How to Get a DOT Number: Step-by-Step Guide for New Carriers

If you are starting a trucking business, getting your USDOT number is the first official step. Here is exactly what it is, who needs one, and how to get it.

What Is a DOT Number?

A USDOT number is a unique identifier issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that tracks your company's safety information, including inspections, crashes, and compliance reviews. Any commercial vehicle operating in interstate commerce and meeting certain weight or passenger thresholds is required to have one.

Who Needs a USDOT Number?

You need a USDOT number if you operate a vehicle that meets any of these thresholds:

• Has a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more
• Transports hazardous materials in quantities that require placards
• Transports 9 or more passengers (including the driver) for compensation
• Transports 16 or more passengers (including the driver) not for compensation

Most new owner-operators and small carriers fall into the first category automatically once they are running a Class 8 truck.

How to Get Your USDOT Number

Registration now goes through FMCSA's Motus platform, which replaced the legacy Unified Registration System in May 2026. Here is the process:

1. Create a Login.gov account

   If you do not already have one, this is required to access Motus. You will also need to complete identity verification through Login.gov and IDEMIA.

2. Gather your information before you start

   Your legal business name, EIN (not your Social Security Number -- using an SSN instead of an EIN is one of the most common application errors), physical business address, and details about your operation including vehicle count, mileage, and cargo type.

3. Complete your application through Motus

   If you only need a USDOT number for intrastate operation, that portion is free. If you are applying for interstate operating authority (an MC number) at the same time, there is a $300 federal fee per authority type.

4. Wait out the protest period

   Once submitted, your application is published in the Federal Register with a 10-day protest period, which is standard and rarely an issue for typical carrier applications.

What Happens After You Get Your Number

Getting your USDOT number is step one, not the finish line. Before you can legally operate, you also need your BOC-3 filed in all 50 states, your insurance filed (BMC-91), and your UCR registration completed for the current year. Your operating authority will not activate until all of these are on file.

You also have 18 months as a "new entrant," during which FMCSA will audit your compliance program -- typically within the first 12 months.

Common Mistakes New Carriers Make

• Using a Social Security Number instead of an EIN on the application
• Submitting the application before having insurance and BOC-3 ready, which delays activation even after the DOT number is issued
• Not understanding that the USDOT number and full operating authority are two different things -- having a number does not mean you are cleared to haul interstate freight for hire
• Listing the wrong Company Official email, which later blocks you from claiming your Motus account

Need Help With the Rest?

Getting your DOT number is just the beginning. We handle your BOC-3 filing, UCR registration, and full compliance program so you are not piecing it together step by step on your own.