USDOT number application
Answer a few questions about your trucking business. We build a complete application, you verify your identity, and we file it and confirm your number.
Takes about a minute. We reply with next steps and a quote.
FMCSA's Motus registration system now requires identity verification for new registrants. The person applying signs in with Login.gov, photographs a government-issued ID, and completes a face scan on a smartphone or tablet. Have your ID and phone ready before you start.
Step 1
Gathering these first keeps the application moving. If something is missing, we will tell you exactly what and why.
Legal business name exactly as registered with your state, any trade name you operate under, and the physical address where the business is run and records are kept.
An Employer Identification Number from the IRS for most companies. The name tied to the EIN should match the legal name on the application.
The people who own or control the company, with their titles and contact details. The application asks for company officers and a primary contact.
How many trucks, tractors, trailers or buses you own or lease, and how many drivers you will use, including you if you drive.
Whether you cross state lines, whether you haul for pay or move your own goods, what cargo you carry, and whether any of it is hazardous material.
FMCSA's Motus registration system requires identity verification for new registrants: a Login.gov account, a photo of a government-issued ID, and a face scan from a smartphone or tablet.
Step 2
The USDOT application is organized into a handful of parts. Here is what each part covers and where applicants most often get tripped up.
Who is applying.
Watch for: The name and address must match your state filing and IRS records. A mismatch is one of the most common reasons an application stalls.
What kind of entity you are.
Watch for: These answers decide whether you also need operating authority. Choosing the wrong classification can mean refiling later.
What goods or passengers you move.
Watch for: List what you actually plan to haul. Hazmat and household goods carry added requirements.
The equipment you will run.
Watch for: Count power units you control today, not the fleet you hope to have next year. You update the record as you grow.
Who will be behind the wheel.
Watch for: Owner-operators count themselves as a driver.
The attestations and verification step.
Watch for: The identity check is done by the applicant on their own device. We walk you through it so it is quick.
Step 3
You stay in control. Nothing is submitted until you have reviewed it.
Use the short form at the top of this page, or call us. We ask the same questions the application asks, in plain language.
We map your answers to the right operation and cargo classifications and flag anything that needs a decision from you.
You approve a summary before anything is submitted and complete the Motus photo ID check on your phone.
We submit, confirm the number is on record, and tell you which filings come next, such as MC authority, BOC-3 or UCR.
Prefer to file on your own? You can apply directly through FMCSA registration at no government cost for the USDOT number.
Services
Many new carriers need more than a USDOT number. Pick one filing or have us handle the set so every record uses the same details.
For carriers that need a USDOT number to operate commercial vehicles in interstate commerce, or in states that require one for intrastate work.
There is no government fee for a USDOT number.
For-hire carriers of regulated cargo across state lines, brokers and freight forwarders generally need operating authority in addition to a USDOT number.
A government application fee applies and is paid separately.
A BOC-3 designates process agents to accept legal papers for your company. It must be on file before authority is granted.
Process-agent charges apply. No government fee.
Unified Carrier Registration is an annual registration for most interstate carriers, brokers and freight forwarders.
The annual fee is set by fleet size and paid separately.
Detailed intake
This longer intake follows the same order as the application and takes a few minutes. It lets us quote accurately on the first call. We review it and contact you with next steps and a quote before any work begins.
FAQ
Under federal rules, companies generally need one if they operate commercial vehicles in interstate commerce and a vehicle has a gross weight rating or combination weight of 10,001 pounds or more, is designed to carry more than 8 passengers (including the driver) for pay or more than 15 without pay, or hauls hazardous materials in amounts that require placards. Many states also require a USDOT number for intrastate commercial vehicles.
No. FMCSA does not charge a fee to register for a USDOT number. Operating authority has a government application fee, and UCR has an annual fee based on fleet size. If you hire a private service like ours, our fee is separate and added to any government fees.
Yes. Anyone can apply directly with FMCSA. Some owners prefer to do it themselves. Others hire help so the classifications are right, the details match, and the next filings are lined up. Both are reasonable choices.
Motus is FMCSA's newer registration system. New registrants sign in with Login.gov and complete identity verification by photographing a government-issued ID and scanning their face with a smartphone or tablet. The person applying completes this step personally; we explain what to expect beforehand.
Preparing the answers is usually the slow part. Once a complete application is submitted, many applicants receive their USDOT number quickly, though agency timing varies and is not guaranteed. Operating authority takes longer because of review, a public protest period, and insurance and BOC-3 filings.
Only if you need interstate operating authority. That usually applies to for-hire carriers of regulated cargo or passengers across state lines, and to brokers and freight forwarders. A private carrier moving its own goods typically needs a USDOT number but not operating authority.
The same things the application asks: business name and address, tax ID, officers, type of operation, cargo, vehicles and drivers. Please do not send passwords, full Social Security numbers or ID images through the website form. We will tell you how to provide sensitive details securely.
No. We are a private filing-assistance service, not a government agency, and we are not affiliated with or endorsed by FMCSA or USDOT. You may always file directly with FMCSA.
Start your USDOT number application today. We will follow up with your next steps.
Start my application