How to register and claim your USDOT number in MOTUS.

If you already hold a USDOT number, MOTUS does not make you start from scratch — but you do have to act. The system lets existing holders "claim" their record and review it, rather than re-enter everything, as long as you complete the identity steps. Here is the prep-and-claim flow as a checklist, built from FMCSA’s guidance.

Before you start: prep your FMCSA Portal

FMCSA advises getting your existing account in order first:

• Confirm or activate your FMCSA Portal account at portal.fmcsa.dot.gov. If you do not have one, create it using your USDOT PIN.
• Get your USDOT PIN if you need it, available through safer.fmcsa.dot.gov.
• Review your business details — business name, contact information, and DOT number data — the same information you would confirm in a Biennial Update (MCS-150).

Getting this right matters because claiming your record in MOTUS links to the company-official information already on file.

The registration and claim flow

1. Set up Login.gov. MOTUS uses Login.gov as its secure sign-in. Use the same email that is on file as the company official in your FMCSA Portal — that match is what lets you claim your existing record.
2. Verify your identity. Complete identity verification using a government-issued ID and digital facial scans (biometrics), plus third-party business validation. Everyone verifies, even if you were verified under the old systems.
3. Claim your record. Link your account with that matching Login.gov email to import your existing company data, so you review and update rather than re-enter it.
4. Review, update, and certify. Confirm your business name, contacts, and DOT information are correct, make any needed updates, and certify the record.

Why the email match matters

The single most common snag is a mismatch between your Login.gov email and the company-official email in the FMCSA Portal. If the existing record lists an old email — a former partner, a closed account — you may not be able to claim cleanly. Sorting that out in the Portal before you start in MOTUS saves the most frustration.

What to have ready before you begin

You will move through the flow far faster if you gather a few things first:

• Your USDOT number and PIN, with the PIN available through safer.fmcsa.dot.gov if you need to retrieve it.
• Access to the company-official email on file in the FMCSA Portal — this is the email your Login.gov account should match.
• A valid government-issued ID for identity verification, plus a device that can complete a digital facial scan.
• Current business details — legal name, contacts, and DOT information — so you can confirm or correct them during the review step.

Having these in hand turns a stop-and-start process into a single sitting.

Do it before May 14, 2026

The legacy online registration systems retire on May 14, 2026, so complete your claim before then to keep your authority active without a scramble. Because procedural details can change, follow the official steps at the FMCSA’s Move to MOTUS page and motus.dot.gov rather than relying on memory, and email NewRegSys@dot.gov with questions.

FAQs

How do I claim my USDOT number in MOTUS?

Sign in with Login.gov using the same email listed as the company official in your FMCSA Portal, complete identity verification, then link your account to import and claim your existing record so you can review, update, and certify it.

What do I need to register?

A Login.gov account, a government-issued ID for identity verification including digital facial scans, third-party business validation, and an active FMCSA Portal account. Having your USDOT PIN and current business details ready helps.

What if I do not have a Login.gov account?

You create one as part of the process — MOTUS uses Login.gov as its secure sign-in. Use the email that matches the company official on file in your FMCSA Portal so you can claim your existing record.

What is the deadline to move to MOTUS?

May 14, 2026, when the legacy online registration systems go dark. Complete your claim before then to keep your authority active.

This is general information, not legal or compliance advice — always confirm current requirements at fmcsa.dot.gov.

Related: what MOTUS is · the MOTUS May 2026 deadline checklist · how to start a box truck business · driving with TLS as an owner-operator

Claim early, run clean.

Claiming your USDOT record in MOTUS is a checklist, not a rebuild: prep your FMCSA Portal, set up Login.gov with the matching company-official email, verify your identity, claim, and certify. Do it before May 14, 2026, and confirm every step at fmcsa.dot.gov. Once your authority is active, TLS can keep your truck loaded with direct freight.