Motus help

Logging In to Motus and Claiming Your USDOT Number

Updated September 2026

Motus is FMCSA's registration system. It opened to supporting companies on December 8, 2025 and to carriers on May 19, 2026, after the old Portal and URS went dark on May 14. The only real address is motus.dot.gov - FMCSA issued a fraud alert in September 2026 about copycat sites with 'motus' in the name.

The USDOT PIN is gone. You sign in with a Login.gov account with two-factor turned on, and the first thing Motus does is check your identity.

First login, in FMCSA's order

FMCSA's own quick-start guide says to use a private email you control for the Motus profile, not a shared business inbox.

• Sign in with Login.gov and accept the Rules of Behavior.
• Verify your identity with a government ID: scan the QR code with your phone, or use the camera on the device you are on. You need a smartphone, tablet or a computer with a webcam, and a driver's license, passport or resident card.
• Complete your profile. Your name fills in exactly as it appears on the ID - do not retype it differently.
• Choose what you are here for: link an existing USDOT number, start a new registration, or register as a supporting company.

Claiming a USDOT number you already have

After identity verification, Motus shows a notification listing the USDOT numbers associated with your profile. Select Link USDOT Number, pick the number, enter the verification code sent to your Login.gov email, e-sign the certification, review your business information, and click Certify. You are attesting that you are the owner, an official partner or an authorized corporate officer.

The rule that trips people up: the company official has to use the same Login.gov email that was on the old FMCSA Portal account. Only that person, with that email, can claim the account the first time. A consultant or filing service cannot be the company official - FMCSA's registration director confirmed it in May 2026.

If your USDOT number is not listed

• Your email was registered under the wrong role. If you set yourself up as a transportation service provider by mistake, FMCSA's fix is: open the TSP account page in Motus, click the gear icon, choose Close Account, confirm, then look for the claim option again.
• Still nothing? Send a ticket at motus.dot.gov/contact-fmcsa (or ask.fmcsa.dot.gov) with your USDOT number, the company official's name and Login.gov email, and proof of ownership - an IRS letter, articles of organization, or your state registration.
• The original Portal account holder is gone (an old employee, a previous owner). Reports in May and June 2026 described exactly this; the path is the same ticket, with ownership proof.

Numbers and suffixes

Existing USDOT and docket numbers do not change. New USDOT numbers are randomized, so they will not look sequential. Motus also shows a suffix letter on some records (C for a property carrier, B for a broker, and so on); FMCSA says it is a system label, not something you paint on the truck.

MC numbers still exist. FMCSA has said their elimination is deferred to a later release and will go through public comment first.

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