FMCSA’s Identity Checks Reshape Registration — But Not How We First Thought

⚠️ (This post was updated June 2025 with new information)

Fraud prevention rollout: April 2025 brings identity checks to trucking

Starting in early 2025, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) began rolling out major changes to its Unified Registration System (URS) to curb rampant carrier fraud. One key piece of this FMCSA fraud prevention initiative took effect on April 1, 2025: mandatory identity verification via IDEMIA (a security technology provider) for all new motor carrier applicants. This new identity verification in trucking involves capturing a government-issued photo ID and a live facial “selfie” to confirm the applicant’s identity before their USDOT and operating authority registration can proceed. It also includes stricter business address validation – ensuring each carrier’s principal place of business is legitimate (not a virtual P.O. box or fake address) – as FMCSA tightened rules to reject registrations with addresses that don’t meet requirements. These steps, combined with earlier measures like requiring multi-factor login for online accounts and halting instant online PIN issuance, form a broader fraud crackdown. The agency even contracted IDEMIA to handle ID checks and shield sensitive data, providing the service at no extra cost to users.

Timeline of the Changes:  FMCSA’s anti-fraud rollout ramped up through late 2024 and early 2025. By late 2024, FMCSA had suspended online PIN requests (which fraudsters were exploiting to hijack existing accounts) and previewed the new identity proofing process. The full facial recognition and ID upload requirement went live for all new applicants in April 2025 (fmcsa.dot.gov). (Existing carriers will also have to undergo verification when they update their info, with ~800,000 current registrants eventually needing to verify identity as well. FMCSA officials rolled out the changes in phases, demonstrating the tech at industry events and assuring that help would be available – including ~300 in-person enrollment centers across the country for those who can’t easily complete the digital process. The goal was a more secure, modernized registration “one-stop shop” that keeps “bad actors” out of the system without overburdening legitimate carriers. Ken Riddle, FMCSA’s registration director, expressed confidence: “We think that 99.9% of everybody will be able to pass [the ID verification] if they are who they say they are, and pass it the first time at the kitchen table”(overdriveonline.com). In other words, virtually all honest applicants with proper IDs should sail through the process in one go.

⚠️ Editor’s Note (June 2025):  After this post was originally published, we discovered an issue in how we interpreted FMCSA application data. Our original metric, filed-to-published ratio, inferred publication from when a carrier’s authority was granted, which introduced lag and misrepresented timing. We've since corrected our logic and noted that all filed applications eventually appear in the Daily Register — meaning Filed-to-Published is not a meaningful filter. We're now focusing on Filed-to-Granted ratios to assess fallout, though this too is a lagging and still-evolving metric. Additionally, FMCSA’s new identity verification occurs before filing, meaning applicants who fail ID checks never appear in 'Filed' data. Still, we are monitoring these metrics daily using FMCSA’s published Daily Register files to ensure ongoing visibility into filing and approval trends and to continually validate our methodology. We are keeping this post live for transparency. It has been updated to reflect our improved methodology, and some earlier sections and figures have been removed to ensure accuracy. Notable updates are marked in blue italics throughout.

Filed-to-granted outcomes: what we now watch

Our initial analysis reported a sharp drop in the number of filed applications advancing through FMCSA’s process following the April 1 rollout of identity verification. That interpretation was based on a flawed assumption: we inferred publication from when an authority was granted. However, FMCSA’s data structure ensures that all filings eventually appear in the Daily Register — meaning the Filed-to-Published ratio will always converge to 1.0 over time.

We’ve since corrected our methodology and are now monitoring Filed-to-Granted ratios instead. This provides a better lens on how many applicants ultimately receive authority, though it remains a lagging and imperfect signal due to time delays, policy variation, and potential grant bottlenecks. Importantly, because FMCSA’s IDEMIA identity verification occurs before a user can file, any rejected applications never enter the system and therefore aren’t reflected in the filings data..

Going forward, we’ll focus on how many applicants are eventually granted authority — not how many appear published, which happens by default — and recognize that some of applicants may never show up in filings data because of pre-filing identity checks.

Fraudsters may shift tactics as new entries get harder

With FMCSA effectively slamming the door on the easiest path for fraudsters (creating fresh carrier identities out of whole cloth), bad actors are likely to pivot their strategies. If you’re a scammer who until now could register a bogus trucking company online and obtain an MC number with stolen or fake credentials, the new facial ID requirement is a serious obstacle. We expect to see increased attempts at hijacking or recycling dormant carrier accounts instead. In fact, industry reports suggest there’s already a black market for existing carrier authorities: organized fraud rings have been buying up old MC numbers in bulk (overdriveonline.com). By purchasing or taking over a defunct or inactive carrier’s identity, criminals can use a “seasoned” authority that looks legitimate, thus bypassing scrutiny on new applications. Some nefarious actors will pay tens of thousands of dollars for a clean, aged MC number with a good safety record, effectively treating it as a commodity to commit freight fraud. Others may resort to outright identity theft – for example, using phishing and social engineering to obtain a carrier’s login credentials or DOT PIN, then changing the company’s contact information to seize control of the account (a practice FMCSA has been fighting since 2023).

