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PHMSA Portal 2026–27: no paper, no checks, no partial refunds

The 2026–27 registration year (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027) brought operational changes that catch people who registered the old way. Here's what changed and how to file now.

What changed for 2026–27

• No paper forms. PHMSA no longer accepts paper Form DOT F 5800.2.
• No check payments. Payment is electronic through the portal.
• No partial refunds. If your operations change, you don't get money back — which makes the single-year vs. multi-year decision matter more.
• Login.gov + MFA required. Non-DOT users must register with Login.gov before accessing the portal.

How to register now

• Go to the official portal: portal.phmsa.dot.gov (filing itself is free — PHMSA warns that third-party "filing services" add fees).
• Create/confirm your Login.gov account and set up multi-factor authentication.
• Choose your registration type: Initial, Renewal (use your existing HM Company ID), or Amendment (no extra fee; required within 30 days of a name/address change).
• Submit before July 1 — the yearly deadline — or before you first engage in a registrable activity, whichever is later.
• Print your certificate immediately (you no longer wait for it by mail).

Common portal snags

• New users must enroll and confirm their email before the registration screens unlock.
• Don't submit a duplicate registration if a payment seems stuck — contact the registration help desk first.
• Subsidiaries under a parent's incorporation may be covered by the parent's registration — check before registering twice.
• The early-registration window opens in the spring (May/June); filings before it opens are not processed.

Guidance only; the operative rule is 49 CFR §§107.601–107.620. Independent aid, not PHMSA and not a filing service.