ELD Setup and FMCSA Motus Registration Help

What is FMCSA Motus?

Motus is FMCSA's new online registration system. FMCSA announced it in the Federal Register on April 29, 2026. It replaces the Unified Registration System (URS) and the FMCSA Portal. It also takes over the registration parts of older licensing and insurance systems.

FMCSA rolled it out in phases. Phase I opened December 8, 2025, for supporting companies like BOC-3 filers and insurance filers. FMCSA began shutting down its legacy registration systems on May 14, 2026, and opened Motus to all registrants on May 19, 2026. You reach it at motus.dot.gov.

In Motus you apply for a USDOT number and operating authority. You also update your information, file your biennial update, request reinstatement and manage who can act for your company.

How do I log in to Motus with my USDOT number?

Motus uses Login.gov, and FMCSA says USDOT PINs are no longer needed. If you already have a USDOT number, the company official sets up a Motus account and claims the existing record. FMCSA says to use the same Login.gov email for the FMCSA Portal and Motus.

• Create or sign in to a Login.gov account.
• Verify your identity. You need a smartphone or tablet and a valid government ID. You scan a QR code, photograph your ID and take a photo of your face.
• Pass business verification. FMCSA checks your legal name, address, ownership and company officials.
• Claim your existing USDOT number and check that the imported record is correct.
• Add any authorized users, like a dispatcher or a service provider such as us.

Who has to use an ELD?

Under 49 CFR 395.8(a), if your drivers must keep a record of duty status, you must install a registered ELD and require them to use it. There are a few exceptions.

• Short-haul drivers who meet 395.1(e), such as staying within 150 air miles and being released within 14 hours. They keep time records instead of logs.
• Drivers who need logs on no more than 8 days in any 30-day period. They can use paper logs.
• Vehicles made before model year 2000. FMCSA guidance says if the engine is older than model year 2000, an ELD isn't required, even when the VIN shows a newer year, as with glider kits.
• Certain driveaway-towaway moves.

How to choose a registered ELD

Under 395.22, you may only use an ELD that is on FMCSA's registered device list at eld.fmcsa.dot.gov. Device makers register their own products, so check the list yourself before you buy. Look for an ELD that is easy for your drivers to use and can send data to an officer during an inspection.

Each truck must carry an instruction sheet for sending data to officers and a sheet on what to do if the ELD malfunctions. It also needs blank paper log grids for at least 8 days.

What if my ELD is revoked?

FMCSA removes devices from the registered list when they don't meet the standards. It posts revoked devices on its ELD website. In its recent notices, FMCSA has given carriers 60 days to switch to a registered device. Until then it tells carriers to use paper logs or logging software. After the deadline, a driver using a revoked device is treated as having no ELD and can be placed out of service.

Check the revoked list now and then, not only when you buy. If your device shows up, start the switch right away.

Setting up driver accounts and unassigned driving

Each driver needs their own ELD account. Use their name exactly as it appears on their license, a unique username, and their license number and issuing state. A license number or Social Security number can't be used as the username. Never let drivers share a login.

Every time the truck moves with no one logged in, the ELD records unassigned driving. Under 395.32, drivers must review it at login. You must assign it to the right driver or note why it stays unassigned. Keep those records for 6 months. If an ELD breaks down, the driver must tell you in writing within 24 hours. You have 8 days to fix or replace it.