How to Get Your CA Number and Motor Carrier Permit

To get a CA number and Motor Carrier Permit in California, you register for a USDOT number, apply to the California Highway Patrol for a California Carrier Identification Number (CA#), put your insurance and safety paperwork in place, and then submit the Motor Carrier Permit (MCP) application to the DMV. The CA# is issued by the CHP and identifies you as a commercial motor carrier in the state.¹ The MCP is a separate document issued by the DMV, and you need it before putting commercial vehicles on the road. Your CA# is a prerequisite for the MCP application, so the order matters.²

Who Needs Both Credentials

If you’re paid to haul property in any motor vehicle in California, you need both a CA# and an MCP, regardless of the vehicle’s size or weight. The DMV treats you as a for-hire carrier, and there is no weight floor for that category. If you’re not hauling for compensation but you operate a commercial vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating above 10,000 pounds, you still need both credentials as a private carrier.²

Two other situations trigger the requirement: transporting hazardous materials that require placards, and operating a combination of motor truck and trailer exceeding 40 feet in length.² Small pickup trucks used for pay are not exempt.

Step 1: Get a USDOT Number

Register for a USDOT number first. California requires it for all intrastate commercial motor vehicle registrants, not only for carriers crossing state lines.³ Apply online through FMCSA’s Unified Registration System. The number is free and issued right away when you apply online, with a confirmation letter following by mail.⁴ You’ll enter this number on the CHP 362 in the next step.

Step 2: Apply for Your CA Number

With the USDOT number in hand, apply for the CA# through the California Highway Patrol. Two options:¹

Apply online at canumber.chp.ca.gov, which also handles updates to an existing CA#.
Complete the paper CHP 362 Motor Carrier Profile and mail or deliver it to the nearest CHP Motor Carrier Safety Unit. The office list is on page 3 of the form.

What the CHP 362 Asks For

The form builds your carrier profile. You’ll provide your legal business name, entity type (sole proprietorship, corporation, LLC, and so on), EIN or Social Security number, principal place of business, total fleet mileage driven in California during the most recent calendar year, and emergency contact information.⁵

Other sections ask you to check your type of operation (truck, hazardous materials carrier, bus, farm labor vehicle, and others), list any DBA names, enter your USDOT number and any MC, MX, or IRP credentials, and list every California terminal address where vehicle inspection and driver records are kept.⁵

The CHP operates nine Motor Carrier Safety Units across the state, from Redding to San Diego, with offices in Sacramento, Vallejo, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, and Orange.⁶ If you have questions on the form, the CHP directs you to your local MCSU.

Step 3: Line Up the Prerequisite Documentation

Before the DMV will process your MCP application, several pieces need to be in place. This is where most new carriers spend the most time and money.

Liability Insurance

You must carry liability insurance with combined single-limit coverage ranging from $300,000 to $5,000,000, depending on vehicle type and cargo. Hazardous materials transporters sit at the high end. Your insurer files proof on a Certificate of Insurance (MC 65 M), or a Certificate of Self Insurance (MC 131 M) for self-insured carriers.²

Workers’ Compensation

You need proof of workers’ compensation insurance or a signed exemption. The exemption is available only if you have no employees, meaning a sole operator with no hired drivers.²

Employer Pull Notice Enrollment

If you employ drivers who hold a Class A or Class B commercial license, or a Class C license with a hazardous materials or other special endorsement, enroll in the DMV’s Employer Pull Notice (EPN) program. The program monitors your drivers’ records and notifies you of suspensions, new violations, and other changes. Each enrolled employer receives a requester code, which you’ll enter on the MCP application. Starting April 1, 2026, all EPN enrollment and driver record management must be done electronically through the DMV’s online portal.⁷

Drug and Alcohol Testing Program

Employers of CDL holders must maintain a drug and alcohol testing program meeting federal requirements, including pre-employment, random, and post-accident testing.⁸ Many small carriers contract with a third-party consortium to run this.

