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Motus replaced FMCSA’s old registration system: what a company buyer should check

FMCSA moved registration to a new system called Motus, with identity checks for every user. If you are buying a trucking company, here is what changed, what did not, and what to check.

TruckBiz Team · October 6, 2026 · Last reviewed: October 6, 2026

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Key takeaways

  • Motus is FMCSA’s new registration system. It replaces the old Unified Registration System (URS) and the FMCSA Portal.
  • Motus checks who you are (government ID and face capture) and checks the business.
  • MC numbers were not eliminated in this release. Nobody can give you a real date for MC numbers going away.
  • The basics of buying a company did not change: the USDOT number stays with the company.
  • After closing, the new owner claims the company in Motus with their own Login.gov identity. Never use the seller’s login.

What Motus is

Motus is FMCSA’s new system for registering carriers, brokers and other regulated companies. FMCSA announced it in the Federal Register on April 29, 2026. The notice says Motus replaces the Unified Registration System (URS) and the FMCSA Portal.

The rollout came in phases. Phase I started on December 8, 2025. Phase II, for all regulated companies, was planned for the second quarter of 2026. Motus launched in May 2026.

The old system closed in May. FMCSA’s Licensing & Insurance (L&I) website says its registration functions were permanently retired on May 14, 2026, at 8:00 PM ET.

What changed: identity checks

The biggest change is identity. Motus checks a person’s identity with a government ID and face capture through a company called IDEMIA. It checks the business through a company called CLEAR.

This applies to companies that already exist, too. FMCSA’s notice says about 800,000 existing registrants will go through verification the first time they log in.

Why it matters for a buyer: identity checks are there to fight fraud. After you buy a company, expect to go through these checks yourself before you can manage the company’s registration.

What did not change

MC numbers. FMCSA’s notice says the Phase II release of Motus does not eliminate MC numbers. The notice said FMCSA expected to issue a rulemaking in Spring 2026 to make Motus required and retire the old forms. As of October 6, 2026, we found no such rule published in the Federal Register.

FMCSA’s FAQ says MC numbers were never a statutory or regulatory requirement. It says FMCSA is considering phasing them out in favor of suffixes added to the USDOT number. The same FAQ says existing MC numbers will not be replaced by USDOT numbers. It gives no date.

So if someone tells you “MC numbers end on this date, buy now”, ignore it. There is no official date.

Existing numbers. FMCSA says Motus will randomize newly issued USDOT and docket numbers, and existing numbers will not change. One practical point: on a newly issued number, the number itself may not hint at how old a company is. Check the authority history in L&I instead.

The BOC-3. The notice says Phase II does not change how the BOC-3 (the process agent filing) is filed.

Who owns the number. A USDOT number belongs to the same legal person forever and cannot be sold on its own. When a company is sold, the USDOT number goes with the company. Motus does not change that.

Insurance filings. The insurer still files proof of liability insurance on Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X. No truck may run until the required insurance is in effect.

The MCS-150 update. Carriers must still update their MCS-150 every 24 months.

What a company buyer should check now

1. The public record in SAFER. Look up the company in the SAFER Company Snapshot. Check USDOT status, operating authority status and the MCS-150 form date. A missed MCS-150 update can lead to USDOT deactivation.

2. Authority and insurance history. FMCSA’s L&I website still has a carrier search for authority and insurance history. Look for gaps and cancellations. An insurer must give FMCSA 30 days’ notice before a filing is cancelled.

3. The phone number. FMCSA tells people to verify phone numbers in SAFER. The person selling the company should match the company’s record.

4. Your own Motus access after closing. Motus access is personal. It is tied to a person’s own Login.gov account and identity check. The new owner claims the company in Motus with their own Login.gov identity. Never use the seller’s login. Ask FMCSA how. Never give your passwords or 2FA codes to anyone — TruckBiz never asks for them.

5. Your updates after closing. FMCSA says new owners should update FMCSA records immediately. Its FAQ says to file an updated MCS-150 within 30 days of the change. Your insurer files your BMC-91 or BMC-91X. Keep a current BOC-3 that covers all required states.

How TruckBiz listings use this data

Each listing is laid out like the SAFER Company Snapshot and the FMCSA licensing and insurance record, so it looks familiar. Authority, filing history and insurance filings come from Motus. Federal data on listings is refreshed nightly from FMCSA records, which can lag. Every line shows its source, such as “FMCSA record” or “Seller says”.

Public listings do not show the company’s name, MC or USDOT. You can run all the checks above yourself once you know which company you are buying.

Need the full list? Use our due-diligence checklist.

General information only, as of the “Last reviewed” date — not legal, tax or insurance advice. Rules change; check the official source we link. TruckBiz is a marketplace, not a law firm, insurance agency or escrow company. TruckBiz is not affiliated with or endorsed by Escrow.com, FMCSA or the U.S. DOT. Talk to your own lawyer, accountant and insurance agent about your deal.

Last reviewed: October 6, 2026

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