New Jersey Freight Broker Bond$75,000 BMC-84 for Newark-Elizabeth & Exit 8A Brokers
Every New Jersey 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. New Jersey doesn't add a second state-level bond on top of it — the requirement is entirely federal, whether you're booking drayage out of Port Newark-Elizabeth, the busiest container port on the East Coast, or dry-van freight out of the Exit 8A / Middlesex warehouse corridor. What New Jersey does add is a filing wrinkle almost no other state has: it's one of only ten states that doesn't participate in the federal UCR program directly. See our broker authority guide for the full FMCSA process.
BMC-84 quote — 2-minute form, 24-hr turnaround
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
Two Freight Profiles, One Federal Bond: Port Drayage and the Exit 8A Corridor
Every state requires the same $75,000 BMC-84. What varies is how much brokerable freight actually moves through a state's infrastructure — and New Jersey pairs the busiest container port on the East Coast with the region's largest inland warehouse market, fewer than 30 miles apart along the Turnpike.
Port Newark-Elizabeth vs. Exit 8A Corridor — Two NJ Broker Profiles
Same $75,000 BMC-84, two different freight and underwriting realities
| Metric | Port Newark-Elizabeth | Exit 8A / Middlesex Corridor |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 volume | 8.9M TEUs (+2.3% YoY) | 77.14M sq. ft. industrial inventory |
| Move type | Container drayage, chassis, terminal-to-ramp | Inland dry van, LTL, e-commerce replenishment |
| Rail activity | 718,942 containers by rail (+12.4% YoY) | N/A — truck-dependent last mile |
| Vacancy / capacity | Bi-state Port Authority operated facility | 7.8% vacancy, ~6.0M sq. ft. available |
| Underwriting driver | Terminal free-time windows, carrier payment terms | Warehouse appointment windows, dwell time |
Port figures: Port Authority of NY & NJ 2025 facility data via Cushman & Wakefield. Exit 8A / Middlesex figures: CBRE market data via NJBIZ, Q1 2026.
Producer Insight: These Two Profiles Underwrite Differently
A broker running Newark-Elizabeth drayage — pulling containers off the terminal to a rail ramp or nearby warehouse — carries a different claims profile than a broker moving truckload freight from an Exit 8A distribution center to retail. Drayage moves are short, high-frequency, and time-sensitive to terminal free-time windows, so late-pay disputes with owner-operators surface faster and more often than on inland lanes. Sureties reviewing a port-heavy book of business ask more pointed questions about carrier payment terms and dispatch documentation than they would for a broker running standard truckload freight out of Middlesex County. Knowing which profile you fit before you apply speeds up underwriting.
Ready to get bonded and start booking Newark-Elizabeth or Exit 8A freight? We file your BMC-84 directly with the FMCSA.
New Jersey Doesn't Administer UCR — So You Register Through a Neighboring State
New Jersey doesn't add a second surety bond, but it has a filing quirk almost no competitor page mentions: New Jersey is one of only ten U.S. jurisdictions that do not participate directly in the federal Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Plan, required for brokers under 49 U.S.C. § 14504a. The others are Arizona, D.C., Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Wyoming — leaving 41 participating states.
What This Means for NJ Brokers
- UCR registration is still legally required — non-participation is about the state, not the broker
- Brokers pay through a neighboring participating state's portal instead — New York or Pennsylvania, for most NJ-based brokers
- Smallest fee bracket applies to brokers, since they operate no vehicles of their own
- Filed online through the National Registration System at ucr.gov
Why It Trips Up New Brokers
New brokers searching for "New Jersey UCR office" find nothing, because there isn't one — and the natural (wrong) conclusion is that New Jersey brokers are exempt. They're not. A perfectly filed BMC-84 doesn't cover a lapsed UCR registration, and the two filings run on independent renewal clocks. Route your UCR payment through a participating neighbor and track that renewal separately from your bond.
Why New Jersey Doesn't Need a Second Bond (Unlike Pennsylvania's PUC Filing)
Some states layer a state-level broker bond on top of the federal BMC-84 for brokers who also arrange wholly intrastate freight. New Jersey isn't one of them. The New Jersey State Police regulate commercial motor vehicles under N.J.A.C. 13:60 — safety inspections, weight enforcement, USDOT number compliance — but neither the State Police nor any other New Jersey agency issues a separate property-broker license or requires a state-specific surety bond the way Pennsylvania's Public Utility Commission does. If you're brokering freight that starts or ends in New Jersey, your $75,000 BMC-84 covers you whether the load crosses state lines or not.
What This Means in Practice
One bond, one renewal date, one filing to track — plus the UCR routing step above. New Jersey brokers spend the administrative overhead they'd otherwise owe a second bond on the thing that actually matters here: building carrier relationships across the Newark-Elizabeth-to-Exit 8A pipeline.
New Jersey 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 New Jersey Add-On Bond Cost
Because New Jersey doesn't require a state-level broker bond, there's no second premium to budget for. The only additional line item is the annual UCR fee — a flat federal filing cost routed through a neighboring state, not a bond premium, and unaffected by credit score.
Getting Broker Authority as a New Jersey-Based Broker
Because New Jersey has no separate state track, most of the process runs through the FMCSA — with one extra routing step for UCR. See our full guide to getting freight broker authority for more detail on each step.
New Jersey-Specific Steps
- 1
Register for UCR Through a Neighboring Participating State
New Jersey doesn’t administer UCR — route through NY or PA instead
New Jersey Freight Broker Bond — Frequently Asked Questions
Questions specific to New Jersey-based brokers, the Newark-Elizabeth-to-Exit 8A freight pipeline, and UCR routing
Does New Jersey require its own broker bond in addition to the federal BMC-84?
Why is New Jersey one of the few states that doesn't participate in UCR, and what does that mean for my registration?
Why does Port Newark-Elizabeth matter to a broker who never touches a container?
What makes the Exit 8A / Middlesex County warehouse corridor different from brokering directly at the port?
New Jersey does not administer UCR — so where does a New Jersey broker file it?
FMCSA Broker Registration
Official FMCSA portal for broker authority applications, BMC-84 filing status, and SAFER system lookups.
Port Authority of NY & NJ
Official Port Newark-Elizabeth cargo statistics, terminal operations, and bi-state facility data.
Freight Broker Bond Resources
Freight Broker Bond Hub
Complete BMC-84 guide — requirements, costs, claims, 2026 changes
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
BMC-84 Premium Calculator
Estimate your annual premium by credit score tier
Freight Broker Industry Guide
Full picture of bonding, licensing, and operating requirements
Georgia Freight Broker Bond
Savannah port & Atlanta I-75/I-85 brokering
All content is researched from official state and federal sources (.gov) and verified before publication. BuySuretyBonds.com works with Treasury-certified, A-minimum rated surety carriers serving all 50 states.
Get Your New Jersey Freight Broker Bond
BMC-84 approval in 24 hours. No second New Jersey bond to manage — just the federal $75,000 requirement and a UCR fee routed through a neighboring state. Rates from $750/year, all credit levels accepted.
Freight Broker Bonds by State
State-specific guidance for filing your $75,000 BMC-84 and securing FMCSA property broker authority.
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
Fast BMC-84 filing for Wyoming-registered brokers