Ohio DOT Number Requirements: When a PUCO Number Stands in for USDOT

Ohio DOT number requirements depend on what kind of carrier you are. Ohio Adm.Code 4901:2-5-10 lists the exceptions Ohio makes to the federal marking rule, and two of them matter on the door: a number issued by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) and written "PUCO" may be shown instead of a USDOT number, and private motor carriers operating in intrastate commerce are not required to show a USDOT or PUCO number. This guide sorts out who falls where and what to ask PUCO.

Who needs what: the short version

Read the rule as three separate groups.

• Carriers that cross state lines. Rule 4901:2-5-10 is about intrastate commerce. For interstate operations the federal marking rule, 49 CFR 390.21T, is the text to read. It asks for the carrier's name and the USDOT number on both sides of the vehicle, in letters that contrast sharply with the background and can be read from 50 feet in daylight while the vehicle is stopped.
• Intrastate carriers that are not private carriers. The rule takes the federal marking rule as the starting point and says that "the identification number issued by the commission preceded by the letters PUCO" may be displayed in place of a USDOT number. So the door can carry either a USDOT number or a PUCO number.
• Private motor carriers operating in intrastate commerce. The rule says they "are not required to display a USDOT or PUCO number." A private carrier that also crosses state lines is no longer in this group, because the rule speaks only of intrastate commerce.

The rule does not define "private motor carrier" in the text we read. Whether your truck counts is a question for PUCO, and it is worth asking before you spend money on lettering in either direction.

"In lieu of" means one or the other

The rule's wording is "in lieu of," so PUCO instead of USDOT, not both together. If PUCO issued you a number and you choose it, the line reads PUCO and the number. We read nothing in the rule that says a truck must carry both.

Do not mix this up with the name. The federal rule puts the carrier's name in the marking, and none of the Ohio exceptions is about the name. A bare PUCO line with no company name leaves the name out, so most doors will want the name on top. Our company name on truck guide explains which name to use.

A worked example for the door

Take Lakeshore Hauling LLC, a made-up for-hire carrier that never leaves Ohio, with the made-up PUCO number 123456. Its door can read:

• LAKESHORE HAULING LLC
• PUCO 123456

If the same fictional company held a USDOT number and chose that instead, the second line would read USDOT and the number. The name line stays.

Slips we would look for before printing:

• Using a PUCO number on a truck that crosses state lines. The Ohio rule covers intrastate commerce, so ask which marking applies.
• A trade name that does not match what is on file. Our examples and mistakes guide lists the usual drift.
• Small letters in a color close to the door paint. Stand 50 feet back and read it.

Household goods movers have their own lettering rule

A different rule applies to trucks that move household goods. Ohio Adm.Code 4901:2-19-14 says all motor vehicles used to transport household goods in this state shall be marked with the carrier's business name, city and state, and PUCO certificate number, "in letters not less than two inches in height and three-eighths inch in width."

That height applies to the vehicles that rule names. It is Ohio's wording for household goods carriers, not a federal rule and not a general Ohio size for every truck. A decal that prints only a PUCO line leaves out the business name and the city and state, so a mover needs more lines. The Company Name + USDOT Decal and the Make-Your-Own 5-Line Lettering take whatever lines you type. Check the exact layout with PUCO.

Exemptions and look-alikes

Paragraph (B) of the rule lets the director of PUCO's transportation department grant a written exemption. The reasons the text names are an alternative marking system the carrier used before January 1, 1987, or a security hazard from displaying the required information. A carrier that gets one keeps a copy of the notice in each vehicle and at its principal place of business.

Paragraph (D) says a carrier may not display another carrier's identification.

Getting the numbers

• USDOT number: FMCSA issues it. New applications go through FMCSA's Motus system at motus.dot.gov. Our guide to getting a USDOT number covers the steps and the look-alike-site warning.
• PUCO number: the rule says the commission issues it. We did not find, in the rule text, how to apply, so ask the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio through puco.ohio.gov.

Do not letter either number until it has been issued to you. If you are still working out whether you need a USDOT number at all, try our free USDOT number checker, then confirm with the agency.

Questions to ask PUCO

Write down the date and who answered.

1. Am I a private motor carrier operating in intrastate commerce under rule 4901:2-5-10?
2. If not, may I use my PUCO number in place of USDOT?
3. Do any of my loads start or end outside Ohio, and how does that change the marking?
4. If I move household goods, what exact layout does rule 4901:2-19-14 want?

Ordering the PUCO decal

The PUCO Number Decal (Ohio) prints PUCO and the number you type on one rectangle. It is $18.99 per decal at 12 inches wide. You choose the width (12, 18 or 24 inches, which are decal widths and not legal sizes), the lettering color and the sticker background. To add the company name above it, use the Add a line option or the two-line Company Name + USDOT Decal. Preview it on a truck door in the door builder.

We print what you type. You answer for the number and for being registered. Rules change, so confirm yours with PUCO. For how other states compare, see USDOT number requirements by state, and for placement see where to put the USDOT number on a truck.