How Often Do You Renew a USDOT Number?
A USDOT number doesn't expire — but you must update your registration every two years by filing the MCS-150 form, even if nothing changed. Missing this biennial update deactivates your USDOT number (49 CFR 390.19).
Does a USDOT number expire?
No — it stays with your business. What expires is your registration currency: the FMCSA requires a biennial (every-24-month) update so your carrier record stays accurate. A deactivated number can stop you from operating and complicate your operating authority.
What is the MCS-150?
The MCS-150 is the FMCSA form used both to get a USDOT number and to file the biennial update. It keeps your fleet size, mileage, and contact information current.
When is the update due?
The due date is tied to your USDOT number: the next-to-last digit determines whether you update in an even or odd year, and the last digit sets the month. You also file an update any time your information changes — new address, new vehicles, and so on.
Common questions
How often do you renew a USDOT number?
A USDOT number doesn't expire, but you must update your registration every two years by filing the MCS-150 form — even if nothing has changed. This biennial update is required under 49 CFR 390.19, and missing it deactivates your USDOT number.
What is the MCS-150?
The MCS-150 is the FMCSA form used to register for a USDOT number and to file the required biennial update. It keeps your carrier information — fleet size, mileage, contact details — current with the FMCSA.
When is the biennial update due?
On a schedule tied to your USDOT number: the next-to-last digit sets whether you update in an even or odd year, and the last digit sets the month. Regardless of the schedule, you also update whenever your information changes.
Keep reading
Track every requirement in one place
VettyFleet tracks every license, filing, inspection, medical card, and DOT test your fleet answers to — federal, state, and city — warns you before anything expires, and prints audit packets on demand.
General information, not legal advice — verify against current federal (FMCSA/DOT), state, and local sources, or counsel, before relying on it.