DOT number lookup: how to check a carrier on FMCSA SAFER

How to search

1. Open the SAFER Company Snapshot at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx.
2. Pick what you're searching by: USDOT number, MC/MX number, or company name.
3. Type it in and search. A name search can return several carriers; pick the one that matches.

It's free, and it looks up one carrier at a time.

Quick check on this site

Just need the name and city on file? Use our free USDOT lookup. Type the number and it shows the name and location from the FMCSA census data, plus that name and number laid out on a truck door. For status, authority and safety data, use SAFER.

What the main fields mean

From FMCSA's SAFER help page:

• Entity type: carrier, hazmat shipper, both, or registrant
• USDOT status: ACTIVE means the number is active. OUT-OF-SERVICE means the carrier is under an out-of-service order and can't operate. Inactive can mean the biennial MCS-150 update wasn't done
• Legal name: the legal name of the company
• DBA name: a trade name the company does business under
• MC/MX/FF number: the docket number for interstate for-hire operating authority
• Operating authority status: AUTHORIZED FOR property, passenger or household goods, or NOT AUTHORIZED, which means no for-hire authority. NOT AUTHORIZED doesn't apply to private or intrastate carriers
• Carrier operation: interstate, intrastate only (hazmat), or intrastate only (non-hazmat)
• Power units and drivers: fleet size as reported on the MCS-150
• MCS-150 form date: when the registration was last updated
• Inspections, out of service, crashes, safety rating: the last two years of roadside inspections and crash counts, plus any Satisfactory, Conditional or Unsatisfactory rating

Check your own record before you letter the truck

Under 49 CFR 390.21, the name on your doors has to be your legal name or a single trade name as listed on your MCS-150, followed by "USDOT" and your number. So the SAFER record is the source of truth for your lettering. Before you order:

• Copy the legal name or DBA exactly as SAFER spells it, including INC or LLC if you're using the legal name
• Double check every digit of the USDOT number
• Make sure the status is ACTIVE

If the name is wrong on SAFER, fix the record first. Read legal name vs DBA on the truck door for which one to use.

If something on SAFER is wrong

Name and address changes go through an updated MCS-150, which FMCSA says is free. You can do it online with your USDOT PIN or submit the form through FMCSA's contact center. After FMCSA processes a name change, allow 24 to 48 hours for it to show on SAFER. If you also have an MC number, that's a separate change on form MCSA-5889, and as of October 2026 FMCSA lists a $14 fee for it. See MCS-150 biennial update.

Then order the lettering

Once the record is right, type the name and number into our USDOT truck lettering designer. You'll see a live preview on a photo of your truck type before you order, and it ships as one pre-spaced cut vinyl sheet per door.