FMCSA registration lifecycle guide

How to Inactivate or Reactivate a USDOT Number

Start with the reason for the status change. Voluntary inactivation, routine reactivation, New Entrant revocation, operating-authority reinstatement, and an out-of-service order are different FMCSA actions.

Do not operate from a label or filing receipt alone.

Wait until every registration required for the actual operation is active in the official record. An active USDOT number does not by itself authorize interstate for-hire transportation.

First, identify the status that actually needs action

Review the company in FMCSA's public Motus search and SAFER Company Snapshot. Read the USDOT status, operating-authority status, and any out-of-service information as separate fields. Use the legal name and identifier to avoid acting on a similarly named company.

USDOT and operating authority status decision table
What the record shows	What it means	Next question
USDOT active	The federal identification record is active. This does not by itself prove that interstate for-hire operating authority is active.	Check operating authority separately before a for-hire interstate move.
USDOT inactive	The identification record is inactive. The cause may be a voluntary action, a registration update issue, or another FMCSA action.	Open the Motus company record and identify the reason before choosing reactivation.
Operating authority not authorized	The entity has no active authority for the interstate for-hire operation shown. Private or purely intrastate operations can have different requirements.	Determine whether reinstatement, a new authority application, or no federal authority is appropriate.
Out of service	An out-of-service order is a safety or enforcement restriction, not an ordinary inactive registration.	Do not operate. Follow the controlling FMCSA order and agency instructions.

Search or manage in Motus Open SAFER Company Snapshot Resolve an MC, MX, or FF number

Choose one of four different action paths

Path 1 — voluntarily stop using the USDOT registration

Inactivate the USDOT number

1. Confirm the legal person and operations. An entity stopping federally regulated operations can inactivate its existing record; a company merely changing a detail should update, not close, the record.
2. Claim the company in Motus. Use the company official's Login.gov access and complete identity and business verification.
3. Request voluntary inactivation. Review the prefilled company data, select the correct lifecycle action, certify it, and retain the Motus confirmation.
4. Handle authority separately. If active operating authority is also being surrendered, use the separate voluntary revocation action rather than assuming USDOT inactivation changed it.

Older FMCSA pages describe an MCS-150 out-of-business filing and OCE-46. FMCSA's May 2026 guidance says electronic voluntary actions are now managed in Motus, so use the workflow shown for the claimed record instead of an expired form or third-party filing site.

Path 2 — resume after ordinary inactivation

Reactivate the existing USDOT number

1. Keep the existing number. Do not apply for a second USDOT number to bypass an inactive record.
2. Review the reason. Ordinary voluntary inactivation or stale registration information can follow the Motus reactivation workflow; revocation or an out-of-service order cannot.
3. Update the complete company record. Verify legal name, addresses, operation type, cargo, fleet, contact, and other requested information before certification.
4. Wait for official status. Track the action in Motus and confirm the public record shows the required active status before operating.

FMCSA currently lists no processing fee for an ordinary USDOT inactivation or reactivation. A separate authority action, insurance filing, process-agent filing, or state registration can still carry its own cost.

Path 3 — New Entrant registration revoked

Use the reapplication process, not routine reactivation

FMCSA says a carrier whose New Entrant registration was revoked and whose operations were placed out of service may reapply no earlier than 30 days after revocation. A failed safety audit generally requires evidence that the cited deficiencies were corrected and that basic safety-management controls are in effect. Failure to submit to an audit leads to a separate reapplication path and another audit obligation.

Approval restarts the 18-month New Entrant monitoring cycle. A for-hire carrier whose operating authority was also revoked may need a separate authority application. The FMCSA notice, out-of-service order, and assigned program instructions control; do not operate while the order remains in effect.

FMCSA New Entrant instructions Audit readiness guide

Path 4 — operating authority inactive or revoked

Reinstate authority only after the USDOT layer is ready

For motor carriers, FMCSA requires an active USDOT number with current contact information before operating-authority reinstatement. The required financial-responsibility filing and BOC-3 designation must also be on file. FMCSA lists an $80 reinstatement fee and says the action is not available through the ordinary route when the carrier is out of service for imminent hazard or a final unsatisfactory safety rating.

Begin in Motus, follow the authority-specific action, and resolve any hold for insurance, BOC-3, identity, or vetting. Do not interpret “USDOT active” or a payment receipt as “authority active.”

FMCSA reinstatement requirements Review insurance context Review BOC-3 context

What to prepare before opening the protected workflow

The exact legal entity and USDOT number. A USDOT number belongs to the legal person and cannot be sold, leased, or casually transferred. A real entity change can require a different action.
Company-official Login.gov access. Claim the correct existing record; do not create a duplicate company to work around a claim or identity-verification problem.
Current company and operation data. Reconcile legal name, DBA, physical and mailing addresses, contact information, fleet, cargo, operation type, and related registrations.
The controlling notice. Preserve a New Entrant revocation, out-of-service order, authority revocation, or Motus case number and follow its named response path.
Authority prerequisites. If interstate for-hire authority is needed, coordinate required insurance and BOC-3 filings; those are generally filed by the insurer or process agent, not by USDOTData.
A private document channel. Submit identity and company evidence only through FMCSA's official protected workflow. Do not send driver licenses, tax identifiers, insurance documents, or account credentials to USDOTData.

Verify the result before the next dispatch

Save the Motus confirmation, track any pending or returned action, and recheck the official public record. For interstate for-hire transportation, confirm both the USDOT layer and the applicable authority layer, plus required insurance and process-agent filings. State registrations, UCR, permits, and tax obligations can remain separate.

If a status is unexplained or the action is urgent, use one FMCSA support case and its confirmation number rather than opening duplicate tickets.

Check MCS-150 timing Review UCR registration Resolve authority identity Open all carrier tools Contact FMCSA

USDOT inactivation and reactivation questions

Should I apply for a new USDOT number when reactivating?

Usually no. FMCSA says an existing registrant keeps its USDOT number, and the number belongs to the same legal person. Use the existing company record unless FMCSA determines that a genuinely different legal person needs a different number.

Does reactivating a USDOT number restore an MC number or operating authority?

No. USDOT registration and operating authority are separate status layers. A motor carrier may need an active, current USDOT record plus active operating authority, required insurance, and a BOC-3 before conducting interstate for-hire operations.

Is New Entrant revocation handled as an ordinary reactivation?

No. FMCSA says a revoked New Entrant may reapply no sooner than 30 days after revocation and may need evidence of corrected safety-management deficiencies, a new monitoring cycle, and another safety audit. The carrier must follow its notice and the New Entrant process.

Do I still need a USDOT PIN to inactivate or reactivate?

FMCSA says electronic registration actions now use Motus through Login.gov and no longer require the USDOT PIN. Company officials must create or claim the correct company account and complete the required verification.

Did FMCSA pause all USDOT inactivation?

No. FMCSA announced a temporary pause for automatic inactivation tied to missed biennial updates during Motus stabilization. That notice does not cancel the filing requirement, voluntary inactivation, an out-of-service order, or another enforcement action.

Can USDOTData reactivate a number or submit documents?

No. USDOTData can help organize public-record research, but it cannot access a protected Motus account, verify identity, file an FMCSA action, receive private documents, or determine that an operation is legally authorized.

Official sources used for this workflow

Procedures can change during the Motus transition. Recheck these FMCSA pages before acting.

Connect the carrier identity, registration, authority, insurance, and supporting filings before relying on one record.

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