How do I check if a DOT number is active?
Enter the USDOT number above. The result states whether FMCSA shows active operating authority, whether a suspension order is on file and the date it takes effect, and whether the insurance on file meets the amount FMCSA requires, all from the most recent nightly refresh and all dated. Active authority with no other flags is a GO.
To read the raw record yourself, FMCSA offers two public tools. Motus, the registration system that replaced URS and the FMCSA Portal in May 2026, has a public search of an entity's registration record. The older SAFER Company Snapshot still shows the USDOT registration status and the operating-authority status side by side. Both are free.
What does each DOT number status mean?
A carrier has two different statuses, and confusing them is the most common mistake in a status check.
| Status | Where it appears | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| USDOT status: Active | SAFER snapshot, Motus | The registration record is current. Says nothing about for-hire authority or insurance. |
| USDOT status: Inactive | SAFER snapshot, Motus | The record lapsed, usually a missed biennial update, or the company reported itself out of business. |
| Operating authority: Active | Motus, L&I, CarrierScrub | FMCSA has granted for-hire authority and it is in force. Required to move freight for hire across state lines. |
| Operating authority: Not authorized / Inactive | Motus, L&I, CarrierScrub | Never granted, voluntarily revoked, or involuntarily revoked, most often for an insurance lapse. CarrierScrub: STOP. |
| Suspension order: served, not yet effective | L&I revocation file, CarrierScrub | FMCSA has issued the order; it takes effect 30 days after service. The carrier can still cure it. CarrierScrub: CAUTION, with the days remaining. |
| Suspension order: in effect | L&I revocation file, CarrierScrub | Authority is suspended as of the effective date. CarrierScrub: STOP. |
| Insurance below required or cancellation filed | L&I insurance filings, CarrierScrub | Coverage on file is under the required minimum (STOP) or the insurer has filed a future-dated cancellation (CAUTION). |
An active USDOT number with no active operating authority is a carrier that can legally operate its own trucks for its own freight, but cannot legally haul yours for hire.
Why does a carrier with an active DOT number still get STOP?
Because the USDOT registration being active is the weakest of the checks. A STOP means at least one of these is on file: no active operating authority; a suspension order whose effective date has passed; insurance on file below the amount FMCSA requires for that operation; or this USDOT number was registered shortly after a suspension order was served on a different-named carrier at the same phone number. Each reason is listed on the result with its date. None of them is an accusation; each is a fact FMCSA published.
Is my DOT number active? What to do if it isn't
Carriers can use the same check above. If the status is inactive, the fix depends on which status lapsed. A lapsed USDOT registration usually means a missed biennial update (the MCS-150), which is now filed in Motus. Revoked or suspended operating authority is reinstated through Motus as well, and an insurance-related revocation needs a new filing from the insurer before FMCSA will reinstate.
Applying for a new USDOT number or operating authority is also done online in Motus, at fmcsa.dot.gov/registration. FMCSA charges only its statutory filing fees; the third-party services that rank for "apply for DOT number online" charge on top of that for filling in the same form. Motus opened to all new and existing registrants in May 2026 and now requires identity verification for new applicants.
What a status check doesn't tell you
Status is a snapshot. It does not show the direction the record is moving: a suspension served last week, a cancellation the insurer filed for next month, a fourth insurer in two years, or a registration date that sits two days after a suspension at the same phone number. CarrierScrub reads all of those from the same FMCSA files and shows them on the result with their dates, which is the difference between "active today" and "safe to tender".
Not checked yet, and shown as pending rather than guessed: safety rating, out-of-service orders, crash history and BASIC percentiles from roadside inspections.
Where the data comes from
Operating authority, revocation and suspension orders, and insurance filings are published free under FMCSA's open data program, updated daily by FMCSA and refreshed here every night. Every result shows the refresh date it came from. Disputes about the record itself go through DataQs.