How to get MC number
Apply to FMCSA for operating authority, then have your insurer file proof of liability insurance, Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X, within 20 days of the FMCSA Register notice; FMCSA will not grant the authority until it is on file. FMCSA's chart sets the limit for for-hire interstate carriers of nonhazardous property at $750,000 for vehicles rated 10,001 pounds or more and $300,000 below that, a figure from a rule eCFR marks suspended. Cargo and physical damage are not part of the grant. A process agent's Form BOC-3, due in the same 20 days, completes the filings; it is not insurance.
Updated . Written by Andre Beukers, principal at Redoubt, a commercial insurance agency in Salt Lake City, not a government office.
What do you need to activate your MC number?
Apply in Motus for a USDOT number and authority and pay $300 for each type; then, within 20 days of the FMCSA Register notice, your insurer files proof of liability and a process agent files the BOC-3, and an unopposed grant takes effect. That 20 days is 49 CFR 365.109T: eCFR marks the original 365.109, which gave 90 days, suspended effective January 14, 2017, and FMCSA's filing page applies 20.
The insurance piece is a filing by the insurer: 365.109T names Form BMC-91 or 91X for bodily injury and property damage, and FMCSA's Motus notice counts insurers among "financial responsibility filers." FMCSA cautions that the name and address on pre-registration filings, such as the secretary of state's, must match the application exactly; give your insurer that same name.
Cargo and physical damage are not on that list: FMCSA's chart lists $0 cargo for for-hire carriers of nonhazardous property, and 49 CFR 387.9 prints a "Schedule of Limits—Public Liability" with no physical damage line. We still hear otherwise: in July 2026 a buyer told us he had been told he needed "the 250 cargo and the 250 reefer and $750.000" to get the MC activated.
Check the grant on FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance website by MC or USDOT number before hauling, because 49 CFR 392.9a says a vehicle providing transportation requiring operating authority must not be operated "Without the required operating authority."
Does a hotshot, box truck or cargo van need an MC number?
The work decides it, not the vehicle. FMCSA says companies need interstate operating authority "in addition to a USDOT number" when they "Transport federally-regulated commodities owned by others or arranging for their transport, (for a fee or other compensation, in interstate commerce)," and that test, as FMCSA words it, names no vehicle weight. A Sprinter van hauling a broker's load from Utah into Nevada for pay is that work, and FMCSA's filing chart carries a row for for-hire property carriers under 10,001 pounds. A business hauling its own goods needs no authority: FMCSA's list of carriers that need none starts with "Private carriers (carriers that transport their own cargo)."
Weight decides two other things. The USDOT test counts "gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating" of 10,001 pounds or more, so a pickup and trailer can qualify on the combined rating. The liability floor is stated by the vehicle's GVWR: FMCSA's chart shows $300,000 for for-hire carriers of nonhazardous property under 10,001 pounds and $750,000 at 10,001 pounds and up, the 49 CFR 387.9 figure for for-hire interstate work. The $300,000 comes from 387.303T; eCFR marks the URS version of 387.303 "again suspended indefinitely," and FMCSA's chart still applies it. For a hotshot rig, settle the row with the insurer using the truck's and trailer's ratings.
| Your setup | MC number? | USDOT number? | Liability floor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo or Sprinter van under 10,001 lb, hauling others' freight for pay | Yes | Yes; FMCSA requires it alongside the authority | $300,000, with the suspension caveat |
| Hotshot pickup and trailer, same work | Yes | Yes; FMCSA requires it alongside the authority | $300,000 or $750,000 by GVWR |
| Box truck rated 10,001 lb or more, same work | Yes | Yes | $750,000 |
| Work truck rated 10,001 lb or more, hauling your own tools | No, a private carrier | Yes | None under Subpart A; 387.3(a) covers for-hire carriers |
| Any of these, only inside Utah | No; FMCSA's authority is interstate | Yes for an intrastate commercial vehicle, per UDOT | Utah R909-1-4: $750,000 for private carriers; no figure stated for for-hire general freight |
Can you get MC authority without a truck?
Not active without insurance on file, and the insurance clock starts at publication. FMCSA "will not grant operating authority registration until the registrant has in effect the minimum levels of financial responsibility on file," and 365.109T sets that filing at 20 days from the date the application notice is published. The review list in 365.109T covers completeness, safety fitness, the financial responsibility filing, the BOC-3, tariffs and English; it names no vehicle ownership.
