How to keep your MC and USDOT number active

The pieces that keep you active

Your USDOT number and your MC number (operating authority) are two different things, and each can go bad on its own:

• USDOT number: your safety registration. It goes inactive if you don't complete the biennial MCS-150 update, and it can be placed out of service by an FMCSA order.
• MC number (operating authority): your permission to haul for hire across state lines. It stays active only while your insurance filing and BOC-3 are on file with FMCSA.
• UCR: a separate yearly registration paid to the UCR Plan. It isn't part of your FMCSA authority record; the UCR Plan says you don't have to carry UCR credentials in the truck because enforcement checks it electronically.

FMCSA's insurance filing page says it plainly: after your authority is granted, maintain proof of insurance and designation of agents for process on file with FMCSA to avoid revocation proceedings.

The MCS-150 biennial update

Every motor carrier must update its MCS-150 every 24 months (49 CFR 390.19T). FMCSA says the update is free and required even if your company has not changed its information.

Which month: the last digit of your USDOT number. File by the last day of that month.

Which year: the next-to-last digit. Odd means odd-numbered years (2025, 2027). Even (including 0) means even-numbered years (2026, 2028).

Example: USDOT 1234567 ends in 7, so it's due by July 31. The next-to-last digit is 6, which is even, so it's due in 2026, 2028 and so on.

If you miss it: the rule says your USDOT number is deactivated and you're subject to civil penalties. FMCSA's page puts the penalty at up to $1,000 a day, capped at $10,000. On SAFER, an inactive number shows “Inactive per 49 CFR 390.19(b)(4); biennial update of MCS-150 data not completed.” Also update the MCS-150 any time your address, phone, fleet size or operation changes, so brokers and inspectors see the right numbers.

What changed in 2026: Motus

FMCSA replaced its old registration tools with Motus, its new USDOT registration system:

• On May 14, 2026, FMCSA retired registration filing in URS, L&I and the FMCSA Portal. FMCSA says Motus launched on May 19.
• In Motus you can submit your biennial update, update your company name and address, reinstate a suspended authority or reapply after revocation, inactivate or reactivate your USDOT number and track your requests.
• To claim your company's account, the company official signs in with the same Login.gov email used in the FMCSA Portal and completes identity verification.
• Existing USDOT and MC numbers don't change. FMCSA says new numbers will be randomized and that removing MC numbers is still under consideration.

Biennial update pause. During the move, FMCSA temporarily suspended enforcement of the biennial update and the inactivation of USDOT numbers for missed updates. Registrants whose update was due on or after June 1, 2026 will get additional time. FMCSA hasn't set an end date (its page was last updated September 10, 2026) and says more guidance is coming. Our advice: file your update in Motus as soon as you can, so the pause ending doesn't catch you. For help, FMCSA's registration line is 1-800-832-5660.

Insurance filings: BMC-91 and BMC-91X

Your policy isn't enough by itself. Your insurance company must file proof with FMCSA, and you can't file it yourself.

• BMC-91 certifies the full required liability coverage. BMC-91X can show full coverage or one layer when more than one insurer adds up to the limit. A surety bond uses BMC-82 instead.
• Minimums for for-hire carriers of general (non-hazardous) freight: $750,000 for vehicles of 10,001 lb GVWR or more and $300,000 for fleets of only vehicles under 10,001 lb (49 CFR 387.303T). Hazmat needs more.
• Cancellation: a filed certificate can't be cancelled until 30 days after FMCSA receives the notice of cancellation (Form BMC-35 for insurance policies). The insurer, or you, can send it (49 CFR 387.313T(d)).
• Switching insurers: when a new certificate is accepted, the old insurer's filing ends on the new one's effective date (387.313T(e)). Have the new company file before the old policy ends, so there's no gap.

If the 30 days run out with no replacement on file, your authority faces revocation. SAFER has a link on each carrier's snapshot to check for a pending insurance cancellation. Running without the required coverage carries a civil penalty of up to $21,114, and each day counts as a separate offense (49 CFR part 386, appendix B). See the insurance checklist and our trucking insurance guide.

BOC-3 and UCR

BOC-3 (process agent). A process agent is a person in a state who can receive legal papers for your company. You must name one for each state where you're authorized to operate and each state you drive through (49 CFR 366.4T). Most carriers use a blanket company that covers every state on one BOC-3. Only one current BOC-3 can be on file, and you change it by filing a new one (366.6T). If your blanket company drops you or goes out of business, file a new BOC-3 right away. See the BOC-3 checklist.

UCR (Unified Carrier Registration). Motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders and leasing companies in interstate commerce register and pay every year. Enforcement of each registration year starts January 1. A final rule published September 1, 2026 set these fees for 2027 and later:

The UCR Plan says 2027 registration is open now. Pay it before January 1. See the UCR checklist.

What gets a USDOT or MC shut down

• Insurance cancelled with no replacement after the 30-day notice period.
• No BOC-3 on file, for example when your process agent company cancels.
• Missed biennial update: the USDOT number goes inactive (paused for now during the Motus move, as above).
• New entrant safety audit: if you fail the audit and don't send acceptable corrective action in time, FMCSA revokes your new entrant registration and issues an out-of-service order, on day 61 or day 46 from the notice depending on the violations (49 CFR 385.325). Refusing the audit leads to revocation on the 11th day after the notice (385.337). See the safety audit checklist.
• Unsatisfactory or unfit: when a proposed unsatisfactory safety rating or unfitness determination becomes final, FMCSA revokes your operating authority (385.13).
• Unpaid civil penalties: if you don't pay within 90 days after the date set in FMCSA's final order, you're barred from interstate operation starting day 91 (386.83).
• Asking for it: you can request voluntary revocation if you stop hauling for hire.

Hauling for hire without active authority carries a minimum civil penalty of $13,676 per violation (49 CFR part 386, appendix B). Brokers check your FMCSA status before they book you, so a lapse can cost you freight before it costs you a fine.

How to check your status

• SAFER Company Snapshot (safer.fmcsa.dot.gov): search by USDOT or MC number. Look at USDOT Status (Active, Inactive or Out-of-Service), MCS-150 Form Date (your last update), Operating Authority Status (Authorized or Not Authorized) and the link for a pending insurance cancellation.
• L&I (Licensing and Insurance) public search: your authority history, insurance filings on record and BOC-3. Filing in L&I ended May 14, 2026, but the public carrier search was still up when we checked.
• Public Motus Search: FMCSA's new search for a registration record by USDOT number, legal name or DBA.

Check after any change and once a month anyway. Our free carrier lookup pulls your FMCSA record, and the MC age checker shows how long your authority has been active.

Reinstating a revoked authority or inactive USDOT

1. Fix the cause first. Have your insurance company file a new BMC-91 or BMC-91X and get a BOC-3 on file. FMCSA won't process reinstatement without both.
2. Make sure your USDOT number is active with current contact information. If it went inactive for a missed biennial update, submit the MCS-150 update; FMCSA says that's how you reactivate a USDOT number.
3. Request reinstatement in Motus (“reinstate a suspended operating authority or reapply after revocation”). FMCSA's fee to reinstate is $80, and it says authority is typically active within a week of receiving the request and valid payment.
4. Who can't reinstate: carriers placed out of service as an imminent hazard or for a final unsatisfactory rating. They have to fix that first.
5. Check SAFER until it shows Authorized again before you take a load. Then tell your brokers and your factoring company.

This page is general information, not legal advice. For a specific out-of-service order or audit, talk to FMCSA or a compliance professional. Fleetorica is a dispatch service; our compliance help can track these dates for you, and see getting loads with a new MC if you're starting over.

Questions carriers ask