Safety Enforcement

Florida USDOT Numbers

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Florida has adopted many Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations for property carriers and passenger carriers.  These regulations have been adopted in sections 316.302 and 316.70, Florida Statutes.  This page is intended to provide conceptual information to assist the industry with compliance with regard to registering for a USDOT Number, but is not intended to replace or interpret statute and regulation.  We recommend you review referenced statutes and regulations, and consult your legal counsel for specific guidance.

US DOT Number Registration

By law, your company is required to register for a USDOT Number and display it on all your commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) power units and intermodal equipment chassis.  A company official can apply for a DOT Registration online at: http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration.  For additional information, you may contact the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration directly by calling their toll free number at 800-832.5660 or by accessing the FMCSA assistance web site to chat or send an email (http://ask.fmcsa.dot.gov/app/ask).  Registration fees may be applied for companies engaged in interstate commerce, but are not applied for companies solely engaged in intrastate operations.  During the application process, a Visa or MasterCard must be provided to ensure a digital signature is on file for the official record.

Updating Registration

All companies must update their Registration every two years, regardless of whether your company has changed information, ceased operation, or has gone out of business.  There is generally no fee for updating Registration, unless the company begins operating as an interstate, for-hire motor carrier and has not previously paid a registration fee.  In addition to biennial updates, companies are encouraged to update their information with normal changes of operations as these updates may impact a motor carrier’s Compliance-Safety-Accountability scores. To update your registration or authority, visit the FMCSA website.

Penalties

Fines and penalties for operating a CMV with USDOT Number violations can vary by state, jurisdiction and enforcement entity taking action.  In Florida, motor carriers and officials can be issued penalties and fines through civil citations and traffic citations, respectively.  Some violations for USDOT Number display and operating violation of an Out-of-Service Order can be criminal.  Below are some of the more common violations and references.

Exemptions

Federal Regulation and Florida Statutes do provide some regulatory relief for certain entities from complying with USDOT Number registration.  We strongly encourage you to review these exemptions with your legal counsel prior to taking advantage of regulatory relief.  The following are some of the more common exemptions: