How to Get a Copy of Your MC Authority Letter (Certificate of Authority)

Reviewed by Austin Park, founder of ICR Filings · Updated November 10, 2026

When FMCSA grants operating authority, it serves a certificate showing your MC number, USDOT number, company name, type of authority, and the date it was served. Most carriers never think about it again until a broker, shipper, factoring company, or insurer asks for a copy. Where you get it now depends on when your authority was granted.

Do you actually need the letter?

FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance (L&I) system is the official record of your authority. A printed certificate does not prove your authority is active today, and you do not need to carry it in the truck. If a broker only needs to confirm you are active, ask whether an L&I or SAFER lookup will do. Our authority status guide shows how to read it.

Step 1: find your grant date

Search your MC or USDOT number on L&I, open the HTML details, and click Authority History. The date your authority was granted decides which route below applies. You can also check your USDOT number with us to confirm the authority is active first.

Granted between September 27, 2022 and May 20, 2026

FMCSA's Daily Registration Decisions page holds the certificates it served in that window. Choose "Certificates of Authority," set a date range that covers your grant date (the page allows up to 8 days per search), and open the day's file. Each daily file covers every carrier served that day, so you look for the page with your company name and MC number. FMCSA's FAQ calls this the way to get an immediate electronic copy.

Granted after May 20, 2026 (Motus) or before September 27, 2022

FMCSA's page says requests outside that window go to the FMCSA Registration Customer Service Center by phone or through its online ticket form. See how to reach FMCSA for the hours and the fastest options.

For grants made in Motus, also check two places first: the email address on your FMCSA record, around your grant date, and your company account in Motus. FMCSA sends routine registration notices electronically. Orders, and notices that could change your registration status, are still mailed unless you opted in to electronic service.

Lost the mailed copy?

FMCSA's FAQ says operating authority documents usually arrive by mail within 3 to 4 business days of being issued. If yours never came, the address on your record may be out of date. Fix that with an MCS-150 update, or brokers and FMCSA notices will keep missing you. If your authority was granted in Motus and both the email and the mailed copy are gone, see lost authority letter recovery.

Watch for lookalike sites

Real FMCSA pages end in .dot.gov, and FMCSA has warned about lookalike Motus and SAFER sites that ask for your Login.gov sign-in. Never enter it anywhere else; see our guide to fake Motus and FMCSA sites.

Want it done for you?

Enter your USDOT number and we check FMCSA's records right away. If the certificate is in FMCSA's public files, we pull it, check it matches your company and MC number, and email the PDF, usually the same business day. Operating Authority Letter ($45, no government fee).

Official sources

• FMCSA: Check your authority status and get a copy of your certificate
• FMCSA: Daily registration decisions, letters and certificates
• FMCSA Licensing and Insurance (L&I) public search
• FMCSA: Registration modernization FAQs

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the official source before you file.

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• How to Check Your MC Number and Authority Status (and Get Your Authority Letter)
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