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Last updated: General Indiana freight broker bond information — confirm current requirements with the licensing authority.
Six Interstates Meet Here — Same $75K Bond

Indiana Freight Broker Bond$75,000 BMC-84 for a Crossroads Broker

Every Indiana freight broker needs the same $75,000 surety bond filed on FMCSA Form BMC-84 that every other state requires — set by 49 U.S.C. § 13906 and 49 CFR § 387.307. Indiana adds no second state bond. What makes an Indiana page worth building isn't a different bond number — it's that the state calls itself the “Crossroads of America” for a reason: six interstates converge here, Indianapolis International Airport is a major air-cargo hub, and the state has led the nation in steel production for four decades. See our broker authority guide for the full FMCSA process.

$75,000
Federal BMC-84
49 CFR § 387.307
None
Indiana State Bond
No second-layer requirement
6
Interstates Converging
I-65, I-70, I-74, I-69, I-80/I-90
IND
Air Cargo
Indianapolis air-cargo hub
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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 Indiana or arranges loads through the state. Indiana does not add a separate state freight broker bond. 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.
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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 CFR § 387.307
Why Indiana, Specifically

Six Interstates Converge in One State — That's the Whole Pitch

Indiana adopted “Crossroads of America” as its official state motto in 1937, and it still prints on every license plate. The motto predates the Interstate System, but the system proved the point: I-65 runs north-south from Chicago to Louisville, I-70 runs east-west from Columbus to St. Louis, I-74 angles southeast toward Cincinnati, I-69 cuts a newer path from Michigan toward Evansville, and the I-80/I-90 Indiana Toll Road carries coast-to-coast traffic across the state's northern edge. All of it meets within roughly 60 miles of Indianapolis. Indiana's own economic development materials describe the state as having more interstate lane-miles relative to its size than any other — a claim rooted directly in that convergence.

The Interstates That Converge at Indianapolis

I-65Gary → Indianapolis → Louisville

North-south Midwest spine

I-70Columbus (OH) → Indianapolis → St. Louis

Coast-adjacent east-west corridor

I-74Indianapolis → Cincinnati

Southeast Ohio Valley connector

I-69Michigan border → Indianapolis → Evansville

Newest leg, NAFTA-corridor extension

I-80/I-90Indiana Toll Road, Chicago → Ohio border

Coast-to-coast northern route

Producer Insight: Pass-Through Freight Underwrites Differently

A broker whose book is heavy on Indiana pass-through freight — loads that neither originate nor terminate in the state, just transit it between Chicago, the Ohio Valley, and the East Coast — carries a different risk profile than one running freight that actually loads and unloads locally. Pass-through lanes tend to be higher-volume, lower-margin, and more carrier-interchangeable, which sureties read as lower claims frequency but thinner operating cash flow. If your book leans heavily pass-through, expect underwriters to ask about carrier vetting and dispatch documentation rather than cargo-specific coverage.

Ready to get bonded and start booking Indiana crossroads freight? We file your BMC-84 directly with the FMCSA.

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The Air-Cargo Effect

Why an Air-Cargo Hub Matters Even If You Never Broker Air Freight

Indianapolis International Airport is a major air-cargo hub. That kind of sustained air-cargo activity doesn't just move packages — it anchors a trucking and warehousing labor market a broker can draw on for feeder, drayage, and last-mile capacity, independent of whatever freight you're actually booking.

Feeder
Truck legs to and from the airport
Time-critical cutoffs
Drayage
Airport-to-warehouse moves
Short-haul capacity
Last mile
Regional distribution
Dense local carrier base
Expedited
Short-notice loads
Backup capacity nearby

For a broker, the practical takeaway: the carrier and driver density that a large air-cargo operation pulls into a metro area shows up as more available capacity on short notice — useful when a shipper needs an expedited move and your usual carriers are already committed elsewhere.

Steel and Soybeans: What Actually Fills Indiana's Outbound Trailers

Indiana isn't a port state, so there's no container count driving its freight economy. Instead, two very different commodity streams generate the bulk of Indiana-originated loads — and they underwrite differently.

