MCS-150 Biennial Update: A 2026 Guide to Filing on Time and Avoiding USDOT Deactivation

What the MCS-150 Biennial Update Is and Who Must File

As a motor carrier or other regulated entity, you must update the company record tied to your USDOT number every 24 months, whether or not anything changed. This filing, commonly called the MCS-150 biennial update, is a regulatory requirement, not an optional maintenance task. Failing to file can deactivate your USDOT number and can trigger civil penalties (FMCSA cites up to $1,000 per day, capped at $10,000).

• If you’re brand-new and applying for a USDOT number for the first time, that’s handled through URS. The MCS-150 now primarily serves for updates, including the biennial filing. 
• The update itself is free when you do it through FMCSA for your own record. Any fees you see elsewhere are third-party service fees, not FMCSA charges

In my DOT compliance work, when owners try to “wait until there are changes,” they often miss the 24-month deadline. Treat the biennial update as a fixed regulatory event, not a “when something changes” task.

The 24-Month Schedule

FMCSA’s schedule uses the last two digits of your USDOT number:

• Month: The last digit sets the due month — 1=January, 2=February, …, 9=September, 0=October.
• Year: The next-to-last digit sets the year — odd = file in odd-numbered years; even = file in even-numbered years.

Example: USDOT 12345_6_8 → last digit 8 → August due month; next-to-last digit 6 (even) → you file in even years (e.g., 2026).

Carriers most often slip because they confuse the last digit of the month with the year logic. I advise saving a calendar reminder tied to your USDOT’s last two digits.

Recommended Path: File Online via the FMCSA Portal 

Since January 20, 2025, FMCSA consolidated “Registration Options” into the FMCSA Portal and requires multi-factor authentication (MFA). You’ll complete the biennial update from the Portal’s Registration menu. If you don’t see that menu, ensure the correct Portal Roles are assigned (Company Officials can add/request roles; look for “Modify Company Information” and “View Sensitive Company Information”).

Step 0 – Prep

Confirm your due month and year from the schedule above. Have company information ready (legal name, addresses, responsible official, and any changes you intend to capture, address, driver/vehicle counts, cargo classifications, etc.). The Portal supports those changes alongside the biennial filing. 

Step 1 — Secure your credentials

• USDOT PIN: Request it via SAFER (you’ll need EIN/USDOT; the PIN is sent to the email/phone on file).
• Login.gov: Create your free government SSO email (this is the credential you’ll use to sign in going forward).
• FMCSA Portal account: Create/confirm your Portal account; once set up with your PIN, you’ll sign in via Login.gov thereafter.

Step 2 — File the biennial update

Sign in to the FMCSA Portal → Registration menu → File a biennial update (MCS-150) and submit. FMCSA does not charge a fee for filing your own biennial update.

Step 3 — Keep access alive

Log in to the Portal at least once every 90 days to avoid your account being disabled (and archived after 12 months). If you’re locked out, contact the FMCSA Contact Center.

My team routinely files and maintains client paperwork end-to-end to eliminate last-minute scrambles, especially around Portal access, PIN delivery, and role setup. Delegating those admin steps prevents avoidable rejections when deadlines are near.

Alternative by Mail

FMCSA still accepts paper submissions, but warns that mailing can delay processing, and the forms must be received by the due date to avoid deactivation and potential penalties. The agency lists the Washington, DC address for mailed applications and emphasizes online submission via Ask FMCSA / Portal as the preferred route. 

In edge cases (e.g., Portal role issues close to the deadline), we’ve sent the paper form while simultaneously resolving Portal access. But we still push for online as the primary channel because it generates clearer acknowledgments and shorter cycle times.

 Common Errors That Cause Delays or Deactivation

1. Wrong year (odd/even misread): Always check the next-to-last digit rule before you file.
2. Portal menu missing: Add/request the Portal Roles needed to see Registration; without them, you won’t see “File a biennial update (MCS-150)”. 
3. No/old PIN: If your MCMIS contact details are stale, the PIN may not reach you; FMCSA directs you to Request a PIN—and if the address on file is outdated, you may need to update registration information first. 
4. Infrequent logins: Portal accounts disabled after 90 days of inactivity derail last-minute filings.

When we manage driver qualification files and registration artifacts together, address/phone updates propagate correctly, so PINs, MFA codes, and confirmations arrive without drama. That single source of truth saves carriers from “IT-style” failures on regulatory deadlines.

If You Missed the Deadline: Reactivation and Next Steps

If your USDOT number is deactivated because you missed the biennial update, FMCSA provides a reactivation path. The starting point is to file the overdue MCS-150, then follow the reactivation workflow referenced from the Update/Portal pages (FMCSA points carriers to Reactivate USDOT number guidance and the Contact Center for support).

In late filings, we coordinate three things in parallel: (1) complete the MCS-150, (2) confirm roles/Portal access for the responsible official, and (3) open an Ask FMCSA ticket if there’s any system friction; so the record flips back to active with minimal downtime.

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