Quick Answer
No, not yet. As of October 20, 2026, FMCSA still issues MC, MX and FF docket numbers. Its April 29, 2026 Federal Register notice said Motus would not eliminate MC/FF numbers, and Motus opened to all carriers on May 19, 2026 with docket numbers intact. Every for-hire interstate carrier, broker and freight forwarder keeps its current numbers.
Key Takeaways
- FMCSA's registration changes page says Motus "will continue to issue docket numbers and prefixes (MC/MX/FF) will remain the same."
- Existing USDOT and docket numbers did not change when Motus launched. New ones are now randomized, and each newly granted authority gets its own docket number.
- Ending docket numbers is "under consideration" and would first be published as a proposed rule open for public comment. As of October 20, 2026, no such proposal has appeared in the Federal Register.
- MC numbers did not stop on October 1, 2025. Nothing on FMCSA's site sets that date, and carriers couldn't even use Motus until May 2026.
“MC numbers are not gone. As of October 20, 2026, FMCSA's Motus system still issues MC, MX and FF docket numbers, and FMCSA says eliminating them would first go through a proposed rule with public comment, which has not been published.”
Did MC numbers stop on October 1, 2025?
No. That date spread widely online, often worded as if a final rule had taken effect. FMCSA's own pages say the opposite. Its Registration Modernization FAQs say no longer assigning MC numbers "is under consideration and will be available to comment on in a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking."
The current registration changes page lists "the future elimination of docket numbers" under "Under Consideration," next to Safety Registration and BOC-3 changes. If you got your authority after October 2025, you should have an MC number. Look it up on SAFER by your USDOT number.
Where does FMCSA's plan actually stand?
The idea is more than a decade old. FMCSA's 2013 Unified Registration System final rule (78 FR 52608) planned to make the USDOT number the single identifier and stop issuing MC numbers. A 2015 rule delayed it, and only first-time applicants moved to the online URS on December 12, 2015. In January 2017 FMCSA suspended the rest indefinitely (82 FR 5292). MC numbers kept being issued the whole time.
The rulemaking that would most likely restart this is RIN 2126-AB56, "MAP-21 Enhancements and Other Updates to the Unified Registration System." Its target date keeps slipping. The Spring 2024 agenda said October 2024, the Fall 2024 agenda said December 2024, and Spring 2025 moved it to March 2026. The current Unified Agenda entry says July 2026. As of October 20, 2026, nothing has been published.
What Motus did add is USDOT number suffixes, such as "C" for property carrier authority or "B" for broker. They show only inside Motus for companies first registering there. They are not a truck marking requirement, and FMCSA says that if it ever stops issuing MC numbers, existing MC numbers will not be swapped for USDOT numbers.
What should carriers do now?
- Keep using both numbers. Broker carrier packets, load boards, factoring companies and insurers still commonly ask for your MC number. Put both on rate confirmations, invoices and your carrier packet.
- New carriers, expect two numbers from Motus. You get a USDOT number and a docket number, both randomized. Your truck doors still show the USDOT number, not a suffix.
- Don't pay anyone to "convert" your MC number. No conversion exists. Treat any email or call demanding a fee to switch your MC number to a USDOT number as a scam. See our post on Motus phishing scams.
- Keep the filings behind your authority current. Insurance, BOC-3 and your biennial update work the same no matter which number a broker looks up. Our MC authority letter guide covers status checks and the certificate brokers want.
- Watch for the proposed rule. When FMCSA publishes it, you'll get a comment period before anything changes. Search the Federal Register for RIN 2126-AB56.
Your safety history already lives under your USDOT number. That doesn't change either: inspections, CSA data and the carrier USDOT number in your ELD log header, including on Lucid ELD, all stay the same.
Who does this affect?
Mostly for-hire interstate motor carriers (MC), Mexico-domiciled carriers (MX) and freight forwarders (FF), plus brokers, who also get MC docket numbers. Private carriers hauling only their own freight never needed an MC number and are not affected. For the full breakdown of which number does what, see our DOT number vs MC number guide.
Starting a new authority? See Lucid ELD plans
Educational content, not legal advice. Confirm requirements against current FMCSA regulations and your state's rules.
FAQ
Are MC numbers going away in 2026?
Not as of October 20, 2026. Motus still issues them, and FMCSA says ending docket numbers would first go through a proposed rule with public comment, which hasn't been published.
Do I still need an MC number in 2026?
If you haul regulated freight for hire across state lines, yes. You need operating authority, and Motus still issues it with an MC docket number.
Will my MC number be replaced by my USDOT number?
No. FMCSA's FAQ says that if it stops issuing MC numbers, existing MC numbers "will not be replaced by USDOT Numbers." Your current USDOT and MC numbers stay the same.
What are the new USDOT number suffixes?
They are letters Motus shows after a new registrant's USDOT number to mark each registration type, such as C for property carrier authority. They appear only in Motus, and you don't put them on your truck.
