Motus help
When the Motus Identity Check Fails
Updated September 2026
Every new applicant - and, the first time they log in, roughly 800,000 existing carriers - proves who they are inside Motus. Document capture and the face match are run by FMCSA's identity partner, IDEMIA; business verification is run by CLEAR. FMCSA says everyone re-verifies in Motus even if they did it before.
Most failures are the device, not the person. Here is what FMCSA actually requires and what to do when it does not go through.
What the check needs
- A phone or tablet camera. FMCSA's ID-verification FAQ lists a full-HD (1080 x 1920) camera on a supported mobile browser - Chrome, Safari or Firefox - and says the desktop route (Windows, Mac, Linux) is not supported for the camera step. Scan the QR code Motus shows and finish on the phone.
- A connection of at least 1.5 Mbps. A weak signal at a truck stop is a common reason the photo upload stalls.
- An accepted ID: driver's license, passport or resident card. FMCSA and its vendor say they do not store, share or sell the images.
If it keeps failing
You can finish in person. FMCSA lists 297 walk-in enrollment centers, searchable by city and state on its identity-verification page. Staff there can scan the QR code, your ID and your face - bring the Login.gov email you used, your application ID and any error code you saw. The IDEMIA enrollment-center hotline is 1-833-832-5530.
FMCSA said on June 4, 2026 that it had already corrected the identity-verification and first-login processes after the launch-week problems, so a failure today is more likely a device or account-role issue than the launch bug.
Errors that are not really ID errors
- 'Unauthorized access' after a successful ID check usually means the company official on file is tied to a different Login.gov email than the one you used. See the claim guide for the ticket to open.
- A consultant did the check. Anyone who applies on a company's behalf must pass the same identity check, but they still cannot be the company official; the owner signs the final certifications.
- No camera at all. FMCSA's quick-start guide points you to an enrollment center in that case - there is no email-a-photo alternative.
The ID check is step 6 of 23.
The walkthrough puts the ID check in order with what comes before it (the business name, the EIN, the insurance quote) and after it (the USDOT number, the $300 authority) - with the official link on every card.
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