FMCSA Motus Registration: A Step-by-Step Guide for Carriers

Motus is FMCSA's new online registration system, at motus.dot.gov. It replaced the Unified Registration System (URS) and the registration functions of the FMCSA Portal, and it opened to all registrants on May 19, 2026. To get in, you sign in with Login.gov, pass an identity check, and then your company official claims your existing USDOT number.

What Motus is (and what it is not)

FMCSA announced Motus in a Federal Register notice on April 29, 2026 (91 FR 23144). According to that notice:

• Motus replaces URS and the FMCSA Portal.
• FMCSA is retiring the registration parts of MCMIS (its main carrier database) and the old Licensing and Insurance (L&I) system, and moving those functions into Motus.
• Motus becomes the unified registration system that federal law requires.

You use Motus to apply for a USDOT number and operating authority, update company information, file your biennial update, request name or address changes, reinstate authority, and more.

Motus is not an ELD. It does not record hours of service. It has nothing to do with your logging device. If someone tries to sell you a "Motus ELD," that is not an FMCSA product.

The timeline

FMCSA has posted updates on its Registration Modernization Resources Hub at fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/resources-hub. Check there for anything that has changed since this guide was written.

Before you start

Gather these before you sit down. It will save you from getting stuck halfway.

1. Know who your company official is. This is the person listed as the company official on your FMCSA Portal account. They are the one who must claim the USDOT number. If you are an owner-operator, it is probably you.
2. The company official's Login.gov email. FMCSA's job aid says you must use the same Login.gov email in Motus that the company official used in the FMCSA Portal.
3. A smartphone or tablet with a camera. The identity check uses it to scan your ID and your face.
4. A valid government-issued photo ID. A driver's license, state ID card, passport, or permanent resident card. Make sure it is not expired.
5. Access to the email inbox. Motus sends a verification code to the company official's email.
6. Your company records. Have your USDOT number, legal business name, address, EIN, and a printout of your current SAFER snapshot. FMCSA asked carriers to save a copy of their records so they could compare them with what shows up in Motus.

Step-by-step: getting into Motus

FMCSA publishes official job aids on this process, including "Motus Quick-Start: A Guide to Your First Login" and "How to Claim Your USDOT Number in Motus." Screens and button names can change, so use those job aids as the final word. Here is the general flow.

Step 1: Go to motus.dot.gov

Type motus.dot.gov into your browser yourself. Do not click a link from an email or text message. Bookmark it once you are there.

Step 2: Sign in with Login.gov

Motus uses Login.gov, the federal government's sign-in service. If the company official already has a Login.gov account from the FMCSA Portal or the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, use that same account and email.

If you need a new account, Login.gov will ask for an email address, a strong password, and a second way to sign in (like a phone number or an authentication app).

Step 3: Verify your identity

The first time you sign in, you must pass an identity check. The Federal Register notice describes it this way:

1. Scan a QR code in Motus with your smartphone or tablet.
2. Choose your language, the country that issued your document, and the document type.
3. Take a photo of your ID.
4. Take a photo of your face by scanning it with the phone.
5. Go back to Motus and finish.

FMCSA's notice says its vendor for identity document checks is IDEMIA, and that FMCSA and its vendor will not store, share, or sell the information.

Step 4: Claim your USDOT number

Once you are in, the company official links the existing USDOT number to their Motus profile. According to FMCSA's job aid, the official:

1. Selects the option to link a USDOT number.
2. Enters a verification code sent by email.
3. Reviews the company information and accepts the certification statements.

You no longer need a USDOT PIN for this. FMCSA has said Login.gov access removes the need for PINs.

Step 5: Business verification

The Federal Register notice says Motus also runs a business verification check, done by CLEAR under a September 2025 FMCSA agreement. It confirms things like your legal name, principal place of business, ownership, and company officials. Exactly when and how this step appears for existing carriers may vary, so check FMCSA's current instructions.

Step 6: Review your record and add users

After you claim the number, look over everything carefully:

• Legal name, DBA, and addresses
• Phone and email
• Operation type, cargo, number of trucks, and number of drivers
• Insurance and BOC-3 filings
• Operating authority status

If anything is wrong, fix it in Motus. Then add any other users who need access, such as an office manager. Give access only to people who really need it.

Common problems and how to handle them

Name or address mismatches

If your FMCSA record says one name and your IRS or state records say another, verification may stall. Common examples: a missing "LLC," an old address after a move, or a DBA used in place of the legal name.

What to do: Find which record is wrong. Update the source (your state filing, IRS records, or FMCSA record) so they all match. Then try again.

The company official is not available

This happens a lot. The original company official might be a former partner, a past employee, or someone who set up the account years ago. Because claiming requires the official's own Login.gov account and identity check, nobody else can do it for them.

What to do: Contact FMCSA through the contact option on motus.dot.gov and explain the situation. Be ready to show that you are an owner or officer of the business. Some industry sources report that the company official must now be an owner or direct employee, not an outside agent. We could not confirm this on FMCSA's own pages, so check FMCSA's current instructions.

You no longer have the email

If the company official's Login.gov email is an old address you cannot access, you cannot get the verification code.

What to do: Try to recover the email account first. If you cannot, contact FMCSA for help. Check FMCSA's current instructions for how to change the company official's email.

The identity check fails

Identity checks fail for simple reasons: blurry photos, glare on the ID, an expired ID, poor lighting, or a name on your ID that does not match your Login.gov profile.

What to do:

• Use good light and a plain, dark background for your ID.
• Hold the phone steady and wipe the camera lens.
• Remove hats and glasses for the face scan.
• Use an unexpired ID.
• If it keeps failing, contact Login.gov or FMCSA support. Check FMCSA's current instructions for other ways to verify.

Your USDOT number does not show up

If you cannot find your USDOT number to claim, or the claim option does not appear, FMCSA says to contact them through motus.dot.gov.

What if you can't get in?

Do not panic, and do not hand your login to a stranger who promises a fast fix.

• Contact FMCSA. Use the contact option on motus.dot.gov. Write down the date, the issue, and any reference number you receive.
• Keep running legally. Your existing authority does not disappear because you have not claimed your record yet. Keep your insurance, BOC-3, and other filings in place. Our monthly compliance management service can help you keep them current.
• Watch the biennial update. FMCSA has temporarily suspended enforcement of the biennial update and USDOT number inactivation for registrants whose update was due on or after June 1, 2026. The rule under 49 CFR 390.19T still exists, and FMCSA says it will give warning before enforcement resumes. File as soon as you can get in.
• Get help. A compliance service, like our Motus setup service, can walk you through the process and work with FMCSA support. They cannot pass the identity check for you. Only the company official can do that.

Motus and your MC number

Motus shows suffixes on your USDOT number for each type of registration you hold. That does not mean your MC number is gone. FMCSA's April 2026 notice says the Phase II release does not eliminate MC/FF numbers. Read more in Is FMCSA eliminating MC numbers?

How JMM Compliance can help

We help carriers prepare their records, sort out name and address mismatches, and work through Motus access problems with FMCSA. The company official still has to complete their own identity check, but we can make sure everything else is ready and correct. If you are applying for new authority, we can set that up too. See our ELD and Motus setup service or our USDOT and MC number setup service.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Requirements depend on your operation; confirm details with FMCSA or a qualified professional.