The standing rule has not been repealed
FMCSA's updating page says: failure to complete a biennial update will result in deactivation of your USDOT number and may result in civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day, not to exceed $10,000. Sources: Updating Your Registration or Authority; How do you complete a biennial update?. Those pages do not mention the temporary suspension below.
What this usually involves 5 steps
- Work out when your update was due
- Check whether it was due before June 1, 2026 or on or after that date
- Check your status on SAFER
- Sign in to Motus with Login.gov and finish identity verification with a government-issued photo ID
- File the update (free when you file it yourself), or file for reactivation if the number is inactive
Recurring deadline: FMCSA lists civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day, not to exceed $10,000, for not completing a biennial update.
From FMCSA: Updating Your Registration, FMCSA: biennial update suspension notice.
Rather not deal with this? Hand it to a Personal Compliance Specialist.
Consult with a Compliance SpecialistWhat FMCSA has temporarily suspended
FMCSA says that, to help reduce disruptions during the Motus transition, it has temporarily suspended enforcement of biennial updates and the inactivation of USDOT numbers for entities that have not completed the required biennial update. Its notice adds that registrants whose biennial update was due on or after June 1, 2026 will get additional time and will not have their USDOT number inactivated for failing to submit it. FMCSA says it will share additional guidance as Motus recovery and stabilization efforts continue. Source: Temporary Suspension of the Biennial Update Requirement, linked from fmcsa.dot.gov/registration. Its Resources Hub summarizes it as a temporary suspension of the inactivation of USDOT numbers for entities that have not completed the required biennial update since June 1. Source: Registration Modernization Resources Hub. Checked November 15, 2026. FMCSA has not published an end date.
The update is still required
The suspension is about enforcement and inactivation. It does not remove the requirement to file, and FMCSA says affected registrants get additional time to complete required updates. File it: see your due date and our biennial update guide.
If your number is already inactive
The pause does not switch a number that is already inactive back on. You still need to reactivate it. See inactive USDOT number and reactivation.
What the pause does not cover
FMCSA's notice is about the biennial update. It does not speak to out-of-service orders, insurance lapses or revoked operating authority. See out-of-service orders and reinstating operating authority.
What it costs at FMCSA: updating your USDOT record, including the biennial update, is free when you file it yourself. Reinstating revoked operating authority is a separate request, and FMCSA lists an $80 fee for it.
Common mistakes that cause delays
- Assuming the pause covers every missed update. It covers updates due on or after June 1, 2026. (FMCSA: biennial update suspension notice)
Do it yourself
- Free to file in Motus
- You set up Login.gov and verify your identity
- You work out which form or request fits your record
- You match names, addresses and filings exactly
- You follow up until the change shows on SAFER
Have a specialist handle it
- A Personal Compliance Specialist reads your public record first
- You get a plain list of what is outstanding
- We prepare the filings with you and check they post
- You still complete Login.gov identity verification yourself
- Paid service. Any government fee is separate
Prefer to hand it off? A Personal Compliance Specialist can take it from here.
Talk to a Personal Compliance SpecialistCommon questions
Will FMCSA deactivate my USDOT number if I am late right now?
FMCSA says it has temporarily suspended enforcement of biennial updates and the inactivation of USDOT numbers for entities that have not completed the required biennial update, and that registrants whose update was due on or after June 1, 2026 will not have their number inactivated for failing to submit it. The requirement to file remains. Check FMCSA's notice for the current status.
Can I still be fined up to $10,000?
FMCSA's updating page still says a missed biennial update may result in civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day, not to exceed $10,000. That rule has not been repealed. We cannot predict what FMCSA will do during the suspension.
Should I wait to file until enforcement starts again?
No. File the update. It is free, and FMCSA says affected registrants are getting additional time to complete it, not an exemption.
Does the pause apply to out-of-service orders or insurance lapses?
No. FMCSA's notice covers the biennial update and inactivation for not completing it. It does not cover other registration problems.
My number is already inactive. Does the pause turn it back on?
No. Use the reactivation process to bring an inactive number back to active.
Still unsure after the questions above? Ask a Personal Compliance Specialist.
Consult with a Compliance SpecialistFMCSA sources
- FMCSA: Updating Your Registration or Authority
- FMCSA: How do you complete a biennial update?
- FMCSA: Temporary Suspension of the Biennial Update Requirement
- FMCSA: Registration Modernization Resources Hub
Checked November 15, 2026. FMCSA pages change; check the source before you rely on a detail. DOT Number Help is an independent service, not FMCSA, and you can file any of this directly with FMCSA.