By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Sep 28, 2026
The Montana intrastate rule
Federal USDOT registration depends on the vehicle and operation. The rows below show what Montana requires for carriers operating inside the state. Our state DOT number requirements table holds the same answer for every state. A field reading "Not confirmed" means this guide has no verified figure for that field.
For intrastate commerce, ARM 18.8.1501(2)(a) makes a vehicle a commercial motor vehicle at a GVWR, GCWR, GVW or GCW of 26,001 pounds or more, whichever is greater; when designed or used to carry more than 15 passengers not for compensation or more than eight for compensation; or at any size when it carries placardable hazardous materials. Mont. Code Ann. 61-10-154(2)(c) draws the same 26,001-pound intrastate line and excludes farm vehicles operating solely in Montana.
Montana has no freight operating authority, so for an intrastate freight carrier the USDOT number is the state requirement. ARM 18.8.1502(2)(d) has MDT assign a USDOT number to each intrastate motor carrier it regulates under 61-10-154, private and for-hire alike, and ARM 18.8.1502(2)(c) requires the MCS-150 before the carrier begins operating and every 24 months after on the 49 CFR 390.19 schedule.
Montana carrier-number record
Montana issues no state carrier number to general freight carriers; their Montana identifier is the USDOT number with the MT suffix. The only state number is the PSC number the Public Service Commission lists for Class A (regular-route) and Class D (garbage) certificate holders, and Mont. Code Ann. 69-12-408 lets a regulated carrier show its PSC or MDT number on the vehicle in place of its city and state. No PSC source read for this guide says whether a USDOT number must come before a PSC certificate, so that is left open.
Where a Montana carrier enrolls
Registration goes to the agency that issues each credential; the federal process is covered step by step in our guide to getting a USDOT number. Filing services resell these same applications, so the rows below name the direct channel first.
Create a user profile, complete identity verification, and create a company account in Motus to apply for a USDOT number and the registrations your operation needs. Claim your existing USDOT record in Motus using the company official’s Login.gov email, then manage registrations or apply for additional authority. See the Motus account guide before opening or claiming your record.
- USDOT number
- Intrastate carriers get the number through MDT: the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) section of MDT Motor Carrier Services provides USDOT numbers for Montana intrastate carriers, main line (406) 444-3300. Carriers that will run interstate register with FMCSA directly. (registration site)
The state-side steps that follow the number are the IFTA and IRP accounts with MDT Motor Carrier Services, which both require it; general freight needs no PSC filing. Only garbage haulers and regular-route carriers apply to the PSC for a certificate.
MDT's new account information sheet requires a USDOT number before an IFTA, IRP or UCR account can be set up, and MDT's permitting FAQ says every carrier, listed as intrastate or interstate, must file its biennial MCS-150 update because Montana has adopted the federal regulations.
Once a number is active, anyone can pull the public record behind it; our DOT number lookup guide shows how to read that snapshot the way brokers and enforcement do, and the MC number lookup reads the live record back for a number you type in.
The same number carries your safety history. Every roadside inspection written against it feeds the CSA percentiles a broker's vetting platform reads after it checks your authority and insurance, and a violation recorded in error is corrected through DataQs, not by the state agency that issued the credential above.
The state registration triggers behind it
These are the operations that pull a carrier into Montana's own motor carrier registration, where the DOT number rules above attach. The full credential, fees, and insurance filings live on the Montana intrastate authority page.
Where the number fits in the Montana launch
Registration numbers come early: they exist before insurance binds and before the first load. For the full order of operations, from entity to authority to plates, work through start a trucking company in Montana, and keep the Montana trucking hub handy for the rest of the state's credentials.