---
title: "How much does MC authority cost?"
url: "https://rookiefeed.com/guides/how-much-does-mc-authority-cost"
updated: "2026-11-06"
---

# How much does MC authority cost?

> FMCSA charges $300 for each type of operating authority you apply for, so a property carrier's MC number costs $300 in FMCSA filing fees. That fee doesn't cover the whole start. You also pay for liability insurance, a BOC-3 process agent filing and annual UCR registration, which is $55 for 2027 if you run up to 2 vehicles.

On this page:

1. [What FMCSA charges](#what-fmcsa-charges)
2. [What else a new for-hire carrier pays for](#what-else-a-new-for-hire-carrier-pays-for)
3. [UCR fees for 2027](#ucr-fees-for-2027)
4. [How the bill grows after you apply](#how-the-bill-grows-after-you-apply)
5. [If you sell to new carriers](#if-you-sell-to-new-carriers)
6. [Questions](#questions)

## What FMCSA charges

FMCSA says separate fees apply to each kind of authority, so applying for property carrier and [broker authority](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/broker-authority) together comes to $600. The fee is per authority type, and FMCSA's fee table has no per-truck charge.

FMCSA's fee table has no separate line for the [USDOT number](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/usdot-number) itself. You apply for the USDOT number and authority together in [Motus](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/motus) and pay there through Pay.gov. FMCSA's Motus FAQ says no fee changes were planned for the system's first release.

| Action | FMCSA fee | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Operating authority application | $300 | Per type of authority |
| Reinstate authority | $80 | Listed in FMCSA's fee table; see [how to reinstate revoked authority](https://rookiefeed.com/guides/how-to-reinstate-revoked-mc-authority) |
| Name change on an authority | $14 | No fee while the application is still pending |
| USDOT record update (MCS-150) | $0 | FMCSA lists it as free of charge |

## What else a new for-hire carrier pays for

Authority can't go active until the insurance and BOC-3 filings are on record, so those two costs come before the grant. See [what filings are required before authority goes active](https://rookiefeed.com/guides/filings-required-before-mc-authority-active).

| Cost | Who you pay | What sets the amount |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Liability insurance | Your insurer | Your quote. FMCSA sets the coverage, not the price: $750,000 for non-hazardous freight in vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more, $300,000 under that |
| [BOC-3](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/boc-3) process agent filing | A process agent or blanket company | The provider's price |
| UCR registration | The UCR program | Fleet size, renewed each year (table below) |
| Drug and alcohol testing program | A testing provider | The provider's price. FMCSA treats having no program as an automatic safety audit failure |
| State registrations | Your state | Your state and fleet |

## UCR fees for 2027

Fees come from 49 CFR 367.50. The UCR program's site showed 2027 registration open as of November 2026. Brokers and leasing companies pay $55 per entity.

| Vehicles owned or operated | Fee per carrier |
| --- | --- |
| 0 to 2 | $55 |
| 3 to 5 | $167 |
| 6 to 20 | $333 |
| 21 to 100 | $1,163 |
| 101 to 1,000 | $5,548 |
| 1,001 and above | $54,165 |

## How the bill grows after you apply

- Picking the wrong authority. FMCSA's insurance requirements depend on the type, and each extra type is another $300, so choose only what you plan to run.
- Letting a filing lapse. If insurance or the BOC-3 falls off record, you pay for the new filing and FMCSA's $80 [reinstatement](https://rookiefeed.com/glossary/reinstatement) fee.
- Changing your name after the grant. That's $14 per FMCSA's fee table, and a name that doesn't match your other filings can delay the grant in the first place.
- Paying fake notices. FMCSA's fraud alerts describe bogus emails and letters about carrier status, audits and required updates. Check your record in Motus before paying anyone.

## If you sell to new carriers

A carrier that just paid for authority, insurance and filings is often waiting on its first loads, which is why factoring and dispatch conversations start early. The median first-time carrier in our recent data waited 23 days from application to grant (Rookiefeed analysis), so the application fee goes out weeks before any freight income. See [how long MC authority takes](https://rookiefeed.com/guides/how-long-does-mc-authority-take).

Rookiefeed emails every newly granted carrier in your states by 7am Central, with the owner, phone, email and insurer on file. Rookiefeed is $59 a month for one state once a week, $149 for one state every day, $299 for up to 8 states and $599 for every state, and you can cancel any time. [Build a free list](https://rookiefeed.com/list-builder) to see the rows.

## Questions

### How much does an MC number cost?

FMCSA charges $300 for each type of operating authority. A carrier applying only for property carrier authority pays $300 in FMCSA filing fees, and adding broker authority makes it $600. Insurance, the BOC-3 filing and UCR registration are separate costs.

### Is the $300 fee per truck?

No. FMCSA charges it per type of authority, and its fee table has no per-truck charge. Fleet size does change your UCR fee and your insurance premium.

### How much does it cost to reinstate MC authority?

FMCSA lists $80 to reinstate authority. You also need the missing filing back on record first, usually new insurance or a new BOC-3, and those carry their own costs.

### What is the UCR fee for a one-truck carrier?

For registration year 2027, the fee is $55 for a carrier with 0 to 2 vehicles under 49 CFR 367.50. The next bracket, 3 to 5 vehicles, is $167.

## Sources

- [FMCSA: Get Operating Authority (filing fees)](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/get-mc-number-authority-operate)
- [49 CFR 360.3T (schedule of filing fees)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-360.3T)
- [FMCSA: Insurance Filing Requirements](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/insurance-filing-requirements)
- [49 CFR 367.50 (UCR fees for 2027 and later)](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-367.50)
- [FMCSA: Registration Modernization FAQs](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/modernization-faqs)
- [FMCSA: New Entrant Safety Assurance Program](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/new-entrant-safety-assurance-program)
- [FMCSA: Fraud Alerts](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/fraud-alerts)