So the decision is timing. One owner-operator told us in July 2026 that his truck was "gonna sit for two to three weeks with just insurance in the driveway" while the MC went through, and that he did not want to pick it up early because "I don't wanna pay all that interest." Line up the truck or lease you will insure before the notice publishes, and bind with a start date that lets the insurer file inside that window.
What is a BOC-3, and is it an insurance policy?
It is not insurance. A BOC-3 names your process agents, and FMCSA defines a process agent as "a representative upon whom court papers may be served in any proceeding brought against a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder." It names an agent for each state you operate in or cross, and 49 CFR 366.2T says "Only one completed current form may be on file." Blanket companies, the "Form BOC-3 filers" in FMCSA's Motus notice, file a list of agents with FMCSA; under 366.5T a carrier's blanket designation names the persons on that list "and any subsequently filed revisions thereof, for the States in which this carrier is or may be authorized to operate."
A for-hire carrier applying for authority needs one, inside the same window as the insurance filing; FMCSA's process agent page says that until all URS provisions are implemented, "only for-hire carriers are required to designate a process agent." eCFR marks the original Part 366 sections suspended effective January 14, 2017; the T sections quoted here are in force, and no section of Part 366 sets a renewal date. 366.6T says a designation "may be canceled or changed only by a new designation," so changing yours means filing a new BOC-3, while a blanket designation already reaches the blanket company's later revisions to its list.
FMCSA's fee schedule, 49 CFR 360.3T(f), lists no BOC-3 fee, and Unified Carrier Registration is a separate fee each registration year, $46 for 2026 and $55 for 2027 at 0 to 2 commercial motor vehicles.
Do you need Utah intrastate authority or a Utah DOT number?
A USDOT number, yes, for an intrastate commercial vehicle; a state operating authority, not that we found. UDOT says companies hauling cargo "in intrastate/interstate commerce must be registered with the FMCSA and must have a USDOT Number," and FMCSA lists Utah among states requiring one of intrastate registrants. It comes from FMCSA, and UDOT notes there is "no application fee ever." Utah Code 72-9-102(3) defines an intrastate commercial vehicle, for a driver 18 or older, as one rated 26,001 pounds or more, along with larger passenger vehicles and placarded hazmat.
UDOT's operating authority page sends for-hire interstate carriers to FMCSA, naming the BOC-3 and proof of insurance as what completes the application, and its Utah Intrastate Registration page is vehicle registration under Utah Code 41-1a-201. Nothing we read on UDOT's credential pages describes a state authority for property carriers hauling only inside Utah.
Utah R909-1-4 requires $750,000 of liability of an intrastate private carrier and states no figure for an intrastate for-hire carrier of general freight, which remains an open question. Tow truck carriers also hold a state credential tied to insurance: R909-19-5 requires evidence of insurance "before issuance of the tow truck motor carrier certification."
What to send your agent before the notice publishes
Send these so binding the policy and the insurer's filing do not wait on a question.
- 1.Your legal name and address exactly as on the secretary of state filing and the FMCSA application
- 2.Your USDOT number and MC docket number
- 3.The date you applied, and the date your notice published if it has
- 4.Each truck and trailer: year, make, VIN, weight rating, and whether owned, financed or leased
- 5.Each driver's license state and years of experience
- 6.Where you will run and what you will haul, including any hazmat or household goods
- 7.The blanket company handling your BOC-3, if you have one
- 8.Any broker, shipper or lender insurance requirement you have in writing
Where these answers come from
Each entry carries the exact words of the source so you can check it yourself. Forms, rules and carrier pages change; read the current version before acting.
- 1. FMCSA, Insurance Filing Requirements, overview
“Registered entities are cautioned to ensure that the name and address of their business as set out in all pre-registration filings, such as secretary of state, match exactly the name and address provided in their application for operating authority filings. Any deviation results in the delay of granting of the authority.”
fmcsa.dot.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Read in a browser; fmcsa.dot.gov returns 403 to curl. Page last updated March 26, 2026. - 2. FMCSA, Availability of Motus, Federal Register document 2026-08334 (April 29, 2026), notice of policy
“All entities currently required to use URS to complete their initial registration with FMCSA will be required to use Motus as Motus will become the unified registration system, and the current URS will be disabled.”
