How to Get Freight Broker Authority

We have not found a total time from application to active authority on FMCSA's site; confirm with FMCSA. Getting your BMC-84 bond follows the carrier’s timeline. Your BMC-84 (or BMC-85 trust) and BOC-3 are due within 20 days from the date your application notice is published in the FMCSA Register (49 CFR 365.109T). You cannot operate until your authority shows ACTIVE, which the public will be able to confirm by searching the registration record in Motus.

The mandatory startup costs are: the $300 FMCSA application fee paid in Motus, a BMC-84 bond premium ($938-$11,250/year depending on credit, an estimate), a BOC-3 filing (blanket companies set their own fees), and UCR registration ($46 for 2026). With excellent credit, the total often comes to roughly $1,300 or more; the surety carrier sets the bond premium. Most new brokers should budget $2,000-$5,000 for these required items. Additional costs like software, insurance, and office setup are separate.

An MC (Motor Carrier) number is your unique identifier issued by the FMCSA when you apply for broker, carrier, or freight forwarder authority. For brokers, it is formally called a "broker MC number" and is different from a USDOT number. FMCSA assigns your MC number during the Motus application process, but having an MC number does not mean you can operate - your authority must show ACTIVE status after all filings are complete.

In Motus, first-time brokers apply for a USDOT Number and operating authority registration from FMCSA together. If you hold dual authority as both a broker and a motor carrier, you absolutely need a USDOT number for the carrier side. Most brokers end up with both an MC number and a USDOT number.

Form BOC-3 (Designation of Agents for Service of Process) designates a legal representative in every state where you operate or maintain offices. If someone needs to serve legal papers on your brokerage, they serve the process agent in their state instead of tracking you down. Most brokers use a blanket BOC-3 service to make the designations; blanket companies set their own fees.

Yes, but you need separate authority and separate financial security for each role. Your carrier authority requires liability insurance ($750,000-$5,000,000 depending on cargo). Your broker authority requires a $75,000 BMC-84 bond or BMC-85 trust. These are completely separate requirements - your carrier insurance does not satisfy the broker bond requirement, and vice versa. Apply for both through FMCSA Motus registration system.

After you file your application in Motus, FMCSA publishes it in the FMCSA Register, and interested persons have 10 days from the date of publication to file protests. During this window, anyone can file a protest against your application. Protests are rare for broker authority. If no one objects and all your filings (bond, BOC-3) are in order, the FMCSA activates your authority after the protest period closes. If someone does protest, the FMCSA reviews it and may request additional information from you.

UCR (Unified Carrier Registration) is a separate annual registration required for brokers, carriers, and freight forwarders operating in interstate commerce. The 2026 fee for brokers is $46. You register through ucr.gov. UCR is completely separate from your FMCSA authority and BMC-84 bond - you need all three. Failing to register can result in fines and roadside violations for carriers you work with.

Property brokers applying for FMCSA broker authority. It is required by FMCSA, under 49 CFR 387.307, before broker authority becomes active. The bond amount is $75,000, filed as a BMC-84 surety bond (or a BMC-85 trust fund).

Request a BMC-84 quote with the form on this page. The bond is the step you buy from a surety carrier, and it must be filed so your broker authority becomes active; the carrier sets the final price.

We submit complete applications to the carrier promptly; most quotes come back within one business day. The carrier decides approval and the final premium, and you pay only when your bond is issued.

FMCSA's application rules in 49 CFR 365 don't list an experience requirement. You register for broker authority under 49 CFR Part 365 in FMCSA's Motus system, which replaced the old URS and L&I registration tools, keep a surety bond or trust fund (BMC-84 or BMC-85) in effect for the full $75,000 (49 CFR 387.307), and file your Form BOC-3 process agent designation (49 CFR Part 366). Those three pieces go together: the Motus application, a surety bond or trust fund that stays in effect, and a BOC-3 designating a process agent for each state where your offices are located or contracts are written. Get all three filed before you operate. Eric shops multiple surety carriers and brings back a quote—call for a free, no-obligation quote.

Sources: 49 CFR Part 360 · 49 CFR Part 365 · 49 CFR 387.307 · 49 CFR Part 366 · FMCSA Motus registration notice (Federal Register)