MC number lookup

Before booking any carrier that emails your brokerage, two things must be true: their USDOT number must be Active, and their MC operating authority must be Active. Many brokers check one but not the other. This guide covers the full MC number lookup process — including a step-by-step walkthrough of the FMCSA Licensing and Insurance database — so you are never booking a carrier whose authority is revoked, pending, or non-existent.

What is an MC number?

An MC number (Motor Carrier number) is an operating authority number issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that grants the legal right to transport regulated commodities in interstate commerce for compensation. Unlike a USDOT number — which any commercial vehicle operator needs for safety tracking — an MC number is specifically about authorization to haul for hire.

The MC number system stems from the Interstate Commerce Commission Act. When the ICC was dissolved in 1995 and its trucking authority functions transferred to the DOT, MC numbers continued under FMCSA jurisdiction. Today the MC number is sometimes referred to as "operating authority" and you will see both terms used interchangeably in broker-carrier communications.

Freight brokers also receive MC numbers — but with a broker designation. A broker MC number authorizes arranging transportation, not physically hauling freight. This is why verifying thetype of authority attached to an MC number matters as much as verifying the status. For a broader overview of FMCSA databases and what each surface, see our FMCSA carrier lookup guide.

MC number vs. USDOT number: the key distinction

The two numbers serve different regulatory purposes and are stored in different databases:

• USDOT number: Safety identification. Every commercial motor vehicle operator in interstate commerce must have one. Used to track inspections, crashes, compliance reviews, and BASIC scores. Stored in the FMCSA SAFER system.
• MC number: Operating authority. Required for for-hire carriers and brokers operating across state lines. Authorizes the specific type of transportation (common carrier, contract carrier, broker). Stored in the FMCSA Licensing and Insurance (L&I) database.

A private carrier — a manufacturer hauling its own goods — needs a USDOT number but generally not an MC number. A for-hire carrier hauling loads posted on DAT or Truckstop needs both. Any carrier claiming to service broker loads without an MC number is not legally authorized to do so. For a detailed USDOT-specific walkthrough, see DOT number verification.

Step-by-step: MC number lookup via FMCSA L&I database

Step 1: Access the Licensing and Insurance database

Navigate to li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov. This is the authoritative source for operating authority status and insurance on file. The SAFER Company Snapshot also surfaces MC data, but the L&I database is the direct source and shows the most complete insurance filing history.

Step 2: Search by MC number or USDOT number

The L&I search form accepts MC/MX number, USDOT number, or legal name. Enter the MC number from the carrier's email signature. If the carrier did not include their MC number (a yellow flag in itself), try searching by company name, but be aware that common names like "Express Trucking" or "Logistics LLC" may return dozens of results.

When a carrier emails a load inquiry, their MC number should appear in the email signature, on their letterhead, or in the body of the email. Legitimate carriers are accustomed to providing this information. A carrier who resists providing their MC number or whose email contains no FMCSA identifiers is a significant risk signal — see our guide on the anatomy of a fraudulent carrier email.

Step 3: Read the Operating Authority Status

The L&I result page shows the carrier's authority record, including:

• Active: The carrier has current, valid operating authority. Proceed to insurance verification.
• Revoked: FMCSA has withdrawn this carrier's authority. Most common reasons: lapsed insurance on file, unpaid fees, or enforcement action. Do not book.
• Suspended: The carrier's authority is temporarily suspended, often due to an insurance lapse. The carrier cannot legally operate until reinstated. Do not book.
• Pending: The carrier has applied for authority but it has not been granted yet. The application is in a mandatory protest period (typically 10 days for general freight carrier authority). Do not book until status changes to Active.
• Inactive: Authority exists on record but has never been activated or was voluntarily placed inactive by the carrier. Do not book.

Step 4: Verify the authority type

The L&I record specifies what type of authority is held:

• Common Carrier of Property: The standard designation for a for-hire trucking company that accepts loads from the general public (via brokers or direct shipper contracts). This is what you need for a typical carrier booking.
• Contract Carrier of Property: Authorized to haul for specific contracted shippers only, not the general public. A contract carrier should not be booking ad-hoc spot loads from brokers unless they also hold common carrier authority.
• Broker: Authorized to arrange transportation only. If you see only broker authority on an MC record that a supposed carrier provided, you may be dealing with a double-broker — an entity posing as a carrier that actually intends to re-tender your load. See our guide on what is double brokering.

