Passenger Carrier Operating Authority (MC Number), Explained
If you carry passengers for hire across state lines, a USDOT number alone isn't enough — you also need operating authority, the MC number. Here's what it is, when you need it, and how to get and keep it.
Operating authority vs. USDOT number
They're two different things. A USDOT number is a registration and safety identifier FMCSA uses to track your inspections, crashes, and audits. An MC number (operating authority) is the actual legal permission to transport passengers for hire in interstate commerce. An interstate for-hire passenger carrier generally needs both.
When you need passenger operating authority
You need it to carry passengers for hire in interstate commerce with vehicles designed for 9 or more passengers including the driver for direct compensation (or 16+ not for direct compensation). Purely intrastate operators use their state's authority instead — see business licensing by state.
How to get it (the steps)
- Apply through FMCSA's Unified Registration System (with or alongside your USDOT number).
- Pay the application fee — about $300 per authority type.
- File proof of insurance at the federal minimums (49 CFR 387.33 — $5M for 16+ seats, $1.5M for 15 or fewer) through your insurer.
- Designate process agents in each state you operate in (a BOC-3 filing).
- Wait out the vetting and protest window — roughly three weeks — before the authority goes active.
Keeping it active
Keep insurance on file continuously — a lapse revokes the authority — and update your USDOT registration every two years via the MCS-150 form. New carriers also face a new-entrant safety audit in the first year of operating.
Common questions
What's the difference between a USDOT number and an MC number?
A USDOT number is a registration and safety identifier; an MC number (operating authority) is the actual legal permission to transport passengers for hire across state lines. Interstate for-hire passenger carriers generally need both.
Do I need an MC number for a limo service?
Only if you carry passengers for hire in interstate commerce with vehicles designed for 9 or more passengers including the driver for direct compensation. Purely intrastate operators get their operating authority from the state instead.
How long does it take to get operating authority?
After you apply and file your insurance and process-agent (BOC-3) paperwork, FMCSA applies a vetting and protest window of roughly three weeks before the authority becomes active.
Keep reading
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General information, not legal advice — verify against current federal (FMCSA/DOT) and your state and local sources, or counsel, before relying on it. Requirements vary by state and change over time.