FMCSA Temporarily Suspends Biennial Update Enforcement During Motus Transition

FMCSA has temporarily suspended biennial update enforcement for carriers experiencing issues with the new Motus registration system while technical problems continue to be addressed.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has temporarily suspended enforcement actions that could inactivate USDOT numbers for carriers that have not completed their required biennial registration updates, giving motor carriers additional time as the agency continues addressing issues with its new Motus registration system.

The temporary policy follows the nationwide launch of Motus in May, which replaced FMCSA’s legacy registration platform. Since the transition, many carriers have reported problems accessing accounts, claiming USDOT numbers, and completing required registration updates.

According to FMCSA, carriers should not be concerned about having their USDOT numbers inactivated because of Motus-related access or system issues while the temporary suspension remains in effect. The agency has not announced when normal biennial update enforcement will resume.

Motus Launch Brought Early Challenges

FMCSA officially launched Motus on May 19 after retiring its previous registration system. Before the rollout, the agency mailed approximately 2.2 million notifications to registered entities outlining the steps needed to prepare for the transition.

Despite those preparations, carriers began reporting technical problems shortly after the system became available.

Among the issues reported were difficulties claiming existing USDOT numbers, preventing some carriers from completing routine tasks such as MCS-150 updates, address changes, reinstatements, and other registration modifications.

While FMCSA has continued working to resolve those issues, reports of ongoing system challenges prompted the agency to temporarily pause enforcement tied to biennial updates temporarily.

Why FMCSA Introduced Motus

FMCSA says the modernization effort is designed to improve both the registration experience and the agency’s ability to identify fraudulent activity.

The new platform includes enhanced identity verification tools intended to confirm that registered carriers are legitimate businesses while making it more difficult for fraudulent operators to exploit the registration process.

Motus also consolidates multiple registration services into a single online platform, allowing carriers to complete a wider range of registration activities from one location.

According to FMCSA, additional improvements include higher-quality registration data, improved system reliability, stronger enforcement tools, and a technology platform designed to support future updates.

What Carriers Should Do

Although enforcement has been temporarily suspended, carriers should continue monitoring their registration status and complete required biennial updates once they can access the system successfully.

FMCSA is encouraging users experiencing technical problems to report them through the agency’s Motus support page so issues can be identified and resolved as the transition continues.

The agency has not provided a timeline for when the temporary suspension will end or when standard biennial update enforcement will resume.