How to Contact FMCSA: Phone Numbers, Chat Hours, and Getting a Faster Answer
Reviewed by the ICR Filings compliance team · Updated October 16, 2026
The FMCSA contact center handles registration, USDOT and MC numbers, insurance filings, Motus access, the Clearinghouse, and medical examiner questions. Since Motus launched, wait times can run long, so it helps to pick the right channel.
The main number and hours
- Phone: 1-800-832-5660
- Hours: 8 am to 11 pm Eastern, Monday through Friday, and 9 am to 4 pm Eastern on Saturday. Closed Sunday.
- Relay: if you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, dial 7-1-1.
FMCSA extended these hours during the Motus transition. Some older FMCSA and Motus pages still list 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays.
Chat and tickets
- Chat: start it from FMCSA's Ask FMCSA site or from Contact FMCSA inside Motus, during the same hours as the phone line. You fill in your USDOT or MC number and your question, then wait in a queue. On busy days the queue can be well over an hour, so keep the window open.
- Ticket: submit a question online at any time. FMCSA asks that you follow up on an existing ticket rather than opening duplicates for the same problem.
Other FMCSA lines
| For | Contact |
|---|---|
| CSA scores and safety measurement questions | 1-877-254-5365 |
| DataQs: disputing a crash or inspection record | 1-877-688-2984 |
| New Entrant safety audit program | 1-877-905-8016 |
| Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse | 1-800-832-5660 or clearinghouse@dot.gov |
| Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) | 1-877-642-9499 |
| Complaints about a moving company | 1-888-368-7238 |
How to get a faster answer
- Call or start a chat as soon as lines open at 8 am Eastern, rather than waiting until later in the day.
- Have your USDOT number, MC number, legal name, and the company official's Login.gov email ready.
- For a Motus account problem, write down any error message and the step where it happened.
- Check the public record first. Many questions are answered by your L&I or SAFER record or our USDOT check.
When a filing service is faster
If the problem is an update you need filed, such as an MCS-150, reactivation, or Motus setup, a filing agent can usually get it done without you waiting in the queue. Questions about our services? Ask us; the answer is free. We are a private company, not FMCSA.
Official sources
- FMCSA: Contact us (contact center hours and phone lines)
- FMCSA: Temporary suspension of the biennial update requirement
- FMCSA: Ask a question (ticket)
- FMCSA: Registration alerts
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the official source before you file.
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