In 2026 the FMCSA retired its decades-old registration tools and moved to a single new platform called Motus. If you are filing a BOC-3 — or wondering whether the change affects a BOC-3 you already have on file — here is the practical bottom line: the system changed, the requirement did not. You still need a process agent designated in every state under 49 CFR Part 366, and a registered process agent still files the form on your behalf.
Compliance terms in this guide
BOC-3 · Process Agent · FMCSA · SAFER
What is Motus?
Motus is FMCSA's new USDOT Registration System. The agency published the official availability notice in the Federal Register on April 29, 2026, and the system completes the unified registration platform Congress mandated in 49 U.S.C. 13908. Motus replaces the Unified Registration System (URS), parts of the Licensing & Insurance (L&I) system, and the registration options in the legacy FMCSA Portal — consolidating them into one platform that validates submissions in real time and adds fraud-prevention checks.
Does Motus change the BOC-3 requirement?
No — and this is the part that matters most. The BOC-3 rule lives in 49 CFR Part 366, and that regulation is unchanged. Every interstate motor carrier, property broker, and freight forwarder must still designate a process agent in every state it operates in or through. Only a registered process agent can file Form BOC-3 for you (a broker or freight forwarder that operates no commercial motor vehicles may file on its own behalf), and only one BOC-3 can be on file at a time.
What changed is wherethe filing happens. Blanket process-agent companies now submit, view, and cancel BOC-3 filings inside Motus once the system fully launched in 2026 — during the earlier limited-access period providers kept filing through the L&I system. For you as the customer, the step looks identical: you give your provider your company details, and they file the designation. (New here? Start with how to file a BOC-3.)
Key dates for the URS → Motus transition
- December 2025 — supporting companies (BOC-3 filers, insurance filers, service providers) got early access to create Motus accounts.
- May 14, 2026, 8:00 PM ET — legacy registration tools (URS and the FMCSA Portal's registration options) went offline; URS is now permanently retired.
- About four days — a weekend migration window during which registration changes were paused while data moved over.
- May 2026 — Motus launched to all users, including new and existing registrants.
What you actually need to do
For the BOC-3 itself, usually nothing — your process-agent provider handles the filing in the new system. The changes you will notice are on your own FMCSA account:
- Login.gov sign-in. Motus uses Login.gov multi-factor authentication, and the old USDOT PIN is gone.
- Identity and business verification. Existing registrants complete identity and business verification before transacting in Motus.
- Your records carried over. An existing, valid BOC-3 stays on file, and historical L&I records remain viewable — the move changed where you work, not your history.
Does Motus change BOC-3 cost or renewal?
No. FMCSA stated there are no registration-fee changes with the initial Motus release, and a BOC-3 remains a one-time filing— there is no annual FMCSA renewal. You only need a new one if your process agent, legal name, or operating-authority number changes. Our BOC-3 renewal guide covers exactly when a re-file is required.
A note on MC numbers
You may have seen reports that FMCSA is “getting rid of MC numbers.” That is proposed, not done. FMCSA is considering making the USDOT number the sole identifier (with a letter suffix for each authority type) through a future rulemaking. It did not take effect with the first Motus release, and existing MC numbers are not being replaced — so the MC or USDOT number you give your process agent today still works exactly as before.
Switching providers or re-filing? First confirm who your current process agent is.