MCS-150 biennial update, on the month your USDOT number says
Every USDOT number has to be updated every two years, in a month fixed by its last two digits. Miss it and the number is deactivated. We calculate the month, gather the figures and file it in Motus for $79. No government fee.
Every 24 months, no exceptions
Required even if nothing changed and even if you stopped operating. The due month comes from your USDOT number, not from a notice. 49 CFR 390.19.
Missed update, inactive number
FMCSA deactivates USDOT numbers that are not updated. Inactive shows at roadside, on broker checks and to your insurer. Civil penalties can reach 1,000 USD a day, capped at 10,000 USD.
Now filed in Motus
Since May 2026 the update goes through Motus with a verified company official. The old PIN and the paper form are gone. Third-party filers are authorized inside your account.
Your USDOT number tells you the month and the year
Take the last two digits of your USDOT number. The last digit sets the month. The second-to-last digit sets the year: even digit means even years, odd digit means odd years.
| Last digit | Due month | Second-to-last digit | Due years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January | 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 | Even years (2026, 2028, 2030) |
| 2 | February | ||
| 3 | March | ||
| 4 | April | ||
| 5 | May | ||
| 6 | June | 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 | Odd years (2027, 2029, 2031) |
| 7 | July | ||
| 8 | August | ||
| 9 | September | ||
| 0 | October |
Worked example
USDOT 2849731. Last digit 1, so January. Second-to-last digit 3, odd, so odd years. The update is due in January 2027, then January 2029. The carrier can file any time during the month; FMCSA considers it late from February 1.
USDOT 3456782. Last digit 2, so February. Second-to-last digit 8, even, so even years. The last window was February 2026. If this carrier has not filed since 2024, the number is already at risk of deactivation and the update should go in today.
A new USDOT number issued this year has its first biennial update in its assigned month of the next matching year, not two years from the issue date.
What to have ready
- Mileage: total miles driven in the last calendar year, all vehicles, interstate and intrastate.
- Vehicle counts: power units owned, term-leased and trip-leased, by type (straight trucks, truck tractors, trailers, hazmat tank vehicles, motorcoaches). Trailers counted separately.
- Driver counts: total drivers, drivers with a CDL, interstate versus intrastate, drivers on a 100-mile radius.
- Operation classification: for hire, private, exempt, plus cargo carried and hazmat classes if any.
- Company identity: legal name, DBA, principal and mailing address, EIN, phone and email, name and title of the company official.
- Motus access: the company official's Login.gov identity, verified, and Profirm authorized as filer.
These are the same figures UCR and IFTA use. Keeping them consistent across all three filings is what an auditor looks for.
Our fee, no federal fee
Registration filings
| Service | Our fee | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| MCS-150 biennial update | $79 | one-time |
| UCR registration filing | $49 | per year |
| USDOT number filing (Motus) | $99 | one-time |
| Operating authority filing (for-hire) | $199 | one-time |
The biennial update is included in the Owner-Operator Plan and the Small Fleet Plan, filed when due. See the plans.
How we file it
- We confirm your due month
From the last two digits of your USDOT number. If you are already past it, we file the same day to get the number reactivated.
- You send four numbers
Miles driven last calendar year, number of power units, number of trailers, number of drivers (with CDL and total). We pull the rest from your current record.
- We file in Motus and confirm
Submitted under your authorized filer permission. You get the confirmation for your file and the next due date on your calendar.
Getting an inactive USDOT number back
If FMCSA deactivated your number for a missed update, the way back is the update itself. Once the MCS-150 is filed and accepted in Motus, the number returns to active status, usually within a few business days. There is no separate reinstatement form and no government fee for the reactivation, but the civil penalty exposure for the period of non-compliance remains under 49 CFR 390.19.
Two things slow this down. First, the company official has to be identity-verified in Motus before anything can be filed, and if the person who used to hold the FMCSA Portal PIN has left the company, a current owner or employee has to verify from scratch. Second, an inactive USDOT number often means a lapsed UCR registration and sometimes an insurance filing that was cancelled when the insurer saw the inactive status. We check all three when we reactivate a number.
Cross-border carriers: an inactive USDOT number is visible to US Customs and Border Protection at Champlain, Buffalo and every other crossing. A Quebec carrier with a deactivated number will be refused entry, not just cited.
Check my status and file if needed
Give us your USDOT number. We confirm your due month, whether your last update was accepted, and whether the number is active. Written answer in one business day.
Online requests open soon. Call or email us and we answer the same business day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MCS-150 biennial update?
Form MCS-150 is the Motor Carrier Identification Report, the form behind your USDOT number. Under 49 CFR 390.19 every carrier must update it at least every 24 months, even if nothing has changed and even if you have stopped operating. The update refreshes your mileage, vehicle and driver counts, address and operation type in FMCSA's records.
How do I know when my update is due?
Look at the last two digits of your USDOT number. The last digit gives the month: 1 is January, 2 is February, through 9 for September, and 0 is October. The second-to-last digit gives the year: even digit, even years; odd digit, odd years. USDOT 2849731 is due in January of odd years, so January 2027. Use the MCS-150 deadline tool to check yours.
What happens if I miss it?
FMCSA deactivates the USDOT number. A deactivated number shows as inactive at roadside and to brokers, shippers and insurers, and you cannot run interstate on it. Civil penalties for failing to update can reach 1,000 USD per day up to 10,000 USD under 49 CFR 390.19; the inflation-adjusted amounts in 49 CFR 386 Appendix B are somewhat higher. Reactivation requires filing the update.
Is there a government fee?
No. FMCSA charges nothing for the MCS-150 update. Our fee is $79 per update, and it is included in both of our annual plans. Any letter or call that says you owe a government fee for the biennial update is not from FMCSA.
How did Motus change the update?
Since May 14, 2026 the update is done inside Motus, not through the old FMCSA Portal with a PIN. The company official (an owner or employee) must have verified their identity through Login.gov with IDEMIA before the update can be submitted. Once verified, the official can authorize Profirm as a third-party filer so we can submit the update for you.
Do I need to update sooner if something changes?
The biennial schedule is the minimum. Any change in name, address, operation classification, cargo or a large change in fleet size should be updated promptly; several states require it within 30 days for their own registrations. Updating early does not reset your biennial month. The next biennial update is still due in your assigned month and year.
I stopped operating. Do I still have to file?
Yes. A carrier that has ceased interstate operations files the MCS-150 marked "out of business" so the USDOT number is recorded as inactive on purpose rather than deactivated for non-filing. That matters if you restart later or sell the company.
What if I never got a reminder?
FMCSA does not mail reminders and does not call. The due month is fixed by your USDOT number, so no notice is needed. Mail that looks like a reminder and asks for a fee is from a private company. We put your due month on your compliance calendar and file it in the first week of that month.
Put your biennial month on our calendar, not yours.
We track the due month for every carrier we serve and file in the first week. No reminders to miss, no government fee to pay, no calls from anyone pretending to be FMCSA.