Trucking compliance in Texas: USDOT, UCR, IFTA, permits
1,712 carriers got a new USDOT number in Texas in August 2026. Here is what each of them needs in the first year: the federal stack, the Texas layer on top, and the government fees kept apart from ours.
What a new carrier in Texas needs
Federal, same in every state
- USDOT number, filed in Motus (motus.dot.gov, the only real site). No government fee. Company official verifies identity through Login.gov.
- Operating authority for for-hire interstate loads: $300 per authority type on Pay.gov, granted about 21 days after filing, insurance and BOC-3. 49 CFR 365.
- BOC-3 process agent designation, no government fee, required before authority is granted. 49 CFR 366.
- UCR in your base state: $46 for 0 to 2 vehicles in 2026.
- Drug and alcohol program with a C/TPA: random pool at 50 percent drugs and 10 percent alcohol. 49 CFR 382.305. Owner-operators must use a consortium.
- FMCSA Clearinghouse registration, C/TPA designation, pre-employment full query and annual limited query per driver.
- Driver qualification file per driver. 49 CFR 391.51.
- MCS-150 biennial update on the schedule set by your USDOT number. 49 CFR 390.19.
- New-entrant safety audit within 12 months of the USDOT number.
Texas layer
- Intrastate authority: Texas DMV, Motor Carrier Division. Intrastate carriers register for a TxDMV number and file proof of insurance with TxDMV.
- IFTA licence and decals: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Qualified vehicle: 26,001 lb or more, three or more axles, or a combination over 26,000 lb.
- IRP apportioned plates for interstate vehicles over 26,000 lb, from the Texas registration agency.
- UCR: Texas participates in UCR. A Texas-based carrier registers UCR with Texas as the base state.
- USDOT for intrastate: Texas requires intrastate carriers to register with TxDMV when a vehicle or combination is over 26,000 lb, carries placarded hazardous materials, or is designed for more than 15 passengers. Interstate operations follow the federal 10,001 lb GVWR threshold for a USDOT number.
- Weight-distance taxes elsewhere: Texas has none, but runs through New York (HUT), Kentucky (KYU), New Mexico or Oregon need those permits before entry.
Texas at a glance
New USDOT numbers, August 2026: 1,712
Intrastate authority: Yes
IFTA: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Weight-distance tax: No
Metros: Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso
Servicio en español: profirmusa.com/es/
Border and ports
Laredo is the busiest commercial land crossing on the US-Mexico border. El Paso, Pharr and Eagle Pass carry heavy cross-border truck traffic. Houston is a major Gulf container and energy port.
Texas quirks
Intrastate carriers need a TxDMV number and an insurance filing with the Texas DMV Motor Carrier Division, separate from the federal USDOT number.
Texas has more new USDOT registrations than any other state, so new-entrant audits are scheduled at high volume.
Oversize and overweight permits for Texas roads come from TxDMV, not from FMCSA.
Federal fee stack for a one-truck Texas carrier
Government fees on the left, ours on the right, never blended. FMCSA warns about vendors that blur the two and never charges for a USDOT number itself.
| Service | Our fee | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| USDOT number filing (Motus) | $99 | one-time |
| Operating authority filing (for-hire) | $199 | one-time |
| BOC-3 process agent filing | $49 | one-time |
| UCR registration filing | $49 | per year |
| Consortium enrollment, owner-operator | $99 | per year |
| IFTA license and decals | $99 | one-time |
Government total for this stack: $346 (authority plus 2026 UCR, 0 to 2 vehicles; IFTA decal fee varies by state). Profirm total: $594. The new carrier start-up package bundles these filings for $649.
Texas intrastate authority, IRP plates and state permits are quoted separately because their fees depend on the vehicle and the jurisdictions you run.
Texas metros we serve
- Houston
- Dallas and Fort Worth
- San Antonio
- Austin
- El Paso
Collection sites for DOT tests are part of a network of more than 12,000 locations, so a driver in any of these metros goes to the closest one. Filings are federal or base-state, so nothing on this page requires a visit.
Cross-border: Profirm has filed US registrations for Quebec and Ontario carriers since 1988. If your Texas operation runs into Canada, or a Canadian partner runs into Texas, the same desk handles both sides.
Get your Texas checklist in writing
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Texas questions
Do I need operating authority to run intrastate in Texas?
Texas DMV, Motor Carrier Division. Intrastate carriers register for a TxDMV number and file proof of insurance with TxDMV. This is separate from FMCSA operating authority, which applies to interstate loads. Most carriers that cross state lines need both.
Who issues the IFTA licence in Texas?
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. One licence and one set of decals from your base state cover every IFTA jurisdiction, including Quebec and Ontario. Returns are due April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31. Profirm sets up the account for $99 and files each quarter for $75 for 1 to 3 trucks.
Where do I register UCR as a Texas carrier?
Texas participates in UCR. A Texas-based carrier registers UCR with Texas as the base state. The 2026 fee for 0 to 2 vehicles is $46; 2027 registration opens October 1, 2026 at $55 and enforcement starts after January 1, 2027.
Do I need a TxDMV number if I already have a USDOT number?
If you run intrastate in Texas with a vehicle over 26,000 lb, yes. The TxDMV number is a Texas registration with its own insurance filing at the Motor Carrier Division. The USDOT number covers interstate operations under FMCSA. Most Texas carriers that haul out of state end up with both.
I cross at Laredo or El Paso. What changes?
Nothing on the federal side: the same USDOT number, authority and consortium apply. Mexican-domiciled carriers have their own rules under FMCSA. If you haul Mexican freight beyond the commercial zone you need US authority, US insurance and a drug and alcohol program that covers every driver who touches the load in the US.
Starting a trucking company in Texas?
Tell us what you haul and where. We list every filing, the government fee and our fee, the same business day. No fake deadlines.