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Last updated: General Illinois freight broker bond information — confirm current requirements with the licensing authority.
North America's Rail Interchange

Illinois Freight Broker BondOne Bond, $75,000, Federal

Every Illinois property broker arranging interstate freight needs a single $75,000 BMC-84 bond under 49 CFR § 387.307 — no separate state figure, no doubled coverage. What makes Illinois different isn't the bond math. It's the freight: Chicago is the only place in North America where six Class I railroads physically interchange, which means a disproportionate share of Illinois brokerage is intermodal and drayage — matching trucks to containers coming off the rail, not long-haul dry van. See our authority guide and BMC-84 vs BMC-85 comparison.

$75,000
Federal BMC-84
49 CFR § 387.307
Same $75,000
ICC Intrastate License
Only if wholly intrastate
~1%–4% of $75K
Typical Premium
All credit levels
Prompt
Submission
Direct FMCSA filing
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BMC-84 quote — 2-minute form, quote within one business day

Quick answer
A BMC-84 freight broker bond is the $75,000 federal surety bond FMCSA requires before it will grant or keep a property broker's operating authority, whether your brokerage is based in Illinois or arranges loads through the state. Illinois requires its own ICC Broker’s License only if you also broker freight that begins and ends entirely within Illinois. You pay a yearly premium that is a small percentage of $75,000 (an estimate; the carrier sets the final price), not the full amount.
  • Who requires it: FMCSA, for every property broker and freight forwarder in interstate commerce (49 U.S.C. 13906; 49 CFR 387.307).
  • Amount: $75,000, set by federal law. A BMC-85 trust fund of $75,000 is the alternative.
  • Typical cost (estimate): about 1%–4% of $75,000 per year with good credit, roughly $750–$3,000. The carrier sets the final price.
  • Timing: We submit complete applications to the carrier promptly; most quotes within one business day.
Get a Illinois BMC-84 quote

Official Federal (FMCSA) Requirements

"A broker shall provide a surety bond, trust fund agreement, or other financial security in the amount of $75,000 in a form, manner, and amount as the Secretary may prescribe."
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — 49 CFR § 387.307, implementing 49 U.S.C. § 13906 • 49 U.S.C. § 13906; 49 CFR § 387.307
The Illinois-Specific Reality

Why Illinois Brokerage Runs on Intermodal, Not Just Dry Van

Most freight broker bond pages treat every state the same because the bond math genuinely is the same everywhere. Illinois is the exception worth explaining — not because the bond changes, but because the freight does. Chicago sits at the only point in North America where six of the continent's Class I railroads physically interchange traffic. That single geographic fact reshapes what an Illinois-based broker actually does day to day.

Six Railroads, One City

Roughly 500 freight trains a day converge on metropolitan Chicago — about a quarter of all U.S. freight-train traffic and roughly half of all U.S. intermodal train traffic, switched across 18 Class I intermodal terminals.

Ramps in the city and across the suburbs

Joliet/Elwood Intermodal Complex

The Joliet/Elwood complex, roughly 40 miles southwest of Chicago, is a large inland intermodal complex where Class I rail ramps and warehouses generate steady container drayage.

Class I rail ramps plus nearby distribution centers

Last-Mile Drayage Is the Job

A container coming off a rail ramp still needs a truck to reach the warehouse — that short, high-frequency move is drayage, and it's where a large share of Illinois brokerage volume actually lives, distinct from long-haul dry van brokering.

Skills that matter: chassis pools, per-diem clocks, ramp cutoffs

Producer Insight: What This Means for Underwriting

A broker whose book is heavily drayage — short intermodal moves rather than long-haul freight — files more transactions per dollar of revenue than a comparable dry-van broker. Sureties reviewing an Illinois application with a rail-heavy client list will sometimes ask more pointed questions about transaction volume, detention/per-diem dispute history, and carrier vetting on the drayage side specifically, because claims in that segment tend to be about chassis and container detention charges rather than cargo loss. None of this changes the $75,000 bond amount — it can affect how closely your file gets reviewed at renewal.

