Guide
Authority and insurance records: what to check on yourself and partners
A broker looks at your record before tendering a load. You should look first. A lapsed filing or a changed insurer date can stop loads without warning, and the fix takes days, not minutes.
In short
- The federal minimum public liability for for-hire carriers of non-hazardous property, vehicles of 10,001 pounds GVWR or more, in interstate commerce is $750,000 (49 CFR 387.9).
- Your record shows authority status, insurance on file with dates and the process agent. Brokers see the same.
- Set a monthly reminder to read your own record and your insurer’s renewal date.
- Rules for lapses and reinstatement vary. verify Ask your insurer and FMCSA.
A record has four parts that must agree
Public records list your authority, the insurance on file, the process agent and your registration details. A mismatch between any two is a reason a broker may pause a load.
The amount in 49 CFR 387.9 for general freight is $750,000. Some customers ask for more. Your rate con or broker agreement may set a higher requirement, so read it.
The timeline picture is the pattern to avoid: the policy renews on the insurer’s date, the filing updates later and a load is booked in the gap.
A monthly self-check
Read your own record
Look up your USDOT or MC number on FMCSA SAFER and the Licensing and Insurance site. Print or save a PDF with the date.
Compare to the policy
Insurer name, policy number and dates on the record must match the policy documents your agent sent.
Look for a cancellation date
FMCSA data includes a cancellation effective date field for filings. A date in the future means a notice has been filed. Call the insurer the same day. verify
Calendar the renewal
Set reminders at 60 and 30 days before renewal. Ask the agent to confirm the new filing was submitted and when.
Record the checks
One line per month in a shared sheet. Brokers sometimes ask for a certificate at short notice.
Before you book with a partner
For brokers, add the bond check from the vetting guide. For subcontracted carriers, check authority and insurance dates the same way.
Items on the record and what to do about them
| Item | What to check | If it is wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Authority status | Active, not revoked or pending | Call FMCSA support; stop booking |
| Insurance on file | Insurer, amount, dates | Call your agent; ask for refiling date |
| Cancellation date | No future cancellation | Same-day call to insurer |
| Process agent | BOC-3 on file | Ask your process agent service |
| Legal name and address | Matches policy and W-9 | Update the record and notify the broker |
Minimum amount: 49 CFR 387.9, eCFR, read 2026-10-09 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-387/section-387.9). Record items from the FMCSA registry notes in our open data registry, 2026-10-09. Processes for reinstatement not verified. verify
Worked example EXAMPLE VALUES
Invented numbers. Carrier Z renews on 1 November. The insurer files the new policy on 3 November.
- 2 November: Carrier Z accepts three loads from Broker A at $2,100 each, $6,300 in total.
- Broker A checks the record on pickup and sees no current filing. All three loads are pulled.
- Cost of the two-day gap: $6,300 of freight, plus deadhead already run.
A reminder at 30 days and a call to the agent on 28 October would have caught the dates.
Monthly self-check to copy
Save the PDF of the record next to this sheet.
Reading a lapse before it happens
Most lapses are paperwork gaps, not missing insurance. The policy renews on the insurer’s date. The filing that brokers see updates when the insurer sends it. If the two dates differ, the record can show a cancellation or no current filing while you are still covered.
Three habits close the gap. Ask the agent, in writing, for the date the filing was or will be submitted. Ask the broker customers you run for most whether they check at booking or at pickup. And keep a PDF of your record from the day before renewal so you can show the last good state.
When a partner’s record changes
The same fields matter for any carrier you subcontract to. A carrier that drops from active to inactive between booking and pickup is a risk on your paper. Add the date you checked to your load file. If the load is large, check again the morning of pickup.
What we would check in your audit
- Loads in the month before and after a renewal date, to see if any were booked in a gap.
- Any rate con with an insurance requirement higher than your policy.
- Cancelled or short-paid loads that coincide with a record change.
- Subcontracted loads where the carrier’s record was never checked.
Check whether any of your last 20 loads were booked near a record change
Questions
Do brokers really check?
Many do before tendering, and some check again at pickup. Assume yes.
Is $750,000 enough?
It is the federal minimum for that class of freight. Your contracts may ask for more.
What if my insurer made a mistake?
Get the corrected filing date in writing and share it with the broker. Do not run loads until the record shows it.
Where is the open data?
FMCSA publishes licensing and insurance data on data.transportation.gov. See USDOT record explained.
Related: broker vetting, USDOT record explained, carrier safety, double brokering, glossary, insurance filing lapses, authority revocations, FMCSA rule feed, fleet owners.
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