Are MC numbers going away? What FMCSA actually says

USDOT number vs operating authority, in plain words

These are two different things, and mixing them up is the most common reason a new carrier can't get a load.

• USDOT number: FMCSA's ID for your company. FMCSA calls it a unique identifier for an employer or person's operations. It's free, and you get it when you register.
• Operating authority: FMCSA's permission to act as a for-hire motor carrier, broker or freight forwarder. Today each authority you hold comes with an MC number (its docket number). Authority costs $300 for each type.

The rule is short: a vehicle doing transportation that requires operating authority must not be operated without it, or beyond the authority granted (49 CFR 392.9a). If you haul other people's regulated freight for pay across state lines, which is what brokers book, you need your own active authority. A USDOT number alone doesn't cover it.

Some freight, like certain farm products, is exempt from operating authority, but brokers and shippers will still ask for your authority before they book you.

Did MC numbers end in October 2025?

No. You'll find blog posts and videos saying MC numbers were eliminated in 2025 and the USDOT number replaced them. FMCSA's own answer to "Will FMCSA stop issuing MC Numbers?" (last updated May 21, 2026) says:

"FMCSA has proposed no longer assigning MC Numbers. Consistent with statutory requirements, the USDOT Number would become the sole identifier for all FMCSA registrants. [...] This change is under consideration and will be available to comment on in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. It will not go into effect with the first release of the new registration system."

In plain words:

• It's a proposal, not a rule.
• FMCSA plans to publish a proposed rule first, and the public can comment on it.
• It did not start with Motus, the new registration system FMCSA launched in 2026. Motus still issues an MC number for each authority.

We checked FMCSA's page again on October 26, 2026. If FMCSA publishes the proposed rule, we'll update this guide.

Only a USDOT number? What to do to haul for hire today

If you want to haul broker or shipper freight for pay across state lines under your own name, you need your own operating authority. The steps:

1. Apply for authority in Motus (motus.dot.gov): $300 for each authority type. You can add it to the USDOT number you already have.
2. File your BOC-3 through a process agent company, and have your insurance company file proof of coverage (BMC-91 or 91X).
3. Wait out the protest period: FMCSA publishes your application and allows 10 days for protests (49 CFR 365.115). You can't haul under the authority until it's issued and active.
4. Check when it's active and how old it is with our MC age checker. Some brokers won't book an authority younger than about 90 days.

Our new MC guide has the full timeline and costs, and the new authority checklist walks you through it. If you'd rather not do the paperwork, our MC authority setup service files it for you.

The other option is to drive under another carrier's authority (leased on to that carrier). Then you haul under their authority, not yours.

If the proposal passes, what changes for MC holders?

FMCSA hasn't announced a date or a final rule, so today nothing changes. Here's only what FMCSA's own FAQs describe about the idea:

• Existing MC numbers would not be replaced by USDOT numbers. FMCSA says MC numbers were never required by law or regulation. They were used to track the proceedings for one operating authority.
• Authority types would show as a letter after your USDOT number, for example C for property carrier authority and B for broker authority (USDOT 1234567C).
• Suffixes would not have to be painted on your truck. FMCSA says they would show in Motus and be required on business documents for brokers, forwarders and for-hire carriers.
• You keep your USDOT number. Existing registrants keep the number they have.

Until a final rule says otherwise, keep your MC number on your carrier packet, rate confirmations and insurance, and keep your authority active. See how to keep your MC and USDOT number active.

Where a dispatcher fits

A dispatcher books loads under your authority, so a dispatch service can't help until your MC is active. Once it is, our first load is free for carriers with their own active authority, and we look for brokers that accept new MCs. See how to get loads with a new MC.

Questions carriers ask