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FMCSA Motus Login, Phone Number and Fake Sites: What Truckers Need to Know Now

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Motus is FMCSA's USDOT registration system at motus.dot.gov, and truckers, owner-operators and small fleets now use it to apply for and manage USDOT numbers and operating authority. It replaced the old registration tools in May 2026. You sign in with Login.gov, verify your identity, then claim your existing USDOT number or start a new registration.

Status as of Oct 29, 2026: FMCSA has paused enforcement of biennial updates while Motus is stabilized. There is no date announced for a full fix, for the end of that pause or for any Motus deadline. System facts in this guide come from FMCSA's own pages. It is general information, not legal advice.

What is FMCSA Motus?

Motus is the U.S. DOT's registration system for FMCSA customers. FMCSA's Motus Quick-Start guide says the name is not an acronym. It is the Latin word for "movement" or "progress." FMCSA's Fraud Alerts page adds that the name is written "Motus," not in all capital letters.

What Motus replaced

According to FMCSA's registration questions page, registration options in the FMCSA Portal ended Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 8:00 PM Eastern, and the Unified Registration System (URS) is "permanently offline." FMCSA's suspension notice says Motus launched on May 19. FMCSA said the FMCSA Portal would stay operational after Motus launched, but its registration options are gone, so online registration changes now happen in Motus. If you cannot use Motus online, call the FMCSA Contact Center at 1-800-832-5660 to ask about other filing options before mailing a paper form.

FMCSA's modernization FAQs say existing registrants keep their current USDOT number, and that there are "no planned changes to the registration fees associated with the initial release of the new system." Registration fees still apply.

Who has to use Motus

FMCSA's Move into Motus page says any entity that needs a USDOT number or operating authority can use Motus, including:

Supporting companies also use it: blanket companies (BOC-3 filers), insurance and surety filers, and transportation service providers that help carriers with registration.

What you can do in Motus

According to FMCSA, registrants can:

The public can also search registration records in Motus without an account. Owner-operators still deciding whether to run under their own authority can compare the options in our owner-operator vs. company driver guide.

Do you need to log in to Motus right now?

Whether you need to log in now depends on what you need to do. FMCSA Deputy Administrator Jesse Elison's advice, as reported by FreightWaves on Oct 26, 2026, was: "If you don't need to go in, don't go in yet." FMCSA's Temporary Suspension notice, last updated Sept 10, 2026, says the agency "has temporarily suspended enforcement of biennial updates and the inactivation of USDOT Numbers" for entities that have not completed the update.

If you need a new USDOT number, new authority or a change to your company record, FMCSA's online process for that is now Motus. If you only have a biennial update coming up, read the next two sections first.

What FMCSA has paused

The notice covers updates due on or after June 1, 2026. It does not say anything about updates that were due before that date. FMCSA says it "will share additional guidance as Motus recovery and stabilization efforts continue."

Is there a Motus deadline?

No date announced. FMCSA has not published an end date for the biennial update pause, a date for a full Motus fix or any general Motus deadline. Be wary of any email or website that claims a Motus deadline and asks you to click a link (see the fake sites section below).

How Motus login and registration work, step by step

These steps come from FMCSA's Motus Quick-Start guide to your first login (May 2026). Before you begin, have three things ready:

Then follow these steps:

  1. Sign in: go to motus.dot.gov and click "Sign In Login.gov" in the Regulated Entities & Supporting Companies section. Login.gov uses two-factor authentication, such as a code sent to your phone or email.
  2. Accept the rules: read FMCSA's Rules of Behavior and click the button at the bottom of the screen to agree.
  3. Verify your identity: follow the prompts to capture images of your face and your government ID. On a computer, scan the QR code on the screen with your phone's camera. On a phone, tap the blue link below the QR code to use that phone's camera.
  4. Complete your profile: your name fills in exactly as it appears on your ID. Add your address and phone number. FMCSA recommends not using your public business email for your personal Motus profile, because business registration information is public.
  5. Choose a workflow: pick Link an Existing USDOT Number, Start a New Registration, or Register as a Supporting Company.

Claiming an existing USDOT number

If your company already has a USDOT number, the company official can "claim" the existing record instead of typing everything in again. FMCSA says to use the same Login.gov email that was used as the company official in the FMCSA Portal. Then review, update and certify the information.

New registrants who are not sure what they need can use FMCSA's "What Type of Registration Do I Need?" questions on the Motus home page. People brand new to trucking may also want our step-by-step CDL guide.

No camera, or identity verification failed?

FMCSA's enrollment center page says to call the FMCSA Contact Center at 1-800-832-5660 before visiting an identity verification enrollment center. Have your Login.gov email and any error codes ready. If an agent sends you to a center, the IDEMIA Enrollment Center Hotline at 1-833-832-5530 has hours and location details, and FMCSA says all centers are walk-in.

