To close a USDOT number, file Form MCS-150 (the Motor Carrier Identification Report) with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and check “Out of Business” as the reason for filing.1Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Do I Inactivate My USDOT Number? If your company also holds operating authority under an MC, FF, or MX number, that authority is separate and stays live until you file Form OCE-46 to revoke it.2Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Form OCE-46 – Request for Revocation of Operating Authority Doing both cleanly stops the biennial update obligation and the daily civil penalties that come with ignoring it.3Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. What Are the Penalties for Failure to Submit My Biennial Update?
What to Have Ready Before You File
Pull these together first so you’re not chasing details mid-form:
- Your USDOT number
- Legal business name exactly as it appears in FMCSA records
- Physical and mailing addresses
- Contact information for the person handling the closure
- The effective date you stopped, or will stop, commercial motor vehicle operations
- A copy of the signer’s driver’s license or other government-issued ID, which the FMCSA requires attached to the certification1Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Do I Inactivate My USDOT Number?
If you also hold operating authority, add your MC, FF, or MX docket number to the list. The OCE-46 requires an authorized signature that is either notarized or signed in the presence of an FMCSA staff member.2Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Form OCE-46 – Request for Revocation of Operating Authority
Filling Out the MCS-150
Download the current form directly from the FMCSA website. Older versions circulating on third-party sites get rejected.4Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Do I Reactivate My USDOT Number? Most carriers use the standard MCS-150. Intermodal equipment providers use MCS-150B, and certain other entities use MCS-150C. Match the version to how you originally registered.
For an out-of-business notification on the standard MCS-150, complete items 1 through 16 and items 30 through 31.5Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Form MCS-150 Items 1 through 16 cover company identification, address, and operational details. Item 30 is the reason for filing; check the out-of-business box. Item 31 is the certification statement, signed and dated by an authorized person, with a copy of that signer’s ID attached.
Revoking Operating Authority With Form OCE-46
Closing the USDOT number does not close operating authority. This is the step most people miss. If you have an MC, FF, or MX number, file Form OCE-46 (Request for Revocation of Operating Authority) with your docket number, complete business name and address, and a notarized authorized signature.2Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Form OCE-46 – Request for Revocation of Operating Authority
Leaving authority active after operations stop can create insurance filing complications, and for-hire carriers of passengers and freight may face penalties beyond the standard biennial update fines.3Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. What Are the Penalties for Failure to Submit My Biennial Update?
Where to Send the Forms
The fastest route is the Ask FMCSA portal at ask.fmcsa.dot.gov. Upload the completed forms and supporting documents, and you’ll receive a confirmation number by email.6Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Updating Your Registration or Authority
To submit by mail, send everything to:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Attention: USDOT Number Application
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Room W65-206
Washington, DC 205905Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Form MCS-150
Fax submission is also available; check the current registration page for the number, since contact information changes. OCE-46 review takes up to eight days.7Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Do I Inactivate/Revoke My Operating Authority Registration The FMCSA does not publish formal processing times for the MCS-150, but online submissions generally move faster than paper.
Registrations FMCSA Closure Does Not Cover
Deactivating your USDOT number and revoking your operating authority only handles the FMCSA side. Several other accounts stay open until you close them separately.
- IRP plates and IFTA fuel tax accounts are run by your base state. Contact your state’s motor carrier division to cancel or surrender them. Leaving IFTA active means you still owe quarterly fuel tax returns.
- Unified Carrier Registration (UCR): notify the UCR plan administrator that you’ve ceased operations. Annual UCR fees apply to active registrants.
- Insurance filings: if you had BMC-91 or BMC-34 liability filings on file with the FMCSA, coordinate cancellation with your insurance provider. Revoking authority through OCE-46 signals the FMCSA that active coverage is no longer needed, but confirming with the insurer prevents lingering premium obligations.
- BOC-3 process agent designation: once authority is revoked, the designation is no longer needed. Tell your process agent company so they can close the account.
Records to Keep After You Close
Federal rules don’t set a fixed number of years for records after a carrier goes out of business. Under 49 CFR Part 379, records can be destroyed after the business is completely liquidated, and not before dissolution is truly final and all pending transactions and claims are resolved.8eCFR. 49 CFR Part 379 – Preservation of Records If an insurance claim, audit, or lawsuit is still open, hold everything until those matters close. When another company acquires yours, the successor takes on the preservation obligation.
As a practical matter, keep driver qualification files, vehicle maintenance records, hours-of-service logs, and drug and alcohol testing records for at least a few years past closure. Tax authorities can request them independently of the FMCSA, and they protect you if post-closure disputes come up.
If You Later Reactivate
A deactivated USDOT number can be reactivated rather than replaced with a new one. Submit the appropriate MCS-150 series form with updated company information.4Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Do I Reactivate My USDOT Number? Reactivation of the USDOT number does not automatically bring operating authority back. Reinstating a previously revoked MC, FF, or MX number costs $80; applying for a new operating authority type costs $300 per authority.9Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Form MCS-150 and Instructions – Motor Carrier Identification Report You’ll also need to refile BMC-91 or BMC-34 insurance and your BOC-3 designation before authority becomes active again.