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FAQQuestions about duplicate USDOT records
Short answers to the questions carriers ask most often. For the longer explanation, see causes, risks and resolution.
What is a duplicate USDOT record?
It usually means the same legal company has more than one USDOT number, or has two records that describe the same operation in conflicting ways. Related companies that are actually separate legal entities generally each need their own number; that is not a duplicate in the usual sense.
How do carriers end up with two USDOT numbers?
A second number can appear when someone applies again after a filing seems to stall, when a name, address or officer change is filed as a new registration instead of an update, when an inactive number is replaced by a new one instead of being reactivated, or when two people file for the same company. Trouble claiming an existing record in FMCSA's registration system, followed by a new application, can also create a second number.
If I change my company name or address, do I need a new USDOT number?
Usually no. FMCSA assigns a USDOT number to one legal person (an individual, corporation, partnership or other organization), and the number stays with that person. A change in legal name, address or officers for the same entity is generally handled by updating the existing record, not by applying for a new number. A newly formed company that is a different legal person generally needs its own number. FMCSA has also published guidance for some sole proprietors who change their form of business; the facts of each situation matter.
Will FMCSA combine the inspection and crash history from both numbers?
Not as a routine request. Inactivating an extra number typically leaves that number's history on that number. FMCSA may order records consolidated in certain enforcement cases involving reincarnated or affiliated carriers, under 49 CFR 386.73. That is an agency action, not a standard cleanup step, and starting a new number to step away from a poor safety record can create additional problems.
How is an extra USDOT number usually taken out of use?
FMCSA's current registration system, Motus, allows a company officer to inactivate or reactivate a USDOT number after claiming the existing record. If active operating authority is tied to a number you intend to stop using, that authority generally has to be addressed separately. Older FMCSA guidance also describes filing an MCS-150 with the reason "Out of Business," and Form OCE-46 when active authority is involved. Follow the workflow FMCSA shows for the record, or contact FMCSA. We do not control if or when the agency posts a change.
Can I fix this myself?
Yes. You can review public records, claim and update your record, request inactivation, and file related registrations directly with FMCSA and through UCR, paying only the applicable government fees. A private filing service is optional.
Do you promise that the extra number will be removed or that history will be moved?
No. We can review what appears on the public record, help you sort out whether the numbers belong to the same legal entity, and help prepare filings. FMCSA decides what happens to the record, and on what timeline.
Are you part of FMCSA or the government?
No. Duplicate DOT is a private filing-assistance service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by FMCSA, USDOT or any government agency. You may contact FMCSA directly.