Motus problems and what FMCSA says to do

FMCSA's own notice describes ongoing "Motus recovery and stabilization efforts," and the agency offers Registration Alerts so users can "receive information about system fixes as they are addressed." There is still no date announced for a full fix. Elison said on Oct 26 that it would be "really weeks and not months, not like six months before we tackle this, before we stabilize it," according to FreightWaves. For the latest public comments from FMCSA leadership on the repair timeline, see our news story on the Motus fix timeline.

Report the problem once, then follow up

FMCSA's suspension notice says to report a Motus issue by submitting a ticket through the FMCSA ticket webform. It also says: "Make sure you don't duplicate tickets on the same cases you open. Just follow up on them."

"Link a USDOT Number" not working because of a TSP account

FMCSA's registration page has an alert for carriers whose email address was registered by mistake for the Transportation Service Provider (TSP) role in Motus. FMCSA says those carriers can close the TSP account. Follow the steps in that alert, or call the Contact Center if you are unsure.

Watch for official updates

The suspension notice also points to FMCSA's Registration Video Library and its Move to Motus job aids for how-to help. For other federal registration costs carriers track, see our story on the 2027 UCR fees, and find more rule news in Trucking Laws.

Motus phone number and support hours

The FMCSA Contact Center handles Motus and registration questions:

Hours: FMCSA's Contact Us page lists the Contact Center's business hours as 8:00 am to 11:00 pm Eastern, Monday through Friday, and 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Eastern on Saturday. FMCSA's Sept 10, 2026 suspension notice also says hours "have just been extended" to weekday evenings plus Saturdays. FMCSA's AskFMCSA page shows the same weekday and Saturday hours. Other FMCSA pages still list shorter hours. The Motus Contact FMCSA page shows 8 AM to 8 PM Eastern, Monday through Friday, and the Quick-Start guide shows 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM Eastern. Calling during those shorter hours is the safest bet.

FMCSA's enrollment center page says identity verification tickets can be submitted any time, any day, and that FMCSA responds within 2 business days.

Fake Motus sites: how to spot them

FMCSA's Fraud Alerts page, last updated Oct 20, 2026, says the only real Motus website is https://motus.dot.gov/. It warns about a bogus "New MOTUS Portal," written in all capital letters, at these five addresses:

FMCSA says people have received emails with the subject line "Notice of Required Off-Cycle Update- Motus email" urging them to click the fake portal link to update their profile.

FMCSA's advice:

FMCSA also says it will not contact regulated entities through telemarketers or robocalls, and that, beyond the proof of insurance and process agent filings many entities need, the government generally does not require you to use a private business or vendor. For running numbers on your own authority, the owner-operator profit calculator and the trucking load rate calculator are on our trucking tools page.

FAQ

What is FMCSA Motus?

Motus is FMCSA's USDOT registration system at motus.dot.gov. Carriers, brokers, freight forwarders and other registrants use it to apply for and manage USDOT numbers and operating authority, submit biennial updates and change company information. It replaced registration in the FMCSA Portal and the Unified Registration System in May 2026.

How do I log in to Motus?

Go to motus.dot.gov and click "Sign In Login.gov." Complete Login.gov's two-factor authentication, accept FMCSA's Rules of Behavior, then verify your identity by capturing your face and a government ID with a camera. Finish your user profile and choose a workflow, such as linking an existing USDOT number.

Do I need to log in to Motus right now?

It depends on what you need to do. A new USDOT number, new operating authority or a change to your company record now goes through Motus online. FMCSA Deputy Administrator Jesse Elison's advice, as reported by FreightWaves on Oct 26, 2026, was: "If you don't need to go in, don't go in yet." FMCSA has also paused enforcement of biennial updates due on or after June 1, 2026.

What is the Motus FMCSA phone number?

Call the FMCSA Contact Center at 1-800-832-5660. FMCSA's Contact Us page lists hours of 8:00 am to 11:00 pm Eastern, Monday through Friday, and 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Eastern on Saturday. Some Motus pages still show 8 AM to 8 PM Eastern on weekdays. You can also use the ticket webform or chat.

Is there a Motus registration deadline?

No date announced. FMCSA has temporarily suspended enforcement of biennial updates, and the inactivation of USDOT numbers, for registrants whose update was due on or after June 1, 2026. FMCSA has not said when that pause ends. It says it will share more guidance as Motus stabilization continues.

Why is Motus not working?

FMCSA describes ongoing Motus recovery and stabilization efforts after the May 2026 launch, and there is no date announced for a full fix. Report a problem with one ticket and follow up on it rather than opening duplicates. You can also sign up for FMCSA Registration Alerts to hear about system fixes.

Is that Motus email real?

Be careful. FMCSA warns about emails titled "Notice of Required Off-Cycle Update- Motus email" that link to a fake "New MOTUS Portal." The only real site is motus.dot.gov. If you are unsure about a message, do not click it. Call the FMCSA Contact Center at 1-800-832-5660 instead. This is general information, not legal advice.

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