How to Get a USDOT Number: Steps, Cost and Timing

How to get a USDOT number: you apply through FMCSA's Motus registration system at motus.dot.gov. FMCSA says to access Motus there to apply for a new USDOT number, operating authority or other registration (FMCSA). You make a user profile, verify your identity, set up a company account, and then register.

Anyone can walk through those steps, but a few details trip people up: which registration you actually need, where the real site is, and what to believe about cost and timing.

Step 1: Work out what you need

FMCSA has a USDOT Wizard that helps you identify which registration applies. A USDOT number is only one of the possibilities. Operating authority, the MC number, is a separate registration that for-hire carriers file for, as explained in our MC number vs DOT number guide.

If you are not sure your vehicle counts, read who needs a USDOT number first. FMCSA says companies operating commercial vehicles in interstate commerce must have one, and that some states require one for intrastate carriers (FMCSA).

Step 2: Use Motus, not the old system

FMCSA retired its older registration tools in May 2026 and launched Motus. It says the old Unified Registration System is permanently offline (FMCSA FAQs). If a website still walks you through the old portal, treat it as out of date.

Step 3: Verify your identity

The process FMCSA describes (Federal Register notice on Motus, FMCSA) is:

1. Create a user profile and complete identity verification. FMCSA's notice mentions Login.gov and a government ID, and says a smartphone or tablet is needed.
2. Create or claim a company account.
3. Register for a USDOT number, operating authority or both.

Do the verification part on a day you have your ID and your phone in reach, so you do not stall halfway.

Get the company name straight before you start. The name on your registration is the name that has to appear on the truck, so decide on your exact legal name or the single trade name you will use. If you already have a number, FMCSA says existing registrants keep their current USDOT number (FMCSA FAQs).

How much does it cost?

FMCSA's own pages are the source, and fees change, so check Motus before you pay anyone. We are not going to quote a figure for the USDOT registration itself, because an out-of-date number does more harm than none.

What we can source is the operating authority side. If you also need an MC number, FMCSA lists a $300 filing fee for permanent authority, a separate fee for each kind of authority, and no refund of application fees (FMCSA). Check FMCSA for the current amount.

How long does it take?

Check Motus for the status and timing of your own application. FMCSA's pages do not give us a Motus processing time we can stand behind, and figures you see in older articles may describe the retired system. Plan your decal order around your number being in hand: the number is what goes on the decal.

Watch for look-alike sites

FMCSA says the legitimate address is motus.dot.gov, and its fraud alerts page warns about fake Motus and SAFER look-alike sites (FMCSA fraud alerts). So type the address yourself instead of clicking an ad, and be wary of anyone offering to "get your number" through a page that is not on FMCSA's own site.

After you have the number

Keep the registration current. FMCSA's rules call for registration information to be updated on a schedule (49 CFR 390.19T), and FMCSA decides how it enforces the deadlines, so check its site for the current rules.

Then put the number on the truck. The marking rule asks for your name as listed on your registration and the USDOT number on both sides (49 CFR 390.21); our USDOT number display rules explain it. Use the door builder to preview the lettering, or start from the Custom USDOT Logo or the USDOT + MC two-line decal. Look up your finished record with our USDOT number lookup guide.