In our June 4–11, 2026 register window, 241 of the 1,574 new operating-authority applications nationwide came from Texas addresses — more than any other state. Here is the actual sequence to join them, with the fees and rule citations attached.
The first decision: Texas-only or interstate
Everything downstream depends on one question: will your trucks ever cross a state line (or haul freight that does)?
| Intrastate (Texas only) | Interstate | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating authority | TxDMV Number via TxDMV eLINC | USDOT + MC authority via Motus (FMCSA) |
| USDOT number | Required (yes, even intrastate) | Required |
| Plates | Standard Texas commercial registration | Apportioned plates (IRP) through TxDMV |
| Fuel tax | None beyond pump tax | IFTA license through the Texas Comptroller |
| Minimum liability (general freight, over 26,000 lbs) | $500,000 CSL (43 TAC §218.16) | $750,000 (49 CFR §387.9) |
| UCR | Not required | Required ($46/yr for 0–2 trucks in 2026) |
Hauling interstate freight on intrastate-only credentials is the classic new-carrier violation. If a load originates or terminates out of state — even if you only drive the Texas leg — that’s interstate commerce. When in doubt, set up interstate.
A common path: do both. Get federal authority for interstate work and a TxDMV Number for Texas-only work. The applications are separate and the insurance filings are separate.
Step 1 (both tracks): entity, EIN, USDOT number
- Form your entity. Most owner-operators file an LLC with the Texas Secretary of State (SOSDirect, $300 state filing fee — verify the current amount at filing; this article is not legal or tax advice).
- Get a free EIN from the IRS. Never pay a third party for this.
- Get a USDOT number. Since May 14, 2026, all federal registration runs through FMCSA’s new system, Motus, at motus.dot.gov — the legacy URS/Licensing & Insurance systems were retired (Federal Register, Apr. 29, 2026). You’ll need a login.gov account, and the company official who registers is the one who can manage the account later (FMCSA: Move into Motus). The USDOT number itself is free.
TxDMV requires an active USDOT number before it will issue intrastate authority, so this step is not skippable on either track.
Track A: Texas intrastate — the TxDMV Number
You need a TxDMV Number if you operate in Texas commerce with any of: a vehicle (or combination) over 26,000 lbs gross weight, placardable hazmat, a farm vehicle of 48,000 lbs or more, a vehicle designed for more than 15 passengers, a commercial school bus, or household goods for compensation at any weight.
Apply online through eLINC; TxDMV says applications are reviewed within 24–48 business hours, and you manage the credential afterward in MCCS. Fees, per TxDMV:
| Registration period | Application fee | Per-vehicle fee | Insurance filing fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7-day | $5 | $10 | $100 |
| 90-day | $25 | $10 | $100 |
| Annual | $100 | $10 | $100 |
| Biennial | $100 | $20 | $100 ($200 for household goods) |
The part that stalls most applications: your insurer must file the Form E electronically with TxDMV — buying the policy isn’t enough, and the filing has to stay active continuously, even during slow months.
Intrastate minimum liability, from the insurance-requirements table on TxDMV’s operating-authority application (Form 1899, mirroring 43 TAC §218.16 — unofficial mirror of the Texas Administrative Code):
| Operation | Minimum liability |
|---|---|
| General freight / private carrier, vehicle over 26,000 lbs | $500,000 CSL |
| Farm trucks 48,000 lbs or more | $500,000 |
| Hazmat — oil listed in 49 CFR §172.101, hazardous waste/substances | $1,000,000 |
| Hazmat — bulk/tank classes per 49 CFR §387.9 tiers | $5,000,000 |
| Household goods cargo | $5,000 per shipper / $10,000 aggregate |
Track B: Interstate — MC authority through Motus
Apply inside Motus for operating authority as a motor carrier of property. The fee is $300 per authority type, one-time, paid through Pay.gov inside the Motus dashboard.
What happens after you file is governed by 49 CFR Part 365, and the clock is faster than most people expect:
| Stage | Timing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Application published in the FMCSA Register | Typically days after filing | Published as a preliminary grant — not active authority |
| Protest window | 10 days from the register notice date (protests must be received by FMCSA’s Office of Registration, with a copy to you) | Part 365 Subpart B / §365.107T |
| Insurance + BOC-3 evidence due | Within 20 days of publication | §365.109T |
| Grant becomes effective | If unopposed, “by issuance of a certificate, permit, or license” | §365.115(b) |
| Rejected applications | Appealable within 10 days of the rejection letter | §365.111T |
Two practical consequences:
- Order insurance and your BOC-3 process agent the day you file, not after the protest window. Authority cannot go active until both are on record, and the 20-day deadline is short if your insurer is slow. A process-agent service files the BOC-3 electronically for a small one-time fee (process agent service).
