If FMCSA determines the safety audit discloses the new entrant has adequate basic safety management controls, the Agency will provide the new entrant written notice as soon as practicable, but not later than 45 days after completion of the safety audit, that it has adequate basic safety management controls. The new entrant’s safety performance will continue to be closely monitored for the remainder of the 18-month period of new entrant registration.

Please go to FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance system and select “Carrier search” from the pull-down menu. If you do not have access to the internet, please call our toll free number: 1-800-832-5660.

A broker or freight forwarder who knowingly engages in interstate brokerage or freight forwarding operations without the required operating authority is liable to the United States for a civil penalty not to exceed $10,000 and can be liable to any injured third party for all valid claims regardless of the amount (49 U.S.C. 14916(c)). The penalties and liability to injured parties apply jointly and severally to all corporations or partnerships involved in the transportation and individually to all officers, directors, and principals of these business forms (49 U.S.C. 14916(d)). Under 49 U.S.C. 14901(d)(3), a broker of household goods (HHG) who engages in interstate operations without the required operating authority is liable to the United States for a civil penalty of not less than $25,000 for each violation. Source: 78 FR 54720.

To report such a violation, click here to contact the National Consumer Complaint Database.

A broker must maintain a surety bond or a trust fund agreement in the amount of $75,000 to comply with FMCSA’s financial security requirements.

For more information about insurance requirements and filings, click here.

If the medical examiner’s certificate has expired, you must obtain a new one and provide it to your State Driver Licensing Agency (SDLA). If you require a variance and it has expired, you must renew it with FMCSA. Your State may require retesting and additional fees to get back your CDL privileges. If allowed by your SDLA, you may also change your self-certification to an operating category that does not require a medical certificate.

More information can be found on the FMCSA medical program web site.

An exempt for-hire motor carrier transports exempt (unregulated) property owned by others for compensation. The exempt commodities usually include unprocessed or unmanufactured goods, fruits and vegetables, and other items of little or no value. 

For a partial listing of exempt and non-exempt commodities, please refer to Administrative Ruling 119.

For information about who needs an MC number, click here.

No, you are not considered a Motor Carrier of Household Goods (HHG), and do not need HHG Operating Authority registration. The term “Motor Carrier of Household Goods” does not include any motor carrier that delivers furniture, appliances, or other furnishings between a factory or a store and an individual's household.  If you are not a moving company, you are not considered a Motor Carrier of Household Goods (HHG).

A Motor Carrier of Household Goods (HHG) is an authorized for-hire Motor Carrier that transports only household goods for the public in exchange for payment based on published tariff rates.  HHG carriers are paid to transport/move someone’s possessions from one “dwelling/office” location to another “dwelling/office” location.
HHG motor carriers also offer some or all the following additional services:  binding and nonbinding estimates; inventorying; protective packing and unpacking of individual items at personal residences; and/or loading and unloading at personal residences.  

Note: Motor Carriers of Household Goods must file proof of both public liability (BI & PD) and cargo insurance with FMCSA to obtain interstate Operating Authority.

Once you have your USDOT number, you will be able to operate as a private motor carrier. You will not be able to operate as a for-hire motor carrier until you have operating authority (an active MC number).  For more information on operating authority, click here.

There is a $300 fee for each operating authority requested.

If you are a motor carrier based in Mexico and plan to operate beyond the commercial zone in the United States, you must register with FMCSA by completing the appropriate forms: MCS-150, OP-1MX and BOC-3 Forms.

To download the forms, click here. 

Please note the online FMCSA registration process is not available for these type of operations at this time. 

More guidance for Mexican carriers is here.

Carriers who transport exempt commodities under part 387, subpart A are still required to maintain proof of financial responsibility on a designated form, the MCS-90, under 387.7(d), but the form is not required to be filed with FMCSA. Pursuant to 387.9, a for-hire property carrier is required to maintain a minimum level of $750,000. The only other reason you could be exempt from the minimum financial responsibility requirement is if you are not operating Commercial Motor Vehicles (i.e., your vehicles are less than 10,001 lbs.). Otherwise, you should have the appropriate documentation of financial responsibility.

After a new entrant satisfies all applicable preoperational requirements, it will be subject to the new entrant safety monitoring procedures for a period of 18 months. During this 18-month period:

• The new entrant’s roadside safety performance will be closely monitored to ensure the new entrant has basic safety management controls that are operating effectively
• A safety audit will be conducted on the new entrant, once it has been in operation for enough time to have sufficient records to allow the agency to evaluate the adequacy of its basic safety management controls
• Failure to demonstrate basic safety management controls may result in the carrier having its new entrant registration revoked

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations, part 49, sections 300-399.

You can access the official version of current FMCSA regulations on our regulations web page. Look under "Related Links" for other regulations that may affect motor carrier operations, such as drug and alcohol regulations (section 40) and hazardous materials program procedures (section 107).

