Operating Authority (MC Number) — How to Apply

Operating authority — your MC number — is the FMCSA's permission to run as a for-hire carrier of regulated goods (or passengers) across state lines. It is different from your USDOT number, which identifies you for safety; many carriers need both.

Who Needs It

For-hire carriers of regulated commodities operating interstate, and for-hire passenger carriers. Private carriers (hauling their own goods) and certain exempt commodities generally do not. See also our guide to for hire tags and commercial plates.

The Application Steps

1. Have your USDOT number in place.
2. Apply for operating authority and pay the application fee.
3. File your insurance (e.g., a BMC-91 for liability).
4. File a BOC-3 designating process agents in every state.
5. Clear the mandatory vetting / protest period, after which your authority activates.

Key Terms

• BOC-3: process-agent designation required before activation.
• BMC-91: proof of public liability insurance filed with the FMCSA.

Operating Authority and the Form 2290 HVUT

Authority gives you the legal right to haul for other people. It does not settle what you owe the IRS. Any highway truck with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more must e-file IRS Form 2290 and pay the Heavy Vehicle Use Tax, and your state will not issue or renew plates without the stamped Schedule 1 that proves it. New carriers often work through the whole authority process and then stall at the registration counter for want of that one page.

How Consulics Helps

We handle your authority application, coordinate insurance and BOC-3 filings, and track activation so you can get on the road sooner.

Frequently Asked Questions