FMCSA Pauses Biennial Update Enforcement During Motus Transition: What Carriers Need to Know

Motor carriers navigating the transition to Motus have additional time to complete certain registration updates.  

In its September 2026 notice, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced a temporary suspension of biennial update enforcement and related USDOT number inactivation's for registrants whose updates were due on or after June 1, 2026. The relief is intended to reduce disruptions as the agency continues stabilizing Motus, its USDOT Registration System, which launched May 19.

What the Temporary Suspension Covers

FMCSA’s notice identifies three key points for affected registrants:

• Additional time to complete updates. The relief applies to biennial updates due on or after June 1, 2026.
• Protection from related USDOT number inactivation. Affected registrants will not have their USDOT numbers inactivated for failing to submit the biennial update during the suspension.
• Advance warning before enforcement resumes. The suspension remains in effect until further notice, and FMCSA says it will provide ample warning before reimplementing the requirement. The notice does not establish a replacement filing deadline.

(Carriers subject to the federal biennial update requirement should keep their outstanding filings on their calendars, as they still need to update their registration information every two years, even when their information has not changed. The temporary enforcement relief simply gives affected businesses more time.)

A Separate Update for Intrastate Carriers

The notice also addresses a change that may cause confusion for intrastate carriers: Motus no longer provides them with a biennial update option.

Intrastate-only carriers generally are not subject to the federal biennial update requirement. However, intrastate carriers that require a Hazardous Materials Safety Permit remain subject to federal biennial reporting requirements, with a biennial update option for those carriers.

What Fleet Compliance Teams Should Do Now

Use the additional time to organize the information and access needed to complete registration tasks:

1. Confirm your filing date. Check whether your outstanding biennial update falls within the announced relief period. If it was due before June 1, 2026, contact FMCSA for guidance on your situation.
2. Verify Motus access. Confirm that the appropriate company official can access the company account. FMCSA’s Motus setup guidance explains the process of creating a user profile, completing identity verification, and claiming an existing USDOT record.
3. Prepare accurate registration information. Review company details and applicable operating data, resolve discrepancies, and retain confirmation when an update is completed.
4. Track unresolved system issues. FMCSA directs users to its registration support ticket system for Motus problems and asks them to follow up on existing cases instead of submitting duplicate tickets.
5. Monitor official announcements. Assign responsibility for checking FMCSA’s Registration Alerts so your team can respond when the agency announces the next steps.

6. Keep the relief’s stated scope in mind when reviewing other compliance work: the announcement addresses biennial update enforcement and the USDOT inactivations associated with those missed filings.

    

How DISA Supports Transportation Compliance

Registration changes add another task to an already demanding workload. DISA Global Solutions supports transportation employers with licensing and permitting, fleet reporting, driver qualification file management, motor vehicle records, and DOT drug and alcohol testing services. With these services, employers can manage their FMCSA compliance responsibilities while adapting to changes in federal systems and processes.

Contact DISA to discuss your fleet’s transportation compliance needs and prepare for the next phase of the Motus transition.