USDOT Number Requirements by State

USDOT number requirements by state follow one pattern: most states simply have intrastate trucks show the federal USDOT number, and only a few add their own number or suffix. California has its CA number, Georgia adds "GA" after the USDOT number, and Illinois, Nevada and New Mexico have numbers for the carriers they regulate. Kentucky's KYU is a tax license, not a carrier ID. The federal baseline is 49 CFR 390.21: legal name and USDOT number on both sides, in letters that contrast sharply and can be read from 50 feet in daylight. Our display rules page explains it in plain words.

How to read this list

We list a state only when we read the rule on an official government page or in the statute text. If your state is missing, that means we have not verified it, not that nothing applies. Rules change and this is not legal advice, so confirm with your state agency before you order lettering.

States that add their own number or suffix

California

California's carrier identification number, the CA number, is issued by the California Highway Patrol and is used by the DMV as the Motor Carrier Permit number (DMV). A carrier that must hold the permit displays the CA number, or may show a valid USDOT, PUC or Cal-T number in its place (CHP). Details: CA number for trucks.

Georgia

Georgia requires carriers that operate only within Georgia to display their USDOT number followed by the letters "GA" (Georgia DPS rulebook).

Illinois

Intrastate carriers licensed by the Illinois Commerce Commission must show their trade name and license number on both sides of the cab or power unit (Illinois Vehicle Code 18c-4701). The number is preceded by "ILL.C.C." and followed by the carrier-type letters on the license (92 Ill. Adm. Code 1307.20). For other intrastate trucks, ask the state.

Nevada

Nevada's DMV says you must have a USDOT number even if you only stay in Nevada, provided your vehicle weighs 26,001 pounds or more (Nevada DMV). Carriers regulated by the Nevada Transportation Authority show "CPCN" and the certificate number, or "MV" and the permit number for contract carriers, on each side of the power unit (NAC 706.170).

New Mexico

New Mexico moved its Public Regulation Commission transportation division to the Department of Transportation on July 1, 2024, and existing NMPRC authority numbers remain valid (NMDOT FAQ). NMDOT-regulated carriers display their operating authority number as "NM" plus the number, in characters at least two and one-half inches high, on the right and left doors or sides of the power unit, unless an exception applies (18.3.4.13 NMAC). That authority covers compensated transportation such as household goods moving and towing, not every truck (NMDOT).

Kentucky

KYU is a weight-distance tax license issued by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to carriers traveling Kentucky roads with a combined license weight greater than 59,999 pounds (KYTC). Separately, KYTC says carriers running vehicles of 10,001 pounds GVWR or more in Kentucky need a USDOT number and must display it (KYTC). Details: KYU number on trucks.

Texas

TxDMV says its intrastate operating authority certificate was formerly known as a "TxDOT number," and that a USDOT number is a separate identifier, not operating authority (TxDMV). Texas DPS lists the USDOT number and the carrier's legal name as the required markings for commercial motor vehicles with three or more axles, truck tractors and road tractors (DPS). Details: Texas DOT number for trucks.

States that point to the federal marking rule

• Arizona: the DPS says the state requires covered intrastate commercial vehicles to get a USDOT number and display it on power units per the federal rule (Arizona DPS).
• Florida: statute 316.302 applies the federal part 390 rules to intrastate commercial vehicles, exempting those under 26,001 pounds that carry no placardable hazardous materials (Florida Statutes).
• New York: business trucks with a GVWR or GCWR of 10,001 pounds or more need a USDOT number and must be marked on both sides with the legal business name. NYSDOT adds that more marking rules apply in New York City (NYSDOT).
• Oregon: legal name and U.S. DOT number on both sides of each power unit, no Oregon-specific number, with an exception for private carriage within Oregon at 26,000 pounds or less (ODOT).
• Washington: intrastate vehicles with a GVWR of 16,001 pounds or more must get a USDOT number and display it (Washington DOL).

New Jersey adds a weight sign rather than a carrier number: commercial motor vehicles of 26,001 pounds GVWR or more registered or principally garaged there display the GVWR (NJ MVC). See GVW stickers and weight decals.

What FMCSA says about the states

FMCSA says some states require their intrastate commercial motor vehicle registrants to obtain a USDOT number, and tells carriers to check with their responsible state agency (FMCSA). Its page, last updated September 3, 2025, lists 38 states and Puerto Rico: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Being on that list tells you a state wants the number. It does not tell you how the state wants it marked.

If your state is not listed

1. Check the FMCSA list above, since it can change.
2. Contact the state agency that handles commercial vehicles and ask two things: does my truck need the USDOT number at its weight, and does the state add its own number or suffix?
3. Compare weights. The cut-offs we verified differ: 10,001 pounds in Kentucky, New York and Georgia, 16,001 in Washington, and 26,001 in Nevada and Arizona.
4. Write down the answer and the date. Then order.

If your state asks for a number beyond USDOT, see the CA number decal, KYU number decal and TXDOT number decal, or lay out your own lines in the door builder.