---
title: "How long does MC authority take in Colorado?"
url: "https://rookiefeed.com/guides/mc-authority-time/colorado"
updated: "2026-10-19"
---

# How long does MC authority take in Colorado?

> 25 days: that's the median wait from application to active MC authority for a first-time Colorado carrier in the 30 days ending October 19, 2026, the same as the national median and 18th shortest of 35 states, measured on 89 carriers.

## Colorado vs. the national wait

Colorado's middle half of carriers took 16 to 48 days, against 16 to 41 for the whole country, a wider spread.

| Days, first filing to grant | Colorado | United States |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 25th percentile | 16 days | 16 days |
| Median | 25 days | 25 days |
| 75th percentile | 48 days | 41 days |
| 90th percentile | 78 days | 70 days |
| Carriers measured | 89 | 5,409 |

## Share of Colorado carriers active within FMCSA's estimate

53.9% of measured Colorado carriers were active within 28 calendar days and 64% within 35, against 56.5% and 68.7% nationally. 19.1% were still waiting after 60 days.

| Active within (FMCSA quotes 20 to 25 business days) | Colorado | United States |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14 days | 13.5% | 16.8% |
| 28 days (20 business days) | 53.9% | 56.5% |
| 35 days (25 business days) | 64% | 68.7% |
| 60 days | 80.9% | 85.9% |

## Wait by Colorado city

Cities with at least 10 measured first-time grants. Denver carriers had the shortest median (33 days) and Colorado Springs the longest (51 days).

| City | Carriers measured | Median days |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aurora | 13 | 42 |
| Colorado Springs | 11 | 51 |
| Denver | 11 | 33 |

## Colorado and its neighbors

Among states bordering Colorado, New Mexico had the shortest median wait (21 days) and Kansas the longest (25 days).

| State | Median wait | Carriers measured | New carriers, 30 days |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Colorado | 25 days | 89 | 93 |
| [Oklahoma](https://rookiefeed.com/guides/mc-authority-time/oklahoma) | 25 days | 68 | 70 |
| [Utah](https://rookiefeed.com/guides/mc-authority-time/utah) | 23 days | 40 | 44 |
| [Kansas](https://rookiefeed.com/guides/mc-authority-time/kansas) | 25 days | 41 | 42 |
| [New Mexico](https://rookiefeed.com/guides/mc-authority-time/new-mexico) | 21 days | 33 | 34 |
| Nebraska | too few | under 30 | 27 |
| Wyoming | too few | under 30 | 22 |

## What stands out in Colorado

- The fastest quarter were active within 16 days, the same as nationally.
- The slow tail is longer here: 10% of Colorado carriers waited more than 78 days (nationally 70).
- The average (37 days) runs well above the median (25), so a minority of long waits pulls it up.
- Aurora accounted for 14% of new Colorado carriers in the window.

## Colorado carriers inside the wait right now

112 Colorado carriers filed new applications in the last 30 days, while 93 were granted, the 18th most of any state. 96.8% of the granted carriers were first-time authorities and 100% had liability coverage on file. City, equipment and insurer tables are on the [Colorado page](https://rookiefeed.com/new-trucking-companies/colorado).

Rookiefeed sends each new Colorado carrier the morning its authority is granted, with the owner's contact details: [get 25 new Colorado carriers free](https://rookiefeed.com/list-builder?states=CO).

## Questions

### How long does it take to get MC authority in Colorado?

In the last 30 days the median Colorado carrier waited 25 calendar days from application to active authority, and 90% were active within 78 days. Next door, New Mexico carriers waited a median 21 days.

### Do Colorado carriers get authority within FMCSA's 20 to 25 business days?

64% of measured Colorado carriers did, counting from the first filing to the active date, and 13.5% were active within two weeks.

## Sources

- [FMCSA FAQ: application processing times](https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/faq/how-long-does-operating-authority-or-usdot-number-application-processing-take-if-you-file)