USDOT number and operating authority, filed right the first time
We prepare and file your USDOT number and for-hire authority in Motus, coordinate the insurance filing and the BOC-3, and tell you exactly what FMCSA charges ($300 per authority type) versus what we charge. Authority in about 21 days.
Who needs a USDOT number
Any interstate operation with a vehicle rated 10,001 lb or more, placarded hazmat, or 9 or more passengers for compensation. No government fee. 49 CFR 390.19.
Who needs authority
For-hire carriers of regulated commodities or passengers across state lines, plus brokers and freight forwarders. $300 federal fee per authority type. 49 CFR 365.
Who does not
Private carriers hauling their own goods and for-hire carriers of exempt commodities (unprocessed agricultural products, for example) need the USDOT number only.
The identity verification step, explained
Motus replaced the FMCSA Portal and the Unified Registration System on May 14, 2026. The biggest change for a new carrier is that the application is tied to a verified person, not just a company name and an EIN.
That person is the company official. They create a Login.gov account, then complete identity verification with IDEMIA: a photo of a government ID, a facial match from a phone camera, and in some cases a video call. The company official must be an owner or an employee of the carrier. A consultant, a dispatcher or a filing service cannot be the company official.
Once verified, the company official can authorize a third-party filer inside Motus. That is how Profirm works for you: you verify once, we do the filing, and you approve what we submit. Nothing is filed in your name without your login.
Docket numbers changed too. FMCSA stopped issuing MC, FF and MX numbers on October 1, 2025. Your USDOT number now identifies the company, with suffixes that show which authority types you hold. Existing MC numbers stay valid.
Only motus.dot.gov is real
In September 2026 FMCSA flagged four fake Motus websites that collected carrier logins and payment details. The only registration site is motus.dot.gov. FMCSA never robocalls carriers, never charges for forms, and never endorses a vendor. If a caller says your USDOT number will be suspended unless you pay now, hang up.
Our fee and the federal fee, side by side
New carrier start-up package
- USDOT number and operating authority filed in Motus
- BOC-3 process agent
- UCR registration
- Clearinghouse registration and C/TPA designation
- Consortium enrollment, first year
- Drug and alcohol policy
- Your 12-month new-entrant compliance calendar
Registration filings
| 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 |
| MCS-150 biennial update | $79 | one-time |
| New carrier start-up package | $649 | one-time |
The federal authority fee is $300 per authority type (for example, one fee for motor carrier of property, a second if you also want broker authority). Paid on Pay.gov at submission. Insurance premiums are set by your insurer and are not included.
How the filing works, step by step
- Verify the company official
The owner or an employee creates a Login.gov account and completes IDEMIA identity verification at motus.dot.gov. About 15 minutes with a driver licence or passport and a phone camera.
- Authorize Profirm and send us your details
Legal name, EIN, address, vehicle and driver counts, cargo, operation type. We prepare the application and you approve it in Motus.
- File the USDOT number and authority
USDOT number is issued on submission, no government fee. The authority application is filed at the same time with the $300 federal fee paid on Pay.gov.
- Insurance and BOC-3
Your insurer files the liability form electronically. We file the BOC-3 process agent designation. FMCSA will not grant authority without both.
- Authority granted, compliance starts
About 21 days after everything is in. We then handle UCR, Clearinghouse, consortium enrollment and your 12-month new-entrant calendar.
Everything FMCSA needs before it grants authority
- USDOT number application in Motus: company identity, operation classification, cargo, vehicle and driver counts, mileage, hazmat indicators.
- Operating authority application: motor carrier of property, passenger, household goods, broker or freight forwarder. One federal fee per type.
- Insurance coordination: your insurer files form BMC-91 or BMC-91X for liability directly with FMCSA. Minimums are 750,000 USD for general freight, higher for hazmat and passengers. Brokers file a 75,000 USD bond (BMC-84) or trust (BMC-85) instead.
- BOC-3 process agent designation under 49 CFR 366, blanket designation for all states. Details on the BOC-3 page.
- UCR registration for the current year, due as soon as you operate interstate. See the UCR fee table.
- Clearinghouse and consortium: employer registration, C/TPA designation and random pool enrollment, which the new-entrant auditor asks for first.
The timeline
Day 0: identity verified, application filed, USDOT number issued. Days 1 to 10: the authority application posts in the FMCSA Register for protests. Days 1 to 15: insurance and BOC-3 filed. Around day 21: authority granted, provided the insurance and the process agent are on record. If a filing is missing, the application waits; after 90 days without insurance it is dismissed and the federal fee is not refunded.
Get a written quote in one business day
Tell us what you haul, where, and whether you drive for hire. We tell you which filings you need and which you do not.
Online requests open soon. Call or email us and we answer the same business day.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a USDOT number?
Yes if you operate in interstate commerce a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more, or one that carries placarded hazardous materials, or one designed to carry 9 or more passengers for compensation (16 or more without compensation). Many states also require a USDOT number for intrastate operation. 49 CFR 390.19 and 390.201.
Do I need operating authority too?
Only if you haul for hire. Authority is required to transport regulated commodities or passengers for compensation across state lines, and for brokers and freight forwarders. Private carriers hauling their own goods and for-hire carriers hauling exempt commodities such as unprocessed agricultural products need only the USDOT number. 49 CFR 365.
What does the government charge?
Nothing for the USDOT number. $300 per authority type for operating authority, paid on Pay.gov when the application is submitted. There is no government fee for the BOC-3. Our filing fees are listed separately above and never include or hide the federal fee.
What is Motus and why do I have to verify my identity?
Motus is the FMCSA registration system that replaced the FMCSA Portal and the Unified Registration System on May 14, 2026. Every applicant is represented by a company official who verifies identity through Login.gov with IDEMIA: a photo of a government ID plus a facial match. The company official must be an owner or an employee. FMCSA introduced the step to stop identity theft and "chameleon" carriers registering under other people's names.
Can Profirm file for me if I have to verify myself?
Yes. You verify once, as the company official, and authorize Profirm as a third-party filer inside Motus. From then on we prepare and submit the USDOT application, the authority application, the MCS-150 updates and the rest. You keep control of the account and see everything we file.
Will I get an MC number?
No. FMCSA stopped issuing MC, FF and MX docket numbers on October 1, 2025. Existing MC numbers remain valid. New carriers are identified by the USDOT number, with suffixes that indicate the authority types held. Brokers and shippers already accept the USDOT number in place of the MC number.
How long does it take to get authority?
About 21 days after the application, the insurance filing and the BOC-3 are all in. The application posts for a 10-day protest period, then FMCSA checks that the insurer has filed the liability form and that a process agent is on record before granting authority. Missing insurance is the reason most applications stall.
I am a Canadian carrier. Is the process different?
The same USDOT number and authority apply. A Quebec or Ontario carrier running to New York or Michigan needs a USDOT number and, if hauling for hire, operating authority with US insurance filings. Canadian-domiciled drivers use their provincial licence under reciprocity. We have registered Canadian carriers with FMCSA since the 1990s and do the Motus filing in English or French.
Starting a trucking company? Start with the paperwork done right.
One package covers the USDOT number, authority, BOC-3, UCR, Clearinghouse and consortium, with a calendar for the first 12 months. Government fees always shown apart.