How a duplicate or conflicting record is generally resolved

The usual work is to identify every related record, confirm the legal identity, keep the number that belongs to the company that is actually operating, take the extra number out of use, and align markings and filings. FMCSA decides what is posted and when. Nothing below is a promise about the result or the timeline.

A messy stack of loose papers next to a neat, clipped stack of papers, with glasses and a pen.

1. Inventory the records

Search each number you know about in FMCSA's public tools, including the SAFER company snapshot and the Motus public search. Note the legal name, status, authority, insurance and the dates on the record. Look for close variants of the name and address, not only the number on the truck door.

2. Confirm whether they are true duplicates

The first question is legal identity. If two numbers belong to the same legal person, you may be looking at a duplicate. If they belong to two entities, each generally keeps its own number. Do not inactivate a number that still belongs to an entity that is operating.

3. Keep the number that belongs to the operating entity

The number to keep is the one assigned to the legal person that actually operates. In practice that is often the number that already holds operating authority and insurance filings, but the legal identity controls, not which record looks more complete at first glance.

4. Claim and update that record

In Motus, the company officer claims the existing record, reviews the prefilled information, and updates anything that is wrong or out of date. Use the Login.gov account associated with that company officer. Do not share Login.gov passwords or one-time codes with anyone, including a filing service.

5. Take the extra number out of use

FMCSA lists inactivation and reactivation of a USDOT number among the actions available in Motus. If active operating authority is tied to a number you intend to stop using, that authority generally has to be addressed separately; inactivating the USDOT number may not, by itself, take care of the authority. Older FMCSA guidance also describes submitting an MCS-150 with the reason "Out of Business," and Form OCE-46 when active authority is involved, through a registration contact ticket. Procedures can change. Follow the workflow FMCSA shows for the claimed record, or ask FMCSA.

6. Point everything at the number you will use

Vehicle markings, insurance filings, the BOC-3 and UCR should all name the number that will remain in use. If a filing still points at the inactivated number, the public record can keep looking inconsistent even after the extra number is out of use.

7. Recheck the public record

Wait for the agency to post the change, then confirm what the public record shows before you rely on it. If two public sources disagree, contact FMCSA.

What this does not do. Inactivating an extra number typically does not move its inspections or crashes onto the number you keep. FMCSA does not generally merge history just because you ask. Record consolidation under 49 CFR 386.73 is an agency enforcement action in cases involving reincarnated or affiliated carriers, not a standard cleanup request.

You can do these steps yourself. Registration, updates and inactivation are available through FMCSA and Motus. You pay only the applicable government fees. If you want help reviewing the record or preparing filings, request a record review.