The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s new Motus registration system will require applicants to complete identity verification involving document capture and a facial scan through a smartphone or tablet.
Motus replaces the agency’s legacy registration infrastructure with a modernized platform designed to streamline processes, enhance fraud prevention, and improve user experience for commercial motor carrier registrations. The system handles applications for USDOT numbers, biennial updates, name and address changes, and operating authority management.
The identity verification process requires individual applicants to scan a QR code within the Motus system, select a government-issued document such as a passport, driver’s license, or resident card, photograph the document, and perform a facial scan by taking a selfie with their device. The applicant then confirms the process within Motus to complete the identity check.
FMCSA has partnered with IDEMIA for identity document capture and verification, and with CLEAR for business verification services. The agency says the process is standalone and that neither the agency nor its vendors will store, share, or sell any customer information collected during verification.
The system began Phase 1 rollout in December 2025 with limited access for supporting companies. Broader availability is planned for Q2 2026. The agency first announced biometric ID verification plans for the trucking industry in 2025.
The Federal Register notice published April 29 describes Motus as built to reduce fraudulent registrations in the motor carrier industry, where identity fraud has been a persistent challenge. By requiring document-plus-biometric verification, the system creates a higher bar for applicants than the previous paper and online processes.
The deployment adds to growing use of biometric verification in U.S. federal processes, alongside similar requirements in sectors from healthcare to financial services.
Sources: Federal Register
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By the ID Tech Editorial Team