Ready to get bonded in Illinois? We file the federal BMC-84 directly with FMCSA — and can walk you through the ICC intrastate license if your lanes require it.

Get Illinois QuoteCost By State Guide

The ICC Twist: Illinois Doesn't Set Its Own Bond Number

Brokers who also arrange freight that starts and ends entirely within Illinois — never crossing into Indiana, Wisconsin, or Iowa — need a separate Broker's License from the Illinois Commerce Commission under the Illinois Commercial Transportation Law (625 ILCS 5/Ch. 18c, §§ 18c-5101–18c-5205). Where states like Pennsylvania and New Jersey set their own, separate bond figure for intrastate brokers, Illinois takes a different approach entirely.

ICC's Own Instructions: No Separate Dollar Amount

The Commission's Broker's License instructions state it directly: “The Commission's minimum insurance requirements are the same as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's requirements for interstate brokers.” The ICC doesn't require a second, lower-dollar state bond — it requires proof of the same $75,000 coverage before it will issue the intrastate license.

Source: Illinois Commerce Commission Transportation Division — Broker's License Application & Summary of Broker Regulations

ICC Filing Requirements

  • $50 filing fee per Broker's License Application
  • Applicant's Fitness Statement, signed and filed under oath
  • One-time notice published in the Official State Newspaper
  • Illinois agent for service of process if out-of-state (§ 18c-1801)

Ongoing ICC Obligations

  • Record-keeping: transaction records per § 18c-5106
  • Unlicensed operation: $750 first offense, $1,000 subsequent (§ 18c-5101)
  • License cannot be transferred without Commission approval
  • General violations: civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation

Do You Need the ICC License at All?

FMCSA BMC-84 only ($75,000):

Every load you broker crosses a state line — the typical profile for brokers plugged into the Chicago rail interchange, since so much of that freight is headed to or from out of state. No ICC license needed.

FMCSA BMC-84 + ICC License:

You also broker loads that start and end entirely inside Illinois — for example, warehouse-to-warehouse drayage that never leaves the state. File the ICC application with proof of your existing $75,000 bond.

Illinois Freight Broker Bond Cost

The $75,000 federal BMC-84 is priced as a percentage of face value — you never pay $75,000, only the annual premium, and Illinois doesn't add a second premium on top of it. See our BMC-84 bond cost guide and surety bond cost overview for broader pricing context.

Want your own number instead of a table? Use the Illinois BMC-84 bond calculator — a 60-second credit-score slider with a toggle for the ICC intrastate filing fee.

Where Chicago-Area Freight Actually Moves

Chicago-Area Intermodal Rail Facilities Relevant to IL Brokers

Ramp footprint that drives the region's drayage and intermodal brokerage volume

Facility TypeOperated ByLocationRelevance to Brokers
Inland intermodal complexClass I railroads and private ownersJoliet/ElwoodMajor drayage origin/destination for import containers
Suburban intermodal rampsClass I railroadsChicago suburbsHigh chassis-pool volume; ramp cutoff times matter
In-city intermodal terminalsClass I railroadsChicago city limitsShort drayage runs to city warehouses

General market context only, not a regulatory filing or bond-pricing factor.

ICC License Cost ($50 Filing Fee)

The ICC application itself is a flat $50 filing fee, not a percentage of any bond amount. There's no separate ICC bond premium to budget for — the same BMC-84 policy you already carry satisfies the Commission's coverage requirement.

January 2026 FMCSA Rule Changes — What Illinois Brokers Must Know

The Broker and Freight Forwarder Financial Responsibility rule became fully effective January 16, 2026, and it applies to every BMC-84 holder nationwide — including Illinois brokers whose bond also backs an ICC intrastate license.

7-Business-Day Replenishment Rule

If a claim payment drops your BMC-84 coverage below $75,000, your surety must notify FMCSA within 2 business days, and after FMCSA's written notice you have 7 business days to restore full coverage. Miss the window and FMCSA suspends operating authority — which would suspend an ICC intrastate license riding on the same bond, too.

