When Is My MCS-150 Due? How to Read Your USDOT Number for the Biennial Update
Every company with a USDOT number has to file an MCS-150 biennial update with FMCSA every two years, even if nothing has changed. Miss it and your USDOT number can be deactivated, which can put your trucks out of service. The good news: your MCS-150 due date is printed right in your USDOT number. Here’s how to read it.
- The last digit of your USDOT number is your month. The second-to-last digit tells you whether it’s an odd or even year.
- Filing the biennial update is free with FMCSA.
- Missing it can lead to USDOT deactivation and civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day, up to $10,000.
- FMCSA’s new Motus registration system now handles biennial updates, and it requires a Login.gov account.
Call or text us your USDOT number. We’ll check your due date and file the update for you.
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Enter your USDOT number to see your MCS-150 due date instantly. Then we’ll confirm your Clean Truck Check deadline and text you.
How to Find Your MCS-150 Due Date
FMCSA’s Updating Your Registration page sets the schedule by your USDOT number. The last digit picks the month, and the second-to-last digit picks the year: if it’s odd, you file in odd-numbered years, and if it’s even, you file in even-numbered years.
Example USDOT number
Second-to-last digit: 6
6 is even, so file in even-numbered years (2026, 2028, 2030…)Last digit: 7
7 means your update is due in JulyUSDOT 1234567 → file by July 2026, then July 2028
MCS-150 month by last digit
| Last digit | Month due | Last digit | Month due |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January | 6 | June |
| 2 | February | 7 | July |
| 3 | March | 8 | August |
| 4 | April | 9 | September |
| 5 | May | 0 | October |
Based on FMCSA’s biennial update schedule. A last digit of 0 means October.
We handle MCS-150 updates, USDOT changes and UCR for carriers in Southern California, Las Vegas and nationwide.
What Happens If You Miss Your MCS-150 Due Date?
FMCSA is direct about the consequence: “Failure to complete a Biennial Update will result in deactivation of your USDOT number and may result in civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day, not to exceed $10,000.” A deactivated number can stop you from operating, and getting it reactivated takes time you’d rather spend hauling.
Where to File Now: Motus and Login.gov
FMCSA is moving registration to Motus, its new USDOT registration system, where registrants can submit a biennial update, view and update their information, and control who can access the company account. Motus uses Login.gov and identity verification. FMCSA advises existing registrants to use the same Login.gov email they used as the company official in the FMCSA Portal when claiming their USDOT number.
Set up Login.gov
Create or sign in to your Login.gov account and complete identity verification.Sign in to Motus
Go to motus.dot.gov and claim your existing USDOT number as the company official.Submit your biennial update
Review and update your company details, fleet size and mileage, then submit. It’s free with FMCSA.You can also find the form and instructions on FMCSA’s Form MCS-150 page. It’s also smart to update your record whenever your address, fleet size or type of operation changes.
We walk carriers through Motus setup and file MCS-150, USDOT and UCR updates, so your number stays active.
Official Sources
- FMCSA: Updating Your Registration (Biennial Update)
- FMCSA: Form MCS-150 and Instructions
- FMCSA: Move into Motus
- U.S. DOT: Motus registration system
- Login.gov
American Trucking Compliance LLC is a private filing service and is not affiliated with FMCSA, USDOT or any government agency. Filing your biennial update directly with FMCSA is free, and our fee is for our service. This article is general information, not legal advice.
