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Operating Authority

MC Authority / Operating Authority

For interstate carriers who transport someone else's freight or passengers for payment. We prepare and submit your FMCSA application, reviewed before filing, and track it through to a decision.

Apply for Operating Authority → See Pricing & FAQ
You Likely Need This If
  • You transport regulated property or passengers belonging to someone else, for payment, across state lines (for-hire interstate carriage).
  • You're starting a new for-hire trucking business and need authority before you can legally accept loads.
You May Not Need This If
  • You only haul your own company's freight (private carriage) — you likely need a USDOT number, but not operating authority.
  • You operate entirely within one state (intrastate only).

Not sure which applies to you? Ask us before you file — it's a common question and there's no charge for asking.

Pricing

What's Included

$249.00 + $300 FMCSA fee
  • USDOT and MC number application prepared and reviewed
  • Submitted to FMCSA on your behalf
  • Status tracked until a decision is issued
Apply Now →

The $300 is FMCSA's own fee, paid directly to FMCSA — not part of our service fee, and never marked up.

Questions

MC Authority FAQ

A USDOT number identifies your operation to FMCSA. Operating authority (what most people call MC Authority) is a separate, additional requirement, and only applies if you are for-hire: transporting someone else's regulated property or passengers, for payment, across state lines. If you only ever haul your own company's freight (private carriage), you generally need a USDOT number but not operating authority.

FMCSA requires a BOC-3 process agent designation on file before new operating authority is granted. It's a separate, required step — see our BOC-3 filing — not part of this filing itself.

That's FMCSA's own application fee, paid directly to FMCSA, separate from and in addition to our service fee. We don't mark it up.

This depends entirely on FMCSA's own processing, which varies and is outside our control. We track your application and update you as its status changes.

See the full FAQ →

Related

Often Needed Together

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