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Last updated: General Kentucky freight broker bond information — confirm current requirements with the licensing authority.
America's Air-Cargo Capital, One Bond

Kentucky Freight Broker Bond$75,000 BMC-84 for Louisville & CVG Air-Cargo Brokers

Every Kentucky freight broker needs a $75,000 surety bond filed on FMCSA Form BMC-84, as required by 49 U.S.C. § 13906 and 49 CFR § 387.307. Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 281 doesn't layer a second state bond on top of it — the whole requirement is federal. What makes Kentucky worth a dedicated page is what sits inside its borders: a major air-cargo hub at Louisville's airport, and CVG, a major air-cargo airport sitting just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati in Boone County. See our broker authority guide for the full FMCSA process.

$75,000
Federal BMC-84
49 CFR § 387.307
None
Kentucky State Bond
KRS ch. 281 doesn’t reach brokers
Air Hub
Louisville (SDF)
Overnight air-cargo sort
Air Hub
CVG (Boone Co.)
Air-cargo drayage and feeder
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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 Kentucky or arranges loads through the state. Kentucky 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 Kentucky, Specifically

Kentucky Isn't a Port State or a Ground-Corridor State — It's an Air-Cargo State

Every state requires the same $75,000 BMC-84. What varies is the kind of brokerable freight a state generates — and Kentucky's combination of two of the busiest cargo airports in North America, sitting 90 miles apart on I-71, plus the through-traffic of I-65 and I-75, gives it a freight profile no coastal or purely interior state shares.

Producer Insight: Feeder Freight Runs on Team-Driver Economics

A broker sourcing capacity to hit an air-hub sort cutoff or a CVG flight window isn't shopping the same carrier pool as a broker moving a standard dry-van lane. Feeder and expedited runs into either hub frequently require team drivers or hot-shot capacity to guarantee an arrival window, which pushes per-mile rates well above standard truckload — and raises the stakes on carrier payment terms, since owner-operators running expedited freight expect faster settlement than a typical net-30 arrangement. Sureties underwriting a Kentucky broker with an air-cargo-heavy book will ask more about dispatch documentation and payment cadence than they would for an inland Missouri or Indiana broker running conventional truckload freight.

Ready to get bonded and start booking Louisville or CVG air-cargo freight? We file your BMC-84 directly with the FMCSA.

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Kentucky 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 Kentucky Add-On Cost

Because Kentucky 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.

What KRS Chapter 281 Actually Regulates — and Why It Doesn't Touch Brokers

Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 281 is Kentucky's motor carrier code — certificates and permits for common and contract carriers, safety compliance, towing operations, even a separate broker provision for human-service transportation delivery. None of it creates a property broker license or a state-level surety bond for freight brokers. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Division of Motor Carriers licenses and bonds carriers who operate vehicles on Kentucky roads — not brokers who arrange for someone else's truck to do it.

The KYU Number Mix-Up

New Kentucky brokers occasionally assume they need a KYU number — Kentucky's Highway Use Tax account, filed through the Transportation Cabinet for carriers operating qualified commercial vehicles on Kentucky highways. Brokers don't operate vehicles, so they don't file for one. If a broker also runs trucks under a separate motor carrier authority, that entity needs its own KYU account — but the brokerage side of the business never does.

The Filing Step That Isn't a Bond: Unified Carrier Registration Through KYTC

Kentucky doesn't add a second surety bond, but it does have one filing step that's easy to miss: the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR), required for brokers under 49 U.S.C. § 14504a and administered in Kentucky by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

What UCR Requires of Brokers

  • Annual registration, separate from the BMC-84 bond and FMCSA authority
  • Brokers pay the smallest fee bracket: $46 for the 2026 registration year
  • Filed through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet as your base-state UCR contact
  • Covers Motor Carriers, Motor Private Carriers, Leasing Companies, Brokers & Freight Forwarders

Why It Trips Up New Brokers

A new broker can have a perfectly filed BMC-84 and still get flagged if UCR lapses, because the two filings run on independent renewal clocks and neither system automatically reminds you about the other. Since UCR is federally mandated but state-administered, Kentucky brokers file through the Transportation Cabinet specifically as their base-state UCR contact — even though the bond itself goes straight to the FMCSA. Track both renewal dates separately.

Getting Broker Authority as a Kentucky-Based Broker

Because Kentucky has no separate state track, the entire process runs through the FMCSA. See our full guide to getting freight broker authority for more detail on each step.

Kentucky-Specific Steps

  1. 1

    Register for UCR Through Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

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

Kentucky Freight Broker Bond — Frequently Asked Questions

Questions specific to Kentucky-based brokers, the Louisville and CVG air-cargo market, and UCR filing

Does Kentucky require its own broker bond on top of the federal BMC-84?

No. Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapter 281 governs motor carriers — certificate and permit holders, safety compliance, towing operations — but it doesn't create a property broker license or a state-level surety bond for brokers the way Pennsylvania's Public Utility Commission does. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Division of Motor Carriers regulates carriers, not brokers. Your $75,000 BMC-84 bond, filed with the FMCSA under 49 U.S.C. § 13906 and 49 CFR § 387.307, is the only surety bond a Kentucky-based freight broker needs — whether you're feeding time-critical freight into Louisville's air-cargo hub, drayaging CVG air cargo, or running long-haul lanes on I-65 or I-75.

Why does a package-sorting air hub in Louisville create demand for independent freight brokers?

A large air-cargo sort operation doesn't exist in isolation — it sits at the center of a larger feeder network. Third-party logistics providers, regional carriers, and expedited ground-feeder fleets move freight to and from the Louisville airport, warehouses, and distribution centers around the clock. Brokers who understand overnight sort-and-fly cutoff times — and can source capacity on short notice when a feeder run is running late — fill a role an operator's own fleet may not cover.

How is brokering CVG air-cargo freight different from a standard truckload lane?

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), across the Ohio River from Cincinnati but physically located in Boone County, Kentucky, is a major air-cargo airport, and its cargo operations run on tight air-to-ground connection windows — a truck that misses its dock slot doesn't just run late, it can miss the flight it was feeding. That makes CVG drayage and feeder brokerage a different underwriting conversation than long-haul freight: sureties and shippers alike care more about a broker's on-time performance history and carrier vetting process than they would for a standard dry-van lane, because the cost of a missed cutoff is measured in aircraft, not just a late delivery.

Do Kentucky freight brokers need a KYU number?

No — and this trips up brokers new to Kentucky. The KYU number is a Kentucky Highway Use Tax account, filed through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Division of Motor Carriers, and it applies to motor carriers operating qualified commercial vehicles on Kentucky highways. Since a property broker arranges transportation but doesn't operate trucks, brokers don't file for a KYU number — that's strictly a carrier obligation. Where Kentucky brokers do have a filing duty is the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR), a separate federal program administered in Kentucky through the Transportation Cabinet.

Does Kentucky require anything beyond the federal BMC-84 filing?

No state broker license — but UCR registration is administered by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, and it is a separate annual filing from your BMC-84 with its own renewal date. The federal sequence itself is identical in every state and is walked through step by step in our guide to getting freight broker authority.

Who needs a Kentucky freight broker bond?

Property brokers and freight forwarders based in Kentucky 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 a Kentucky 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.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet

Official Division of Motor Carriers portal for commercial credentials and UCR filing in Kentucky.

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

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Eric Drummond, Licensed Surety Producer
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Eric Drummond, Licensed Surety Producer
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Louisville & CVG Freight, One Bond

Get Your Kentucky Freight Broker Bond

BMC-84 quotes within one business day. No second Kentucky 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)

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