MCS-150 UPDATES
U.S. DOT Biennial Update
The Biennial Update (Form MCS150) is a federal mandate per regulation FMCSR 390.201 (also known as CFR Title 49 Section 390.201)
It is a requirement for all owners of a U.S. DOT Number, regardless of fleet size and scale of operations.
A U.S. DOT Number never expires, but the Department of Transportation requires filing an update in two specific cases:
- Within 30 days of any change in your company status (e.g.: number of drivers, phone number, address)
-
Once every two years on a month and year indicated by your U.S. DOT Number per schedule:
- The last digit of the DOT Number corresponds to the month of the deadline (e.g.: DOT# 10034213 should be filed in March)
- The digits before the last of the DOT Number corresponds to the year of the deadline as such: an odd number requires filings in odd-numbered years and an even number requires filings in even-numbered years. (e.g.: DOT# 10034213) should be filed in 2019, 2021, 2023, and so on.
Failure to comply with this mandate may result in deactivation of the DOT Number and/or penalties up to $10,000 per FMCSR 390.201.
Regulation Overview
Name: Biennial Update
Regulation Code: FMCSR 390.201
Due Date: determined by your DOT #
Frequency: filed once every 2 years
Who is it for?: every US DOT Number holder
Penalty: deactivated DOT and/or up to $10,000
I have just recently opened my business. Do I need to file?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions. The answer is yes, one must file a Biennial Update on a specific month and year combination regardless of when the DOT numbered was opened.
Biennial Update filings must be completed every 24 months. If you miss your initial filing deadline, your next scheduled update will have been more than 24 months from the date you had established your DOT number. As such, if you have recently opened your business you may have to file the initial Biennial Update sooner than two years. For more information please reference regulation FMCSR 390.201.