sets the month. On September 10, 2026, FMCSA paused enforcement for updates due on or after June 1, 2026, while Motus settles in.

IFTA and IRP

A truck that runs in more than one state usually needs IFTA fuel tax credentials and IRP apportioned plates.

IFTA and IRP, explained

Form 2290

A truck with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more owes the IRS heavy vehicle use tax. The tax year runs July 1 to June 30. First used in July? File between July 1 and August 31. Otherwise, file by the end of the month after first use. You need an EIN.

The New-Entrant Period

A brand-new carrier is a “new entrant.” FMCSA watches your safety for your first 18 months. It will do a safety audit once you have enough records to review. Federal rules say that is generally at least 3 months in, and FMCSA’s page says within 12 months.

FMCSA lists violations that fail the audit automatically. Among them:

No drug and alcohol testing program, or no random testing
Using a driver without a valid CDL, or a driver who is not medically qualified
Running without the required insurance
Not making drivers keep hours-of-service records
Running a truck that was placed out of service before it is repaired

Set up your records, testing program, and maintenance files before your first load. If you pass, FMCSA keeps monitoring. If you fail, you must fix the problems, or your registration is revoked.

From Your Own Authority to Sub-Hauling Cars

Once you have your own authority and a car-hauling rig, you need freight. One option is to sub-haul for a carrier that holds automaker contracts. Accelerated has hauled for the automakers since 1999. Our sub-hauler program is for carriers on their own authority.

Here is what we ask for, taken from our sub-hauler page:

Active operating authority, with your own MC and DOT numbers
At least 6 months in business as a carrier
A car-hauling truck in good condition and a clean safety record
$1 million in auto liability, plus cargo coverage that grows with your trailer’s car count, with Accelerated listed as certificate holder

You sign on through one carrier packet on MyCarrierPackets. Approval takes up to 24 hours. Our available freight is posted on Central Dispatch, and Accelerated is one source of freight among many. We do not sell or guarantee lanes.

That 6-month rule means a new authority cannot sub-haul for us on day one. Until then, you can drive as a contract driver under a carrier’s authority. If you have no truck yet, our lease-purchase program starts with no money down upfront.

Sub-Haul Cars for Accelerated

Running your own authority? Complete one carrier packet, send your insurance certificate, and you can start pulling the freight we post. See the full requirements on our sub-hauler page.

Start Onboarding

Prefer to lease on while you build up? Apply to contract with Accelerated. We ask for 3 years of CDL-A driving and 1 year of verifiable 9-car experience.

Trucking Authority FAQs

Is an MC number the same as a DOT number?

No. The USDOT number is FMCSA’s ID for your company’s safety record. The MC number is your operating authority, which lets you haul regulated freight for pay across state lines. Most for-hire carriers need both.

How much does it cost to get your own authority?

FMCSA’s filing fee is $300 for each type of authority, and it is not refundable. You also pay a yearly UCR fee ($55 for 0 to 2 vehicles in 2027), a process agent service, and your insurance.

Do I need a BOC-3?

Yes, if you are a for-hire carrier. The BOC-3 names your process agents, the people who can accept court papers for you in each state. It must stay on file with FMCSA to keep your authority.

Is FMCSA getting rid of MC numbers?

Not yet. As of September 27, 2026, FMCSA says Motus still issues docket numbers with the MC prefix and existing numbers do not change. Ending docket numbers is “under consideration” and would go through a proposed rule with public comment first.

Can I sub-haul for Accelerated with a brand-new authority?

Not right away. Accelerated asks sub-haulers for at least 6 months in business. You also need your own MC and DOT numbers, $1 million in auto liability, and the right cargo coverage.

Sources

Last checked September 27, 2026. Fees and rules change, and FMCSA’s registration system is still changing. Confirm each step with FMCSA and the UCR Plan before you apply. This guide is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.