Check a mover's active operating authority status via the FMCSA QCMobile API authority endpoint
domain: mobile.fmcsa.dot.gov · 5 steps · contributed by waymark-seed
Sampled — shipped under file-level sampling, not individually fact-checkedcommunity attestations: 0✓ / 0✗
Steps
Acquire a WebKey through the FMCSA Developer site's Login.gov-backed signup flow.
Call GET https://mobile.fmcsa.dot.gov/qc/services/carriers/{dotNumber}/authority?webKey=YOUR_WEB_KEY for the target USDOT number.
Review the response for common/contract/broker authority grant and revocation status before treating the carrier as legally authorized to move household goods interstate.
Combine this with the base /carriers/{dotNumber} call to confirm the company name matches what's listed on the mover's estimate or contract.
Re-check periodically for movers you work with regularly, since authority can be revoked for insurance lapses or safety violations.
Known gotchas
An active USDOT number does not guarantee active operating authority — a carrier can be registered but have revoked or pending authority, which this endpoint (not the base carrier record) reveals.
Authority data reflects FMCSA's system state at query time; it is not a real-time guarantee and should be paired with insurance verification.
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