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Short answer: get the company's USDOT number and look it up before you pay a deposit. On the federal record you want four things: active authority to carry passengers, liability insurance at or above the federal minimum for the size of vehicle, a recent registration update, and a safety rating that isn't Unsatisfactory. Our free bus and charter check reads all of that from the government's files in a couple of minutes. Even among companies that pass the first two, the rest of the record varies: on October 23, 2026, 55 of the 250 cleared operators in our catalog hadn't updated their federal registration in over two years, or ever.
Where the numbers come from
Any company that carries passengers for hire across a state line has to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), carry a USDOT number, hold operating authority and keep liability insurance on file. FMCSA publishes those registers on data.transportation.gov. Our bus check reads them live each time a page loads.
"Cleared" on our pages means two things are on file at once: active authority to carry passengers for hire, and liability insurance. It is a filing, not a recommendation. We haven't ridden with these companies or inspected a single coach.
The figures below come from the 250 cleared operators in our bus-check catalog: the company pages we list in our sitemap, taken from the city directories on the bus check, each one cleared the day it was added. We counted them on October 23, 2026. They aren't a random sample of every bus company in the country: the catalog leans toward cities with lots of operators, and toward bigger fleets (74 of the 250 run 50 or more vehicles). Read the figures as "what the record looks like among companies that pass the first test," not as national rates.
| 250 cleared bus and charter operators, October 23, 2026 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Liability cover on file of $5 million or more | 207 |
| Liability cover on file of exactly $1.5 million | 36 |
| Liability cover on file under $1.5 million | 4 |
| Safety rating: Satisfactory / Conditional / Unsatisfactory / none | 185 / 9 / 1 / 55 |
| Registration (MCS-150) updated in the last 12 months | 125 |
| Registration older than two years, or no date on file | 55 |
| Census record marked inactive, though authority and insurance were on file | 44 |
Method: a SELECT on the catalog table our nightly job keeps (every operator cleared when it was added), grouped by the insurance amount, safety rating, MCS-150 date and census status fields copied from FMCSA's authority and census files. Today means October 23, 2026; the live pages may already differ.
The five checks, in order
- Get the USDOT number. An interstate passenger carrier must have one, and it should be on the company's website, quote and vehicles. If they won't give it to you, stop there.
- Check the authority is active. A USDOT number is only a registration. To carry your group for hire, the company also needs active operating authority. Put the number into the bus check; cleared companies are listed first on each city page.
- Match the insurance to the vehicle. Federal rules (49 CFR 387.33) set the minimum at $1.5 million for a vehicle that seats 15 or fewer, driver included, and $5 million for one that seats 16 or more. That is why the chart has two big bars: 185 of the 250 operators filed exactly $5 million, and 36 filed exactly $1.5 million. If you're booking a full-size coach, a $1.5 million filing is a question to ask before you sign.
- Read the safety rating, and its date. FMCSA rates a carrier Satisfactory, Conditional or Unsatisfactory after a compliance review. Most of our 250 were Satisfactory, but 59 of the ratings were given before 2016, and 55 operators had no rating at all. No rating usually means FMCSA has never done a full review, not that something is wrong. A Conditional rating is worth a direct question; an Unsatisfactory one is a reason to keep looking.
- Check the registration is current. Carriers have to update their MCS-150 registration every 24 months. Half our cleared operators (125) had done it within the last year. 55 hadn't updated in more than two years or had no date on file, and 44 had a census record that FMCSA marks inactive. Any of those is worth a phone call to confirm the company is still trading under that number.
FMCSA runs its own checklist for groups, Look Before You Book. It is worth reading alongside this one.
What the federal record can't tell you
- Which vehicle turns up. The record covers the company, not the coach. Ask which vehicle and which driver you'll get, and whether any of the trip is subcontracted to another operator. If it is, check that company too.
- Trips inside one state. A charter that never leaves the state may be regulated by that state instead, so a company that only runs local trips may not have federal authority at all. Ask which state agency licenses them.
- Complaints. FMCSA keeps a complaint database our check can't read. A clean record means nothing on file, not that nobody has complained, so read reviews and ask for references.
Questions people ask
How do I know if a charter bus company is licensed?
Look up its USDOT number. A licensed interstate charter company has active operating authority to carry passengers and liability insurance on file. The bus check shows both, live from FMCSA.
How much insurance should a charter bus company have?
At least $5 million on file for a vehicle that seats 16 or more, and $1.5 million for 15 or fewer, under 49 CFR 387.33. Of the 250 cleared operators we counted on October 23, 2026, 207 had $5 million or more on file. Ask for the insurance certificate too: the register shows that a filing exists; the certificate shows the policy.
Does a USDOT number mean a bus company is safe?
No. It is a registration number. Safety shows up in the authority, the insurance, the safety rating and whether the registration is kept current. Check all four.
Does this work for limos, shuttles and party buses?
Yes, if they carry passengers for hire across state lines. They file with FMCSA like a motorcoach company does. Smaller vehicles have the $1.5 million minimum instead of $5 million.
Is the bus check free?
Yes. It's free, needs no sign-up and stores nothing about you. Swift Agent Sites doesn't book trips; the page shows what is filed.
I'm moving, not chartering. Is there a check for movers?
Yes: the mover check reads the same federal files for companies that move household goods. For one city in detail, see how many Miami movers are cleared.
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