federalregister.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Raw text by curl. The same notice lists, for first-time registrants using Motus in Phase II, "Apply for a USDOT Number and operating authority registration from FMCSA." - 3. 49 CFR 365.106T(a), new applicants apply for a USDOT number and authority together, eCFR
“new applicants as defined in paragraph (b) of this section must apply for a USDOT number and if applicable, operating authority by electronically filing Form MCSA-1, the URS online application”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. The rule text still names URS; FMCSA's Motus pages describe the replacement system. eCFR point-in-time 2026-10-01. - 4. 49 CFR 360.3T(f)(1), schedule of filing fees, eCFR
“An application for motor carrier operating authority, a certificate of registration for certain foreign carriers, property broker authority, or freight forwarder authority $300.”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. The schedule in paragraph (f) lists no fee for Form BOC-3 or for a USDOT number (checked 2026-10-03). - 5. 49 CFR 365.109T(a)(5), insurance filing within 20 days, eCFR
“Financial responsibility is indicated by filing within 20 days from the date an application notice is published in the FMCSA Register: (i) Form BMC-91 or 91X or BMC 82 surety bond—Bodily injury and property damage”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. The non-T section 365.109 is suspended on eCFR; the T section is the text in force. eCFR point-in-time 2026-10-01. - 6. 49 CFR 365.109T(a)(6), BOC-3 within 20 days, eCFR
“Applicants also must submit Form BOC-3—designation of legal process agents—within 20 days from the date an application notice is published in the FMCSA Register.”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 7. 49 CFR 365.109T(a), FMCSA review of the application, eCFR
“FMCSA staff will review the application for correctness, completeness, and adequacy of the evidence (the prima facie case).”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Paragraphs (a)(1) to (a)(8) cover minor errors, incomplete applications, safety fitness, financial responsibility, the BOC-3, tariffs and English; none names vehicle ownership. eCFR point-in-time 2026-10-01. - 8. 49 CFR 365.109(a)(5), suspended text, eCFR
“All applicants must file the appropriate evidence of financial responsibility pursuant to 49 CFR part 387 within 90 days from the date notice of the application is published in the FMCSA Register”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. eCFR's effective date note: "At 82 FR 5299, Jan. 17, 2017, § 365.109 was suspended, effective Jan. 14, 2017." Paragraph (a)(6) of the suspended text gives the BOC-3 the same 90 days. FMCSA's filing page applies 20 days (fmcsa-filing-60). - 9. 49 CFR 365.115(b), after publication in the FMCSA Register, eCFR
“If no one opposes the application, the grant published in the FMCSA Register will become effective by issuance of a certificate, permit, or license.”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 13. 49 CFR 390.5T, definition of commercial motor vehicle, eCFR
“Commercial motor vehicle means any self-propelled or towed motor vehicle used on a highway in interstate commerce to transport passengers or property when the vehicle— (1) Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating, or gross vehicle weight or gross combination weight, of 4,536 kg (10,001 pounds) or more, whichever is greater”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 14. FMCSA, Do I Need a USDOT Number?
“Companies that operate commercial vehicles transporting passengers or hauling cargo in interstate commerce must be registered with the FMCSA and must have a USDOT Number.”
fmcsa.dot.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Read in a browser; fmcsa.dot.gov returns 403 to curl. The page's vehicle test repeats the 10,001-pound GVWR or GCWR threshold. Page last updated September 3, 2025. - 15. FMCSA, Do I Need a USDOT Number?, states that require a USDOT number
“Apart from federal regulations, some states require their intrastate commercial motor vehicle registrants to obtain a USDOT Number.”
fmcsa.dot.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Read in a browser; fmcsa.dot.gov returns 403 to curl. Utah is on the list that follows. - 16. FMCSA, Insurance Filing Requirements, chart, motor carrier of property rows
“For-Hire Property Carriers (Non-Hazardous) GVWR < 10,001 pounds $300,000 $0 $0 BMC-91, or BMC-91X, or BMC-82 For-Hire Property Carriers (Non-Hazardous) GVWR ≥ 10,001 pounds $750,000 $0 $0 BMC-91, or BMC-91X, or BMC-82”
fmcsa.dot.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Read in a browser; fmcsa.dot.gov returns 403 to curl. Table cells in order: entity type, vehicle type, BIPD insurance requirement, cargo insurance requirement, surety bond or trust fund, applicable forms. - 17. 49 CFR 387.9, schedule of limits, row 1, eCFR
“For-hire (In interstate or foreign commerce, with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds) Property (nonhazardous) $750,000”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 18. 49 CFR 387.9, schedule title, eCFR
“The minimum levels of financial responsibility referred to in § 387.7 are hereby prescribed as follows: Table 1 to § 387.9—Schedule of Limits—Public Liability”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. The table's four rows are public liability amounts by type of carriage and commodity; none is a physical damage or cargo figure. eCFR point-in-time 2026-10-01. - 19. 49 CFR 387.303T(b)(1)(i), small freight vehicles, eCFR
“Fleet including only vehicles under 10,001 pounds (4,536 kilograms) GVWR Property (non-hazardous) $300,000”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. eCFR's note on the URS version, 387.303, says it was "again suspended indefinitely" in 2019; the T section prints the figure and FMCSA's filing chart applies it. - 20. 49 CFR 387.3(a), applicability of Subpart A, eCFR
“This subpart applies to for-hire motor carriers operating motor vehicles transporting property in interstate or foreign commerce.”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Paragraph (b) adds carriers of hazardous materials, for-hire or private; private carriers of general freight are outside the subpart. - 21. FMCSA, Insurance Filing Requirements, overview
“FMCSA will not grant operating authority registration until the registrant has in effect the minimum levels of financial responsibility on file with FMCSA.”
