South Dakota added 36 new USDOT numbers in September 2026, 0.2% of the national total and 47th of 51, among the smallest volumes in the country. That was up 12.5% from September 2025 (32). Over the 12 months to September 2026, South Dakota added 476, up 27.3% from the prior 12 months, ahead of the national change of +5.4%. That puts South Dakota 47th for the year with 0.3% of all new registrations. With monthly counts this small, single-month changes can swing widely.
Before FMCSA's legacy data froze on May 14, 2026, the legacy system recorded new operating authority grants for an average of 15 USDOT numbers a month in South Dakota (May 2025 to April 2026), 0.3% of the national total. In September 2026, Motus recorded 13, 0.3% of the national Motus count and 42nd of 51, among the smallest volumes in the country. Relative to its legacy average, South Dakota's Motus count is lower than the national pattern (86% of its legacy average, against 96% nationally). The systems count differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.
Legacy data recorded an average of 14 involuntary revocations a month for USDOT numbers in South Dakota before the freeze. Since the cutover, Motus records involuntary suspensions instead: 1 took effect for USDOT numbers in South Dakota in September 2026 (43rd of 51, among the smallest volumes in the country), and 13 over the last three months. Insurance filings were cancelled (not replaced) for an average of 47 USDOT numbers a month in South Dakota in the legacy data; Motus shows 2 in September 2026, a floor because Motus InsHist covers only authorities touched in Motus.
Of the 476 USDOT numbers added in South Dakota from October 2025 to September 2026, 17 (3.6%) list a phone or email shared with at least 3 other USDOT records, above the national rate of 2.3%. That rate ranks 7th of the 51 states (including DC) with at least 100 new registrants. 14 of the 17 sit in clusters of 51 or more records. Interpretation: a higher rate can reflect a few busy filing services serving the state, so it is a reason to look closer, not evidence of fraud.
New USDOT registrations in South Dakota
Source: FMCSA Company Census File, as of 2026-10-17 (az4n-8mr2).
Data table (24 rows)
| Month | New USDOT registrations |
|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | 24 |
| Nov 2024 | 20 |
| Dec 2024 | 32 |
| Jan 2025 | 34 |
| Feb 2025 | 21 |
| Mar 2025 | 44 |
| Apr 2025 | 37 |
| May 2025 | 37 |
| Jun 2025 | 33 |
| Jul 2025 | 35 |
| Aug 2025 | 25 |
| Sep 2025 | 32 |
| Oct 2025 | 32 |
| Nov 2025 | 19 |
| Dec 2025 | 32 |
| Jan 2026 | 35 |
| Feb 2026 | 43 |
| Mar 2026 | 49 |
| Apr 2026 | 37 |
| May 2026 | 50 |
| Jun 2026 | 71 |
| Jul 2026 | 38 |
| Aug 2026 | 34 |
| Sep 2026 | 36 |
- All new registrations nationwide
- South Dakota
Source: FMCSA Company Census File, as of 2026-10-17 (az4n-8mr2).
Data table (24 rows)
| Month | All new registrations nationwide (index) | South Dakota (index) |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | 96.9 | 77.0 |
| Nov 2024 | 82.3 | 64.2 |
| Dec 2024 | 78.6 | 102.7 |
| Jan 2025 | 103.0 | 109.1 |
| Feb 2025 | 102.6 | 67.4 |
| Mar 2025 | 119.4 | 141.2 |
| Apr 2025 | 110.3 | 118.7 |
| May 2025 | 104.8 | 118.7 |
| Jun 2025 | 98.7 | 105.9 |
| Jul 2025 | 105.0 | 112.3 |
| Aug 2025 | 100.7 | 80.2 |
| Sep 2025 | 97.8 | 102.7 |
| Oct 2025 | 97.6 | 102.7 |
| Nov 2025 | 78.3 | 61.0 |
| Dec 2025 | 81.0 | 102.7 |
| Jan 2026 | 103.3 | 112.3 |
| Feb 2026 | 102.0 | 138.0 |
| Mar 2026 | 122.2 | 157.2 |
| Apr 2026 | 117.7 | 118.7 |
| May 2026 | 118.4 | 160.4 |
| Jun 2026 | 120.3 | 227.8 |
| Jul 2026 | 113.2 | 121.9 |
| Aug 2026 | 107.4 | 109.1 |
| Sep 2026 | 103.4 | 115.5 |
Operating authority grants
Legacy and Motus counts are separate lines. FMCSA's legacy data froze on May 14, 2026, and Motus records authority actions differently, so the gap at the break is not a measured change.
- Legacy L&I (frozen May 14, 2026)
- Motus (from May 15, 2026)
- Partial month
- Legacy data frozen May 14, 2026
Legacy and Motus record authority actions in different systems with different record structures. Compare their levels with care and do not read the gap at the cutover as a change in applications.
Source: FMCSA AuthHist - All With History (frozen 2026-05-14) (9mw4-x3tu); FMCSA Motus AuthHist - All With History, as of 2026-10-18 (yu5v-wbh6).
