Motus is FMCSA's new unified registration system. It went live on May 14, 2026 — official notice: Federal Register 2026-08334, published April 29, 2026. From that day forward, URS (the Unified Registration System) and the FMCSA Portal are dead: new USDOT applications, MC carrier authority, broker authority, MCS-150 updates, address changes, reinstatements — everything runs through Motus.
The logic is straightforward: one system instead of the URS-plus-Portal patchwork, with a real-human check at the door to squeeze out the fake registrations that fuel the fraud we covered in our double brokering guide. For an honest carrier that is good news. The bad news is the transition itself: your old Portal login opens nothing anymore, and the first MCS-150 update after May 14 turns into an obstacle course if you show up unprepared.
| Before (URS / FMCSA Portal) | Now (Motus, since May 14, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Portal username and password, no identity check | Sign-in only through Login.gov + identity verification: photo ID + selfie scan |
| MC/USDOT application filed in URS; broker used the same forms | One Motus application flow for carrier and broker authority; MC fee unchanged at $300 |
| MCS-150 updates by PIN or through the Portal | Updates only from the Motus account of a verified person tied to the company |
| Anyone holding the PIN could edit company data | Only the person who passed verification and claimed the record can make changes |
| Ghost registrations on borrowed identities were routine | The selfie scan is matched against the ID — anonymous filings got much harder |
| BOC-3 and bonds filed separately by agents and sureties | BOC-3 ($35) and BMC-84 are still filed by the agent and surety, but status shows in one system |
The sequence:
The failure modes that keep people stuck for days are boring and avoidable: glare on the ID (shoot without flash, on a matte surface), a dim room during the selfie scan, an expired document, and name spelling that differs between the ID and the application — Aleksandr versus Alexander reads as two different people to the machine. If one phone fails, try another phone and daylight before you open a support ticket.
You do not re-apply for anything — your authority stands. But until you claim your record inside Motus, you cannot manage it. The checklist:
Do not wait for your biennial MCS-150 deadline: if verification blocks, you will be untangling it against the clock, and a late MCS-150 is the road to USDOT deactivation.
Broker authority is the fastest-growing topic on our phone line, and since May 14, 2026 it is filed exclusively through Motus, with the same identity verification at the door. The chain after filing is unchanged: the MC number is assigned on submission, then the FMCSA protest period runs, and authority goes active once the surety files the BMC-84 and the process agent files the BOC-3 ($35). Typical full timeline: 1–3 weeks.
| Broker cost item | Amount |
|---|---|
| FMCSA fee for MC authority | $300 (one-time) |
| BOC-3 process agent | $35 |
| $75,000 bond — BMC-84 surety (required since October 1, 2013, MAP-21) | from ~$1,000/year with good credit; $2,000–3,000/year with bad credit |
| Alternative: BMC-85 trust fund | $75,000 deposit in cash |
| Turnkey broker authority from TruckerNavi | $499 + $300 FMCSA fee; start with a $149 deposit |
The upside for drivers moving from the cab into brokerage: a broker with no CDL drivers does not need Clearinghouse, a Drug & Alcohol program, ELDs, or primary liability insurance — the entire carrier-side cost block simply disappears. The obligation people forget: keep records of every transaction for 3 years (49 CFR Part 371). For the bond itself, see our BMC-84 freight broker bond guide.
Motus filing, Login.gov and identity verification without the blocks, BOC-3, BMC-84 bond shopping — we take you all the way to ACTIVE status. The $300 FMCSA fee is paid separately. Start with a $149 deposit.
Start your brokerage through Motus →Carriers get the mirror-image service: the Authority Bundle $499 (LLC, USDOT, MC, BOC-3, UCR), filed through Motus with the verification handled calmly.
Call (315) 871-0833 — through Motus in one clean passFMCSA's unified registration system, live since May 14, 2026 (Federal Register 2026-08334). USDOT, MC and broker authority applications and MCS-150 updates all go through it. It replaced URS and the FMCSA Portal.
Both retired on May 14, 2026; old Portal logins no longer work. Company records are accessible only through Login.gov with completed identity verification in Motus.
Yes, no exceptions: email, password, two-factor — plus identity verification with a photo ID and a live selfie face scan through your phone.
Photograph both sides of a government photo ID, then pass a live selfie scan; the system matches face to document. Common blocks: glare, dim lighting, expired ID, name spelling mismatches.
Motus ties record control to the verified person, not the company. Fix: from her account she adds you as a user, you complete your own verification — then both of you have access.
Your authority stays valid, but for any change you must create Login.gov, pass verification, and claim your record in Motus. Do it before your MCS-150 deadline.
Only through Motus: $300 fee, $35 BOC-3, $75,000 bond (BMC-84 from ~$1,000/year, or BMC-85 as a deposit). TruckerNavi files turnkey for $499 + fee, starting with $149.
MC assigned at filing, then the FMCSA protest period; activation follows the BMC-84 (brokers) and BOC-3 filings. Typically 1–3 weeks end to end.