YardPermit

Official record lookup

USDOT & MC number lookup

Enter a USDOT number, an MC or FF docket, or a legal name. YardPermit queries the live FMCSA MCMIS Company Census File (the full open-data file, about 4.4 million rows). A filtered cache is never used to declare a mover not found. It does not invent records, and it does not score companies.

Mover Check looks up a moving company in the FMCSA Company Census File, the federal open-data census of entities with a USDOT number, about 4.4 million records. For the record you open it shows what FMCSA publishes: legal and trade names, registration status, the census operation code, the household-goods cargo flag, the docket, physical and mailing city and state, power units and drivers, and the safety rating with its dates.

It is a lookup, not a verdict. It does not score, rank or recommend companies. It answers a narrower question: does the company named on your estimate match a federal record, and what does that record currently say?

How to use it

  1. 01

    Start with the USDOT number

    Use the USDOT number printed on the written estimate. A number is the only search that points at one record; company names collide, and trade names collide more often.

  2. 02

    Or search the docket

    An MC, FF or MX docket works with or without a separator, as MC-123456, MC 123456 or MC123456. The search matches the first docket listed on the census record, so a company holding several authorities can show more dockets than the one you typed.

  3. 03

    Search a name last

    A name of at least two characters searches live legal and trade names, ignoring case. The page shows up to 12 candidates, placing exact legal-name matches first. This is a capped candidate list, not an exhaustive directory; use the USDOT number for an exact lookup.

  4. 04

    Read the record against the paperwork

    Check that the legal name, the USDOT number and the city match the estimate, that registration status is active, and whether the operating authorities include household-goods motor carrier authority or only broker authority.

How the lookup works

The full file, queried live

Every search asks FMCSA’s open-data copy of the Company Census File at the moment you search. The file holds about 4.4 million records and FMCSA updates it daily. When exactly one record matches, Mover Check also reads FMCSA’s MOTUS authority history for that USDOT number and keeps the most recent entry for each docket and authority type.

When FMCSA does not answer

If the live request fails and you searched a USDOT number, Mover Check can show that number from a cached subset of 1,832 household-goods records, marked as a cached result rather than a full-file search. A name or docket search is never answered from the cache, and a company missing from the cache is never reported as a company that does not exist.

What the dates mean

A record carries dates that are easy to confuse. The rating date is when FMCSA assigned the safety rating and the review date is when the review behind it took place; either can be decades old. The source date is when FMCSA last updated the file, not when anyone looked at the company.

Where the result goes wrong

  • Treating a trade name as proof of identity. Unrelated companies can share a trade name, so match the USDOT number, not the name.
  • Reading an old Satisfactory rating as a current endorsement. It records what one FMCSA review found on the rating date.
  • Taking a missing rating as a failing grade. A missing rating means no FMCSA review has produced one.
  • Missing broker-only authority. A company whose only active authority is broker authority arranges transportation rather than carrying goods under its own authority.
  • Checking the number from an advertisement instead of the estimate. The number that counts is the one on the documents you sign.

Keep going

Primary sources

What this page was checked against

  • Company Census File

    U.S. Department of Transportation open data (FMCSA) · checked 2026-09-12

    Used for: The census records Mover Check queries and the fields it shows.

  • Motus AuthHist - All With History

    U.S. Department of Transportation open data (FMCSA) · checked 2026-09-12

    Used for: The operating authority types and statuses shown when one record matches.

  • Updating Your Registration or Authority

    Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration · checked 2026-09-12

    Used for: Records are changed by filing an MCS-150 series form, and every regulated entity must update its information every two years.

  • National Consumer Complaint Database

    Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration · checked 2026-09-12

    Used for: Where complaints against moving companies and brokers are filed.

Questions this page answers

What does Mover Check search?
The live FMCSA MCMIS Company Census File — the full open-data file, about 4.4 million rows. A filtered cache is never used to declare a mover not found.
Does a Satisfactory rating mean YardPermit recommends the company?
No. SATISFACTORY is an FMCSA census code. YardPermit does not compute trust, scam, or safety scores, and a missing rating is not a hidden F. The stamp on the record is the census code, not a verified-carrier badge.
Where do operating authorities come from?
Current authority types come from FMCSA MOTUS AuthHist. Census docket1 is a single identifier; one company may hold several authorities (for example household-goods motor carrier, broker, and freight forwarder).
Why does a name search show several companies?
A name search looks for the text in live legal and trade names and shows up to 12 candidates. It is not an exhaustive directory. Unrelated companies often share words such as moving, van lines or relocation, so use the USDOT number from the estimate for an exact lookup.
The FMCSA record for my company is out of date. Can YardPermit change it?
No. Mover Check shows the census file as FMCSA publishes it. Carriers update their records with FMCSA by filing an MCS-150 series form, and FMCSA requires every regulated entity to update its information every two years. Once FMCSA’s open-data file changes, the next search shows the change.
How do I report a moving company?
File a complaint in FMCSA’s National Consumer Complaint Database, which accepts complaints against moving companies and brokers. YardPermit does not collect or publish complaints.