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MCS-150 due date calculator
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Your biennial update deadline is hidden in your USDOT number's last two digits, and FMCSA won't remind you. Enter the number and get your exact due month, year, and days remaining. No signup, no email.
Enter your USDOT number to decode your exact biennial-update deadline.
How the digit rule works
Under 49 CFR 390.19T, every carrier must refile form MCS-150 every 24 months on a schedule encoded in the USDOT number itself. The last digit picks the month (1 = January … 9 = September, 0 = October — November and December are never used), and the next-to-last digit picks the years: odd digit files in odd-numbered years, even digit in even-numbered years. The update is due by the last day of that month, and it's required even if nothing changed.
Miss it and FMCSA can deactivate the USDOT number — with fines of up to $1,584 per day (capped at $15,846) on top. If you're not sure your filing is current, run your number through our free USDOT compliance check — it reads your live FMCSA record, including MCS-150 currency.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know when my MCS-150 biennial update is due?
Your USDOT number encodes it (49 CFR 390.19T). The last digit sets the month — 1 through 9 mean January through September, and 0 means October. The next-to-last digit sets the years: odd digit, odd-numbered years; even digit, even-numbered years. The filing is due by the last day of that month every two years.
Does FMCSA remind me when the MCS-150 is due?
No reliable reminder arrives — that's why so many carriers miss it. The deadline exists whether or not anything about your operation changed, and it applies even if you must report that you've ceased operations.
What happens if I miss the MCS-150 biennial update?
FMCSA can deactivate your USDOT number, and the violation carries a civil penalty of up to $1,584 per day, capped at $15,846 (49 CFR 390.19T(b)(4) and Appendix B to Part 386). A deactivated number also cascades: UCR registration, some state credentials, and broker vetting all check it.
Why is no USDOT number due in November or December?
The regulation's schedule simply doesn't use those months. Last digits 1–9 map to January–September and 0 maps to October, so every carrier's due month falls between January and October.
Do I have to wait for my due date to file an MCS-150?
No — you must also update within 30 days of a change in legal name, address, or other information, and you can file an update any time. Filing early resets nothing about your schedule: the biennial deadline stays tied to your USDOT number's digits.
How do I actually file the biennial update?
Online through the FMCSA Portal (login.gov account required), by mail, or by fax using form MCS-150. Filing online is free — be wary of third-party sites charging for what FMCSA does for nothing.
Related
Deadlines that watch themselves
TruePermit tracks your MCS-150, UCR, 2290, IFTA, and state filings against your actual FMCSA record and alerts you 30, 14, and 7 days out — so a two-digit rule never takes your authority down. Free for one truck.
Start freeThis tool decodes the schedule in 49 CFR 390.19T from the number you enter; it does not query FMCSA and cannot know when you last filed. For your live filing status, use the compliance check above or the FMCSA Portal.