Last reviewed November 15, 2026, against FMCSA's public pages.
This is not the same as the photo ID check
Identity verification proves who the person signing in is. Business verification is about the company. FMCSA says motor carriers, brokers, and other entities enter business information and complete business verification to create a company account. For the ID step, see Login.gov and the identity check.
What FMCSA's pages say
- New registrations go through identity verification and business verification. FMCSA says intrastate carriers that apply in Motus go through the same checks.
- FMCSA says all existing registrants complete identity and business verification before completing transactions in Motus.
- Existing registrants who claim a number import their data, then review, update, and certify it. See how to claim your USDOT number.
- FMCSA says some changes need extra evidence or documentation, and FMCSA must review certain changes before they show in the system.
- FMCSA reviews the principal place of business. It says that if an address could never meet the definition in its rules, it must reject the application.
Use the legal name and tax ID of the legal entity
Enter the company exactly as it is legally formed, with its own tax ID. This site does not give a document checklist, because FMCSA has not published one for carriers on the pages we checked. If Motus asks you for a supporting document, follow that prompt.
If verification is pending or rejected
Do not start a second company account to try again. Watch the status in Motus, read common Motus errors, and use FMCSA's contact options if it stays stuck.
These are FMCSA's contact options, not ours. FMCSA lists its Registration Customer Service Center at 1-800-832-5660 (phone or chat) and asks people to report Motus problems through a support ticket at ask.fmcsa.dot.gov, then follow up on that ticket instead of opening duplicates. Check FMCSA's notice for current hours.
Wrong-entity risk
If the legal name or tax ID you enter belongs to a different person or company than the existing record, you may be creating a second, conflicting record. duplicatedot.com explains how that happens.
What this part of the process involves
- A legal business name and tax ID that match your formation papers
- A principal place of business address that meets FMCSA's definition
- Reviewing and certifying business details in Motus
- Any supporting document Motus asks for
Rather not work through every step yourself? A Personal Compliance Specialist can prepare and file the parts that can be handed off.
Consult with a Compliance SpecialistDo it yourself, or hand it off
Do it yourself in Motus
- No FMCSA charge for a USDOT number or for updates. Government fees still apply to things like operating authority.
- You handle every screen, form and certification.
- You track recurring deadlines, such as the biennial update, yourself.
Have a Personal Compliance Specialist handle it
- A paid, optional service. The fee is quoted before work starts and is separate from government fees.
- Once you designate them in Motus as a service provider, they can prepare filings and do data entry for you.
- You still complete your own identity check and the final certification. No one can speed up FMCSA's review.
Related guides
Where this information comes from
We write these guides from FMCSA's public pages and update them when FMCSA changes its guidance. Check the source before you act:
