Registration Information
4. Background and Use of the Fee
8. NAICS Codes and SBA Size Standards
10. Hazardous Materials Regulations
Who Must Register
You must register if you are a person who offers for transportation or transports in commerce a shipment containing any of the following categories of hazardous materials (including hazardous wastes):
- A highway route controlled quantity of a Class 7 (radioactive) material, as defined in 49 CFR 173.403. A "highway route controlled quantity" may be shipped by highway, rail, air, or water.
- More than 25 kilograms (55 pounds) of a Division 1.1, 1.2, or 1.3 (explosive) material (see 49 CFR 173.50) in a motor vehicle, rail car, or freight container.
- More than one liter (1.06 quarts) per package of a "material extremely toxic by inhalation" (that is, a "material poisonous by inhalation" that meets the criteria for "hazard zone A" as specified in 49 CFR 173.116(a) for gases or 173.133(a) for liquids).
- A hazardous material (including hazardous wastes) in a bulk packaging having a capacity equal to or greater than 13,248 liters (3,500 gallons) for liquids or gases or more than 13.24 cubic meters (468 cubic feet) for solids. Please note that persons who offer or transport hazardous materials that do not require placarding (that is, Class 9 materials) in a bulk packaging with a capacity greater than 3,500 gallons or 468 cubic feet, must register.
- A shipment in other than a bulk packaging of 2,268 kilograms (5,000 pounds) gross weight or more of one class of hazardous materials (including hazardous wastes) for which placarding of a vehicle, rail car, or freight container is required for that class.
- A quantity of hazardous material that requires placarding.The offering and transporting of hazardous materials by farmers in direct support of their farming operations are excepted from this category of activities requiring registration. See the information on requirements for farmers below.
Since the beginning of the program in 1992, activities in Categories A through E above have required registration by law. Category F was added by regulation beginning with the 2000-2001 registration year.
Exceptions: The following are specifically excepted by statute or regulation from the registration requirements:
- Agencies of the federal government.
- Agencies of states.
- Agencies of political subdivisions of states.
- Indian tribes.
- Employees of those entities listed in [A], [B], [C], or [D] who offer or transport hazardous materials as part of their official duties.
- Hazmat employees, including the owner-operator of a motor vehicle that transports hazardous materials in commerce if that vehicle, at the time of those activities, is leased to a registered motor carrier under a 30-day or longer lease as prescribed in 49 CFR Part 376 or an equivalent contractual relationship.
- A person who offers hazardous materials for transportation to the United States solely from locations outside of the United States, when that person is domiciled outside the United States, in a country that does not impose registration or a fee on U.S. companies for offering hazardous materials into that country.
- A farmer who offers or transports only hazardous materials that are used in direct support of his or her farming operations and who is not engaged in activities included in Categories A through E described in "Who Must Register" above.
A farmer must register if he or she:
- Offers or transports hazardous materials that require placarding that are not in direct support of his or her farming operation. For example, a farmer who offers or transports home heating fuel for commercial purposes in quantities requiring placarding must register.
- Offers or transports for any purpose any of the hazardous materials included in Categories A through E of "Who Must Register" above. For example, a farmer who transports 55 lbs or more of a Division 1.1 explosive, even if the explosive is to be used in direct support of his farming operations, must register.
Clarifications: The HMR apply to persons who offer for transportation or transport by highway, rail, water, or air. Water transportation does not include hazardous materials loaded or carried on board a vessel without benefit of containers or labels and received and handled by the vessel carrier without mark or count. This type of shipment, for which the vessel is the container, such as LNG or oil tanker vessels, is under the authority of the U.S. Coast Guard in the Department of Homeland Security.
The term "person" means each separate legal entity, such as a corporation, partnership, association, or LLC or LP. This means that a separately incorporated subsidiary (or LLC or LP) must register if it engages in the specified activities, even when a parent company is also required to register. All locations and vehicles operated by a person are covered by that person's registration.
You must also register if you engage in any of the activities discussed in "Who Must Register" above, and you are:
- A merchant vessel carrier transporting, transiting, or transhipping hazardous materials within 12 miles of the U.S. coast; or
- A federal, state, or local government contractor.
Requirements for Hazardous Waste Generators: All hazardous wastes subject to the Hazardous Waste Manifest Requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are hazardous materials. A hazardous waste generator must register if you meet the requirements identified above.
Company Search
You must login to the portal to search for a company's registration history - Company Search.
You may enter any of the following fields. For best results, enter only one of these search elements.
- existing registration number
- a company name or a distinctive part of it
- company's HM Company ID number
- zip code of the company's address
- company's USDOT Number, or FMCSA MC/MX Number (the "operating authority," formerly known as the ICC Number)
After you click on the "Search" button, a list of possible companies will be displayed. The most recent registration number for each company is given next to the company name. Click on the "Details" button at the end of the line to see a short report of the company information with each of the registration numbers associated with that company record. The most recent registration is given at the bottom of the list. Click "View/Print" to see and print a copy of the certificate.
Current Year
The 2024-2025 Registration Year covers the period between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.
Register before July 1, 2024, or before engaging in any of the activities requiring registration, whichever is later.
Background and Use of the Fee
Under the federal hazardous material transportation law (49 U.S.C. 5101 et seq.), offerors and transporters of certain types and quantities of hazardous materials, including hazardous wastes, are required to file a registration statement with the U.S. Department of Transportation and to pay an annual fee. This program began in 1992 and is administered by the Associate Administrator for Hazardous Materials Safety, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The registration regulations are found at 49 CFR 107.601-107.620.
The fee provides funds for grants distributed to states and Indian tribes for hazardous materials emergency response planning and training and to certain professional organizations for training purposes through the Hazardous Materials Grants Program. Your fee is helping communities prepare for hazardous materials incidents or other emergencies that may occur.
Information about the Grants Program, funded by the registration fees, is available here.
How to Register
You can register on-line or by filling out and mailing a form.
- Click here to Register Online. Payment must be made by credit/debit card or ACH (Electronic check). A registration certificate can be printed as soon as the payment is verified (normally immediately if by credit/debit card, in one or two days if by ACH). You can register for any of the allowed registration periods. You can amend your current registration (necessary if your company name or address changes). You can look up a company's registration history by using the "Company Look-up" option.
For specific directions for registering online, click "Online Registration Details" under Related Links to the right of this page.
- PHMSA does not recommend registration by mail due to processing delays as a result of COVID-19. Additionally, PHMSA is no longer able to mail registration certificates. If you are not able to register online, please follow the steps below to register by mail.
- To Register by Mail, fill out the application form (get the Registration Form or the Instruction Brochure with Form) and mail it to the Atlanta, Georgia, address printed on the second page of the form. Payment by check or credit card must accompany the form. A certificate will be mailed. You should allow four weeks for the certificate to be delivered. The Registration Form can be filled out online, printed and mailed with payment. Note that the states in item 9 must be indicated by hand after the form is printed.
Registration Certificates
A Hazardous Materials Certificate of Registration will be issued for each completed application. The certificate contains the assigned Registration Number, the registration year or multi-year period covered by the registration, the date the particular copy was issued or reissued, and the expiration date. Please note that registrations cover the period between July 1 of the first of the "Registration Year(s)" on the certificate through June 30 of the second of those years. The first six characters of the Registration Number represent the date the application was processed as mmddyy. Certificates issued after May 1, 2012, will also display an HM Company ID. Company searches in the On-Line Registration Service and through the "Company Registration Look-Up" may be performed through this HM Company ID.
The certificates for applications submitted through our On-Line Registration Service can be printed through that service after the payment has been confirmed. A receipt with the certificate attached will also be e-mailed to the e-mail address supplied on the payment page. The On-Line Registration Service also provides means of requesting that a certificate be mailed. Certificates will automatically be mailed for applications submitted by mail.
Registration Data Files
Click here to find the Registration Data Files.
NAICS Codes and SBA Size Standards
A list of selected North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) size standards assigned to them is provided among the topics in the right column. If your primary industry group is not included in this list, the SBA's complete list of the current size standards by NAICS code is provided on the SBA's website.
Descriptions of the types of business included in each NAICS code can be found by using the NAICS 2012 search engine at the U.S. Bureau of the Census Internet Website.
Click here to visit the SBA's Size Standards page which contains other useful information on the SBA size standards.
If you need additional assistance in determining your NAICS code or business size, call the size specialist at the local SBA field office OR the SBA Office of Size Standards at 202-205-6618.
Additional information is provided in the definition of the term "Small Business".
Placarding Requirements
The hazardous materials placarding requirements are found in 49 CFR Part 172, Subpart F.
The requirements are summarized as follows:
- Except for Division 6.2 and Class 9 materials, any quantity of a hazardous material offered for transportation or transported in a bulk packaging requires placarding.
- For materials offered for transportation or transported in a nonbulk packaging the quantity that requires placarding depends on whether the material is in a class or division included in Table 1 or Table 2 below:
Hazard Class or Division | Placard Name |
---|---|
1.1 .......................................................... | EXPLOSIVES 1.1 |
1.2 .......................................................... | EXPLOSIVES 1.2 |
1.3 .......................................................... | EXPLOSIVES 1.3 |
2.3 .......................................................... | POISON GAS |
4.3 .......................................................... | DANGEROUS WHEN WET |
5.2 (Organic peroxide, Type B, liquid or solid, temperature controlled) ........... |
ORGANIC PEROXIDE |
6.1 (Materials Poisonous by Inhalation) ....... | POISON INHALATION HAZARD |
7 (Radioactive Yellow III label only) ..... | RADIOACTIVE |
Hazard Class or Division | Placard Name |
---|---|
1.4 .......................................................... | EXPLOSIVES 1.4 |
1.5 .......................................................... | EXPLOSIVES 1.5 |
1.6 .......................................................... | EXPLOSIVES 1.6 |
2.1 .......................................................... | FLAMMABLE GAS |
2.2 .......................................................... | NON-FLAMMABLE GAS |
3 .......................................................... | FLAMMABLE |
Combustible Liquid .................................. | COMBUSTIBLE |
4.1 .......................................................... | FLAMMABLE SOLID |
4.2 .......................................................... | SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTIBLE |
5.1 .......................................................... | OXIDIZER |
5.2 (Other than organic peroxide, Type B, liquid or solid, temperature controlled) ....................................... |
ORGANIC PEROXIDE |
6.1 (Other than material poisonous by inhalation) ............................. |
POISON |
6.2 (Infectious substance) ........................ | NONE |
8 .......................................................... | CORROSIVE |
9 .......................................................... | CLASS 9 (placard not required for domestic transportation) |
ORM-D ................................................. | NONE |
Note: The following materials are excepted from the placarding requirements: infectious substances; hazardous materials classed as ORM-D; hazardous materials authorized to be offered for transportation as Limited Quantities when identified as such on shipping papers; hazardous materials prepared in accordance with 49 CFR 173.13; hazardous materials which are packaged as small quantities under the provisions of 49 CFR 173.4; combustible liquids in non-bulk packagings (see 49 CFR 172.500(b)); and materials offered or transported under the "materials of trade" exception (see 49 CFR 173.6).
Hazardous Materials Regulations
A link to the HMR section of the Government Printing Office's Electronic Code of Federal Regulations is provided here. The registration regulations are found at 49 CFR 107.601 - 620; the definitions provided in the HMR are at 49 CFR 171.8; and the placarding requirements begin at 49 CFR 172.500.
Other Requirements
Registration Deadline
The completed 2024-2025 (or 2024-2026 or 2043-2027) registration statement and payment must be submitted before July 1, 2024, or before engaging in any of the activities requiring registration, whichever is later.
Recordkeeping Requirements
Copies of the registration statement and the certificate of registration must be kept for three years at your principal place of business and must be available for inspection. Motor carriers and vessel operators must also have on board a copy of the current certificate of registration, or another document bearing the current year's registration number identified as the "U.S. DOT Hazmat Reg. No." Every truck or truck tractor or vessel you use for the transportation of a hazardous material that meets the registration criteria must have this proof of registration on board.
