The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on Tuesday, April 28, published a new bulletin, along with a notice of policy, related to the launch of its new Motus registration system, aimed at increasing security against bad actors accessing the system.
To ensure legitimate carriers are prepared for the system’s full rollout, FMCSA reiterated a request from earlier this month that registered entities take action prior to the rollout. This time, the agency has given a deadline: May 14.
By that date, all entities currently required to use the Unified Registration System (URS) need to take the following steps:
- Log into your FMCSA Portal account to confirm it is active. If you do not have a Portal account, you can create one and use your USDOT PIN to access your information. Obtain your PIN at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov.
- Note that FMCSA Portal accounts are disabled after 90 days and archived after 12 months of inactivity. If your account is disabled or archived, reach out to the FMCSA Contact Center to have your account unlocked.
- In the Portal, ensure your company information, operation classification, contact information, and individuals authorized to access your record are all correct.
- You can make updates to your company information in the FMCSA Portal the same way you complete a Biennial Update. Select “Biennial Update (MCS-150)” in the “Registration” tab.
[Related: Carriers, prep for new Motus registration system: FMCSA]
As was detailed in a previous notice from FMCSA, companies should ensure the correct Company Official is listed in your FMCSA Portal account, which will allow you to claim your USDOT Number in Motus and automatically populate your new Motus account with existing records, streamlining set-up in the new system.
The Portal Company Official should be the company owner or individual authorized to sign documents on behalf of the company. To claim a USDOT Number in Motus when the system launches for registrants, the Company Official must use the same Login.gov email to log into the FMCSA Portal and Motus.
Only the FMCSA Portal Company Official using the same FMCSA Portal Login.gov email will be permitted to claim an account in Motus for the first time. Once your account is successfully linked to Motus, you will no longer need to access the FMCSA Portal to make registration changes.
“Prior to the Phase II release of Motus, FMCSA requests current registrants review their records for accuracy and make updates now, including process agent and insurance filings, save a copy of their records to match against the data in Motus for safety and security purposes, and review their FMCSA Portal account authorized users and remove anyone who has left, changed roles, or no longer needs access to the company's account,” the agency said in its April 29 Federal Register notice.
More information about the Motus registration process can be found here. Additionally, FMCSA has compiled a Registration Modernization Resources Hub that includes Frequently Asked Questions, fact sheets and more to help registered entities prepare for the new system.
[Related: FMCSA's facial recognition tech actually stopping fraudsters?]
In 2025, Overdrive "test-drove" the agency's new ID-verification steps for registration. See results in the video below.
