Motus is Here. What Does That Mean for Insurance Carriers and Motor Carriers?

On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, United States Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator (FMCSA) Derek Barrs announced the rollout of a new registration system for truck drivers, motor coach operators, and other motor carriers. The new registration system, known as Motus (Latin for movement), replaces the decades-old system.

With Motus, the Department of Transportation will now use biometric and modern data analytics to verify applicants seeking a Department of Transportation (DOT) registration number. The old system is alleged to have been open to opportunities involving fraud, waste, and abuse¹.

What does this mean for insurance companies and surety providers that are financial responsibility filers? Insurance companies and surety providers can no longer submit and manage financial responsibility filings (i.e., BMC-91, BMC-91X, BMC-82, etc.) in the previous FMCSA Licensing & Insurance (L&I) portal. Insurance carriers and surety providers need to register in Motus to perform this function.

As a primary casualty insurance carrier, Old Republic Insurance Company routinely issues financial responsibility filings. Since the launch of Motus, we have observed that the updated process may be unclear to some policyholders. First and foremost, both new and existing motor carriers need to register in Motus. For existing motor carriers, the information, including previous financial responsibility filings from the legacy system, should be linked once they are registered in Motus. It is important that motor carriers verify that their operating authority, including any required permits, is in place before requesting a financial responsibility filing from their insurance company or surety provider. If this step is not completed correctly, your insurance carrier or surety provider will be unable to issue the required filing.

Lastly, if a motor carrier is not registered with Motus, they risk being locked out of the system, which can disrupt its operations and compliance. It is essential for motor carriers to ensure their registrations are up to date to avoid delays in accessing necessary services.

Details on Motus enrollment help can be found on the FMCSA website here: www.fmcsa.com/motus.

¹Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Launches New Anti-Fraud Registration System for American’s Trucking Industry. https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-sean-p-duffy-launches-new-anti-fraud-registration.