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

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

We updated SAFER to clarify how information is displayed on the website. These updates include how the Company Snapshot defines the operating authority statuses in SAFER. The “NOT AUTHORIZED” message linked to the USDOT Number status resulted in misunderstandings about the statuses of entities.

The current operating authority statuses will now be correctly displayed in the Company Snapshot. Operating authority statuses are defined as the following:

Operating Authority Status

• AUTHORIZED FOR (Passenger, Property, Household Goods [HHG]): This will list the specific operating authorities the carrier (or broker) is allowed to operate.

• NOT AUTHORIZED: The entity does not have any operating authority and/or is not authorized to engage in interstate, for-hire operations.

• OUT-OF-SERVICE: Carrier is under any type of out-of-service order and is not authorized to operate.

Please send your CAP to the appropriate FMCSA Office:

Western: AK, American Samoa, AZ, CA, CO, Guam, HI, ID, , MT, ND, NM, NV, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, WY, Northern Mariana Is.

E-mail: WSCCAP@dot.gov
Phone: 303-407-2347
Fax: 877-547-0383

Eastern: CT, DC, DE, MA, MD, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, PR, RI, VA, VI, VT, WV
E-mail:ESCCAP@dot.gov
Phone: 443-703-2269
Fax:877-547-0379

An authorizedfor-hiremotor carrier transports passengers, regulated property or household goods owned by others for compensation. If you are afor-hirecarrier, in addition to the USDOT number you will also need to obtain operating authority (MC number).

You can review the different types of authorityby clicking here.

For information on how to apply forfor-hireauthority,click here.

You are no longer licensed to drive a commercial motor vehicle. YourSDLAwill notify you that you are no longer medically certified to operate a CMV in non-excepted interstate commerce.

You can find contact information for your state’s driver licensing agencyon the USA.gov website.

For more information,click here.