CHOOSING A COMPANY ·
MC Number Lookup: How Do You Check a Car Shipping Company Before You Book?
By Genius Auto Trans · 7 minute read
The short answer: An MC number lookup is a free search on FMCSA's SAFER Company Snapshot that shows whether a car shipping company holds active federal operating authority and whether it is registered as a broker or a carrier. Run it twice: once on the company you book with, and again on the carrier named on your bill of lading.
Every company that arranges or hauls cars across state lines for pay needs federal operating authority, and an MC number lookup is how you confirm it. The search is free and works the same whether you are booking open car transport for a daily driver or an enclosed move for a collector car.
What does an MC number lookup tell you?
Four terms the snapshot uses without explaining:
- USDOT number: the identifier the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) assigns to a registered company.
- MC number: the docket number tied to a company's interstate operating authority—its federal permission to haul, or arrange hauling of, other people's property for pay.
- Broker: a company that arranges your shipment with an authorized motor carrier and is paid for arranging it.
- Carrier: the company whose truck and driver physically move your vehicle.
An MC number lookup confirms four things: the company's legal name, whether its authority is active, what kind of authority it holds (broker, carrier or both), and the business address on file. It does not tell you price, service quality or whether the caller actually works there.
How to check an auto transport company on FMCSA, step by step
- Get both numbers in writing. Ask for the USDOT and MC numbers before you pay anything. A company that will not give them has answered your question.
- Search by number, not by name. Start the MC number lookup on the SAFER Company Snapshot and search by USDOT number or MC/MX number.
- Match the legal name. The legal name or DBA on the snapshot should match the name on your quote and contract.
- Read the Operating Authority Status line. You want "AUTHORIZED FOR" followed by the right authority type. "NOT AUTHORIZED," revoked or pending authority means stop.
- Check the Entity Type. It will say Broker, Carrier, or both.
- Open the Licensing & Insurance record. For a broker, look for the bond or trust fund filing. For a carrier, look for liability insurance on file. On current snapshots this link opens the company's record in FMCSA's new Motus registration system.
Here is a real record. Genius Auto Trans, a licensed auto transport broker, USDOT 3674601 / MC 1274912, Manassas, Virginia, shows on SAFER (checked October 6, 2026) as Entity Type: Broker, USDOT Status: Active, and "Authorized for: Broker of Property (Except Household Goods)," with zero power units and zero drivers. That is what a broker record should look like, and why our registration and credentials page links straight to the snapshot instead of asking you to take our word for it.
Broker or carrier? Reading the snapshot fields
| Snapshot field | A broker record should show | A carrier record should show | Red flag |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entity Type | Broker | Carrier | Doesn't match how the company describes itself |
| Operating Authority Status | Authorized for Broker of Property | Authorized for Property (motor carrier) | Not authorized, revoked or pending |
| Power Units / Drivers | Usually zero | One or more | A company advertising "our trucks" with zero power units |
| Legal name / DBA | Matches your contract | Matches your bill of lading | A different name, or a near-copy of a known company |
| Licensing & Insurance filing | $75,000 surety bond or trust fund | Liability insurance on file | No filing, or a cancellation pending |
Cars ship under property authority, so a car shipper does not need household goods authority. The $75,000 broker bond comes from 49 CFR 387.307; it is a regulatory minimum, not a quality score.
Why one MC number lookup isn't enough
Most car shipments are booked through a broker and moved by a separate carrier. Checking the broker covers who you paid, not who shows up with the truck.
A bill of lading is the document the driver fills out at pickup that records your vehicle's condition and names the carrier hauling it. Once a carrier is assigned, ask for its USDOT number, run a second MC number lookup, and confirm the name matches the paperwork the driver hands you. Our carrier network page explains the checks we run before assignment; you are still entitled to run your own.
Car shipping scams an MC number lookup helps you catch
Car shipping scams rarely involve a company with no record at all. More often the record exists but does not match the story:
- Borrowed identity. A caller quotes a real company's numbers, but the name on your contract or payment request is different.
- The phantom fleet. The ad says "our drivers," the snapshot says broker with zero power units.
- Inactive or revoked authority. The numbers are real, but the status line no longer says authorized.
- Pressure to pay outside the paperwork. A request to pay a different business name, or the full amount before a carrier is even named.
- Promises a lookup can't verify. A guaranteed pickup date or a "locked" low rate with no written terms. We explain why dates can't be guaranteed in our post on whether expedited transport can promise a pickup date.
None of these require special tools. Compare three names—the snapshot, the contract and the bill of lading—and stop if they disagree.
An MC number lookup is one of five checks for comparing car shippers; the others cover written price terms, cargo insurance and reviews.
What changes with FMCSA's Motus system?
FMCSA is moving registration to a new system called Motus, and snapshots now link there for licensing and insurance details. MC numbers have not gone away. FMCSA's registration modernization FAQs state that Motus continues to issue docket numbers and that phasing out MC numbers, with the USDOT number becoming the sole identifier, is still under consideration and would go through proposed rulemaking first. For now, an MC number lookup on SAFER works with either number.
Three planning examples
These are planning scenarios, not customer stories, prices, transit estimates or guarantees.
New York to Florida: a broker booking
You book a sedan on the New York to Florida route through a broker. Before paying, you search the broker's number and confirm "Broker of Property." Once a carrier is assigned, you run a second lookup on its number and ask for its cargo certificate before pickup day.
Texas to California: a direct "carrier"
A company says it owns its trucks. An MC number lookup shows Entity Type: Carrier with several power units, and the legal name matches the quote. If it had shown zero power units, you would ask who is hauling the car.
Virginia to Colorado: a mismatched invoice
The quote came from one company name; the deposit request comes from another. The lookup shows the quoting company is real, but the payee is not on the record. You stop and call the number on the company's own website before sending anything.
MC number lookup FAQs
What is an MC number lookup?
An MC number lookup is a free search on FMCSA's SAFER Company Snapshot using a company's MC or USDOT number. It shows the legal name, whether federal operating authority is active, whether the company is registered as a broker or a carrier, and its address. It confirms registration, not service quality or pricing.
How do I check an auto transport company on FMCSA?
Ask the company for its USDOT and MC numbers, search either number on the SAFER Company Snapshot, and confirm three things: the legal name matches your contract, the operating authority status says "Authorized," and the entity type matches how the company describes itself. Then open the Licensing & Insurance record to see its bond or insurance filings.
Should a car shipping broker have trucks on its FMCSA record?
No. A broker arranges transport with authorized motor carriers, so its snapshot usually shows zero power units and zero drivers. That is normal. It becomes a red flag only when the same company advertises its own fleet or drivers, because the federal record and the marketing then describe two different businesses.
Does FMCSA show whether my car is insured during shipping?
Usually not. FMCSA requires general property carriers to file liability insurance, while its filing requirements list cargo insurance only for household goods carriers. For a car shipment, ask the assigned carrier for its cargo insurance certificate and check the coverage limit and exclusions before pickup.
Are MC numbers being eliminated?
Not yet. FMCSA's new Motus registration system still issues MC docket numbers. FMCSA says replacing them with the USDOT number as the single identifier is under consideration and would require a proposed rule and public comment first. Until then, a company can be searched by either number on SAFER.
Request my verified carrier quote
Genius Auto Trans arranges transport across the 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC; we do not ship to Alaska, Hawaii or internationally. Tell us the vehicle, both ZIP codes and your earliest date, and we will quote the shipment—not a rate card—then name the carrier on your paperwork so you can run the lookup yourself. See how the process works before you book.
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