- Your authority stays valid only as long as the filings stay valid. The register preamble is explicit that compliance must be maintained continuously — a lapsed insurance filing means revocation proceedings.
End-to-end, plan on roughly 4–6 weeks from filing to active authority (Small Fleet HQ’s Motus guide, updated May 2026 — a secondary source, but consistent with the Part 365 clock plus issuance time).
Interstate minimum liability for general freight is $750,000 under 49 CFR §387.9 — though most brokers and shippers you’ll actually work with ask for $1,000,000, so price both when you quote insurance.
IRP and IFTA: the Texas-specific part of going interstate
These trip up new Texas carriers because they involve two different state agencies, neither of which is FMCSA.
IRP (apportioned plates) — TxDMV. If your power unit runs over 26,000 lbs gross (or has three or more axles, at any weight) and crosses state lines, you register once through TxDMV’s apportioned registration program and pay each state a share based on your miles there. New accounts are created online in TxFLEET. First-year fees are estimated from projected mileage; after that, your actual recorded miles drive the bill — so keep per-jurisdiction mileage records from day one (your ELD can do this — compare ELDs).
IFTA — Texas Comptroller. The fuel-tax license comes from the Comptroller of Public Accounts, not TxDMV. The online Webfile application takes about 10 minutes and asks for your EIN, USDOT, and IRP numbers — so do it after IRP. Returns are due quarterly, on the last day of the month after each quarter ends, even for quarters with zero miles.
HVUT (Form 2290) — IRS. Trucks with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 lbs or more owe federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax, up to $550 per year (IRS Form 2290). You’ll need the stamped Schedule 1 to complete IRP registration, so file it early.
Costs at a glance (the verifiable ones)
| Item | Amount | Payable to |
|---|---|---|
| USDOT number | $0 | — |
| MC operating authority | $300 one-time per authority type | FMCSA (Pay.gov via Motus) |
| TxDMV Number (intrastate, annual) | $100 + $10/vehicle + $100 insurance filing | TxDMV |
| UCR, 2026 (0–2 power units) | $46/year | UCR plan |
| HVUT (55,000+ lbs) | up to $550/year | IRS |
| BOC-3 process agent | small one-time fee, varies by service | private |
| IRP apportioned plates | varies by weight and mileage split | TxDMV |
| Liability insurance | your largest cost — quoted, not fixed | private |
Insurance premiums vary so much by driving record, ZIP code, and truck age that any “average” number you read is marketing. Get three real quotes before you commit to anything else on this list.
After the authority: the first-year obligations
- New Entrant Safety Audit — FMCSA audits every new interstate carrier within the first 12 months (New Entrant Safety Assurance Program). The audit is mostly paperwork: driver qualification files, drug-and-alcohol program records, hours-of-service records, maintenance files. Build the folders before your first load.
- Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse — register at clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov, run the pre-employment query on every driver (including yourself), and enroll CDL drivers in a testing consortium.
- MCS-150 biennial update — TxDMV reminds carriers of this too: the federal filing must be updated every two years even if nothing changed, or your USDOT number is deactivated.
- ELD and hours of service — interstate carriers follow 49 CFR Part 395. Texas intrastate carriers fall under DPS rules (37 TAC Chapter 4), which adopt the federal regs with some Texas-specific variations — confirm your intrastate hours rules with DPS rather than assuming the federal limits apply unchanged.
- Finding freight — load boards are where nearly every new Texas carrier starts (DAT); if cash flow is tight in the 30–60 day payment cycle, carriers commonly use factoring. Both cost money; neither is mandatory.
What the register data shows about Texas right now
Our pipeline reads the FMCSA Register daily. In the most recent window (June 4–11, 2026, six publication days), Texas led every state with 241 of 1,574 new operating-authority applications nationwide — 15.3% of the U.S. total — and 210 of those were motor carriers of property. These are application-stage entries (preliminary grants under 49 CFR Part 365), not active authorities, which is exactly the stage you’ll be at the day you file.
You can watch your own application appear: check the Texas data page the morning after FMCSA publishes it, or look up any USDOT number in the verify tool. If a broker or shipper questions whether your authority is real yet, that’s also the fastest way to show them where you are in the Part 365 clock.
Nothing here is legal, tax, or insurance advice — fee schedules and rule text change, so confirm against the linked primary sources when you file.