Federal compliance
MC authority status, revocation, and reinstatement
Your MC authority status lives in FMCSA's public Licensing and Insurance record, and it stays active only while your insurance filing does. This page covers how to read that record, the written notice an insurer must file before coverage drops, what revocation means, and the petition and fee that bring authority back.
By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 22, 2026
Where the status lives
FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance (L&I) system is the agency's public authority-and-insurance record. The carrier search is queried by USDOT number or docket number (MC, FF, or MX), or by legal name, DBA name, and state when the number is unknown; a name search matches names beginning with the entered text, and a leading wildcard searches for names containing it. The search runs at FMCSA's L&I carrier search.
The L&I carrier search provides access to information about interstate for-hire carriers who have been granted authority or who have applications pending, viewable on screen or printed as a report. It is the record brokers and shippers pull to confirm an authority is active and insured before tendering a load.
Grant status is checked on the FMCSA Licensing and Insurance (L&I) website by MC or USDOT number, under Authority History. Authority documents normally mail within 3 to 4 business days after the grant. For the safety side of the same company record, and what each operating-status field means, read the SAFER snapshot.
Why an insurance lapse revokes authority
Federal law conditions the registration itself on insurance staying in place: FMCSA may register a motor carrier only if the carrier files the required bond, insurance policy, or other security, and a registration remains in effect only as long as the registrant continues to satisfy the security requirements. That single sentence of statute is the whole mechanism: active insurance on file is not a paperwork nicety, it is the legal condition the registration stands on.
An insurer cannot silently drop a carrier's federal filing. Surety bonds and certificates of insurance stay in effect continuously and may not be cancelled or withdrawn until 30 days after written notice is filed with FMCSA on the prescribed form (Form BMC-35 for policies, BMC-36 for surety bonds), with the 30 days running from the date the notice is filed. A replacement filing accepted by FMCSA terminates the old one as of the replacement's effective date.
The practical playbook follows from the rule: the moment you learn a policy is cancelling, get the replacement filing moving so it is accepted before the old one terminates. That means replacing the policy quickly and confirming the insurer submits the insurance filing that lapsed. A gap between the two is what turns a billing problem into a revoked docket.
Reinstatement: the petition and the fee
A carrier whose operating authority has been revoked asks FMCSA to bring it back by filing a petition for reinstatement of revoked operating authority, with the filing fee set in FMCSA's fee schedule. Reinstatement also requires the underlying deficiency to be cured, which for an insurance revocation means a new insurance filing on record. The filing fee is $80 under 49 CFR 360.3T(f)(52).
Whether a revoked carrier is better served by reinstatement or a fresh application depends on facts FMCSA does not publish as a single rule (age of the docket, unpaid penalties, safety history), so no blanket recommendation is recorded here.
While the authority is revoked, operating for hire in interstate commerce is off the table, and brokers checking the public record will see the revocation the same day you do. Factor the downtime, not just the fee, when weighing how fast to cure a lapse.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check my MC authority status?
- FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance (L&I) system is the agency's public authority-and-insurance record. The carrier search is queried by USDOT number or docket number (MC, FF, or MX), or by legal name, DBA name, and state when the number is unknown; a name search matches names beginning with the entered text, and a leading wildcard searches for names containing it. Grant status is checked on the FMCSA Licensing and Insurance (L&I) website by MC or USDOT number, under Authority History. Authority documents normally mail within 3 to 4 business days after the grant.
Why was my authority revoked for an insurance lapse?
- Federal law conditions the registration itself on insurance staying in place: FMCSA may register a motor carrier only if the carrier files the required bond, insurance policy, or other security, and a registration remains in effect only as long as the registrant continues to satisfy the security requirements. When the required filing drops without an accepted replacement, the registration no longer meets that condition, so FMCSA revokes it.
How much notice do I get before my insurance filing is cancelled?
- An insurer cannot silently drop a carrier's federal filing. Surety bonds and certificates of insurance stay in effect continuously and may not be cancelled or withdrawn until 30 days after written notice is filed with FMCSA on the prescribed form (Form BMC-35 for policies, BMC-36 for surety bonds), with the 30 days running from the date the notice is filed. A replacement filing accepted by FMCSA terminates the old one as of the replacement's effective date. (49 CFR 387.313(d)-(e).)
How do I reinstate revoked MC authority?
- A carrier whose operating authority has been revoked asks FMCSA to bring it back by filing a petition for reinstatement of revoked operating authority, with the filing fee set in FMCSA's fee schedule. Reinstatement also requires the underlying deficiency to be cured, which for an insurance revocation means a new insurance filing on record. The filing fee is $80 under 49 CFR 360.3T(f)(52).
Should I reinstate or apply for new authority?
- Whether a revoked carrier is better served by reinstatement or a fresh application depends on facts FMCSA does not publish as a single rule (age of the docket, unpaid penalties, safety history), so no blanket recommendation is recorded here.
Sources
Primary statutes and official agency pages this guide relies on. Laws and fees change, so confirm against the current source before you act.
- FMCSA Licensing and Insurance (L&I) public system, home page and carrier search · Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), U.S. DOT
- 49 U.S.C. 13906 - Security of motor carriers, motor private carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders · Office of the Law Revision Counsel, United States Code
- 49 CFR 387.313 - Forms and procedures (insurance filings and cancellation notices) · eCFR (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations)
- 49 CFR 360.3T - Filing fees (schedule of filing fees, including the reinstatement petition) · eCFR (Electronic Code of Federal Regulations)
- Get Operating Authority (Docket Number) · Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), U.S. DOT
Haul Handbook publishes educational information about trucking registration and compliance requirements. This is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Rules, fees, and deadlines change; confirm with the agency before you file or pay.