How to register a USDOT number and operating authority in Motus, step by step (2026)

On May 14, 2026, FMCSA replaced the FMCSA Portal and the Unified Registration System (URS) with Motus. Every USDOT number, operating authority, MCS-150 update and process agent filing now goes through it. Most guides on the web were written for the old system and are wrong on the first step. This one is current as of September 2026.

Before you start: what you need

Decide what you are registering for. The answer determines the fees and the documents.

You are	You need	Government fee
Private carrier hauling your own goods interstate	USDOT number	0 USD
For-hire carrier hauling others’ property interstate	USDOT number plus operating authority, insurance filing, BOC-3	300 USD per authority type
Intrastate only, in a state that requires a USDOT number	USDOT number	0 USD
Broker or freight forwarder	Authority, 75,000 USD surety bond or trust, BOC-3	300 USD

Have these ready before you open Motus:

• The legal name of the business exactly as it appears on your EIN letter or state registration, and any DBA.
• EIN, or SSN for a sole proprietor.
• Principal place of business address and mailing address.
• The number of power units and drivers, cargo types, and whether you carry hazmat.
• A government-issued photo ID for the company official who will verify identity.
• The name of your insurance agent and your process agent (BOC-3 provider).

Step 1: the company official verifies identity through Login.gov

Motus requires the person registering the carrier to prove who they are. The company official creates a Login.gov account, then completes identity verification with IDEMIA: a photo of a government ID plus a facial match from a phone or webcam. Some applicants are asked for additional documents or an in-person check at a participating location.

Two rules matter:

• The company official must be an owner or an employee of the carrier. A consultant, a compliance firm or a family member who is not on the payroll cannot do this step.
• The Login.gov account belongs to the person, not the company. Use an email address that will still be yours in five years.

Once verified, the official is linked to the carrier in Motus. Third-party filers, such as Profirm, can then be authorized inside Motus to prepare and submit filings under that carrier.

Step 2: warning about fake Motus sites

In September 2026 FMCSA flagged four fake websites imitating Motus. They collect identity documents, card numbers and Login.gov credentials. The only real address is motus.dot.gov. Anything else, including domains that contain “motus” or “fmcsa” with a different ending, is not FMCSA.

FMCSA never robocalls carriers, never charges for the USDOT number, and never endorses a vendor. If a caller says your registration will be cancelled unless you pay today, hang up and look at your record in Motus yourself.

Step 3: apply for the USDOT number

Inside Motus, start a new registration. The application asks for the company information listed above, the operation classification (for-hire, private, exempt for-hire), cargo classifications, vehicle and driver counts, and hazmat details. This information becomes your MCS-150 record.

Two fields cause trouble later:

• Operation classification. If you pick private but plan to haul for others, you will need to amend and add authority before the first paid load.
• Vehicle count. Your UCR fee bracket and your safety audit scope come from this number. Count power units you own or lease for interstate use.

The USDOT number is issued when the application is submitted and the identity check has cleared. There is no fee. Your new-entrant 18-month monitoring period starts now.

Step 4: apply for operating authority (for-hire carriers)

In the same session or later, add an operating authority application. Since October 1, 2025, FMCSA no longer issues MC numbers. Your USDOT number receives a suffix that identifies the authority type, and that combination is what appears in the public registry. Existing MC numbers are still valid for carriers that had them.

The fee is 300 USD per authority type, paid through Pay.gov during the application. A carrier that wants both property authority and household goods authority pays twice. The fee is not refundable if the application is dismissed.

After submission, the application enters a 10-day protest period during which it is published in the FMCSA Register. Protests are rare for small carriers.

Step 5: insurance filing

Your insurer files proof of liability coverage with FMCSA electronically. The carrier does not upload it. The minimums under 49 CFR 387.9:

• 750,000 USD for general freight in vehicles over 10,001 lb.
• 1,000,000 USD for oil and certain hazardous materials.
• 5,000,000 USD for the most hazardous materials and large quantities.
• Household goods carriers also need cargo insurance on file.

Tell your agent that you need the filing made under your USDOT number with the new suffix, not an MC number. Some agents have not updated their forms. Also ask for the MCS-90 endorsement on the policy itself; the auditor will look for it.

Step 6: BOC-3 process agent

A BOC-3 designates a process agent in every state to receive legal papers on your behalf (49 CFR 366). It must be filed before authority is granted. There is no government fee; the process agent company charges for the service. Most process agents file it electronically the same day. A carrier cannot file its own BOC-3 unless it has an agent in every state.

Step 7: wait for the grant

Authority is typically granted about 21 days after the application, the insurance filing and the BOC-3 are all on record. The 21 days include the 10-day protest period. You can check status in Motus and in the public registry. When it shows active, you can haul for hire.

Do not dispatch a paid interstate load before the grant. Operating without authority is a civil penalty and shows up on the new-entrant audit.

After the grant: the first-year calendar

Getting the numbers is the start. In the first year you also need:

• UCR registration in your base state for the current year, and for 2027 once registration opens October 1, 2026.
• Drug and alcohol program: consortium enrollment and a pre-employment test before the first dispatch (49 CFR 382.301 and 382.305).
• Clearinghouse employer registration, C/TPA designation and a full query on each driver.
• Driver qualification files for every driver (49 CFR 391.51).
• IFTA licence and IRP plates if you run qualified vehicles across state lines.
• New-entrant safety audit within 12 months.
• MCS-150 biennial update on the schedule set by your USDOT number (49 CFR 390.19).

Timeline summary

Day	Event
0	Login.gov identity verification (same day to a few days)
0 to 1	USDOT number issued
1	Authority application filed, 300 USD paid on Pay.gov
1 to 5	Insurance filed by insurer, BOC-3 filed by process agent
1 to 11	Protest period
About 21	Authority granted
Within 12 months	New-entrant safety audit

What Profirm does for you

Profirm cannot do your identity verification, and no legitimate firm can. What we do is prepare the application so it is right the first time, coordinate the insurance filing and the BOC-3, file everything in Motus as your authorized filer, and hand you the first-year calendar. At the time of writing the USDOT number filing is 99 USD and the operating authority filing is 199 USD, plus the 300 USD FMCSA fee paid separately on Pay.gov. The BOC-3 is 49 USD with no government fee. The new carrier start-up package, which adds UCR, Clearinghouse setup, first-year consortium enrollment and the policy, is 649 USD plus government fees. Profirm is a private compliance firm, not part of FMCSA or USDOT.