If You Have Failed To Register For Past Years
Companies that failed to register for previous years in which they engaged in activities that required registration must register for those years and pay the appropriate fee.
If you engaged in any of the hazardous materials activities in categories A through E in registration years before 2000-2001, or if you engaged in any of the activities in categories A through F in registration years 2000-2001 through 2023-2024, but did not register, you must do so now.
For Failure To Register
The requirement to register with DOT is based on a federal law. The enforcement of this requirement is conducted cooperatively by federal, state, and local agencies. Federal, state, or local officials may impose penalties for failing to register or failing to meet the recordkeeping requirements.
Related Programs
FMCSA Hazardous Materials Safety Permits
Highway carriers of certain types of hazardous materials are required to obtain a Hazardous Materials Safety Permit from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Some (but not all) of the activities that require a highway carrier to register with PHMSA also require the carrier to obtain a safety permit from FMCSA. All companies that are required to have an FMCSA Safety Permit are required to have a PHMSA Registration. Some highway carriers will need only a PHMSA registration. For further information on the FMCSA Hazardous Materials Safety Permit requirements, click here. A printable brochure is available here.
State Registrations
Some states have hazardous materials registration or permitting programs that may also apply to you. Registration with PHMSA does not replace state requirements.
Hazardous Materials Security Plans
Companies that are required to register may also be required to have written security plans that include a risk assessment and measures to address personnel security, unauthorized access, and en route security. Companies that are required to have security plans must also provide security training to all hazmat employees. This training is one element of the training required for all hazmat employees in 49 CFR 172.704.
Hazardous Materials Incident Reports
A person in possession of hazardous materials at the time of an incident during transportation which results in serious consequences must immediately report the incident (see 49 CFR 171.15). These incidents and others require the filing of a detailed incident report within 30 days of the incident (see 49 CFR 171.16).
To Obtain a U.S. DOT or MC/MX Number
Call the local Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's (FMCSA) office (usually in your state capitol). See the list of FMCSA field offices.
The application for a US DOT or MC/MX number can be filed electronically at http://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/. Select "FMCSA Registration & Updates" under "FMCSA Services." USDOT and MC/MX numbers can be verified at that same site by selecting "Company Snapshot" under "FMCSA Searches".
Sources of Information
For Copies of this Brochure and Registration Forms
Download copies from the at PHMSA Registration Internet Home Page.
Email your request to register@dot.gov.
You can also call the Registration Help Desk at (202) 934-1630 for businesses beginning with the letters A-M, or call (202) 934-1631 for businesses beginning with the letters N-Z. Additionally, you may reach out to the Hazardous Materials Information Center for registration renewal assistance.
For Questions About the Hazardous Materials Regulations including Registration
For Hazardous Materials Regulations questions or registration renewal assistance, please e-mail infocntr@dot.gov. You may also call (800) 467-4922, but use e-mail if you need prompt service.
For Additional Questions About the SBA Size Standards
See the complete listing of size standards by NAICS code on the SBA website.
SBA Size Standards Internet site.
Call the Size Specialist at the local SBA field office or the SBA Office of Size Standards at 202-205-6618.
For Information on NAICS Codes
See the U.S. Bureau of the Census site at http://www.census.gov/eos/www/naics/.
For Information on the Grants Program
Visit the Hazardous Materials Grants site
Call the Grants Program office at 202-366-1109, or e-mail to hmep.grants@dot.gov.
For the Status of your Registration Submission
Call (202) 934-1630 for businesses beginning with the letters A-M, or call (202) 934-1631 for businesses beginning with the letters N-Z.
Registering Through the Internet
Register through the internet here.
If you need assistance or encounter problems with the internet registration process, call (202) 934-1630 for businesses beginning with the letters A-M, or call (202) 934-1631 for businesses beginning with the letters N-Z, and ask for internet registration support.