Maintaining Carrier Records After the Motus Transition
After migration to Motus, a carrier continues to use its existing USDOT number. If your company does not appear after sign-in, start by checking account linking. Do not apply for a new number to solve a linking problem. Once the company appears, review its information, complete certification and confirm that the particular update you needed was submitted successfully.
If the company is missing, verify the official and the sign-in email
Before linking, use the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s migration instructions to check the email address.
The Company Official needs to use the email address previously used for the FMCSA Portal. Use the same Login.gov email for linking. Signing in under a different address may not bring up the existing association.
For this purpose a Company Official is an owner, an official partner or an authorized corporate officer. Administrative staff may gather information. The person making the declaration must qualify for that role.
Open the official Motus portal and complete your individual profile and identity verification. Follow the USDOT number linking guide to select the company number, verify the email address and make the initial attestation. If the number or linking prompt is missing, use the official support page. Registration functions have moved out of the old FMCSA Portal. Follow the current update instructions.
Complete certification after the company profile appears
The company account may show “Pending Certification.” Open it, check the imported information, correct outdated entries and complete final certification. Following the official guide through this step allows the system to confirm that linking is complete.
Compare the legal name, doing-business-as (DBA) name, address, email, telephone number and vehicle and driver counts with company documents and operating records. Use the current form’s instructions for counts. If the business has not changed, do not change the operation type to clear a prompt. Ask support about a specific field or a record you cannot correct.
Use the USDOT number and filing history to determine the biennial deadline
Biennial updates follow a fixed schedule. Migration does not restart it. Under 49 CFR § 390.19T, covered carriers update every 24 months. The USDOT number determines the year and month.
Filing year. If the next-to-last digit is odd, file in an odd-numbered year. If it is even, file in an even-numbered year.
Filing month. A last digit from 1 through 9 corresponds to January through September. A final 0 means October. The deadline is the last day of the assigned month.
If information was changed recently, look up the actual submission. The biennial update FAQ says changes must be reported within 30 days. A change reported within the 12 months before the biennial update is due will be treated by the agency as satisfying that update. Confirm whether this applies using the carrier’s filing history, not the sign-in or linking date.
The biennial information update itself is free. Check charges for other registration transactions and third-party service fees separately.
Reopen the record after submission
When you finish the form, check whether it is still a draft. After submission, save the system confirmation, reopen the record and verify the changes. For an application requiring review, continue to track the decision.
You can also open Public Search from the official Motus portal and check the public record by USDOT number or company name. Even if the information is correct, verify applicable operating authority, insurance and other requirements separately. An update screenshot alone does not establish authority to operate.
For a wrong role or system error, identify the exact step
A carrier that mistakenly selected the Transportation Service Provider (TSP) role should consult the official registration alert. Its remedy involves permanently closing the incorrectly created account. Verify that your situation matches that alert before taking the step. It is not a remedy for other sign-in problems.
If linking still fails after the incorrectly created account is closed under those instructions, the agency asks for the USDOT number and proof of ownership, such as a tax agency letter or company formation documents. Include the name and sign-in email of the Company Official who will own the account. Submit documents only through official channels. Do not share a password or verification code.
For other system problems, file a support ticket through the official support page. Include the date, time and time zone, the step reached and the exact error. Keep the screenshot, ticket number and response. Follow up on the original ticket for the same issue. For urgent registration matters, call 1-800-832-5660.
When checked on September 8, 2026, the notice deferring deactivation continued to give entities that had not completed a required biennial update from June 1, 2026 onward additional time, deferring deactivation on that ground. The update was still required. A number or operating authority with another issue needs a separate check.
Keeping the ticket helps explain the sequence and follow up. It does not guarantee an extension, penalty relief or restored operations. After support replies, return to the company record, verify the corrected information and completed update, and record the result.
Disclaimer. This article draws on public FMCSA guidance, 49 CFR § 390.19T and Login.gov security guidance checked on September 8, 2026. It provides general information, not legal advice or an individual compliance determination. Registration procedures, system functions and temporary transition measures may change. Use the latest official documents and actual company records. The recordkeeping methods described are practical suggestions, not universal filing requirements. Account permissions, registration types and update histories vary. Consult the agency or a qualified professional on complex matters. CTACA does not determine on the regulator’s behalf whether an update is complete, a carrier is qualified to operate or a penalty applies. To the extent permitted by law, the author and publisher accept no liability for losses arising from reliance on this article.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. “Claim a USDOT Number in Motus Job Aid.” https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/claim-usdot-number-motus-job-aid. Accessed 8 Sept. 2026.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. “Move into Motus.” https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/move-motus. Accessed 8 Sept. 2026.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. “Registration Alerts.” https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/registration-alerts. Accessed 8 Sept. 2026.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. “Registration Modernization FAQs.” https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/modernization-faqs. Accessed 8 Sept. 2026.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. “Temporary Suspension of USDOT Inactivation in Motus.” https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/temporary-suspension-usdot-inactivation-motus. Accessed 8 Sept. 2026.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. “Updating Your Registration or Authority.” https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/updating-your-registration. Accessed 8 Sept. 2026.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. “When Am I Required to File a Biennial Update?.” https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/faq/when-am-i-required-file-biennial-update. Accessed 8 Sept. 2026.
General Services Administration, Login.gov. “How Do I Protect My Account from Fraud?.” https://www.login.gov/help/fraud-concerns/protect-account-from-fraud/. Accessed 8 Sept. 2026.
Office of the Federal Register. “49 CFR 390.19T: Motor Carrier, Hazardous Material Safety Permit Applicant/Holder, and Intermodal Equipment Provider Identification Reports.” https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter-B/part-390/subpart-B/section-390.19T. Accessed 8 Sept. 2026.