How to get trucking authority in Texas

Start with where you will run

If every load starts and ends in Texas, you need intrastate authority from TxDMV. If you will cross a state line, or haul freight that is moving in interstate commerce, you need federal authority from FMCSA. Many Texas carriers get both.

Either way, the first step is a USDOT number. TxDMV requires a valid USDOT number before it will accept an intrastate application. Register as INTRAstate with FMCSA if you will only run in Texas.

Intrastate or interstate: how to choose

Intrastate authority is cheaper to start and carries a lower liability minimum. Texas sets $500,000 for trucks over 26,000 lbs, while federal rules set $750,000 for interstate general freight. If your work is aggregate around Austin, freight from Port Houston to Dallas, or oilfield loads inside the Permian, intrastate may be all you need.

Interstate authority opens up broker loads that leave the state on I-10, I-20, I-30, or I-35. Many brokers only load carriers with an active MC number, so plan on interstate authority if load boards are your main source of freight.

The new registration systems

FMCSA moved registration to Motus, its new USDOT Registration System, in May 2026. You create a profile through Login.gov, pass an identity check, then create a company account and apply. FMCSA's USDOT Wizard helps you figure out which registrations you need.

MC numbers are not going away. FMCSA says existing USDOT and docket numbers stay the same and the MC prefix stays.

New USDOT and docket numbers are now randomized, each new authority gets its own docket number, and first-time registrants see a suffix on their USDOT number showing entity type. FMCSA says the suffix is not something you paint on the truck.

In Texas, TxDMV launched the Texas Motor Carrier Credentialing System (TxMCCS) on August 3, 2026. It replaced the old MCCS and eLINC systems. Every carrier needs a new TxMCCS account, and existing carriers claim their certificate with their USDOT number and EIN.

Texas intrastate authority, step by step

Here is how it works:

• 1. Get a USDOT number from FMCSA, registered as intrastate.
• 2. Create a TxMCCS account at txmccs.txdmv.gov and submit your application.
• 3. TxDMV reviews it, usually within 24 to 48 business hours. Allow about seven more business days if you have held prior authority or are linked to another carrier.
• 4. Your insurer files Form E electronically with TxDMV. Household goods movers also need Form H and Form I.
• 5. Pay the fees in TxMCCS. TxDMV issues your certificate number.
• 6. Keep the insurance cab card in each truck and keep the Form E filing active at all times.

Texas intrastate fees

TxDMV lists these nonrefundable fees. Card payments add 25 cents plus 2.25%.

Interstate authority, step by step

Next steps for carriers who will cross state lines:

• 1. Apply in Motus for a USDOT number and for-hire operating authority (an MC number). FMCSA lists the fee as $300 for each authority, and it is not refunded if you apply by mistake.
• 2. File a BOC-3 to name process agents in each state. Most carriers use a blanket company that covers every state.
• 3. Have your insurer file the BMC-91 or BMC-91X proving your liability coverage. Most for-hire general freight carriers need at least $750,000.
• 4. Wait for FMCSA to grant the authority. FMCSA's authority page has listed about 20 to 25 business days for new online applicants, longer if the application gets extra review.
• 5. Register for UCR at ucr.gov before you run.
• 6. Set up IRP apportioned plates and an IFTA license through Texas if your trucks qualify.

UCR, IRP, and IFTA in Texas

UCR is a yearly federal registration handled at ucr.gov, not by TxDMV. The fee depends on how many vehicles you last reported to FMCSA.

For 0 to 2 vehicles, it was $46 for 2026 and is $55 for 2027. The 2027 fees took effect October 1, 2026.

IRP apportioned registration runs through TxDMV's TxFLEET system. New accounts are created online. Fees are based on the share of miles you run in each jurisdiction.

Units with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 lbs or more need proof of federal heavy vehicle use tax (IRS Form 2290). You also need to be current on UCR.

IFTA licenses come from the Texas Comptroller. You can apply online through Webfile.

The application asks for your USDOT number, FEIN or SSN, and your IRP cab card number. IFTA returns are due quarterly, on the last day of the month after each quarter ends.

Mistakes that slow down a new authority

Small errors can add weeks. Watch for these:

• Registering as interstate when you only run in Texas, or the other way around
• Using a different business name or address on the USDOT, insurance, and TxMCCS records
• Buying a policy without confirming the insurer can file the BMC-91 or Form E
• Skipping the BOC-3, which leaves an interstate application incomplete
• Forgetting UCR before the first interstate load
• Missing the identity check in Motus, which stops a new account at the start

After you get authority

Interstate carriers enter FMCSA's 18-month New Entrant Safety Assurance Program, with a safety audit inside the first 12 months of operation. Have your driver files, drug testing program, and maintenance records in order from day one.

Update your MCS-150 every two years, or when your information changes. FMCSA has temporarily paused enforcement of biennial updates for some entities still moving into Motus, so check your status in your Motus account.

Insurance is the step that holds up most new authorities. Start quotes early, because neither FMCSA nor TxDMV will activate your authority until the insurer's filing is on record.

Keep copies of every confirmation: the Motus application receipt, the TxMCCS certificate, the BOC-3, the UCR receipt, and the insurer's filing confirmation. Brokers will ask for several of them in their carrier packets.