Instructions for Completing Form OP-1

1 Instructions for form OP-1 (Revision 9/27/2013) Page 1 of 12 Instructions for Completing form OP-1 Application for Motor Property Carrier and Broker Aut hority Topics Page I. Overview of Operating Authority .. 1 to Apply .. is the Cost? .. are the Steps in Gett ing Operating Authority? .. 3V. How to Complete the OP-1 Application for M otor Property Carrier and Broker Authority .. 7 Sources .. 12*If a sole proprietor owner/operator submits personal information for registration purposes t o obtain a USDOT Number or O peratingAuthority, this informati on will be public ly available on FMCSA Web sites. This published information m ay include, but is n ot limitedto, the sole proprietor owner/operator s home address, telephone number, and e-mail address when the home contact informationalso serves as the business contact Overview of Operating Authority Depending upon the ty pe of business operation (Motor Carrier, Broker, Freight Forwarder, Shipper, Vehicle Registrant, a nd/or Cargo Tank Facility) and what w ill be transported (property, hazardous materials, and/or passengers), companies may be required to register for both Inters tate Operating Authority ( form OP-1 series or form OP-2) a nd USDOT Number ( form MCS-150 series).

2 The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administ ration (FMCSA) enforces compliance with the F ederal M otor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and the Hazardous M aterials Regulatio ns (HMRs), which govern safety and financial responsibility. FMCSA s registration requirements reflect the foc us on both of t hese concerns. FMCSA encourages all applicants with Internet access to use the online registration assistant at in order to determine FMCSA s registration requirements. Applicants w ith out I nternet access can call FMCSA at 1-800-832-5660 for assistance. Who Needs Operating Authority? Before beginning interstate operations in the United States ( ), all authoriz ed for-hire Motor Carriers of non-exempt property and passengers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders based in the or Canada must obtain O perating Authority by s ubmitting the appropriate form (s) in the OP-1 series. For a descript ion of t he different types of OP-1 forms and the various FMCSA requirements for obtaining Operating Authority, please see What Are the Steps in G etting O perating A uthority?

3 (Topic IV) in this packet. NOTE: Hawaii-based Motor Carriers that transport household g oods, property, or passengers with in a terminal area (s ee 49 USCPart 13504) must obtain O perating Authority. Carriers that o perate solely w ithin the State of Hawaii and do not tr ansport household goods are not required to obtain Operati ng Authority. Mexico-based Motor Carriers should refer to (Spanish) (Englis h) f or more information. In addition to Operating Authority, some Motor Carriers of property or passengers must obtain a USDOT Number before beginning inters tate operations. Please consult What Forms Do I Need? at , which specifies the required forms for both Operating Authority and USDOT Number. to ApplyApplications may be submitt ed online or mailed to FMCSA. Compared to mailing, the online m ethod reduces processing time by a smuch as 2-3 weeks, thus enabling companies to begin their o perations sooner. Remember, operations cannot b egin until thecertificate, permit, or l icense for Operating Authority has been received.

4 For more information, s ee What Are the Stepsin Getting Operating Authority? (Topic IV) in this pack for form OP-1 (Revision 9/27/2013) Page 2 of 12 Apply Online Applying online requires the use of a valid credit card (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, or Visa). Those who do not wish to submit th eir credit card information online must complete t he application and payment by mail (see Apply by M ail below). The following tips are encouraged: Go to ne-registration and complete t he Step-by-Step Registration Guide prior t o starting th eapplication. The registrati on guide will lead users through a series of questions. Based upon the answers to the questio ns,the guide w ill identify required registration forms and link users directly to the onlin e application form . Utilize the form Instructions during t he completion of th e online form . This w ill help to ensure that t he application iscompleted : The applicant s legal name (or t he authorized representative s name) must match the name and billing a ddress of thecredit card.

5 Record the MC or FF Number that is provided after approval of the application. This number will be needed on theinsurance and process agent forms that are required to complete the applicati on process for obtaining Operati ng Authority (for more details, see What Are the Steps in Getting Operating Authority? [Topic IV] in this packet). T his number m ay also be needed for any correspondence with the FMCSA. Apply by Mail Follow the steps below: 1) Applicants with Internet access are encouraged to go to gov/online-registr ation and complete the Step-by-Step Registration G uide in order t o id entify required registration )Go to to download and print the appropriate form (s) and Instructions . Applicants may alsocall FMCSA at 1-800-832-5660 to request an ap plication pack et by ) Follow the instructio ns to complete the applic ati on form (s).4)Save a copy of the application and all s upporting documents for the company s business )Mail the completed application form (s), a ny supporti ng documents, and payment to one of the fo llo wing addressesdepending upon the type of payment (and method of mail delivery): Check or M oney Order (make payable to the FMCSA in dollars)Fi rst-Class Mail Federal Motor Carrier S afety Administration Box 530226 Atlanta, GA 30353-0226 Over night Express Mail (the sit e street address should only be used for lockbox remittances delivered via courier): Bank of Ameri ca Lockbox Number 530226 1075 Loop Road Atlanta, GA 30337 Credit Card (MasterCard or Visa only)Federal Motor Carrier S afety Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, MC-RS Washington, DC 20590 NOTE: Sending payment to the wrong address will delay appli cation processing by 2-3 weeks.

