How to File the MCS-150 Online in 2026: The Form, the PDF, and Motus

Reviewed by the ICR Filings compliance team · Updated October 16, 2026

The MCS-150, or Motor Carrier Identification Report, is the form that keeps your USDOT record current. Every USDOT number has to update it every two years, and sooner if something changes. Since May 2026, the update is filed online in Motus, FMCSA's new registration system.

What changed in 2026

• The FMCSA Portal's Registration menu, where most carriers filed the MCS-150, was turned off on May 14, 2026.
• Motus opened to all registrants on May 19, 2026. Record updates, reinstatement applications, and requests to suspend or revoke your own registration all happen there now.
• The USDOT PIN is no longer used. You sign in with Login.gov and verify your identity once.

Is there still a paper or PDF MCS-150?

FMCSA still posts the MCS-150 PDF on its website, but its stated goal with Motus is a completely online process, and it notes that paper updates take days to process. If you truly cannot file online, call the FMCSA contact center before mailing anything (how to reach them).

Does it cost anything?

No. FMCSA does not charge to file the biennial update for your own company. You only pay if you hire a service to prepare and file it for you, as with ours.

What the form asks

• Legal name, any DBA, physical and mailing address, phone, and email
• Operation type: for-hire, private, broker, interstate or intrastate
• Cargo you haul, and hazmat details if any
• Power units and trailers you own, lease, or trip lease
• Drivers, and how many have a CDL
• Total miles driven last calendar year, all vehicles
• Company officers

Step by step in Motus

1. Sign in at motus.dot.gov with your Login.gov account. First time? See our Motus setup guide.
2. Claim your USDOT number if you have not already, and open your company account.
3. Start the biennial update and review the information Motus imported from your old record.
4. Correct anything that changed: vehicles, drivers, mileage, cargo, address, officers.
5. Certify that the information is correct and submit.
6. Check your record in a few business days to confirm the new date posted.

If you would rather not do it yourself, a filing agent can prepare and submit it once you add them as your transportation service provider in Motus. The identity check is always yours to do, and you never share your password.

When it is due, and the current pause

Your USDOT number sets the month and year. Our MCS-150 due date guide shows how to read it, or look up your number. FMCSA has paused deactivations for updates due on or after June 1, 2026 while Motus stabilizes, but the update is still required and FMCSA has said it will give notice before enforcement resumes. Your vehicle count also matters for UCR, so an accurate update saves trouble there too.

Official sources

• FMCSA: Form MCS-150 and instructions
• FMCSA: Registration modernization FAQs
• FMCSA: Temporary suspension of the biennial update requirement
• Motus: USDOT Registration System

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the official source before you file.