Forms

USDOT Number Application Form: What to Use Now

People still search for a downloadable DOT application. A first-time USDOT number is filed in Motus. The MCS-150 remains a form for updates and certain other actions on an existing number.

New applications are filed in Motus

Do not download a blank "DOT application" from a random website and treat it as the way to get a first USDOT number. FMCSA's current registration system is Motus, at motus.dot.gov. See Move into Motus and our guide on applying online.

A first-time number is not a matter of downloading a blank form and emailing it. You still have to sign in, verify your identity, and complete the Motus registration.

What the MCS-150 still is

The MCS-150 is the Motor Carrier Identification Report. FMCSA still publishes it for updates to an existing record, biennial filings, out-of-business notifications, reapplication after certain revocations, and reactivation. It is not the preferred path for a brand-new USDOT number. See Form MCS-150 and instructions and the registration forms table.

For an update, you have to use the current form and match it to the existing number. An expired file or the wrong action on the form means starting that filing over.

If you already have a number, do not use a new application to get a second one

MCS-150 instructions say that a company that already has, or has had, a USDOT number must not submit the form to obtain a new number. In Motus, claim the existing record instead. Starting over is a common way to create a second record. If that may have already happened, see duplicatedot.com and common application mistakes.

Untangling two records later takes far more correspondence than checking SAFER and claiming the number you already have.

Only use forms downloaded from FMCSA, if you need a paper form at all

If you need a paper MCS-150 for an update or a related filing, get it from FMCSA. FMCSA says it does not accept expired MCS-150 versions and recommends forms from its own website. That warning appears in How do I reactivate my USDOT number?.

Finding the current file on FMCSA's site, and confirming it is not an expired version, is an extra check before you fill anything out.

Where to go instead

For a first-time number, use the Motus online application, or ask us to prepare it from the home page. For biennial updates or reactivation of an existing number, start at dotnumberhelp.com.

Choosing the Motus path, an update path, or optional help is its own decision, and it should be made before you start a second form.

Frequently asked questions