fmcsa.dot.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Read in a browser; fmcsa.dot.gov returns 403 to curl. - 22. FMCSA, Insurance Filing Requirements, who should file proof of insurance and when
“If the entity fails to comply within 20 days from the date of publication in the FMCSA Register, an FMCSA decision will be served notifying the entity that their application will be dismissed unless they comply with the requirements within 60 days.”
fmcsa.dot.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Read in a browser; fmcsa.dot.gov returns 403 to curl. - 23. Redoubt call record, first-year owner-operator buying a tractor, July 2026
“So I gotta get insurance, but the problem about that is that truck's gonna sit for two to three weeks with just insurance in the driveway.”
Redoubt agency records, accessed July 14, 2026. Redoubt's own call record; the buyer's words. - 24. Redoubt call record, the same buyer, July 2026
“I don't wanna pick up the truck until that is active, you know, because I don't wanna pay all that interest”
Redoubt agency records, accessed July 13, 2026. Redoubt's own call record; the buyer's words. - 25. FMCSA, Availability of Motus, FMCSA's New Registration System, Federal Register document 2026-08334 (April 29, 2026)
“allows supporting companies, which include blanket companies (Form BOC-3 filers), financial responsibility filers (such as insurance/surety companies and other financial institutions), and transportation service providers”
federalregister.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 26. Redoubt text record, first-year owner-operator, July 2026
“Utah carriers said I do need the all insurance to get MC activated the 250 cargo and the 250 reefer and $750.000”
Redoubt agency records, accessed July 30, 2026. What a buyer relayed to Redoubt. FMCSA's chart, cited above, lists $0 cargo for for-hire general freight. - 27. FMCSA, Get Operating Authority (Docket Number), how do I check my application status
“To check whether your operating authority has been issued (granted), Go to the Licensing and Insurance website Enter MC Number or USDOT Number in the appropriate box”
fmcsa.dot.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Read in a browser; fmcsa.dot.gov returns 403 to curl. The steps end with "Authority History," which the page says displays the granted date. - 28. FMCSA, Designation of Agents for Service of Process
“A process agent is a representative upon whom court papers may be served in any proceeding brought against a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder.”
fmcsa.dot.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Read in a browser; fmcsa.dot.gov returns 403 to curl. - 29. FMCSA, Designation of Agents for Service of Process, who must designate
“When all Unified Registration System (URS) provisions are implemented, every motor carrier (of property or passengers) shall make a designation for each State in which it is authorized to operate and for each State traversed during such operations. Before that time, only for-hire carriers are required to designate a process agent.”