Step 5: Check insurance on file

The L&I database shows the carrier's insurance filings. Verify:

• BIPD (Bodily Injury and Property Damage) insurance is on file and active. The minimum for general freight is $750,000. Hazmat loads require higher minimums.
• The policy has not been cancelled or allowed to lapse. FMCSA receives electronic notice when insurance is cancelled — a carrier with cancelled insurance will typically show a Revoked or Suspended authority within days.
• The insurance company listed is a real, licensed insurer. Fraud schemes have used fake insurance certificates — cross-checking the FMCSA record against the certificate the carrier provides is a standard safeguard.

Step 6: Confirm BOC-3 is on file

BOC-3 is a form designating process agents — individuals in each state authorized to receive legal service on behalf of the carrier. FMCSA requires BOC-3 filings for operating authority to be granted and maintained. A carrier without a BOC-3 on file cannot legally operate. The L&I database shows BOC-3 status.

Reading the SAFER Company Snapshot for MC data

The SAFER Company Snapshot provides a combined view that includes both USDOT safety data and MC authority information. It is faster for a quick check than the L&I database, but the L&I database is the more authoritative source for insurance filing history. Best practice: use SAFER for the initial check and the L&I database if you need to drill into insurance details.

Free tools vs. paid platforms

FMCSA's free tools cover the regulatory baseline. Paid platforms layer additional intelligence:

Free: FMCSA SAFER and L&I

SAFER and the L&I database give you operating status, authority type, insurance on file, BOC-3 status, safety rating, and inspection data. For a broker who needs to check a handful of new carriers per week, this is sufficient. The limitation is speed — each lookup requires navigating a government web interface, and there is no bulk lookup or API integration for SMB brokerages without technical resources.

Paid: Highway

Highway connects directly to FMCSA data and adds proprietary fraud detection: identity verification (confirming the person contacting you controls the MC number they claim), chameleon carrier pattern matching, and real-time monitoring that alerts you if a carrier you have previously booked has a status change. Highway integrates with most major TMS platforms and charges on a per-carrier or subscription basis.

Paid: Carrier411

Carrier411 aggregates FMCSA data and adds a community-sourced blacklist of carriers reported by participating brokerages. If a carrier has pulled a load-and-disappear scheme or delivered damaged freight and refused to pay, that record may appear in Carrier411 before it surfaces in FMCSA enforcement data. Subscription-based, with a large participating brokerage network.

Paid: MyCarrierPortal

MyCarrierPortal combines MC number verification with the carrier setup packet workflow — collecting W-9, certificate of insurance, signed broker-carrier agreement, and BOC-3 in one interface. Useful for brokerages that do a high volume of new carrier onboarding. See our full guide to what is a carrier packet for what these documents contain and why each is collected.

Authority age: the underrated risk signal

MC authority age — how long a carrier has held their current operating authority — is one of the most reliable leading indicators of fraud risk. Carriers with authority granted in the last 60–90 days represent a statistically elevated risk profile. New authority is cheap to obtain and is frequently used in double brokering schemes where fraudulent actors set up fresh MC registrations specifically to exploit brokers who only check current status.

The SAFER Company Snapshot shows the carrier's authority grant date. Any carrier with authority under six months warrants additional verification — request a carrier packet, check their physical address on Google Maps, and confirm the driver you are assigning is actually employed by the entity on the MC record. For the complete multi-factor vetting approach, see how to vet a carrier and the carrier vetting checklist.

How Keelway automates MC number lookup in the triage workflow

A broker running 10 loads per day, each generating 30–50 carrier emails, faces 300–500 MC number lookups per day if doing this manually. That volume is operationally impossible to execute with quality across a full shift. Keelway's carrier email automation parses every inbound carrier email to extract the MC number, pulls FMCSA authority status and safety data automatically, and folds this into a carrier trust score that surfaces alongside the carrier's rate quote. The broker sees a ranked list — carrier name, MC, offered rate, trust score — and makes one-row decisions without leaving the dashboard.

At $799/mo flat, the pricing model is designed to cost less than the value of a single bad booking prevented. Book a demo to see it running on your Gmail inbox.