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A Georgia DOT number is a USDOT number issued by FMCSA. You need one to run commercial vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more across state lines, and Georgia also requires one from carriers that run those vehicles only inside the state.
Georgia-only carriers then register with the Department of Public Safety under the GIMC program.
Any company that operates a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce. Under 49 CFR 390.5T, that is a vehicle that:
A load can be interstate without leaving Georgia. The federal definition includes transportation between two places in one state “as part of trade, traffic, or transportation originating or terminating outside the State or the United States.” An import container moved from Savannah to a warehouse in Atlanta can fall under it.
Georgia’s Department of Public Safety (DPS) requires carriers that operate only inside the state to get a USDOT number through FMCSA’s registration system and to update it on the same schedule as interstate carriers (DPS Rule 1-390.19(j)). FMCSA lists Georgia among the states that require a USDOT number from intrastate registrants.
There is no separate number from the Georgia Department of Transportation. What people call a “GA DOT number” is the USDOT number, which Georgia-only carriers display with “GA” after it, for example USDOT 123456 GA. Our guide on how to mark a commercial motor vehicle covers the size and placement rules.
You apply online with FMCSA, then complete the Georgia registration that matches how you operate. The steps:
Decide whether you will run interstate or only in Georgia, for-hire or private, and whether you will haul property, passengers, or hazmat. FMCSA verifies the company’s legal name, principal place of business, ownership, and company officials during registration, so form the business before you apply.
Since May 19, 2026, new applications go through Motus, FMCSA’s registration system, which replaced the Unified Registration System. Every new applicant must pass an identity check with a smartphone or tablet and a government-issued ID, according to FMCSA’s Federal Register notice. Our guide to the Motus registration system walks through the login and the identity check.
For-hire carriers of regulated freight or passengers in interstate commerce also need operating authority, the MC docket number. FMCSA charges $300 for each type of authority. It stays pending until your process agent designation (Form BOC-3) and your insurance filings are on file, and you can run only once FMCSA has issued it. Our trucking authority packages handle these filings together.
Georgia-only carriers register under the GIMC program, explained below. Carriers that cross state lines register under the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) plan instead, which Georgia DPS also administers.
File an MCS-150 update every 24 months, by the month set by the last digit of your USDOT number (49 CFR 390.19T). FMCSA has temporarily paused enforcement of updates due on or after June 1, 2026 while it stabilizes Motus, but the requirement itself still applies.
It is Georgia’s registration for carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies that operate in intrastate commerce. Georgia DPS runs it on its UCR and GIMC portal. A carrier registered under UCR does not also need GIMC.
GIMC covers commercial motor vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more, vehicles designed or used to carry more than 10 passengers including the driver, and placarded hazmat. It also covers lightweight commercial vehicles that haul property or passengers for pay, carry hazmat below placard amounts, or work as wreckers. Covered farm vehicles, school buses, and government vehicles are exempt.
Per DPS’s GIMC instructions, an application needs:
Registration is not active until DPS has every document and fee. It runs from January 1 to December 31. The 2027 registration is open now, with a December 31, 2026 deadline and enforcement from January 1, 2027. The 2026 application lists a fee of $5 per vehicle for new applicants or renewals before January 1, and $25 per vehicle after.
For the insurance behind the Form E, see our Georgia commercial truck insurance page.
Mostly the federal ones. The DPS Transportation Rulebook adopts the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, including parts 382, 383, 385, and 390 through 397, for intrastate carriers as well, with a few Georgia exceptions:
| Rule | Interstate (federal) | Georgia only |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum driver age | 21 | 18 |
| Hours of service | 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour window, after 10 hours off; 60 hours in 7 days or 70 in 8 | The federal limits, except during periods the DPS Commissioner sets by order: then up to 12 hours of driving, none after 16 hours on duty, and 70 hours in 7 days or 80 in 8 |
| Electronic logging devices | Required, with limited exceptions | Required for intrastate carriers since January 1, 2019 |
| Truck marking | USDOT 123456 | USDOT 123456 GA |
Driver qualification files, drug and alcohol testing, and vehicle maintenance follow the federal rules either way. Our DOT safety compliance page explains what each program requires.
Registrations and taxes, then a safety audit. Most Georgia carriers that run interstate also need:
New carriers are monitored for 18 months, and FMCSA runs a safety audit once you have enough records to review, generally after at least 3 months (49 CFR 385.307). Our new entrant audit support helps you prepare the records and stays with you through the audit.
We file USDOT registrations for interstate and intrastate carriers, including new numbers, MCS-150 updates, and reactivations, and we put together authority packages with the MC, BOC-3, and UCR filings. We also handle IRP, IFTA, permits, and commercial truck insurance.
After you are registered, our compliance programs come in three levels: the self-service Simplex Hub, the on-demand Essentials program, and the Managed program with a dedicated account manager. The work covers driver qualification files, CSA monitoring, mock audits, and hours-of-service management. Running in the metro area? See our Atlanta DOT compliance page.
Use the form below to tell us about your operation. Include your USDOT number, or let us know you don’t have one yet, and our team will follow up with the next step.
No. Georgia carriers use the USDOT number issued by FMCSA. Carriers that operate only in Georgia display it with “GA” after the number, and they also register with Georgia DPS under the GIMC program.
Yes, if you operate commercial motor vehicles, such as trucks of 10,001 pounds or more or vehicles hauling placarded hazmat. Georgia DPS requires intrastate carriers to get a USDOT number from FMCSA and keep it updated.
A GIMC registration with Georgia DPS, renewed each calendar year. For-hire carriers also need a Form E filed by their insurance company. The registration is active only after DPS receives every document and fee.
Out-of-state trucks without Georgia on their IRP registration need a 72-hour IRP trip permit before entering, and carriers without IFTA credentials need a 10-day motor fuel use tax permit. Both are sold online through the Georgia Trucking Portal. Georgia does not sell trip permits to Georgia-based carriers.
The rules and figures on this page come from these official sources, checked on October 5, 2026.