How long does MC authority take in Tennessee?
Reviewed
30 days: that's the median wait from application to active MC authority for a first-time Tennessee carrier in the 30 days ending October 19, 2026, 5 days longer than the national median of 25 and 33rd shortest of 35 states, measured on 111 carriers.
Tennessee vs. the national wait
Tennessee's middle half of carriers took 19 to 45 days, against 16 to 41 for the whole country, a wider spread.
| Days, first filing to grant | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | 19 days | 16 days |
| Median | 30 days | 25 days |
| 75th percentile | 45 days | 41 days |
| 90th percentile | 79 days | 70 days |
| Carriers measured | 111 | 5,409 |
Share of Tennessee carriers active within FMCSA's estimate
47.7% of measured Tennessee carriers were active within 28 calendar days and 64% within 35, against 56.5% and 68.7% nationally. 18.9% were still waiting after 60 days.
| Active within (FMCSA quotes 20 to 25 business days) | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 14 days | 12.6% | 16.8% |
| 28 days (20 business days) | 47.7% | 56.5% |
| 35 days (25 business days) | 64% | 68.7% |
| 60 days | 81.1% | 85.9% |
Wait by Tennessee city
Cities with at least 10 measured first-time grants. Nashville carriers had the shortest median (19 days) and Memphis the longest (32 days).
| City | Carriers measured | Median days |
|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 17 | 32 |
| Nashville | 14 | 19 |
Tennessee and its neighbors
Among states bordering Tennessee, Virginia had the shortest median wait (22 days) and Georgia the longest (27 days).
| State | Median wait | Carriers measured | New carriers, 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 30 days | 111 | 112 |
| Georgia | 27 days | 202 | 207 |
| North Carolina | 23 days | 198 | 204 |
| Virginia | 22 days | 125 | 126 |
| Missouri | 23 days | 89 | 89 |
| Alabama | 22 days | 87 | 88 |
| Kentucky | 24 days | 81 | 81 |
| Mississippi | 25 days | 52 | 53 |
| Arkansas | 23 days | 33 | 33 |
What stands out in Tennessee
- The fastest quarter of Tennessee carriers needed up to 19 days, against 16 nationally.
- The slow tail is longer here: 10% of Tennessee carriers waited more than 79 days (nationally 70).
- The average (38 days) runs well above the median (30), so a minority of long waits pulls it up.
- Memphis accounted for 15.2% of new Tennessee carriers in the window.
Tennessee carriers inside the wait right now
150 Tennessee carriers filed new applications in the last 30 days, while 112 were granted, the 16th most of any state. 100% of the granted carriers were first-time authorities and 99.1% had liability coverage on file. City, equipment and insurer tables are on the Tennessee page.
Rookiefeed sends each new Tennessee carrier the morning its authority is granted, with the owner's contact details: get 25 new Tennessee carriers free.
Questions
- How long does it take to get MC authority in Tennessee?
- In the last 30 days the median Tennessee carrier waited 30 calendar days from application to active authority, and 90% were active within 79 days. Next door, Virginia carriers waited a median 22 days.
- Do Tennessee carriers get authority within FMCSA's 20 to 25 business days?
- 64% of measured Tennessee carriers did, counting from the first filing to the active date, and 12.6% were active within two weeks.
Every new Tennessee carrier, the morning it's granted
About 5 Tennessee 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.