An up-to-date, unofficial version of the regulations can be found on the eCFR site.

To access previous versions of the Code of Federal Regulations (including 49 CFR 300-399) by year, back to 1996, go to the US Government Printing Office (GPO) FDsys site and select the year, then the part/section you want. If you need older versions, please contact your local library, which may have access to earlier versions of the CFR in print or online.

Proposed and final rules amending regulations (and other regulatory documents) are published daily in the Federal Register, also on the GPO website.

Recent regulatory documents published by FMCSA can be found on our "Rulemaking Documents" page.

Regulatory documents (including proposed and final rules and notices) for the FMCSA and other government agencies can be found on the Regulations.gov website. You can submit comments on proposed and final rules at this site.

Insurance forms must be filed by the insurance company, not the carrier or broker. For information on how insurance companies can make these filings online, click here. 

• Form MCS-82, Motor Carrier Public Liability Surety Bond under Sections 29 and 30 of the Motor Carrier Act of 1980
• Form MCS-82B, Motor Carrier Public Liability Surety Bond under Section 18 of the Bus Regulatory Reform Act of 1982
• Form MCS-90, Endorsement for Motor Carrier Policies of Insurance for Public Liability under Sections 29 and 30 of the Motor Carrier Act of 1980
• Form MCS-90B, Endorsement for Motor Carrier Policies of Insurance for Public Liability under Section 18 of the Bus Regulatory Reform Act of 1982
• Form BMC-34 for proof of cargo liability insurance is used to make cargo insurance filings for household goods carriers with FMCSA. FMCSA do not provide these forms. The insurance company making the filing maintains their own supply of forms. Many insurance carriers are set up to make the required insurance filings with FMCSA electronically
• Form BMC-84 for broker surety bonds is used to make the bond insurance filing for the broker authority with the FMCSA. FMCSA does not provide these forms. The insurance company making the filing maintains their own supply of forms. Many insurance carriers are set up to make the required insurance filings with FMCSA electronically
• Form BMC-85 for broker trust fund agreements is used to make the trust agreement for the broker authority with the FMCSA. This form can only be completed by a financial institution (insured bank, commercial bank or trust company, agency or branch of a foreign bank in the U.S., insured institution of the National Housing Act, a thrift institution, a loan or finance company).
• Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X for proof of bodily injury and property damage (BI & PD) insurance are both used to make liability filings with the FMCSA. FMCSA does not provide these forms. The insurance company making the filing maintains their own supply of forms. Many insurance carriers are set up to make the required insurance filings with FMCSA electronically

For more information about insurance requirements and filings, click here.

Household goods carriers and freight forwarders of household goods are required to have cargo insurance. For the minimum levels of financial responsibility required for each type of motor carrier, please see 49 CFR 387.9.  

The most efficient way to request and track a review of Federal and State crash or inspection data is using the DataQs system, which automatically forwards your Request for Data Review (RDR) to the appropriate office for resolution and collects updates and responses for current requests.

Please note: Entities that are registered in MCMIS (for examples, interstate motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, IEPs, etc.) must log in to the FMCSA Portal to request access to DataQs. If you don't already have a Portal account, you can learn how to set one up by clicking here. Once you have a Portal account, then you can request DataQs access.

If you aren't a registered entity in MCMIS, click here.

A USDOT number usually applies to the company, not a particular branch office or vehicle. Generally the corporate office or headquarters should register the company, and should inform its branches of the USDOT number. For companies with multiple branches, maintaining proper registration with the FMCSA requires good communication between the corporate headquarters and the terminal offices. The company's headquarters then can then interact with the FMCSA to ensure that all of its branches are properly accounted for.

Yes. If you transport hazardous materials in commerce, you are required to register with the FMCSA. This includes both intrastate and interstate transportation of hazardous materials. In addition to registration, you may also need to obtain specific permits or certifications, depending on the nature of the hazardous materials you are transporting. Please refer to the FMCSA website or contact our Hazardous Materials Division for more information on registration requirements and applicable regulations.

A private motor carrier transports its own cargo, usually as a part of a business that produces, uses, sells and/or buys the cargo that is being hauled. A private motor carrier transports its own goods and is required to have a USDOT number but does not need operating authority (MC number).

You can check to see if a name change or address change has been completed at http://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov

• Once in the Safer website, go to “FMCSA Searches”
• Click “Licensing & Insurance”
• Enter MC Number or USDOT Number in the appropriate box and click “search”

It may take approximately 14 days to process the request.

Yes. You can dissolve a partnership with an existing MC number by submitting a notarized letter signed by both partners requesting that the partner be removed from the existing authority. 

If the partners cannot agree who should keep the existing MC number:

• They should both file a new application with the required fees and get new MC numbers
• They should request that the existing MC number be voluntarily revoked. See the FAQ “How can I suspend or put my operating authority (MC number) on hold?”