USDOT and authority

Applying for a USDOT Number and Operating Authority Together

Motus can take a USDOT number request and an operating-authority request in the same session. They are still two registrations, with different fees and different steps after you submit.

You can request both in Motus, but they are still two registrations

FMCSA's Motus system is used to apply for a USDOT number, operating authority, or both. Submitting them together does not merge them into a single approval. See Move into Motus.

Submitting them in one session does not merge the work. Each registration still has its own questions, review, and follow-up.

Confirm you actually need authority

A USDOT number identifies the company. Interstate operating authority is a separate grant, generally for for-hire carriage of regulated property or passengers across state lines, and for brokers and freight forwarders. Private carriers moving their own goods often need a USDOT number but not authority. Use FMCSA's USDOT Wizard before you pay an authority fee, and see USDOT number vs. MC number for the conceptual difference.

Sorting this out before you pay means going through the USDOT Wizard or equivalent questions. An authority fee is described as nonrefundable on FMCSA's fee page, so this step is worth the extra time.

Fees when you apply for both

There is no FMCSA charge for the USDOT number. Each operating-authority type has its own fee. FMCSA's May 20, 2023 fee page lists $300 per type and says the fee is nonrefundable. Confirm the current amount before you pay. Details are on USDOT application fees.

You have to confirm the current authority fee before you pay and keep it separate from the USDOT number, which has no FMCSA charge.

What else authority usually needs after the application

Operating authority typically also requires a BOC-3 process-agent designation and proof of insurance or a trust fund, which the insurer or a process-agent company usually files. Those filings are described on FMCSA's registration forms page. An application for authority is not finished when the form is submitted.

A BOC-3 and proof of insurance or a trust fund are additional filings, often made by a process-agent company or insurer, and the authority request is not finished when the Motus form is submitted.

Timing is not the same for both

A USDOT number and operating authority are not guaranteed to become active on the same day, and we do not promise a processing time for either one. Motus adds Login.gov and identity verification before a new registration is complete. Authority also depends on review and on those follow-up filings. Check status in Motus and SAFER rather than applying again. See how to check application status.

Motus identity verification, agency review, and those follow-up filings all add time. We do not promise that the number and the authority will become active together, or on any date.

Frequently asked questions