REVOKE Act Would Require Active USDOT Numbers for Carriers

A new bipartisan bill in Congress would tighten federal requirements surrounding USDOT numbers and motor carrier registration.

The REVOKE Act, introduced on September 2, would require an active USDOT number for companies and individuals conducting commercial motor vehicle operations that require federal registration.

The proposal would also direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to inactivate USDOT numbers when certain registration requirements are no longer met.

The legislation comes as federal officials and lawmakers continue to focus on compliance and fraud within the commercial trucking industry.

What Is the REVOKE Act?

The Registration Enforcement for Vehicle Operations of Known Evaders Act, or REVOKE Act, was introduced as H.R. 10237.

Rep. Dave Taylor of Ohio introduced the legislation with Rep. Shomari Figures of Alabama. The bipartisan bill was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

The proposal would amend Section 31134 of Title 49 of the U.S. Code. That section covers registration requirements for employers and others operating certain commercial motor vehicles.

The bill makes a key change to the existing language. It would replace the requirement for “a USDOT number” with an “active USDOT number.”

It would then add new requirements explaining when that number can remain active.

REVOKE Act Would Require an Active USDOT Number

Under the proposed legislation, an employer or person could not conduct operations that require registration under Section 31134 or Chapter 139 without an active USDOT number.

The Secretary of Transportation would also be limited in when an active number could be issued.

Before issuing one, USDOT would have to determine that the employer or person meets all applicable registration requirements.

The bill does not create a new CDL requirement for individual truck drivers. Instead, its provisions center on the federal registration status of employers, carriers and other persons covered by the affected sections of federal law.

For drivers, however, the registration status of the carrier they work for could become more important if the proposal becomes law.

When Could a USDOT Number Be Inactivated?

The REVOKE Act also establishes conditions that would require USDOT to immediately inactivate a USDOT number.

That could happen when:

• The employer or person does not have valid registration required under the affected federal laws.
• The employer or person fails to complete a periodic update required by the Secretary of Transportation.

The wording is significant because the bill uses “shall immediately inactivate.” In other words, the legislation would direct USDOT to take action when either condition is met.

The bill itself does not establish a new fine or specific financial penalty for those violations. Instead, its central enforcement mechanism is the requirement to maintain an active USDOT number to conduct covered operations.

Lawmakers Say Bill Targets Chameleon Carriers

Taylor and Figures said the legislation is intended to address so-called “chameleon carriers.”

The term generally refers to motor carriers that attempt to avoid enforcement or previous compliance problems by operating under a different identity.

In announcing the bill, the lawmakers said some carriers have been able to exploit the USDOT registration system to continue operating despite previous enforcement issues.

Figures said the bill is intended to give the FMCSA and USDOT clearer authority to prevent carriers without valid registrations from operating under active USDOT numbers.

Taylor similarly described the proposal as a way to prevent carriers from using the registration system to avoid federal requirements.

Those statements describe the lawmakers’ reasons for introducing the legislation. The actual bill text focuses specifically on active USDOT numbers, registration eligibility and mandatory inactivation.

What the REVOKE Act Could Mean for Trucking

If enacted, the proposal could make maintaining federal registration records even more important for motor carriers.

Companies covered by the legislation would need both the required registration and an active USDOT number to continue operating legally under the affected provisions.

Periodic updates would also carry additional importance. Failure to complete an update required by USDOT could result in the carrier’s USDOT number being immediately inactivated.

That could have consequences beyond paperwork. Because the bill would prohibit covered operations without an active number, losing active status could prevent a carrier from legally continuing those operations until its registration issues are addressed.

However, the legislation remains a proposal. None of these new provisions are currently in effect simply because the bill was introduced.

REVOKE Act Is Only at the Beginning of the Legislative Process

The REVOKE Act was introduced in the House on September 2 and referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

That means the proposal still has several steps ahead before it could become federal law.

The committee could consider, amend or advance the legislation. The bill would ultimately need approval from both the House and Senate before being sent to the president.

For now, existing federal registration rules remain in place.

H.R. 10237 would change those requirements by making an active USDOT number an explicit condition for conducting covered commercial motor vehicle operations and requiring USDOT to inactivate numbers when specified registration requirements are not met.