BMC-85 Trust Fund Restrictions

Trust funds may now hold only cash, irrevocable letters of credit from federally insured depository institutions, or Treasury bonds. Brokers with non-compliant BMC-85 arrangements must restructure or switch to a BMC-84 surety bond. See our BMC-84 vs BMC-85 analysis.

Identity Verification via Login.gov

New broker applications now require completing FMCSA's Identity Verification process through Login.gov before the application can be processed. Budget extra time in your authority timeline for this step alone.

Two Renewal Dates to Track

Federal bond cancellation still requires 30 days written notice to FMCSA. If you also hold the ICC license, its standing depends on the same bond staying active — track both the FMCSA filing and the ICC license status, since a lapse on one side can cascade to the other.

Getting Broker Authority in Illinois: One Bond, Two Possible Filings

Most Illinois brokers only ever need the federal track. Run the ICC track alongside it only if you knowingly arrange wholly intrastate freight. See our full guide to getting freight broker authority for the complete FMCSA process.

Federal FMCSA Track

The federal sequence — the OP-1 broker-authority application, the $75,000 BMC-84 filing, BOC-3 process agents, and the 10-day protest period — is the same in every state. Our guide to getting freight broker authority walks it step by step.

Timeline: 4–6 weeks total

ICC Intrastate Track (Only If Needed)

  1. 1

    File Broker's License Application with the ICC

    $50 filing fee; mail original + 2 copies to the Transportation Division

  2. 2

    Submit Applicant's Fitness Statement

    Signed under oath, attesting to fitness, financial resources, and clean record

  3. 3

    Publish Notice in the Official State Newspaper

    One-time publication; file the Certificate of Publication with the ICC

  4. 4

    File Proof of Your Existing $75,000 Bond

    Same BMC-84 coverage — no separate ICC bond product to purchase

Contact: ICC Transportation Division — (217) 782-4654

Important: The ICC application specifically asks whether you already hold FMCSA broker authority and requests your existing bond information — the two filings are designed to reference the same $75,000 coverage, not duplicate it.

Illinois Freight Broker Bond — Frequently Asked Questions

Questions specific to Illinois-based brokers, the ICC license, and the Chicago freight market

Does Illinois set its own freight broker bond amount, separate from the federal $75,000?

No — and this is where Illinois differs from states like Pennsylvania that layer on a separate, lower state-set bond. Every property broker arranging interstate freight needs the $75,000 BMC-84 bond under 49 U.S.C. § 13906 and 49 CFR § 387.307, full stop. If you also broker freight that begins and ends entirely within Illinois, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) requires its own Broker's License — but the ICC's own instructions state its "minimum insurance requirements are the same as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's requirements for interstate brokers." In practice that means the ICC doesn't invent a second dollar figure; it just requires proof of the same $75,000 coverage before it will issue the intrastate license.

Who actually needs the Illinois Commerce Commission Broker's License in addition to the BMC-84?

Only brokers who arrange wholly intrastate Illinois freight — a load that both originates and terminates inside the state, never crossing into Indiana, Wisconsin, or Iowa. Given how much Chicago-area freight is drayage moving containers from a rail ramp to a nearby warehouse and back, a fair number of intermodal-focused IL brokers do trip this wire without realizing it. If every load you touch crosses a state line — which describes most brokers plugged into the Chicago interchange — the federal BMC-84 is your only bond requirement and you can skip the ICC license entirely.

How much does an Illinois BMC-84 freight broker bond cost?

The annual premium runs 1%–15% of the $75,000 bond face amount — $750 to $11,250 a year — priced almost entirely off personal credit, not the state you operate in. Excellent credit (750+) typically lands at $750–$1,125/year. Good credit (700–749) runs $938–$1,875. Average credit (650–699) runs $2,250–$4,125. Fair or challenged credit runs $3,750–$11,250. New brokers without a filing history commonly pay $1,500–$9,000 even with strong credit because sureties add a startup surcharge that phases out after 12–18 months of clean claims. If you also need the ICC intrastate license, budget the separate $50 ICC filing fee — the bond itself doesn't cost extra since it's the same $75,000 policy.

