AskFMCSA (2024)

A Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) is defined as any motor vehicle used on a highway in interstate commerce to transport property or passengers when the vehicle:

• • Has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,001 pounds or more
  • Is single or combination of vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more
  • Is designed or used to transport more than 8 passengers (including the driver) for compensation; or more than 15 passengers if not receiving compensation for the transportation.
  • Any size vehicle that transports hazardous materials that require federal placarding

On the other hand, a non-Commercial Motor Vehicle would not meet the above criteria. For example, consider a vehicle where either the power unit alone or when combined with a trailer does not meet the minimum weight threshold of 10,001 pounds. For instance, a pickup truck with a GVWR of 7,000 pounds and a trailer with a GVWR of 2,000 pounds would not qualify as a CMV.

Visit the vehicle configuration page to learn more about the different types of CMVs

The entity’s physical address or PPOB is the designated central location where the company is engaged in business operations. Normally, this is where officials routinely report to work, and where safety records and/or business records are regularly maintained.

The entity must make safety records available for inspection at this location within 48 hours upon FMCSA’s request.

You cannot designate as your PPOB any location where your entity is not actively engaged in business operations. FMCSA will not accept a P.O. Box, a private mailbox, post office box centers that hold mail or packages for pickup, or other location with no legal or functional relationship to the applicant’s business including process agents.

If using a virtual office location, the entity must make safety records available for inspection at this location within 48 hours upon FMCSA’s request.

When submitting FMCSA Registration forms, all required fields must be complete and required supporting documentation must be attached. Incomplete applications are returned to the applicant and must be resubmitted, which delays the process.

Note: Each form is prefaced with detailed instructions to assist filling out the form.

7 reasons your MCS-150 may be incomplete and not processed:

• Sending expired forms
  Ensure you have the latest version. The expiration date is located at the top right of each page of the form. The current FMCSA Registration forms are here.

• Acceptable form of ID not submitted
  With exception of New Applications, a Driver’s License of the individual signing the form must be submitted (and must match a company officer listed on Line 30). An MCS-150 form to request updates cannot be processed until the proper Driver’s License is submitted and verified.

• Section 1 – Legal Business Name
  The name must match the company name on record unless you are requesting a Name Change. In that case, Articles of Incorporation or Amendment are required. If your company has Operating Authority, an Operating Authority Name Change request is required.

• Section 22 and 23 must correspond (Interstate + Authorized For-Hire)
  If Interstate and Authorized For-Hire are selected but the company does not currently have an Operating Authority, the form cannot be accepted. You must either apply for Operating Authority or make the appropriate selection on the MCS-150 and resubmit the form.

• Section 24 and 25 must correspond (Motor Vehicles, Driveaway/Towaway and Class 9/Carried/Non-Bulk)

If Motor Vehicles or Driveaway/Towaway is selected on line 24, Class 9, Carried, and Non-bulk must be checked on line 25 (for miscellaneous hazardous material like flammable liquids).

• Section 31 - Company Officer Signature (i.e., owner, president, partner)
  A signature is required and must match a company officer listed on line 30

• Section 31 - Filing Date

If you update your MCS-150 online, the system will be updated as of that date. If you send a paper MCS-150 on the same date or earlier, it cannot be processed. Ensure the date on your MCS-150 is greater than the last online update

An application for operating authority is Dismissed if the applicant fails to provide evidence of financial responsibility (proof of insurance) and a designation of process agent Form BOC-3 approximately 90 days from the date of filing of the application.

A dismissal is the equivalent of a rejection, and you have two options to proceed:

1. Submit an Appeal: If you have evidence that insurance was filed on time and the dismissal was made in error, you can choose to submit an appeal. Make sure to provide the necessary documentation to support your appeal.

2. File a New Application: You can file a new application for operating authority. You have the option to apply online or by sending the corresponding OP series form as applicable. Additionally, you will need to pay the appropriate fee of $300 per type of operating authority requested. Applications following a rejection/dismissal must be filed under the same USDOT and MC/FF numbers.

Important Note: Any subsequent applications following a rejection or dismissal cannot be filed via the Unified Registration System.

A process agent is a legal representative upon whom court papers may be served in any proceeding brought against a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder. Every motor carrier (of property or passengers) shall make a designation for each state in which it is authorized to operate and for each state traversed during such operations (usingFormBOC-3).Brokers are required to list process agents in each state in which they have an office and in which they write contracts. Many commercial firms will arrange process agents in any state for a fee.

Alist of process agentscan be found in the instruction packet accompanying an application or on our website.

For questions regarding transportation of hazardous materials, cylinders, scuba tanks, etc., please contact the The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

• Website:Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)
• Toll-free Number:1-800-HMR-4922 (1-800-467-4922)
• Alternative Phone Number:202-366-4488.

For the PHMSA regional offices, the site is:Offices | PHMSA (dot.gov)

For Hazmat Regulations and Interpretations, the site is:Regulations and Compliance | PHMSA (dot.gov)

To access HAZMAT regulations and interpretations, please see49 CFR 171-185. (Note: This link is to the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-cfr).

You can check to see if anamechangeor addresschangehas been completed athttp://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov

• Once in the Safer website, go to “FMCSA Searches”
• Click “Licensing & Insurance”
• Enter MC Number or USDOT Number in the appropriate box and click “search”

It may take approximately 14 days to process the request.

The most efficient way to request and track a review of Federal and State crash or inspectiondatais using theDataQs system, whichautomatically forwards your Request forDataReview (RDR) to the appropriate office for resolution and collects updates and responses for current requests.

Please note: Entities that are registered in MCMIS (for examples, interstate motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, IEPs, etc.) must log in to the FMCSA Portal to request access to DataQs. If you don't already have a Portal account, you can learn how to set one up byclicking here.Once you have a Portal account, then you can request DataQs access.

If you aren't a registered entity in MCMIS,click here.

A new entrant that operates aCMVin violation of an out-of-service order is subject to the penalty provisions inU.S.C. 521(b)(2)(A)for each offense as adjusted for inflationby 49 CFR 386,Appendix B.

Depending on State laws, your company may also be subject to suspension and/or revocation of state vehicle registrationprivileges.

For more information on the New Entrant Program,click here.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrationregulationscan be found in the Code of FederalRegulations, part 49, sections 300-399.

You can access the official version of currentFMCSAregulationson ourregulationsweb page. Look under "Related Links" for otherregulationsthat may affect motor carrier operations, such as drug and alcoholregulations(section 40) and hazardous materials program procedures (section 107).

An up-to-date, unofficial version of theregulationscan be found on theeCFR site.

To access previous versions of the Code of FederalRegulations(including 49 CFR 300-399) by year, back to 1996, go to theUS Government Printing Office (GPO) FDsys siteand select the year, then the part/section you want. If you need older versions, please contact your local library, which may have access to earlier versions of the CFR in print or online.

Proposed and final rules amendingregulations(and other regulatory documents) are published daily in theFederal Register, also on the GPO website.

Recent regulatory documents published byFMCSAcan be found onour "Rulemaking Documents" page.

Regulatory documents (including proposed and final rules and notices) for theFMCSAand other government agencies can be found onthe Regulations.gov website. You can submit comments on proposed and final rules at this site.