DOT numbers: Intrastate commercial vehicles

If you operate any of the following types of commercial motor vehicle within Washington State, the law now requires you to get an intrastate DOT number and display it on the vehicle. The number will be used to track the owner and the vehicle’s safety fitness rating.

Types of vehicles that must have a DOT number

Vehicles that must have a DOT number by June 30, 2009

• Commercial motor vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more.
• Combinations of commercial motor vehicles including a towed unit with a GVWR of more than 10,000 pounds and having a total GVWR of 26,001 pounds or more.
• Commercial motor vehicles of any size used in the transportation of placarded hazardous materials.
• Commercial motor vehicles designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver.
• Private school buses of any weight or size.

Vehicles that must have a DOT number by June 30, 2012

• Commercial motor vehicles with a GVWR of 16,001 pounds or more.
• Combinations of commercial motor vehicles including a towed unit and having a total GVWR of 16,001 pounds or more.

To learn how to find the GVWR for your vehicle, see Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) below.

Farm vehicles

Farm vehicles must have an intrastate DOT number, but they are exempt from safety audits and compliance reviews. Commercial motor vehicles owned and operated by farmers must have a DOT number if they are:

• one of the types of vehicles described above.
• AND
• used to transport the farmer’s own orchard, farm, or dairy products, livestock, or plant or animal waste within Washington State.

How to apply for a DOT number

• Apply online.
  Visit one of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration websites:
  • www.safer.fmcsa.dot.gov
  • www.fmcsa.dot.gov/online-registration
  If you need help with online registration, call (360) 753-0337 or (360) 753-0282.
• Apply by mail.
  Complete an MCS-150 form and mail it to the address on the form, or call (360) 753-0353.

Fees

There is no charge to get a DOT number.

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)

The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of a commercial vehicle is:

• for a single vehicle, the value specified by the vehicle manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of the vehicle.
• for a combination of vehicles, the value specified by the vehicle manufacturer as the maximum loaded weight of the towing unit plus the GVWR of the towed unit or units.

Finding your vehicle’s GVWR

The GVWR can be found in several places:

• A label on the inside frame of the driver’s door.
• In the engine compartment.
• In the vehicle owner’s manual or sales brochure.

For trailers, you may find a label towards the front of the trailer on the left side.

If you can’t find the GVWR

If you can’t find your vehicle’s GVWR, call the Washington State Patrol at (360) 753-0350.

How DOT numbers improve safety

The DOT number will be used to track citations for unsafe vehicles, traffic violations, and accidents. The data collected will be used to establish safety ratings that the Washington State Patrol will use to perform compliance reviews on businesses identified as higher risk. If a review is unsatisfactory, the DOT number will be placed out of service and all the registrations for vehicles listed under that number will be cancelled.