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Operating authority

Also: MC number, motor carrier authority

Operating authority, often called an MC number, is the FMCSA grant that lets a company transport regulated commodities for hire in interstate commerce. It is separate from a USDOT number: the USDOT number identifies the carrier, while the authority is the permission to run for-hire interstate. Carriers hauling exempt commodities or running only intrastate may not need it.

49 U.S.C. 13902FMCSA: get operating authority →Last verified 2026-08-03

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