6 Instructions for form OP-1 (Revision 9/27/2013) Page 3 of 12 is the Cost?Operating A uthority .. $ e ach form OP-1oMotor Common Carrier of Property (except Household Goods).oMotor C ontract Carrier o f Property (except H ousehold Goods).oMotor Common Carrier of Household C ontract Carrier of Household of Property (except Household Goods).oBroker of Household States-based Enterprise Carrier of In ternati onal Cargo (exc ept Household Goods).oUnited States-based Enterprise Carrier of In ternati onal Household Goods. form OP-1(P)oMotor Common Carrier of C ontract Carrier of Passengers. form OP-1(FF)oFreight Forwarder of Property (exc ept H ouse hold Goods).oFreight Forwarder of Household descript ions of t he different types of Operating Authority, see SECTION II Type of A uthority under How to Complete the OP-1(P) Application for M otor Passenger Carrier Authority (Topic V) in this packet. NOTE: REFUNDS ARE NOT PERMITTED.

7 Each ty pe of O perating Authority requires an additional $300 fee. For example, an appli cation for both Motor CommonCarrier of Property and Motor Common Carrier of Household G oods w ill require two $300 fees f or a total of $600. Multiplefees c an be combined into a single payment. The FMCSA reserves the right to discontinue processing any application for w hich ins ufficient payment is What Are the Steps in Getting Operating Authority?For M otor Carriers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders based in the or Canada, the Operating Authority application processincl udes t he six s teps s hown below. Motor Carriers based in Hawaii or Mexico should s ee the NOTE in Overview of O peratingAuthority (Topic I) in t his 1 Applicant submits OP-1 and/or OP-1(P) and/or OP-1(FF) Step 2 Applicant receives MC or FF Number Step 3 10-day protest period Step 4 Insurance Company files form (s) with FMCSA Step 5 Applicant or Process Agent files form BOC-3 with FMCSA Step 6 Applicant begins operation A FTER receiving certificate, permit, or l icense for Operating A uthorit y from FMCSA Instructions for form OP-1 (Revision 9/27/2013) Page 4 of 12 St ep 1 Application for Operating Authority Motor Carriers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders begin t he Operating Authority applicati on process by submitti ng one (or more) of the following forms with the appropriate a pplication processing fee: OP-1 Operating Authority for:oMotor Carrier (common property, contract property, common household goods, or contract household g oods).

8 OBroker (property or household goods).oUnited States-based Enterprise Carrier (international cargo or i nternati onal household g oods). OP-1(P) Operating Authorit y for Motor Passenger Carrier (common or c ontract). OP-1(FF) Operating A uthori ty for Fr eight Forwarder (property or household goods).NOTE: For descript ions of t he different types of Operating Authority, see SECTION II Type of A uthority under Howto Complete t he OP-1(P) Application f or M otor Property Carrier and Broker A uthority (Topic V) in this packet. To identify t he required form (s) for O perating Authority a s well as USDOT Number, see What Forms Do I Need? St ep 2 Grant Letter and MC/FF Number Applicants will receive a grant letter after FMCSA proce sses and accepts the Operating Authority application as follows: If applying online, a Motor Carrier (MC) or Freight Forwarder (FF) Number will be provided immediately, and theconfirmation grant letter w ill arrive via mail.

9 If applying by mail, the grant letter should arrive via m ail in approximately 4 weeks. This let ter w ill include the MC or FFNumber. Appli cants have the option of checking the status of their application online. S ee Information Sources (Topic VI)in th is packet for Companies and Process Agents w ill use the MC or FF Number t o make the appropriate filin gs on behalf of applicants to complete the application process for obtai ning Operating Authority. NOTE: Although an MC or FF Number h as been a ssigned by FMCSA, this does not r epresent O perating A uthority. The company may not begin to operate until it has received the corresponding certificate, permit, or license for Operating A uthority described in Step 6. St ep 3 10-day Protest Period At the same time the grant l etter is mailed, each company s application for Operating Authority will be published in the FMCSA R egist er. This publication initiates the 10-calendar-day protest period, during which any individual can file a protest with FMCSA stating why a company should not be issued Operating Authority.

10 FMCSA will accept protests sent by mail as long as they are postmarked by the last day of the protest period. FMCSA will provide the applicant with information on the adjudication process if any protests are filed. During this protest period, Insurance Companies and Process Agents can file the necessary documents detailed in Step 4 and Step 5 below. To view the FMCSA R egis ter, go to http://li- and then follow the steps below: 1)Read the introduc tory page and then click the Continue )Select the FMCSA Register option in the dropdown menu and click Go. Instructions for form OP-1 (Revision 9/27/2013) Page 5 of 12 St ep 4 Insurance This step can b egin any time after th e applic ant receives an MC or FF Number (as described in Step 2 above) and is not dependent on Step 3 being completed. An Insurance Company must file the appropriate i nsurance form (s) on behalf of th e applicant w ithin 90 days of the date the applic ati on for Operating Authority w as published in the FMCSA Register.