Data table (24 rows)
| Month | Legacy L&I (frozen May 14, 2026) | Motus (from May 15, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | 10 | – |
| Nov 2024 | 8 | – |
| Dec 2024 | 4 | – |
| Jan 2025 | 12 | – |
| Feb 2025 | 10 | – |
| Mar 2025 | 9 | – |
| Apr 2025 | 24 | – |
| May 2025 | 20 | – |
| Jun 2025 | 12 | – |
| Jul 2025 | 16 | – |
| Aug 2025 | 10 | – |
| Sep 2025 | 9 | – |
| Oct 2025 | 11 | – |
| Nov 2025 | 11 | – |
| Dec 2025 | 9 | – |
| Jan 2026 | 16 | – |
| Feb 2026 | 15 | – |
| Mar 2026 | 25 | – |
| Apr 2026 | 28 | – |
| May 2026 | 11(partial) | 0(partial) |
| Jun 2026 | – | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | – | 9 |
| Aug 2026 | – | 10 |
| Sep 2026 | – | 13 |
Revocations, suspensions and insurance
- Legacy: involuntary revocations
- Motus: involuntary suspensions
- Partial month
- Legacy data frozen May 14, 2026
This is not the same legal action as the legacy series. Since the cutover, FMCSA's public Motus data records involuntary suspensions where the legacy data recorded involuntary revocations.
Source: FMCSA Revocation - All With History (frozen 2026-05-14) (sa6p-acbp); FMCSA Motus AuthHist - All With History, as of 2026-10-18 (yu5v-wbh6).
Data table (24 rows)
| Month | Legacy: involuntary revocations | Motus: involuntary suspensions |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | 9 | – |
| Nov 2024 | 19 | – |
| Dec 2024 | 15 | – |
| Jan 2025 | 21 | – |
| Feb 2025 | 12 | – |
| Mar 2025 | 18 | – |
| Apr 2025 | 21 | – |
| May 2025 | 9 | – |
| Jun 2025 | 18 | – |
| Jul 2025 | 17 | – |
| Aug 2025 | 15 | – |
| Sep 2025 | 16 | – |
| Oct 2025 | 11 | – |
| Nov 2025 | 16 | – |
| Dec 2025 | 8 | – |
| Jan 2026 | 11 | – |
| Feb 2026 | 10 | – |
| Mar 2026 | 20 | – |
| Apr 2026 | 14 | – |
| May 2026 | 9(partial) | 0(partial) |
| Jun 2026 | – | 0 |
| Jul 2026 | – | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | – | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | – | 1 |
- Legacy L&I (frozen May 14, 2026)
- Motus (from May 15, 2026)
- Partial month
- Legacy data frozen May 14, 2026
The Motus InsHist dataset is far smaller than the legacy one (63,228 rows in total when checked in October 2026) and covers only authorities touched in Motus. Its counts are a floor, not a like-for-like continuation of the legacy level.
Source: FMCSA InsHist - All With History (frozen 2026-05-14) (6sqe-dvqs); FMCSA Motus InsHist - All With History, as of 2026-10-18 (3uet-3z4i).
Data table (24 rows)
| Month | Legacy L&I (frozen May 14, 2026) | Motus (from May 15, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2024 | 37 | – |
| Nov 2024 | 47 | – |
| Dec 2024 | 44 | – |
| Jan 2025 | 34 | – |
| Feb 2025 | 40 | – |
| Mar 2025 | 33 | – |
| Apr 2025 | 55 | – |
| May 2025 | 50 | – |
| Jun 2025 | 48 | – |
| Jul 2025 | 52 | – |
| Aug 2025 | 41 | – |
| Sep 2025 | 50 | – |
| Oct 2025 | 47 | – |
| Nov 2025 | 31 | – |
| Dec 2025 | 34 | – |
| Jan 2026 | 49 | – |
| Feb 2026 | 44 | – |
| Mar 2026 | 64 | – |
| Apr 2026 | 48 | – |
| May 2026 | 32(partial) | 1(partial) |
| Jun 2026 | – | 9 |
| Jul 2026 | – | 11 |
| Aug 2026 | – | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | – | 2 |
Method notes
- The May 14, 2026 method break
- FMCSA's legacy L&I datasets (AuthHist, Revocation, InsHist and others) stopped updating on 2026-05-14. Their descriptions now say they will no longer be updated. FMCSA's Motus system replaced them, and its public datasets update daily. Legacy series stop at May 2026 and Motus series start at May 2026, and May is marked partial in both. The two are never joined into one line, because the systems record actions differently. Motus rows dated before 2026-05-15 are migrated history for authorities later touched in Motus, so they are excluded.
- Units
- Event series count distinct USDOT numbers per month, so a carrier with several authorities or filings affected in the same month counts once. Legacy rows with a USDOT of 00000000 (old dockets with no USDOT on file) are excluded. A USDOT affected in two different months counts in both.
- How states are assigned
- States come from the physical address (phy_state) in the Company Census File as of its 2026-10-17 load, not the address at the time of the event. Event datasets are joined to the census on USDOT number with a SoQL JOIN. Share of national counts that land in one of the 50 states or DC: registrations 98.4%, legacy grants 97.3%, Motus grants 97.6%, legacy revocations 97.9%, Motus suspensions 98.2%, legacy insurance cancellations 98.7%, Motus insurance cancellations 98.6%. The rest are carriers based in U.S. territories, Canada or Mexico, or USDOT numbers with no census match. National totals include them, so state shares add up to a little under 100%.
How to cite
CarrierKYC, "South Dakota trucking authority and carrier risk data (October 2026)," Freight Identity Risk Report, updated 2026-10-19. https://carrierkyc.com/report/state/south-dakota. Data: FMCSA via data.transportation.gov. License: CC BY 4.0.
Free to reuse with attribution under CC BY 4.0. Download the October 2026 data: CSV.