How to Deactivate Your DOT Number: MCS-150 Filing and Penalties

To deactivate a DOT number, file an updated MCS-150 with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and select “Out of Business Notification” as the reason for filing. Online submissions clear in a few business days; mailed ones take four to six weeks. Skip it and you can face civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day, capped at $10,000 per violation.1Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Updating Your Registration or Authority

One thing to know up front: your USDOT number and your operating authority (MC, MX, or FF number) are separate registrations. Closing out the DOT number does not revoke your operating authority, and closing the authority does not deactivate the DOT number. If you hold both, you file for each one separately.2Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Do I Inactivate/Revoke My Operating Authority Registration?

What to Gather Before You File

Pull these together before opening the form:

  • Your USDOT number
  • Your FMCSA PIN, an 8-character alphanumeric code required for online updates
  • Your EIN
  • Legal business name and current address
  • The date you ceased operations

If you’ve lost your PIN, request a new one through FMCSA’s SAFER system. Electronic delivery to the email or cell phone already on file is instant; a mailed PIN takes 7 to 10 business days.3Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Request a USDOT Personal Identification Number (PIN)

Filing the MCS-150 Online

The fastest route is FMCSA’s online MCS-150 update portal. Authenticate with your USDOT number and PIN, then select “Out of Business Notification” as the reason for filing. That selection is the right one even if your company continues to exist for other purposes; it simply tells FMCSA you’re no longer operating vehicles that require a USDOT number.2Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Do I Inactivate/Revoke My Operating Authority Registration?

Enter the date operations ceased, confirm your company details, and submit. Processing usually takes a few business days.

Filing by Mail or Fax

If you can’t file online, download the MCS-150 from FMCSA and complete it by hand.4Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Form MCS-150 and Instructions – Motor Carrier Identification Report Check “Out of Business Notification,” fill in the rest, and send it in:

Mailed applications average four to six weeks. Hazardous materials carriers file the MCS-150B instead, which is the combined Motor Carrier Identification Report and Hazardous Materials Safety Permit Application.6Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Form MCS-150B and Instructions

If You Also Need to Revoke Operating Authority

Voluntary revocation of an MC, MX, or FF number uses Form OCE-46, a different form from the MCS-150. It asks for your docket number, complete business name and address, and an authorized signature. The catch: the signature must be notarized or made in front of an FMCSA staff member.7Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Request for Revocation of Operating Authority You can submit it by opening a support ticket with FMCSA (the quickest option) or by fax or mail to the same addresses used for the MCS-150.

Shutting down completely means filing both: the MCS-150 for the DOT number and the OCE-46 for the operating authority.

Confirming the Change Went Through

Verify the status change at FMCSA’s SAFER Company Snapshot at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. Search by USDOT number, MC/MX number, or company name, and the snapshot will show whether your record has moved to inactive or out of business.8Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Do I Determine the Status of My USDOT Number? For mailed filings, check back after the four-to-six-week processing window.

Loose Ends After You Go Inactive

The MCS-150 is the central step, but a few obligations don’t end with the filing.

Vehicle Markings

Federal rules require your USDOT number on both sides of every self-propelled commercial vehicle you operate, in letters readable from 50 feet.9eCFR. 49 CFR 390.21 – Marking of Self-Propelled CMVs and Intermodal Equipment Remove or cover those markings before selling or transferring any vehicle. An inactive number displayed on a truck in service invites problems at roadside inspections for whoever is driving it.

UCR Refund

If you’re registered under the Unified Carrier Registration program, you may be eligible for a refund of fees paid for the current open registration year. The UCR refund procedure allows carriers to request refunds for current open registration years.10Unified Carrier Registration (UCR). UCR Documents – Refund Procedure Annual UCR fees for 2026 run from $46 for carriers with two or fewer vehicles up to $44,836 for fleets over 1,000, so a recent payment is worth a claim.11Unified Carrier Registration (UCR). Fee Brackets

Heavy Vehicle Use Tax

Already paid the federal heavy vehicle use tax for the current period? If your vehicles are sold or permanently taken out of service, you can claim a credit on your next Form 2290 or request a refund using Form 8849, Schedule 6. The credit applies to vehicles sold or destroyed before June 1 of the tax period that weren’t used afterward. You’ll need the VIN, the taxable gross weight category, and the date sold or destroyed.12Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 2290

Insurance

Tell your commercial auto and cargo insurers once the DOT number is inactive. Coverage often tracks FMCSA registration, and premiums on trucks you’re not running are money wasted. Time the cancellation so you’re not exposed while you’re wrapping up final operations, but don’t let policies auto-renew after the shutdown.

Penalties for Leaving It Active

All registered carriers must complete a biennial MCS-150 update every two years. Missing it can bring civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day, capped at $10,000 per violation.1Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Updating Your Registration or Authority Federal law treats each day of non-compliance as a separate offense.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 U.S. Code 521 – Civil Penalties An active-but-unused number can also draw audit notices and compliance reviews you’ll have to answer. The out-of-business notification ends those obligations cleanly.

Reactivating Later

If you get back into operations, you don’t need a fresh DOT number. Submit a new MCS-150 (or MCS-150B for hazmat) through the online system or by mail using the current version of the form; FMCSA won’t accept expired versions.14Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. How Do I Reactivate My USDOT Number?

Reactivating the DOT number itself is free. If your operating authority was revoked, reinstatement is a separate step costing $80, and brand-new operating authority costs $300 per authority type.15Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. What Is the Cost for Obtaining Operating Authority (MC/FF/MX Number)? If your number was revoked after a failed New Entrant safety audit, FMCSA has a separate reapplication process with added requirements.