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When is my MCS-150 due?
Every USDOT number holder must file a biennial update — even if nothing changed. Miss it and FMCSA deactivates your number. Your deadline is hiding in your USDOT number's digits; this checker decodes it.
Rule source: FMCSA — Updating Your Registration. Since May 2026, updates are filed in FMCSA's new Motus system — here's the walkthrough.
Straight answers
▸How is my MCS-150 due date determined?
By your USDOT number itself. The last digit sets your filing month (1 = January through 9 = September, 0 = October). The second-to-last digit sets the year: odd digit means odd-numbered years, even digit means even-numbered years. The update is due by the end of your month, every two years.
▸Do I have to file if nothing changed?
Yes. The biennial update is required even if your information is identical, even if you didn't operate that year, even if your business closed (you file to deactivate). It's the most-missed filing in trucking.
▸What happens if I miss it?
FMCSA deactivates your USDOT number, and civil penalties can reach about $1,000 per day up to roughly $10,000. Reactivating means filing the update and waiting on processing while your trucks sit.
▸Does the MCS-150 cost anything?
The government fee is $0 — always. You can file it yourself free in FMCSA's Motus system. If you'd rather have it handled and verified against the federal record, we charge a flat $69.