Your BMC-84 Doesn't Expire. Your Rate Does.

No. Under 49 CFR 387.307(d)(2), a BMC-84 surety bond "will remain in effect continuously until terminated." There is no annual FMCSA re-filing. What you experience as "renewal" is a private transaction with your surety — they re-underwrite your risk and either continue coverage at a new premium or decline to. The bond itself only ends if someone files a 30-day cancellation notice (Form BMC-36) or a paid claim drops it below $75,000 and you don’t cure it within FMCSA’s 7-business-day window.

Yes, if you sequence it correctly. 49 CFR 387.313(e) allows "termination by replacement" — your old bond can end the moment FMCSA accepts your new BMC-84, with no 30-day wait. The mistake is doing it backwards: cancelling the old bond first and shopping for a replacement second. Get the new bond quoted, approved, and filed, then let it replace the old one. Done in that order, your authority never lapses.

Not automatically, but it changes the conversation. A single small claim that you cured quickly is a very different renewal risk than repeated claims or one that pushed FMCSA to open a suspension case under 49 CFR 387.307(e). Sureties weigh severity, frequency, and how fast you responded — not just whether a claim exists. This is also exactly the scenario where re-shopping pays off: your current surety already knows about the claim; a new one is underwriting your full file fresh.

If the premium doesn’t get paid, most sureties move toward non-renewal, which functions the same as a voluntary cancellation — they file the 30-day notice with FMCSA on Form BMC-36. You’ll likely still have a window to act, but it starts a countdown you didn’t choose the timing of. Brokers who re-shop 60-90 days ahead of their listed expiration date control that timeline instead of reacting to it.

Thirty days, filed on Form BMC-36 per 49 CFR 387.313(d) and 387.307(d)(2). Some agencies choose to notify brokers 60-90 days before a term date as a courtesy — that’s a business practice, not a federal requirement. The only legal clock is the 30 days between FMCSA receiving the cancellation notice and the bond actually terminating.

No, and the timing is the key difference. Renewal happens before anything lapses — you’re re-underwriting continuous coverage ahead of a term date or a non-renewal notice. Reinstatement happens after FMCSA has already suspended your authority, typically because the bond fell below $75,000 and the 7-business-day cure window closed. If you’re already suspended, see our guide on reinstating a suspended freight broker bond — it’s a faster, more urgent process than a standard renewal quote.