USDOT Number Statuses Compared: Inactive, Out of Service, Revoked

Active

SAFER: the entity's USDOT number is active. Source: SAFER Help. Active does not by itself mean you hold operating authority.

What this usually involves 5 steps

Find your status on SAFER
Match it to the terms on this page
Work out the path: update, reactivate, reinstate or reapply
File the request
Confirm the change on SAFER

From SAFER help: status definitions.

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Consult with a Compliance Specialist

Not authorized

The USDOT number is active, but there is no operating authority for interstate, for-hire operations. It does not apply to private or intrastate operations. Read what "not authorized" means.

Inactive

SAFER: inactive per 49 CFR 390.19(b)(4); biennial update of MCS-150 data not completed. A number can also be inactivated for other reasons, such as an out-of-business request. FMCSA has temporarily suspended this inactivation for missed biennial updates during the Motus transition; see the pause. Read inactive USDOT number.

Out of service

SAFER: the carrier is under any type of out-of-service order and is not authorized to operate. This is not the same as a missed MCS-150. Read out-of-service orders.

Revoked

"Revoked" gets used for two different things. A New Entrant revocation affects the USDOT registration and has its own reapplication process: reapplying after revocation. Revoked operating authority (your MC number) is reinstated with a separate request: reinstating operating authority.

Pending

Not a SAFER operating status, but a common situation: an application or filing has been submitted and is not finished. FMCSA says Motus lets you track the status of registration actions. Source: Move into Motus. Read stuck pending.

How to see yours

Look up your number on SAFER: how to check your USDOT status.

Common mistakes that cause delays

Treating an out-of-service order like an inactive status. They have different fixes. (SAFER help: status definitions)
Opening a second number instead of fixing the first. (SAFER help: status definitions)

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 Specialist

Common questions

Is inactive the same as out of service?

No. SAFER defines them separately. Inactive relates to the biennial update not being completed; out of service means the carrier is under an out-of-service order and may not operate.

Is inactive the same as revoked?

Not always. Inactivation often follows a missed biennial update. Revocation, such as a New Entrant revocation or revoked operating authority, is a different FMCSA action with a different fix.

Can I be active and still not allowed to haul for hire across state lines?

Yes. SAFER shows that as NOT AUTHORIZED: the USDOT number is active, but there is no interstate for-hire operating authority.

Which FMCSA tool shows my status?

SAFER's Company Snapshot shows the operating status. Motus shows the status of registration actions you have filed.

If I do not like my status, can I apply for a new number?

Almost never. That can create a duplicate record. Fix the status on the number you have.

Still unsure after the questions above? Ask a Personal Compliance Specialist.