Do I have to verify my identity in Motus?

All new applicants must pass identity proofing: scan a QR code in Motus with a smartphone or tablet, photograph a government-issued ID, and take a face scan. FMCSA partnered with IDEMIA in April 2025 for identity document capture and verification, and existing registrants (about 800,000) are verified when they first access the new system.

Can I still file the legacy paper forms?

FMCSA will keep accepting the legacy forms (OP-1 series, MCS-150 series, MCSA-5889, OCE-46, and BOC-3), with a valid government-issued ID, until a regulatory change eliminates them, but warns of a minimum of eight business days for initial review and processing. During Phase II, filers who use Motus instead of the listed forms are not cited or penalized.

Federal registration

FMCSA Motus: the new registration system, explained

Motus is FMCSA's new online registration system, and it has taken over from URS, the FMCSA Portal, and the agency's other legacy registration tools. This is a living page: every dated fact below comes from a Federal Register notice or an FMCSA announcement, and the log grows as the agency publishes more.

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 22, 2026

The dated record so far

Newest first. Each entry cites the notice or announcement it came from; we re-check the Federal Register and FMCSA's hub on a fixed cadence and add entries as they publish.

May 14, 2026
Legacy registration systems retired
FMCSA's registration Resources Hub announced that legacy registration tools retire May 14, 2026 at 8:00 PM ET, with Motus taking over as the USDOT registration system and registrants urged to complete updates in the FMCSA Portal before the cutover.
May 6, 2026
Docket number corrected
A correction notice fixed the April 29 notice's docket number to FMCSA-2026-1255.
Apr 29, 2026
Notice of policy published (91 FR 23144)
FMCSA published the Motus notice of policy: Phase II, planned for the second quarter of 2026, opens Motus to all regulated entities, and using Motus satisfies the URS-related statutory and regulatory registration requirements. FMCSA also said it anticipates a rulemaking in spring 2026 proposing to require Motus for all registrants and to eliminate the legacy forms.
Dec 8, 2025
Phase I released for supporting companies
FMCSA implemented Motus Phase I with limited access for supporting companies: blanket companies (Form BOC-3 filers), financial responsibility filers such as insurance and surety companies, and transportation service providers. These companies could set up user profiles, create company accounts, and invite authorized users.

What Motus is

Motus is FMCSA's new online registration system, named from the Latin word for movement, motion, or progress. FMCSA announced it will satisfy the statutory mandate for a unified registration system (49 U.S.C. 13908) and is intended to simplify registration, streamline identification, improve the user experience, and add enhanced verification tools.

Motus replaces the Unified Registration System (URS) used for new USDOT number and operating authority applications, the FMCSA Portal, the registration components of the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS), and the former Interstate Commerce Commission Licensing and Insurance system established in 1994.

Who files what in Motus

First-time registrants: First-time registrants use Motus to apply for a USDOT number and operating authority registration from FMCSA. The paperwork itself follows the same sequence as before; see the filing sequence for new authority.
Existing registrants: Existing registrants use Motus to apply for additional authorities or new registration types, request name and address changes, request reinstatement of operating authority, voluntarily suspend or revoke authority, reapply after a new entrant revocation, renew HMSP and cargo tank registrations, and complete the biennial update. That list includes the biennial update every carrier owes on a fixed schedule.

What changes for filers

Identity verification for applicants: All new applicants must pass identity proofing: scan a QR code in Motus with a smartphone or tablet, photograph a government-issued ID, and take a face scan. FMCSA partnered with IDEMIA in April 2025 for identity document capture and verification, and existing registrants (about 800,000) are verified when they first access the new system.
Business verification: FMCSA partnered with CLEAR in September 2025 to verify a company's authenticity, validating its legal name, principal place of business, ownership structure, company officials, and status.
Forms folded into online fields: Once Phase II is released, the legacy forms are integrated into the online system and users enter information in a series of fields instead of submitting separate documents. The only exception is Form OP-1(MX) for Mexico-domiciled carriers.
USDOT number suffixes: The USDOT number stays the unique identifier. New suffixes at the end of a company's USDOT number indicate each type of registration granted, but they are visible in the system only, are not used in formal agency correspondence, and are not required for marking CMVs.
Online payment and dashboards: Motus records payment via Pay.gov for all registration transactions with fees, shows registration and operating authority status on a dashboard-style page, and supports updates from a mobile device or tablet.

What stays the same, for now

In response to stakeholder feedback, the Phase II release does not include safety registration, does not eliminate the MC and FF docket numbers, and does not change the Form BOC-3 filing process. FMCSA said it will take a measured approach to those changes in later releases. So your MC number keeps its meaning, and a BOC-3 filing still works the way it did before the cutover.

How to prepare, and where updates post

Before the Phase II release, FMCSA asked current registrants to review their records for accuracy and update them (including process agent and insurance filings), save a copy of their records to match against the data in Motus, and review their FMCSA Portal authorized users, removing anyone who no longer needs access.

FMCSA posts development updates and Phase II information on its Registration Modernization Resources Hub. The hub lives at FMCSA's Registration Modernization Resources Hub. For the identifier the system is built around, see how the USDOT number works.

Frequently asked questions

What is FMCSA Motus?: Motus is FMCSA's new online registration system, named from the Latin word for movement, motion, or progress. FMCSA announced it will satisfy the statutory mandate for a unified registration system (49 U.S.C. 13908) and is intended to simplify registration, streamline identification, improve the user experience, and add enhanced verification tools.
Does Motus replace URS?: Motus replaces the Unified Registration System (URS) used for new USDOT number and operating authority applications, the FMCSA Portal, the registration components of the Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS), and the former Interstate Commerce Commission Licensing and Insurance system established in 1994.
Do I have to verify my identity in Motus?: All new applicants must pass identity proofing: scan a QR code in Motus with a smartphone or tablet, photograph a government-issued ID, and take a face scan. FMCSA partnered with IDEMIA in April 2025 for identity document capture and verification, and existing registrants (about 800,000) are verified when they first access the new system.
Are MC docket numbers going away under Motus?: In response to stakeholder feedback, the Phase II release does not include safety registration, does not eliminate the MC and FF docket numbers, and does not change the Form BOC-3 filing process. FMCSA said it will take a measured approach to those changes in later releases.
Can I still file the legacy paper forms?: FMCSA will keep accepting the legacy forms (OP-1 series, MCS-150 series, MCSA-5889, OCE-46, and BOC-3), with a valid government-issued ID, until a regulatory change eliminates them, but warns of a minimum of eight business days for initial review and processing. During Phase II, filers who use Motus instead of the listed forms are not cited or penalized.

Sources

Primary statutes and official agency pages this guide relies on. Laws and fees change, so confirm against the current source before you act.

Availability of Motus, FMCSA's New Registration System; notice of policy (91 FR 23144, April 29, 2026) · Federal Register
Availability of Motus, FMCSA's New Registration System; correction (May 6, 2026; docket FMCSA-2026-1255) · Federal Register
Motus | USDOT Registration System - Resources Hub · Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Haul Handbook publishes educational information about trucking registration and compliance requirements. This is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Rules, fees, and deadlines change; confirm with the agency before you file or pay.