FMCSA warns: USDOT and MC numbers not for sale

U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) numbers and operating authorities are not products that can be traded on the open market, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) warned emphatically after certain actions by carriers prompted this firm notice.

This FMCSA warning aims to reinforce transparency and safety in the trucking industry. The agency announced that any detected attempt to sell, buy, or lease a USDOT number will result in the immediate deactivation of the number, as well as the revocation of related registrations, including the safety registration required under 49 U.S.C. 31134 and any operating authority registration required under 49 U.S.C. 13901–13905.

The notice refers to the alleged sale or leasing of the registration or operating authority itself, not the leasing of equipment (such as trucks or drivers), the FMCSA clarified in its official statement.

USDOT numbers are not for sale

The FMCSA states that a USDOT number functions as a permanent fingerprint of a trucking company. This identifier is indefinitely tied to a specific legal entity and cannot be sold or transferred outside the scope of legitimate corporate transactions.

Likewise, a USDOT number identifies who is operating a company, similar to a driver’s license. For that reason, it remains permanently associated with the same legal entity and cannot be sold, transferred, rented, or leased.

For clarity, the FMCSA makes a key distinction in how business structures and USDOT numbers are handled:

• Sole proprietors – If “John Doe Trucking” sells its trucks, the buyer cannot keep John’s USDOT number. Because a sole proprietorship is tied to the individual, the buyer must apply for their own identifier.
• Corporations – If “John Doe, Inc.” is sold as a complete legal entity, the USDOT number remains with the corporation. However, if the corporation is dissolved or merged into a new company, the old number must be retired as inactive.

MC numbers also cannot be sold or freely transferred

In the same notice, the FMCSA clarified rules regarding operating authority (MC numbers). Although these were historically transferred more often—because they were tied to specific, limited routes—today carriers can operate nationwide, making such transfers less beneficial and increasingly rare.

“Once a motor carrier has operating authority, it may operate on any route nationwide. As a result, transfers of operating authority offer limited advantages and are less common, although there are still some circumstances in which FMCSA will record a transfer following a legitimate business transaction,” the agency explained.

For sole proprietors, the buyer may need to obtain new authority or register a transfer, while the original owner must file a cessation notice. For corporations, transfers are only allowed if the same operational and safety management conditions continue; otherwise, a new authority may be required or only internal changes must be reported.

In all cases, failure to comply with administrative requirements may result in revocation of the operating authority.