Can You Change Ownership of a DOT Number? Rules & 30-Day Deadline

You cannot sell or transfer a DOT number from one person or business to another, but you can change ownership of a DOT number when the entity that holds it is itself sold. The FMCSA assigns each USDOT number to a specific legal entity and it stays with that entity permanently. If a corporation or LLC is sold, the new owners inherit the number along with the company. If a sole proprietor sells the business, the buyer has to get their own number. Either way, FMCSA must be notified within 30 days.¹

Sole Proprietor or Corporate Entity Decides Everything

How your business is organized controls whether the number travels with the sale.

A sole proprietor’s USDOT number is tied to that individual person forever. When the person sells the business, the buyer cannot use the seller’s number under any circumstances. The buyer has to apply for a new USDOT number through the Unified Registration System. Trying to purchase, rent, or use someone else’s number gives FMCSA grounds to deactivate the number and revoke the associated safety registration.¹

A corporation, LLC, or other state-recognized legal entity is different. The number belongs to the entity, not to any individual owner. John Doe, Inc. is a separate legal person from John Doe himself, so when John sells the corporation, the new owners take over an entity that already holds the DOT number. They should update FMCSA records right away to reflect the change in ownership and any details that changed with it.¹

Mergers and Acquisitions: Which Number Survives

In a merger or acquisition, the surviving number depends on which entity keeps operating. If John Doe, Inc. merges with Jim Smith, Inc. and John Doe, Inc. continues as a corporation after the deal, its USDOT number stays active. If John Doe, Inc. is dissolved under state law and operations continue only under Jim Smith, Inc. or a newly formed combined company, the dissolved entity’s number must be deactivated by filing an out-of-business notification on Form MCS-150. The continuing company runs under its own USDOT number.¹

Restructuring to shed a poor safety record is a real risk area. FMCSA watches for “chameleon carriers” that reincorporate to escape their history. If the agency finds that multiple entities are really operating as a single carrier, it can consolidate their records under one USDOT number and issue enforcement actions that bind all owners, officers, and affiliated companies.

Operating Authority Transfers Follow Separate Rules

Your operating authority (MC, FF, or MX number) is separate from the USDOT number and follows its own transfer process. A carrier, broker, or freight forwarder can transfer existing operating authority to a new entity as part of a corporate purchase involving the entire operation.²

Since 2013, FMCSA no longer requires pre-approval. Instead, both the seller and the buyer notify the agency after the transaction closes. Each party submits a request through the Ask FMCSA portal and provides company names, USDOT numbers, docket numbers, business addresses, and the transfer date. FMCSA may ask for supporting documents such as articles of merger or a transfer-of-assets agreement.²

Once the transfer is recorded, the operating authority shows as “Inactive” in FMCSA systems until the new owner files proof of insurance and a BOC-3 designation of process agents. Only after those filings are accepted does authority go active again. If the seller is shutting down entirely, it should file an MCS-150 out-of-business notification to deactivate its USDOT number.²

Insurance and BOC-3 After the Change

Updating the USDOT record is only half the job. The new owner has to make sure proof of financial responsibility (insurance) and a BOC-3 designation of process agents are on file with FMCSA. A lapse in either filing can trigger revocation proceedings against the operating authority.³

Names and addresses have to match exactly across your secretary of state registration, your USDOT registration, and your insurance documents. Any mismatch delays activation of the operating authority. It catches many new owners off guard, especially when the corporate name shifts slightly during an acquisition.³

The BOC-3 designates a process agent in each state where the carrier operates. Only a process agent can file it with FMCSA, unless the carrier acts as its own agent in its home state. When ownership changes, a new BOC-3 filing may be needed if any designations change. Only one completed form can be on file at a time, and it must cover all required states.⁴

How to File the Update

Form MCS-150 (Motor Carrier Identification Report) is the primary form for updating an existing USDOT record. It handles changes to legal business name, address, operational details like cargo type and vehicle count, and other company information. First-time applicants who need a brand-new USDOT number use the Unified Registration System instead.⁵

FMCSA accepts the MCS-150 two ways:

Online through the FMCSA Portal, which is the agency’s recommended route. If you need a USDOT PIN, go to safer.fmcsa.dot.gov, request one, and follow the prompts. The PIN goes to the email or phone number currently on file.⁵
By mail to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Attention: USDOT Number Application, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W65-206, Washington, DC 20590. Mail takes longer, so FMCSA recommends filing online when possible.⁶

Some changes fall outside the standard portal workflow. Legal name change requests, for example, can be submitted as attachments through the Ask FMCSA ticket system with a copy of government-issued identification.⁷

The 30-Day Deadline and Penalties for Late Filing

Federal regulations give you 30 days to notify FMCSA after a change in legal name, form of business, or address. The same 30-day window applies to both parties in an operating authority transfer, counted from the date the transfer is finalized.⁸

Miss it and the consequences are real. FMCSA can deactivate your USDOT number, which means you cannot legally operate commercial vehicles. Civil penalties for failing to complete required updates run up to $1,000 per day, capped at $10,000. Filing false or misleading information on the MCS-150 triggers additional penalties.⁶

Verifying the Update Went Through

Paper submissions take a minimum of eight business days to process. Online updates are generally faster, though complex changes like legal entity restructurings can take longer because they may need manual review.⁹

Once enough time has passed, check the SAFER system’s Company Snapshot to confirm the update posted. You can search by company name, USDOT number, or MC number.¹⁰

If the update hasn’t appeared, contact the FMCSA Contact Center at 1-800-832-5660, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern. You can also submit a question through the Ask FMCSA portal or use the live chat on the FMCSA website.¹¹

1
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. DO NOT Sell, Purchase, or Lease a USDOT or MC Number
2
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Do I Notify FMCSA of My Operating Authority (OA) Ownership Change
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Insurance Filing Requirements
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Form BOC-3 – Designation of Agents for Service of Process
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Form MCS-150 and Instructions – Motor Carrier Identification Report
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Updating Your Registration or Authority
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Registration Forms
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eCFR. 49 CFR 390.201 – USDOT Registration
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How to Update USDOT and Operating Authority Company Information
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Company Safety Records
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Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Contact Us