How to Complete the California Motor Carrier Permit Application (MC 706 M)

The California MC 706 M motor carrier permit application is the form you file with the DMV to get authorization to operate a commercial motor vehicle carrying property on California highways. You mail it, along with a fee and supporting documents, to the DMV’s Registration Operations Division in Sacramento before you begin operating. You cannot file it at a field office, and you cannot start running loads first and paperwork later.¹

The form itself isn’t complicated. The prerequisites are what hold people up.

Who Has to File This Form

Every motor carrier of property that operates a commercial motor vehicle on California public highways needs a valid Motor Carrier Permit.¹ That covers in-state carriers operating entirely within California and out-of-state carriers that both deliver and pick up loads in California and are subject to the Unified Carrier Registration Act of 2005.²

The permit is good for 12 months, starting the first day of the month you first apply and expiring at the end of the twelfth month.¹

What You Need Before You Open the Form

The DMV will reject an incomplete application. Line everything up first.

A CA Number and a USDOT Number

In-state carriers need both. The CA number comes from the California Highway Patrol after you complete a CHP Motor Carrier Profile. The USDOT number comes from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Out-of-state carriers coming into California must have a USDOT number before arrival.³

Proof of Workers’ Compensation Coverage or an Exemption

Every applicant has to show coverage or certify they’re exempt. The acceptable forms are:

A Certificate of Insurance (MC 65 M) sent in directly by your insurer.
An electronic certificate sent in by the State Compensation Insurance Fund.
A Certificate of Consent to Self-Insure from the Department of Industrial Relations, Office of Self-Insurance Plans.
A signed exemption statement, which is built into Section 12 of the MC 706 M itself, certifying you don’t employ anyone subject to California workers’ compensation laws.

A sole operator with no employees typically uses the Section 12 exemption.⁴

Your Controlled Substance and Alcohol Testing Status

You self-certify whether you’re enrolled in a Controlled Substance and Alcohol Testing (CSAT) program or exempt from one. There’s a dedicated section on the form, but you need to know which answer applies before you get there.⁴

A Fleet List

You need every vehicle in the fleet, with each license plate number, the state that issued the plate, and the VIN. A fleet list is always required on an initial application.⁴

Working Through the 14 Sections

The MC 706 M is divided into 14 sections. If you’ve gathered the prerequisites above, most of them are quick.

Sections 1 to 4: Who You Are

Section 1 asks you to check the type of application. For a first permit, check “Original.” The other choices are reinstatement, renewal, seasonal original or renewal, and seasonal extension.

Section 2 captures your legal identity, and the layout shifts based on your business structure. Individuals give their legal name, driver’s license number, and Social Security number. Corporations enter the corporate name, FEIN, corporation number, state and date of incorporation, and the names and titles of officers. LLCs and partnerships have their own subsections for members or partners. A phone number is required no matter the entity type.

Section 3 is for any DBA, trade, or fictitious business name you use. Section 4 is your principal place of business, which must be a physical street address rather than a P.O. Box, plus a separate mailing address if you have one.

Sections 5 to 7: What You Do and What You Drive

Section 5 lists transportation activities as checkboxes A through V. Check every box that describes what you actually haul or do. Section 6 does the same for vehicle types, A through M. Check all that apply to the fleet.

Section 7 is operating authority numbers. Intrastate carriers enter their USDOT number. Interstate carriers add their MC number, MX number, IFTA number, and IRP number where applicable, and indicate whether they currently hold UCR authority. This section also asks for total California intrastate fleet miles and total interstate fleet miles including California miles.

Sections 8 to 12: Compliance Certifications

Section 8 covers BIT (Biennial Inspection of Terminals) and CSAT status. Check whether you’re enrolled in or exempt from each. Not every carrier is in BIT; the CHP picks terminals for inspection based on carrier performance data or the commodity being transported.⁴

Section 9 is the Employer Pull Notice (EPN) program. You either enter your EPN Requester Code, indicate you’re an owner-operator, or explain why enrollment isn’t required.

Section 10 reports the number of vehicles you operate, broken out by for-hire or seasonal and private, with the plate and VIN detail that matches your fleet list. Section 11 asks for employee headcount, classification, and gross annual salary.

Section 12 is the workers’ comp exemption checkbox and signature line. Check and sign only if you employ nobody subject to California workers’ comp laws. If you have employees, leave it blank and submit your proof of coverage separately.

Sections 13 and 14: Fee and Signature

Section 13 is where you calculate your fee. Permit fees depend on whether you’re a for-hire or private carrier and on the number of power units in the fleet.¹ The form itself prints fee charts for full-year intrastate carriers, full-year original interstate carriers, seasonal carriers, and seasonal extensions. Use the chart that matches your situation. One easy point to miss: trailers count for BIT inspection purposes but are not counted when figuring the fee.⁴ Include payment with the application.

Section 14 covers registration service information and your signature. Unsigned applications get returned.

Where to Send It

Mail the completed MC 706 M, your supporting documents, and your fee payment to:

Department of Motor Vehicles
Registration Operations Division
PO Box 932370 – MS H875
Sacramento, CA 94232-3700

Field offices will not take this application.¹ Copy everything before you send it. Processing times for original applications aren’t published, but renewals come back in roughly 30 days, so plan for a comparable window.

What Happens If You Operate Without the Permit

Operating a commercial motor vehicle after the DMV has suspended your motor carrier permit is a misdemeanor. Each violation carries a fine of up to $2,500, up to three months in county jail, or both. Every day of continued operation counts as a separate offense.⁵

A suspension can be triggered by things other than nonpayment, including failing a CHP Biennial Inspection of Terminals.⁴ Because each day is its own offense, penalties stack quickly if you keep running.

Renewing After the First Year

Mark your calendar for twelve months out. Renewals use the shorter MC 134 M form, not the MC 706 M, and can be filed online through the DMV’s MCP portal if your permit is on active status and you’re renewing for the next term, if it has been expired for less than a year, or if the changes you’re reporting are minimal.¹ Even on the shorter form, you’ll still self-certify CSAT status and update fleet information.

1
California DMV. Motor Carrier Permits
2
Caltrans. Motor Carrier Permit
3
Caltrans. Identification
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California DMV. Motor Carrier Permit FAQs
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California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 34660