Compliance FAQ
How long does it take to get an MC number?
FMCSA controls the timing. Authority is granted once the BOC-3 and insurance are on file and the 10-day protest period after the application's FMCSA Register notice has passed (49 CFR 365.203T). The BOC-3 and insurance filings are due within 20 days of the FMCSA Register notice (49 CFR §365.109T).
Reviewed by Korey Sharp-Paar · Updated
Why does it matter?
The timeline is governed by 49 CFR §365.109T - FMCSA reviews the application and publishes the accepted application in the FMCSA Register as a preliminary grant of authority. FMCSA controls how long that review takes.
Three things have to be on file for authority to activate: (1) the application itself (accepted at submission), (2) BOC-3 process-agent designation (49 CFR Part 366), and (3) BMC-91 financial-responsibility filing for property carriers (or BMC-84/85 for brokers). The BOC-3 and financial-responsibility filings are due within 20 days of the FMCSA Register notice - missing any one stalls activation.
Applications that take longer typically have one of three issues: BOC-3 not on file, insurance filing delayed by the insurer, or FMCSA pulling the application for further review based on prior-entity ties.
There is no FMCSA expedite path - the processing time is the agency's own. What a carrier controls is the supporting paperwork: get the BOC-3 and insurance filed early so they are never what the grant waits on.
Start your USDOT and MC authority application
We prepare your USDOT number and MC operating-authority application; it is submitted to FMCSA in Motus by you or a filer you authorize. FMCSA charges a $300 application fee for each operating authority type (49 CFR 360.3T); a USDOT number is free. Our $199 service fee and the $300 FMCSA fee are itemized as two separate amounts before you pay ($499 total).
Submitted to FMCSA in Motus by you or a filer you authorize.
Independent filing service operated by Fast Filing Group LLC. Not affiliated with FMCSA, USDOT or any government agency.