New MC authority checklist: what to do after you get your MC

Getting the MC number is the easy part. The authority does not become active until insurance and a process agent are on file, and once it is active, a list of registrations with different agencies and renewal cycles starts. This checklist is in the order most carriers hit them. Each item links to the official page it came from; fees and forms change, so treat the links as the source of truth.

Before the authority goes active

1. Set up your Motus account. Motus is FMCSA’s registration system, where you apply for and manage your USDOT number and operating authority, update company information and file biennial updates. You create a personal profile with identity verification through Login.gov, then create or claim your company account; a company official can claim an existing USDOT number (FMCSA: Move to Motus). If you applied through an older channel, claim the record now so you control it.
2. Insurance filings. FMCSA will not grant operating authority until the minimum financial responsibility is on file, and your insurer files it for you. For for-hire carriers of non-hazardous freight in vehicles of 10,001 lbs or more, the minimum is $750,000 of liability coverage, filed on form BMC-91 or BMC-91X. Certain hazardous materials need $1,000,000 and the most dangerous classes $5,000,000 (FMCSA: Insurance filing requirements). Your insurance must stay on file afterwards; a lapse starts revocation.
3. BOC-3 process agent. Form BOC-3 designates an agent in each state you operate in or through who can accept legal papers for you. Only a process agent can file it on a carrier’s behalf, and most carriers buy a “blanket” designation that covers every state in one filing (FMCSA: Form BOC-3). Keep a copy at your principal place of business.

Registrations you need to run interstate

1. UCR (Unified Carrier Registration). An annual registration, paid through your base state, for companies that operate commercial vehicles in interstate commerce. It covers all carriers, private, exempt or for-hire, and the fee depends on fleet size (). Register before you cross a state line and renew every year.