fmcsa.dot.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Read in a browser; fmcsa.dot.gov returns 403 to curl. - 30. 49 CFR 366.2T, form of designation, eCFR
“Designations shall be made on Form BOC-3, Designation of Agent for Service of Process. Only one completed current form may be on file. It must include all States for which agent designations are required.”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 31. 49 CFR 366.4T(a), required states, eCFR
“Every motor carrier (of property or passengers) shall make a designation for each State in which it is authorized to operate and for each State traversed during such operations.”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 32. 49 CFR 366.5T, blanket designations, eCFR
“Where an association or corporation has filed with the FMCSA a list of process agents for each State, motor carriers may make the required designations by using the following statement”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 33. 49 CFR 366.5T, blanket designation statement, eCFR
“and any subsequently filed revisions thereof, for the States in which this carrier is or may be authorized to operate, including States traversed during such operations, except those States for which individual designations are named.”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. The statement begins "Those persons named in the list of process agents on file with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration by" the named association or corporation. eCFR point-in-time 2026-10-01. - 34. 49 CFR 366.6, effective date note, eCFR
“At 82 FR 5303, Jan. 17, 2017, § 366.6 was suspended, effective Jan. 14, 2017.”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. eCFR carries the same note on 366.1 through 366.5; the T sections are the text in force. Every section of Part 366, T and non-T, searched on eCFR (point-in-time 2026-10-01) for "renew", "annual" and "year": the only time term is the 1-year inactivity clause in 366.6 and 366.6T; no section sets a renewal date. - 35. 49 CFR 366.6T, cancellation or change, eCFR
“A designation may be canceled or changed only by a new designation except that, where a carrier or broker ceases to be subject to § 366.4T in whole or in part for 1 year, designation is no longer required and may be canceled without making another designation.”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026 - 36. 49 CFR 367.40, UCR fees for registration years 2025 and 2026, eCFR
“Fees Under the Unified Carrier Registration Plan and Agreement for Registration Years Beginning in 2025 and Ending in 2026”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Bracket B1, 0 to 2 commercial motor vehicles owned or operated: $46 per entity. Table amended 91 FR 56071, September 1, 2026. - 37. 49 CFR 367.50, UCR fees for registration year 2027 and later, eCFR
“Fees Under the Unified Carrier Registration Plan and Agreement for Registration Year 2027 and Subsequent Years”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Bracket B1, 0 to 2 commercial motor vehicles owned or operated: $55 per entity. Table added 91 FR 56072, September 1, 2026. - 38. UDOT, USDOT Numbers and Registering with the FMCSA
“Companies that operate commercial vehicles transporting passengers, or hauling cargo, in intrastate/interstate commerce must be registered with the FMCSA and must have a USDOT Number, including freight brokers.”
connect.udot.utah.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Read in a browser; UDOT pages return 403 to curl. - 39. UDOT, USDOT Numbers and Registering with the FMCSA, online registration
“There is no application fee ever associated with the USDOT number however you must complete the MCS-150”
connect.udot.utah.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Read in a browser; UDOT pages return 403 to curl. - 41. UDOT, Utah Intrastate Registration
“A registration is a document issued by a jurisdiction that allows operation of a vehicle on the highways of this state”
connect.udot.utah.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Read in a browser. The page cites Utah Code 41-1a-201 and points to the Utah DMV; it is vehicle registration, not operating authority. - 42. Utah Code 72-9-102(3)(a)(i), intrastate commercial vehicle
“has a manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight, or gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of 26,001 or more pounds, whichever is greater, and is operated by an individual who is 18 years old or older”
le.utah.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. The definition also reaches vehicles of 16,001 pounds with a driver under 18, larger passenger vehicles and placarded hazmat. - 43. Utah Admin. Code R909-1-4(2), UDOT, insurance for private intrastate carriers
“Each intrastate private motor carrier must have a minimum amount of $750,000 liability.”
adminrules.utah.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Paragraph (3) sets $1,000,000 and an MCS-90 for oil and hazmat carriers. No paragraph states a figure for intrastate for-hire carriers of general freight. Rule last changed June 23, 2026. - 44. Utah Admin. Code R909-19-5(3), UDOT tow truck rule
“Evidence of required insurance must be maintained at the principal place of business and made available to the Department or Investigator upon request and before issuance of the tow truck motor carrier certification.”
adminrules.utah.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. Paragraph (1) sets $750,000 per occurrence for emergency moves and $1,000,000 for non-emergency moves. - 45. 49 CFR 392.9a(a), operating authority required, eCFR
“A motor vehicle providing transportation requiring operating authority must not be operated— (1) Without the required operating authority or (2) Beyond the scope of the operating authority granted.”
ecfr.gov, accessed October 3, 2026. eCFR point-in-time 2026-10-01.
FMCSA will not activate the MC number until the insurer's filing is on file
New authority, hotshot and intrastate carriers: the MC number, the BMC-91 filing, the limits, and how long activation takes.
Elsewhere on the site
Applied for your authority, or about to?
Text Redoubt your USDOT number, the legal name on the application, the truck you will run and the date your notice published. We will talk through what the policy needs so the insurer's filing can land inside FMCSA's window.
This is general insurance information, not legal advice or a coverage determination. The policy forms, the endorsements the carrier issues, and the requirement in writing from whoever is asking control.