Northwest Indiana Steel Corridor

  • Indiana has led the nation in steel production for more than 40 consecutive years
  • Produces roughly a quarter of all U.S. raw steel — about 24% of national output in 2023, per USGS
  • Northwest Indiana steel mills generate heavy-haul and flatbed freight
  • Mills in Gary, East Chicago and Burns Harbor on Lake Michigan are the core of Indiana's steel output

Statewide Agricultural Freight

  • Indiana harvested roughly 323 million bushels of soybeans in 2025, per USDA NASS
  • Corn and soybean freight moves through hopper, bulk, and grain-trailer lanes statewide
  • Seasonal and weather-sensitive — harvest-window volume spikes look very different from steady steel-mill shipping schedules
  • Central Indiana's grain-elevator network feeds both domestic livestock markets and export lanes toward Gulf and Great Lakes ports

Why New Freight Brokerages Set Up in Indiana

Indiana turns up disproportionately often as a launch state for new brokerages, and it isn't an accident. Three things line up.

1. Geography Does the Marketing for You

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation cites the state as being within a one-day drive of roughly 80% of the U.S. population — a direct byproduct of sitting at the meeting point of six interstates. For a broker building carrier relationships, that's a genuinely shorter list of lanes that count as “regional” versus long-haul.

2. Registering a Brokerage Entity Is Comparatively Light

A foreign LLC registering to do business in Indiana pays a $108 online filing fee to the Indiana Secretary of State (Business Services Division), which often processes online applications within 24 hours. The follow-up compliance requirement is a biennial business entity report at $22.40 online every two years — not an annual report, not a franchise tax. That's a lighter recurring compliance load than a number of neighboring states.

3. No Second Bond to Underwrite

Because Indiana doesn't require a state-level broker bond, a new brokerage's entire surety obligation is the single $75,000 BMC-84 — one filing, one renewal date, no second premium competing for the startup's cash in year one.

The One Filing Step: UCR Through the Indiana Department of Revenue

Indiana doesn't add a second surety bond, but there is one federally mandated filing that's easy to overlook: the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR), required for brokers under 49 U.S.C. § 14504a and administered in Indiana by the Indiana Department of Revenue's Motor Carrier Services Division.

What UCR Requires of Brokers

  • Annual registration, entirely separate from the BMC-84 bond and FMCSA authority
  • Brokers pay the smallest fee bracket: $46 for the 2026 registration year
  • Filed online, or by mail through Indiana's Motor Carrier Services Division
  • Checks payable to the Indiana Department of Revenue when filing by mail

Why It Trips Up New Brokers

A brand-new broker can have a perfectly filed BMC-84 and still get flagged if UCR lapses, because the two run on independent renewal clocks and neither system reminds you about the other. UCR is federally mandated but state-administered — Indiana brokers file through the Department of Revenue specifically as their base-state UCR contact, even though the bond itself is filed directly with the FMCSA. Track both renewal dates on separate calendars.

Indiana Freight Broker Bond Cost

The $75,000 BMC-84 is priced as a percentage of face value — you never pay $75,000, only the annual premium. Pricing is driven by credit, not geography; see our freight broker bond cost by state guide and surety bond cost overview for broader context.

No Indiana Add-On Cost

Because Indiana doesn't require a state-level broker bond, there's no second premium to budget for. The only additional line item is the $46/year UCR fee — a flat federal filing cost, not a bond premium, and unaffected by credit score.

Getting Broker Authority as an Indiana-Based Broker

Because Indiana runs no separate state track, the process is entirely federal — plus the Secretary of State entity registration if you're forming or relocating your business here. See our full guide to getting freight broker authority for more detail on each step.

Indiana-Specific Steps

  1. 1

    Register Your Entity With the Indiana Secretary of State (If Forming Here)

    $108 online filing fee for a foreign or domestic LLC; the Indiana Secretary of State often processes it within 24 hours

  2. 2

    Register for UCR Through Indiana DOR

    $46/year for brokers; separate from your BMC-84 renewal date

Indiana Freight Broker Bond — Frequently Asked Questions

Questions specific to Indiana-based brokers, the crossroads freight economy, and UCR filing

Does Indiana require its own broker license or bond on top of the federal BMC-84?

No. Indiana doesn't operate a separate property-broker licensing track the way some states layer a state-level bond on top of the federal filing. The Indiana Department of Revenue's Motor Carrier Services Division handles motor carrier fuel-tax accounts, IRP apportioned plates, and UCR registration, but it doesn't issue a broker license or require a state-specific surety bond. Your $75,000 BMC-84, filed with the FMCSA under 49 U.S.C. § 13906 and 49 CFR § 387.307, is the entire bonding requirement — whether your freight originates at the Gary steel mills, moves grain out of a central-Indiana elevator, or simply passes through on I-70.