Step 4: File the MCP Application With the DMV

Once the prerequisites are in place, apply for the MCP through the DMV using form MC 706 M, available on the DMV website.² You’ll enter your legal business name, physical address, FEIN, vehicle details (license plates, VINs, vehicle types), driver license information, and the documentation you gathered in Step 3.

Where to Submit

You can start the online application after verifying your business entity type, name, email, and CA#.⁹ Mail submission is also available. You cannot apply at a local DMV field office. The MCP program is handled entirely by the Registration Operations Division at DMV Headquarters in Sacramento, and there is a public drop box at the DMV building’s west lobby at 2570 24th Street, Sacramento, CA 95818.¹⁰

Processing Time

Allow up to 30 days to receive the MCP by mail after submitting or renewing. If it doesn’t arrive within that window, contact the Motor Carrier Permit Unit at 916-657-8153.¹⁰

What the MCP Costs

What you pay depends on whether you’re for-hire or private and on how many power units (trailers don’t count) you operate. For-hire carriers pay three components: a safety fee, a Uniform Business License Tax (UBLT), and a Carrier Inspection Fee (CIF). Private carriers pay only the CIF.¹⁰

Under the statutory schedule, a for-hire carrier with one power unit pays a $60 safety fee, $60 UBLT, and $130 CIF, for $250 total. A private carrier with a single unit pays the $130 CIF. Fees scale up with fleet size, and at the top end a for-hire carrier with over 2,000 units pays $1,030 in safety fees, $2,000 in UBLT, and $2,114 in CIF.¹¹ The CIF is adjusted periodically based on actual CHP inspection costs, so check the DMV’s current fee chart before budgeting.

Interstate carriers get different treatment: initial application fees are prorated based on actual California miles, the CIF is due in full on the initial application, and the permit itself doesn’t expire, so no renewal fees apply.¹⁰

Keeping the Permit Valid

For intrastate carriers, the MCP runs for 12 months, beginning on the first day of the month you applied and expiring on the last day of the 12th month. The DMV sends a courtesy renewal notice, and online renewal is now the standard process.¹⁰

Fleet changes don’t require immediate notice. If you add or remove vehicles during the term, report the changes at renewal, and fees will be recalculated based on updated fleet size.¹⁰ Other changes, like a new business address or an added DBA name, are reported on the MC 152 M (Motor Carrier Permit Notice of Change).² A significant change to the business entity itself, such as converting from a sole proprietorship to an LLC, may require a new CA# and a fresh MCP application.

What Happens if You Operate Without a Valid Permit

Operating a commercial vehicle after your MCP has been suspended is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $2,500, up to three months in county jail, or both. Each day of continued operation counts as a separate offense.¹²

The CHP can also impound the vehicle on the spot if it’s found on a highway, public land, or an off-street parking facility without a valid permit. To recover it, you must show proof of current registration, a valid driver’s license for the vehicle class, and proof of compliance with all MCP requirements. Towing and storage charges are yours.¹²

There’s a hiring-side rule too. It is unlawful to contract with or engage a motor carrier that doesn’t hold a valid MCP. The contracted carrier must provide a copy of its permit, and both parties must keep that certification on file for the contract duration plus two years.

1
California Highway Patrol. Commercial Vehicle Section
2
California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Motor Carrier Permits
3
Caltrans. Identification
4
U.S. Department of Transportation – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Long Does Operating Authority or USDOT Number Application Processing Take if You File on the Internet or by Mail
5
California Highway Patrol. Motor Carrier Profile CHP 362
6
California Highway Patrol. MCSU and CU List
7
California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Employer Pull Notice Program
8
eCFR. 49 CFR Part 382 – Controlled Substances and Alcohol Use and Testing
9
California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Motor Carrier Permitting
10
California State Department of Motor Vehicles. Motor Carrier Permit FAQs
11
California Legislative Information. AB-529 Vehicles: Motor Carriers: Inspections and Fees
12
California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code VEH 34660