How long does MC authority take in Massachusetts?
Reviewed
29 days: that's the median wait from application to active MC authority for a first-time Massachusetts carrier in the 30 days ending October 19, 2026, 4 days longer than the national median of 25 and 31st shortest of 35 states, measured on 66 carriers.
Massachusetts vs. the national wait
Massachusetts's middle half of carriers took 16 to 45 days, against 16 to 41 for the whole country, a wider spread.
| Days, first filing to grant | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 16 days | 16 days |
| Median | 29 days | 25 days |
| 75th percentile | 45 days | 41 days |
| 90th percentile | 70 days | 70 days |
| Carriers measured | 66 | 5,409 |
Share of Massachusetts carriers active within FMCSA's estimate
50% of measured Massachusetts carriers were active within 28 calendar days and 69.7% within 35, against 56.5% and 68.7% nationally. 19.7% were still waiting after 60 days.
| Active within (FMCSA quotes 20 to 25 business days) | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 14 days | 12.1% | 16.8% |
| 28 days (20 business days) | 50% | 56.5% |
| 35 days (25 business days) | 69.7% | 68.7% |
| 60 days | 80.3% | 85.9% |
Massachusetts and its neighbors
Among states bordering Massachusetts, New York had the shortest median wait (26 days) and Connecticut the longest (29 days).
| State | Median wait | Carriers measured | New carriers, 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 29 days | 66 | 66 |
| New York | 26 days | 61 | 62 |
| Connecticut | 29 days | 53 | 54 |
| Rhode Island | too few | under 30 | 18 |
| New Hampshire | too few | under 30 | 12 |
| Vermont | too few | under 30 | 6 |
What stands out in Massachusetts
- The fastest quarter were active within 16 days, the same as nationally.
- The slow tail matches the country: 10% waited more than 70 days.
- The average (36 days) runs well above the median (29), so a minority of long waits pulls it up.
- Lawrence accounted for 7.6% of new Massachusetts carriers in the window.
Massachusetts carriers inside the wait right now
113 Massachusetts carriers filed new applications in the last 30 days, while 66 were granted, the 25th most of any state. 100% of the granted carriers were first-time authorities and 98.5% had liability coverage on file. City, equipment and insurer tables are on the Massachusetts page.
Rookiefeed sends each new Massachusetts carrier the morning its authority is granted, with the owner's contact details: get 25 new Massachusetts carriers free.
Questions
- How long does it take to get MC authority in Massachusetts?
- In the last 30 days the median Massachusetts carrier waited 29 calendar days from application to active authority, and 90% were active within 70 days. Next door, New York carriers waited a median 26 days.
- Do Massachusetts carriers get authority within FMCSA's 20 to 25 business days?
- 69.7% of measured Massachusetts carriers did, counting from the first filing to the active date, and 12.1% were active within two weeks.
Every new Massachusetts carrier, the morning it's granted
About 3 Massachusetts carriers get authority on a typical business day. Each comes with the owner's name, phone, email, trucks and insurer, in a 7am email and CSV.