What is Indiana's Unified Carrier Registration requirement, and who administers it?

Separately from the BMC-84 bond, federal law (49 U.S.C. § 14504a) requires brokers to register annually under the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan. Brokers fall into the smallest UCR fee bracket because they operate no vehicles of their own — $46 for the 2026 registration year, per the UCR Plan's published fee schedule. Indiana-domiciled brokers file through the Indiana Department of Revenue's Motor Carrier Services Division, which serves as Indiana's base-state UCR administrator (checks payable to the Indiana Department of Revenue). It's a completely separate system from your BMC-84 filing, on its own renewal clock, so a lapsed UCR registration can flag your operation even with a fully current bond.

Why does the Indianapolis air-cargo hub matter to a broker who never books air freight?

It's not about hauling air freight — it's about the ecosystem an air-cargo hub builds. Indianapolis International Airport handles a large volume of air cargo, and that activity pulls warehousing, trucking, and last-mile capacity into central Indiana that a broker can draw on for feeder and drayage lanes — carrier density that a broker in a state without a major air hub may not have.

Why do so many new freight brokerages choose Indiana as their home base?

Three practical reasons show up over and over. First, geography: the Indiana Economic Development Corporation cites the state as being within a one-day drive of roughly 80% of the U.S. population, and six interstates — I-65, I-70, I-74, I-69, and the I-80/I-90 Indiana Toll Road — physically converge in or near Indianapolis, which is where the state's 1937 motto, "Crossroads of America," comes from. Second, cost: registering a foreign LLC with the Indiana Secretary of State runs a $108 online filing fee, and the Secretary of State often processes online filings quickly, and the biennial report that follows is $22.40 online — a lighter compliance load than states with franchise-tax or annual-report regimes layered on top. Third, no add-on bond: because Indiana doesn't require a separate state broker bond, a new brokerage's entire surety cost is the single $75,000 BMC-84 — one filing, one renewal date, no second premium to underwrite.

What kind of freight actually fills Indiana outbound trailers, and why does it matter for underwriting?

Two commodity streams dominate. Northwest Indiana — Gary, East Chicago, and Burns Harbor — has led the nation in steel production for more than 40 consecutive years, producing upward of a quarter of all U.S. raw steel; That's heavy-haul and flatbed freight with different load-securement and claims exposure than dry van. The other stream is agricultural: Indiana harvested roughly 323 million bushels of soybeans in 2025 alone, moving through hopper and bulk-commodity lanes that are seasonal and weather-sensitive in a way steel freight isn't. A broker whose book leans steel, ag, or long-haul pass-through freight gets underwritten differently, because the claims profile — equipment type, seasonality, cargo value — differs by commodity, not by state.

Who needs an Indiana freight broker bond?

Property brokers and freight forwarders based in Indiana 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 Indiana 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.

Indiana DOR Motor Carrier Services

Official Indiana UCR registration, USDOT filing support, and motor carrier compliance portal.

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

Freight Broker Bond Cost

Annual premiums by credit tier, national breakdown

BMC-84 Deep Dive

FMCSA filing mechanics, bond vs trust fund, personal guarantees

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

Ohio Freight Broker Bond

Another crossroads-adjacent state — no PUCO bond either

Illinois Freight Broker Bond

Chicago rail-interchange intermodal brokerage, next door

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.

Crossroads Freight, One Bond

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BMC-84 quotes within one business day. No second Indiana bond to manage — just the federal $75,000 requirement. Premiums commonly run about 1%–4% of $75,000 with good credit (the carrier sets the price), all credit levels reviewed.

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

Freight Broker Bonds by State

State-specific guidance for filing your $75,000 BMC-84 and securing FMCSA property broker authority.

Alaska Freight Broker Bond

BMC-84 cost & barge/AlCan rules

California Freight Broker Bond

BMC-84 filing for California property brokers

Texas Freight Broker Bond

Laredo & Gulf-corridor brokerage bonding

Washington Freight Broker Surety Bond

Pacific Northwest broker authority

Pennsylvania Broker Bond

Northeast freight broker BMC-84 filing

Arizona Freight Broker Bond

Southwest property broker bonding

Georgia Freight Broker Bond

Atlanta & Savannah-corridor BMC-84 filing

Montana Freight Broker Bond

BMC-84 requirements & cost for Montana brokers

Wyoming Freight Broker Bond

BMC-84 filing for Wyoming-registered brokers

Freight Broker Bond Resources

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