FMCSA is not oblivious to this shift. The agency’s long-term fraud strategy includes forcing verification on existing accounts as well: eventually every carrier will need to validate their identity when updating registration (fmcsa.dot.gov). This will help root out scammers who managed to infiltrate the system in the past. FMCSA also cracked down on address fraud (requiring a verifiable physical business address) to prevent fake office locations that criminals often used (freightwaves.com). Still, there is concern that as new registrations get tougher, fraudulent brokers or carriers may turn to exploiting established credentials, be it via buying companies or partnering with complicit insiders. We may also see a rise in double-brokering scams using stolen carrier identities, since creating a new shell carrier is no longer the path of least resistance. Industry stakeholders are urging motor carriers to be vigilant: protect your company’s DOT login information, watch for any unauthorized changes to your FMCSA records, and be cautious if you’re approached about selling your authority. The crackdown is closing one door for fraud, but savvy scammers will look for another – perhaps by impersonating legitimate carriers rather than inventing fake ones.

Impact on small and non-tech-savvy carriers

For the majority of applicants who are legitimate, FMCSA’s new process adds an extra step but also an extra layer of confidence. However, not everyone finds technology-friendly processes, well, friendly. There is some concern that small fleets or owner-operators who aren’t tech-savvy might hit snags in the new ID verification. The process requires a decent camera (for the ID scan and selfie) and comfort with uploading documents online or via smartphone. While FMCSA has assured that almost all real applicants should pass easily – “99.9%… will be able to pass… if they are who they say they are,” as Riddle stated – early trials indicated there could be minor hiccups. During a demo at the Mid-America Trucking Show, an Overdrive reporter testing the system encountered a few glitches and had to retry the facial capture, but still completed the verification in about 15 minutes on the second or third attempt (overdriveonline.com). This suggests that even if the system works, it may not be foolproof on the first go for everyone (for instance, if an ID photo is unclear or the user’s camera has poor lighting).

FMCSA has tried to accommodate less tech-oriented users by providing alternative support. Drivers without a smartphone or those uncomfortable with the selfie process can visit one of 300 enrollment assistance centers nationwide for help. Additionally, there’s no cost for verification and no additional fees for the new process (landline.media), so applicants shouldn’t worry about being charged for these security measures. FMCSA’s resources include FAQs and even a helpline to guide people through the steps. Legitimate carriers who might struggle with computers – say, an older owner-operator who’s used to paper forms – can still file via the old paper-based method for now, though that is slower and likely to be phased out over time.

The main impact on these users will probably be slightly longer processing times or the need for assistance, rather than outright inability to get authorized. In the worst case, a few genuine applicants might abandon or delay their application if they hit too many hurdles (for example, if they don’t realize they must complete the ID step, their application won’t proceed to publication). So far, the evidence suggests most legit carriers are clearing the new checks, but stakeholders should ensure outreach and education so that no one is left behind due to technology gaps.

Looking ahead: monitoring the authority pipeline

Fraudulent new registrations may be declining, but the clearest signal will be how many filed applicants ultimately receive authority — and how many never appear in the system at all due to pre-filing ID checks. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be monitoring grant volumes closely. Still, conclusions must be drawn cautiously, as some fallout likely occurs upstream, invisible to the filing data. It's also possible that the Filed-to-Granted conversion rate may increase over time — not because more authorities are being issued, but because the initial applicant pool has become more legitimate and better qualified.

The big question is how sustainable these changes are – will fraudsters find new workarounds, and will FMCSA be agile in addressing those? Also, how will legitimate carrier supply be affected if approval rates remain suppressed? Early signs are encouraging that FMCSA fraud prevention efforts are working, but the story is still unfolding. For industry players, now is a good time to double-check your compliance and ensure any new applications you file are squeaky clean with all required documentation – the margin for error is slimmer under these checks. _________________

Stay ahead of fraud with daily monitoring

FMCSA’s new verification measures are raising the bar for new applicants — but fraud hasn’t disappeared. It’s evolving.

As bad actors shift from registering fresh MCs to hijacking dormant or legitimate authorities, subtle changes to company information can become the earliest signs of a problem. That’s why CarrierOK offers daily carrier monitoring, tracking critical updates to company records: changes to addresses, phone numbers, emails, insurance status, and more.

These changes often surface before formal enforcement — and catching them early can help prevent fraud losses before they happen.

Want a deeper breakdown of April’s trends or to start monitoring your carrier portfolio for risk signals? Contact us to explore CarrierOK’s daily monitoring tools and data products.