When you hire a moving company, you should review its credentials, read reviews and check its USDOT number. A USDOT number allows consumers to check a company’s safety information, compliance reviews and crash history.
Without a current USDOT number, the company may be out of compliance with federal and state regulations, and there's no way to check its safety rating or crash history. Checking this number gives you crucial information to ensure you only work with reputable companies.
A USDOT number helps consumers and regulators check a carrier’s safety record, crash history and compliance status.
Jump to insightCompanies that cross state lines or haul hazardous materials must have a USDOT number; some intrastate carriers must, too.
Jump to insightFMCSA’s SAFER System lets you look up a mover by name or DOT number to check safety, crash and cargo records.
Jump to insightWhat is a DOT number used for?
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is responsible for maintaining roadway infrastructure and setting federal safety regulations to ensure safe and efficient practices. Part of this duty includes working with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to assign unique numbers for carriers involved in interstate commerce that operate vehicles above a certain gross weight.
“USDOT numbers are a crucial part of the safety and management of the auto transport industry,” Julie Bausch Lent, managing editor at Car Talk, said. With a USDOT number, you can track a transport company’s safety rating, check its accident history and confirm its licensing and certification.
USDOT numbers are a crucial part of the safety and management of the auto transport industry.”
USDOT numbers help to enforce FMCSA regulations. You can use this information if you’re hiring a freight carrier, and they’re especially useful when working with movers. When you hire professionals to help with a long-distance move, you’re trusting them to take care of your belongings during transport. By checking the USDOT number and researching the company’s profile, you can get a solid sense of its past performance.
» COMPARE: Moving yourself vs. hiring movers
Information you can find with a USDOT number
A USDOT number will also give you information about the company’s safety rating (satisfactory, conditional or unsatisfactory). Here’s what these ratings mean:
- Satisfactory: There are no significant compliance or safety concerns.
- Conditional: The company is out of compliance with at least one safety regulation, but may continue operating while resolving it.
- Unsatisfactory: The company has substantial safety noncompliance issues and has 45 or 60 days to demonstrate improvements before prohibitions begin.
With a company’s USDOT number, you can determine how satisfactory its safety rating is and whether it’s prone to dangerous accidents.
You can also get important information about the company’s crash history. This section of the transporter’s profile breaks down the crash data into four categories: fatal, injury, tow and total.
While it’s unlikely for a company that’s been in business for many years to avoid crashes entirely (some incidents are unavoidable, even for the most responsible drivers), this gives you a sense of its overall safety. The FMCSA typically lists crash data from the previous 24 months in both the U.S. and Canada.
The company profile can also tell you what kind of cargo it’s registered to carry. With movers, you should ensure “household goods” is on the list. If you’re shipping a car, make sure “motor vehicles” is selected.
Who needs a USDOT number?
If your business operates commercial vehicles that transport passengers or haul cargo across state lines (interstate commerce), you are required to have a USDOT number. This also applies to companies operating solely within a state (intrastate commerce) if the state requires a DOT number.
Vehicles involved in interstate commerce that must have a USDOT number are as follows:
- Any vehicle carrying hazardous materials that require a safety permit
- Any vehicle with a gross weight of over 10,001 pounds
- Any vehicle designed or used to carry more than eight passengers for compensation
Private carriers that transport the company’s own goods in qualifying vehicles may also need a USDOT number. It's important to check with your state’s DOT office or the FMCSA to determine whether your operation requires registration.
Some states require a USDOT number for intrastate commerce as well. Check with your relevant state agency for intrastate registration.
How to check a USDOT number
The easiest way to find and check the USDOT number is to ask the company for it, though it may be listed on the company’s website or advertising materials. You can also search using the company's name; however, there may be multiple listings to weed through.
If a moving company is unable to give you this number or supplies an incorrect number, you should not hire it — this could indicate fraud.
In general, follow these steps to look up a USDOT number:
- Go to the Safety and Fitness Electronic Records (SAFER) system search page, administered by the FMCSA. There are three ways to look up a company: by USDOT number, company name or MC/MX number. Most of the time, you’ll use the company name or DOT number — Motor Carrier (MC) and Mexican Carrier (MX) numbers are only required for companies that transport interstate passengers for compensation or federally regulated commodities owned by others.
- Select the criteria you’ll be searching by and enter the information in the search box.
- If you’re searching by name, make sure you use the full legal name (pay attention to whether there’s an “LLC” or “Inc.”). Even with the full name, you may need to narrow your results by using the company’s location, which can often be found on its website. For example, if you search “Allied Van Lines,” you’ll see four separate results and may need to choose the one located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to get the correct information.
- Review the company’s profile and safety information and take note of its USDOT number, found in the upper right-hand corner under “Company Snapshot.”
If you don’t have easy internet access, you can call the FMCSA to speak with a representative.
» STAY SAFE: Avoiding moving scams
How to get a USDOT number
Any reputable moving company will have a USDOT number. When a company applies for a number through the FMCSA, it has to provide important information, including: the number of drivers it employs, pertinent commercial driver’s license information for each driver, the type and number of vehicles it operates, who owns the vehicles (i.e., whether they’re leased or owned outright), what class of cargo the company hauls and basic operation information. These identifiers are associated with the carrier instead of individual vehicles, so companies only need one DOT number for all vehicles.
This information is then verified by the FMCSA, and must be kept current to remain in good standing. Once the USDOT number is live, all safety ratings will be stored for consumer use.
After obtaining a USDOT number, companies need to update the registration every two years in order to remain compliant. Registration updates can be made on the FMCSA website.
FAQ
When is a USDOT number required?
USDOT numbers are required for all companies that operate vehicles interstate, but many states also require this number for commerce within a single state. All vehicles that exceed 10,001 pounds, carry more than eight passengers for compensation or carry hazardous materials must have a USDOT number.
How do DOT numbers need to be displayed?
USDOT numbers must be displayed on both sides of the truck or cabin of the vehicle. The number must be bold, large (with lettering legible from 50 feet) and in sharp contrast with the background. For example, if the truck itself is black, the lettering must be in a high-contrast color so it’s easily readable.
Most companies choose to place this information on both the driver and passenger doors of the vehicles, and it’s often included alongside other regulatory information, such as an MC/MX number.
How long does it take to get a DOT number?
If you have all the necessary information ready, it doesn't take long to be issued a DOT number. In some cases, the process can be completed within an hour if you apply online. However, if the application is pulled for vetting, this could add two to eight weeks to the process.
How much does a USDOT number cost?
It’s free to apply for and be assigned a USDOT number. It’s also free to check for a company’s USDOT number.
Article sources
ConsumerAffairs writers primarily rely on government data, industry experts and original research from other reputable publications to inform their work. Specific sources for this article include:
- FMCSA, “Do I Need a USDOT Number?” Accessed June 30, 2026.
- FMCSA, “How do I register for a USDOT number?” Accessed June 30, 2026.
- FMCSA, “Updating Your Registration or Authority.” Accessed June 30, 2026.
- Legal Clarity, “How to Check Your DOT Status Online and What It Means.” Accessed June 30, 2026.
