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  1. Fonteum
  2. /
  3. Glossary
  4. /
  5. USDOT Number
Fonteum Data GlossaryRegulatory

What is a USDOT number?

A USDOT number is the FMCSA identifier for a motor carrier or company subject to federal motor-carrier safety registration. It is used to collect and monitor safety information from audits, compliance reviews, crash investigations, and roadside inspections. USDOT identifies the carrier; operating authority answers whether specific for-hire operations are authorized.

Full name: U.S. Department of Transportation Number

Short explanation

A USDOT number is assigned through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration registration system to companies that operate covered commercial motor vehicles. It is the carrier identity key used in federal safety monitoring, including audits, compliance reviews, inspections, crash investigations, and enforcement records. It should not be confused with an MC, FF, or MX docket number, which relates to FMCSA operating authority for certain for-hire transportation services.

Related tool: FMCSA carrier lookup

Last updated: 2026-07-11Reviewed by: Fonteum data standards desk — Source-provenance editorial review. Definitions checked against primary federal sources.

How it’s used

  • FMCSA carrier records: USDOT is the primary carrier key for registration status, safety rating, inspections, crash records, and enforcement actions.
  • Carrier lookup: the USDOT number lets users look up a motor carrier without relying on name-only matching.
  • Fonteum's carrier pages are keyed by USDOT number and show source-dated FMCSA facts with no derived safety score.

Frequently asked questions

Who needs a USDOT number?
FMCSA says interstate carriers transporting passengers or cargo, and certain intrastate hazardous-materials carriers, must register for a USDOT number.
Is a USDOT number the same as operating authority?
No. USDOT identifies the carrier for safety monitoring. Operating authority is permission for certain regulated for-hire services.
Where can you look up a USDOT number?
FMCSA publishes carrier information through systems such as SAFER and the Licensing and Insurance search.

Related terms

  • FMCSA Operating Authority
  • NAICS Code
  • Entity Resolution
  • Provenance
  • SAM.gov Registration
  • CAGE vs UEI

Explore in Fonteum

How Fonteum sources, resolves, and publishes data tied to this term.

  • ToolFMCSA carrier lookup
  • StudyFMCSA unsafe carriers study
  • PlatformSource provenance model

Authoritative sources

  • FMCSA: Do I need a USDOT number?↗
  • FMCSA: SAFER system↗
← All glossary terms

What’s on file, by the numbers

Platform snapshot · 2026-07-15

13.4Mproviders & companiesProviders, organizations, owners, and facilities on file
26.2Msource-linked factsSource-linked field facts in the dated platform snapshot
—sources liveCrosswalk-resolved sources with a proved content transition in the preceding 45 days
111sources integratedActive registry rows; integration does not establish a load
13state Medicaid jurisdictionsDistinct states represented in the state-exclusions serving table

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Named medical review

Reviewed by Jennifer Montecillo, MD, medical reviewer. Non-practicing medical reviewer.

Read the full provenance and attestation methodology →

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Reviewed by Jennifer Montecillo, MD, medical reviewer. Non-practicing medical reviewer.

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A public-records graph that exposes source and observation metadata where supplied.

Fonteum's provenance ledger contained 26.2M source-linked facts on July 12, 2026. All but 14 carried a source-file SHA-256; 0 linked deterministically to a signature. Inspect a supplied snapshot id at fonteum.com/verify · source-mark coverage and limitations.
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