Free lookup · FMCSA public records
DOT number lookup in one field
Type a DOT number and read the federal record behind it: whether the authority is active, how much insurance is on file against what is required, and when the company last updated its filing.
What comes back
A DOT number is only an identifier. What matters is the paperwork filed under it, and this lookup pulls the three federal files that hold it — the census record, the authority record with its history, and the insurance filings — and puts them on one card.
- USDOT status — whether the census record is active or inactive.
- Operating authority — common, contract and broker authority, each active, inactive or never held, plus whether a revocation is pending.
- Insurance on file — BIPD coverage filed against the amount FMCSA requires, cargo and bond filings, and the individual policies with insurer, form and effective date.
- Fleet and filing date — power units and the date of the last MCS-150 update, which tells you how stale the rest of the record may be.
Read the date, not just the status
Federal records lag the real world. A policy cancelled on Monday can take days to land in the insurance file, and a company that quietly folded may keep an active census row until its next biennial update comes due. That is why every record here carries the date it was read, and why the MCS-150 date is shown next to the fleet size rather than buried.
The honest way to use this page: treat it as the federal paper trail as of a stated date, and pair a stale filing date with a phone call.
What this is not
This is a republication of public records about companies. There is no rating, no score and no recommendation — the record is reproduced as filed. It is not a consumer report, it holds nothing about individuals, and it must not be used for any purpose regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Questions
How do I find a company’s DOT number? +
It is painted on the side of the power unit, printed on the certificate of insurance, and listed on the carrier packet. If you only have a company name, FMCSA’s SAFER search will find the number, and this page turns that number into the full record.
What does an inactive USDOT status mean? +
Inactive means FMCSA’s census record for that number is no longer active — commonly because the company stopped filing its biennial MCS-150 update, or the record was superseded. The federal record says nothing further about why; that is the fact, unembellished.
Does a DOT number mean a company can haul my freight? +
Not by itself. The USDOT number identifies the company; the operating authority — the MC docket, shown here as common, contract or broker authority — is what permits it to haul regulated freight for hire. Both are on the record above.
Is this lookup free? +
Yes, and no account is needed. The same record is available as JSON at /v1/carriers/{number} if you want it inside your own software.