Why does Illinois brokerage skew so heavily toward intermodal and drayage freight?

Chicago is the only place in North America where six of the continent's Class I railroads physically interchange traffic — an estimated 500 freight trains a day move through the region, roughly a quarter of all U.S. freight-train traffic and about half of all U.S. intermodal train traffic. That volume has to move the last mile by truck, which is where brokers come in: matching drayage capacity to container releases at Chicago-area and Joliet/Elwood intermodal ramps. A broker who understands chassis availability, per-diem clocks, and rail ramp cutoff times has a real edge in this market that a broker running a generic dry-van book in a non-rail state simply doesn't need.

Does the ICC broker license require anything beyond the matching bond amount?

Yes. Beyond bond proof, the Illinois Commercial Transportation Law (625 ILCS 5/Ch. 18c, §§ 18c-5101–18c-5205) requires a $50 filing fee, a completed Applicant's Fitness Statement, one-time publication of the application in the official state newspaper, and — for out-of-state applicants — a Illinois-resident agent for service of process under § 18c-1801. Brokers must also keep transaction records under § 18c-5106. Operating as a broker in Illinois without the required license is a misdemeanor, and the ICC can assess civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation on top of license suspension.

What happens if a claim draws down an Illinois broker's BMC-84 below $75,000?

The same federal rule applies regardless of state. Under the Broker and Freight Forwarder Financial Responsibility rule (88 FR 78656), with a compliance date of January 16, 2026, a surety must notify FMCSA within 2 business days of any claim payment that drops coverage below $75,000. After FMCSA’s written notice, the broker then has 7 business days to restore full coverage or FMCSA suspends operating authority nationwide — which would also void any ICC intrastate authority riding on that same bond. There's no separate Illinois grace period, so a working relationship with your surety before a claim hits matters more than which state you're filed in.

Who needs an Illinois freight broker bond?

Property brokers and freight forwarders based in Illinois that arrange interstate freight. It is required by FMCSA, under 49 U.S.C. 13906 and 49 CFR 387.307. The bond amount is $75,000, set by federal law (BMC-84 surety bond; a BMC-85 trust fund is the alternative).

How do I get an Illinois freight broker bond?

Request a quote with the form on this page. A licensed agent submits your application to a Treasury-listed surety carrier; once the carrier issues your bond, file it as the requiring agency directs.

What happens after I apply?

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 Broker Registration

Official FMCSA portal for broker authority applications, BMC-84 filing status, and SAFER system lookups.

Illinois Commerce Commission

ICC Transportation Division — intrastate Broker's License applications and forms. Springfield office: (217) 782-4654.

Treasury-Listed Carriers
FMCSA Sets Processing Time
Direct FMCSA Filing
All Credit Reviewed

Freight Broker Bond Resources

Freight Broker Bond Hub

Complete BMC-84 guide — requirements, costs, claims, 2026 changes

All Illinois Surety Bonds

Every bond type regulated across Illinois state agencies

Cost by State Guide

How pricing varies by credit tier, not by state

BMC-84 vs BMC-85

When the trust fund makes sense — and when it never does

How to Get Broker Authority

Step-by-step FMCSA authority process from MC# to ACTIVE status

BMC-84 Bond Cost Calculator

Estimate your annual premium by credit score tier

Eric Drummond, Licensed Surety Producer
Reviewed by
Eric Drummond, Licensed Surety Producer
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All content is researched from official state and federal sources (.gov). BuySuretyBonds.com works with Treasury-listed surety carriers.

Built for the Chicago Rail Corridor

Get Your Illinois Freight Broker Bond

BMC-84 quotes within one business day. Premiums commonly run about 1%–4% of $75,000 with good credit (the carrier sets the price) — all credit levels reviewed, whether your lanes run interstate, intermodal, or both.

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Treasury-Listed Carriers
FMCSA Sets Processing Time
Est. 1%–4% of $75K (good credit)

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