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Authority Revoked or Inactive: How to Turn It Back On in Motus

Inactive, lapsed, and revoked are not the same. Motus shows a status plus a reason. Fix insurance, BOC-3, and USDOT first, then request reinstatement. FMCSA lists $80; payable checkout is $85.

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Key Takeaway
Read the Motus status and the reason. Most one-truck lapses are a dropped insurance filing, a missing BOC-3, or an inactive USDOT after a missed MCS-150. Fix that first. Then request reinstatement. The official fee is $80.00. $80 does not override UNSAT/UNFIT or an imminent-hazard Out of Service.

$85

Pay $85.00

Inactive, lapsed, and revoked are not the same

Motus still uses the same status names. It now adds the specific reason behind each one. Read both.

Lapsed / inactive

A filing dropped

Insurance, BOC-3, or USDOT went stale. Common for one truck. Fix the record, then request reinstatement.

Voluntary suspend

You turned it off

FMCSA says you can suspend in Motus if you are seasonal or temporarily leasing on. You can reinstate in Motus up to one year after the suspension date.

Revoked

Read the reason

Some revoked records are a filing lapse. Some are safety. UNSAT/UNFIT and imminent hazard are not an $80 switch.

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Pro Tip
Check the public record, not just your dashboard. Brokers use Motus public search. The August 2026 Motus post covers what still looks wrong on the screen.

motorcarrier.ai is a private filing and compliance help service. We are not FMCSA.

Usual one-truck lapses

Three files keep authority in force. If one drops, the status changes. The official reinstatement FAQ (last updated May 20, 2023; still the live FAQ in August 2026) says you need all three before the system will take a reinstatement request.

Insurance on file

A live policy is not enough. The insurer files BMC-91 or BMC-91X. A BMC-35 starts a cancellation clock. See how insurance gets on file.

BOC-3 on file

Process agent designation must still be on file. If the agent dropped you, file a new BOC-3 before you pay $80.

Active USDOT

Motor carriers need an active USDOT with current contact info. A missed MCS-150 can make the USDOT Inactive. The system will not take reinstatement while it is.

$80 vs $300
FMCSA's fee table still lists Reinstate Authority at $80.00. Permanent Authority at $300.00 is a new application, not this request. Separate fees for each kind of authority. No refunds on mistaken filings.

$85

Pay $85.00

Punch list

Do these in order. Do not pay $80 until the filings are back on the record.

1
Read Motus status plus the reason
Open motus.dot.gov and the public search. Write down the status name and the reason Motus shows. Status names did not change. The reason is new.
2
Confirm insurance is on file
Not the dec page. The certificate. Insurer files BMC-91 or BMC-91X. Details in the BMC-91 guide and FMCSA's Insurance Filing Requirements.
3
Confirm the BOC-3 is still on file
If it is gone, have a process agent file a new one. Reinstatement will not go through without it.
4
Make the USDOT active
If the USDOT is Inactive or Out of Service, the FAQ says the system will not allow a reinstatement request. Update contact info. You may submit an MCS-150 with the reinstatement request. Motus still lets you open the account and request reactivation even if the USDOT is inactive.
5
Request reinstatement — Motus, or paper via ASK
The live FAQ still lists an FMCSA Portal request, or a signed MCSA-5889 uploaded through Ask FMCSA. Motus is the registration system now. FMCSA's modernization FAQs say reinstatement is handled in Motus. We are not inventing a Motus click-path. Use Motus, or the paper ASK path the FAQ still lists.
6
Wait. Then check the public record
Online: typically active within a week of application receipt and valid payment. Paper: up to 8 days. FMCSA will tell you if it is on hold, pending more information, or in vetting. Do not haul until Motus shows active.
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Do not haul on a pending request
A paid $80 and a confirmation email are not active authority. Brokers and officers read the record. Wait until it shows active.

When $80 will not turn it back on

The same FAQ draws a hard line. Do not treat a safety Out of Service like a missed filing.

Imminent hazard Out of Service

You cannot request reinstatement. The FAQ says so in those words.

Final unsatisfactory (UNSAT/UNFIT)

Same block. $80 does not lift a final unsatisfactory safety rating.

USDOT still Inactive

Fix the USDOT first. Then request authority reinstatement. Motus keeps the company account open so you can request reactivation.

Voluntary suspend past one year

FMCSA says you can reinstate a voluntary Motus suspension up to one year after the suspension date. It does not publish a later click-path on that page. Do not invent one.

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We are not inventing a new-application path
$300 on the fee table is Permanent Authority — a new application. The reinstatement FAQ does not say “file a new OP-1 after X months.” If the $80 request is blocked, use ask.fmcsa.dot.gov or Ask FMCSA. Do not guess a form.
Still in the first year?
A lapse does not pause the new-entrant safety audit. Missing required financial responsibility is an automatic fail on that audit.

FAQ

How much does it cost to reinstate MC authority?

$80.00 on FMCSA's fee table. Our payable checkout is $85.00. Permanent Authority at $300.00 is a new application, not this request. Separate fees for each kind of authority. No refunds on mistaken applications.

$85

Pay $85.00

Can I haul while the reinstatement is pending?

No. Wait until the record shows active. The FAQ says authority is typically active within a week of application receipt and valid payment. Paper MCSA-5889 through Ask FMCSA may take up to 8 days.

What if Motus shows my USDOT as Inactive?

The system will not allow a reinstatement request while the USDOT is Inactive or Out of Service. Update contact info. You may submit an MCS-150 with the request. The Motus company account stays accessible so you can request reactivation.

Does $80 turn revoked authority back on after UNSAT/UNFIT or an imminent hazard?

No. The official FAQ says you cannot request reinstatement in those cases.

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More notes.

ELD for a One-Truck Company

One truck does not skip the ELD. If you keep RODS most days, you need a registered device. True short-haul on timecards may not. Brokers may still ask.

Read

How Insurance Gets on File With FMCSA

You buy the policy. The insurer files BMC-91 or BMC-91X. Why Motus can show insurance missing when the policy is fine, and what the official minimums are.

Read

The New-Entrant Safety Audit

First-year FMCSA audit for new interstate carriers: the 12-month window, what they actually check, automatic fails in 385.321, and what to have in a box.

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