Source: FMCSA newsroom (May 19, 2026)
Yes — Motus is live. On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, FMCSA and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the full rollout of Motus: the U.S. DOT Registration System. It replaces the old FMCSA Portal and the patchwork of separate legacy registration applications carriers have used for over a decade.
What changed
- One system. Registration, biennial updates, and related filings now live in a single online dashboard instead of five or six disconnected applications.
- login.gov is now required. To access Motus, you need a login.gov account. If you previously accessed the FMCSA Portal through login.gov, you must use that same login.gov account so all of your existing data carries over.
- Identity verification is now mandatory. New registrations require identity verification using a government-issued ID plus a digital facial scan, along with third-party business validation. This is the step most people get stuck on — see our video walkthrough for how to pass on the first try.
What did NOT change
Your USDOT number is the same. Your MC number is the same. Your historical records are preserved. The numbers and your history did not change — only the system around them did.
Can you still file on paper?
For now, FMCSA continues to accept traditional paper forms (such as the MCS-150 and OP-1 series) for a limited time, but officials have warned that paper processing may take a minimum of eight business days. FMCSA has also signaled a proposed rulemaking that would eventually make Motus mandatory for all registrants.
What’s not working yet (updated June 1, 2026)
Two weeks in, three issues are showing up consistently. The USDOT-number claiming sometimes fails when the login.gov email does not match the email that was on the old FMCSA Portal account. Operating authorities are not always displayed correctly after the claim succeeds. Identity verification — government ID plus a digital facial scan — sometimes times out mid-session. None of these are showstoppers, but they can slow down a new registration or a biennial update. If you would rather have a service provider handle Motus on your behalf while it stabilizes, use the TSP delegation step below.
Don’t want to handle Motus yourself?
You can authorize a Transportation Service Provider (TSP) to handle your Motus filings, updates, and renewals. To add DotMotusCompliance Inc as your authorized service provider in Motus, use: Filer Number 9206591; Legal Business Name “DotMotusCompliance Inc”; and our contact email. Our step-by-step video shows exactly where to enter these values.
Note: We are a private service provider and are not a government agency or affiliated with FMCSA or USDOT. Always verify requirements directly with FMCSA.
The rollout-issues claim, citing Land Line’s coverage of post-launch Motus snags (OOIDA reports of USDOT-claim, operating-authority display, and ID-verification issues)