Licensing Applications for Motor Carrier Operating Authority

FMCSA registers for-hire motor carriers of regulated commodities and of passengers, surface freight forwarders, property brokers, and certain Mexico-domiciled motor carriers, as mandatory reporting. These motor carriers may conduct transportation services in the United States only if they are registered with FMCSA. FMCSA is still accepting forms OP-1, OP-1(P), OP-1(FF), and OP-1(NNA) for existing registrants wishing to apply for additional authorities. FMCSA requires Form OP-1(MX) for Mexico-domiciled carriers that wish to operate beyond the U.S. municipalities on the U.S.-Mexico border and their commercial zones. Information collected through these forms, as an ICR extension, aids FMCSA in determining the type of operation a company may run, the cargo it may carry, and the resulting level of insurance coverage the applicant will be required to obtain and maintain to continue its operating authority. The OP-1 series requests information on the applicant’s familiarity with relevant safety requirements, the applicant’s willingness to comply with those requirements during its operations, and the applicant’s willingness to meet any specific statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to its proposed operations. FMCSA also uses information from these forms to prepare (for each applicant) a public notice of the registration application, which is published in the “FMCSA Register.” Publication of this notice initiates a 10-day period during which an interested party may file a complaint seeking denial of the registration on a limited number of statutory grounds. Effective December 12, 2015, OP-1 series forms, with the exception of OP-1(MX), can only be used to apply for additional authorities, not for initial registration with FMCSA. These forms request information to identify the applicant, the nature and scope of its proposed operations, a narrative description of the applicant’s safety policies and procedures, and information regarding the drivers and vehicles it plans to use in U.S. operations. There is no requirement for the OP-1, OP-1(P), OP-1(FF), and OP-1(NNA) forms be filed on a periodic basis. The forms are filed on an “as needed” basis. Since the rollout of URS Phase I, the sole purpose of these forms is to allow existing registrants to apply for additional authorities. A new OP-1(MX) application form is currently required only if a Mexico-domiciled carrier wishes to extend the scope of its authority or is applying for new authority.

The latest form for Licensing Applications for Motor Carrier Operating Authority expires 2027-07-31 and is listed under ICR 202508-2126-002.

IC1: OP-1

Federal Enterprise Architecture: Transportation - Ground Transportation

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