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Last updated: General Utah freight broker bond information — confirm current requirements with the licensing authority.
A National Brokerage Address, Not Just a State

Utah Freight Broker Bond$75,000 BMC-84 for the Salt Lake City Corridor

Every Utah 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(b) and 49 CFR § 387.307. Utah Code Title 72, Chapter 9 — the state's Motor Carrier Safety Act — regulates carriers, drivers, and the state's ports of entry, but never defines or licenses “broker” as its own category. What makes Utah worth a dedicated page isn't a second bond — it's that Salt Lake City has a sizable freight-brokerage workforce, and many applicants are experienced agents filing their own authority. See our broker authority guide for the full FMCSA process.

$75,000
Federal BMC-84
49 CFR § 387.307
None
Utah Broker Bond
No state-level add-on
8 statewide
UDOT Ports of Entry
2 on I-80, 2 on I-15
~600/day
SLC Intermodal Terminal
Containers/trailers, UP-owned
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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 Utah or arranges loads through the state. Utah 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(b) • 49 CFR § 387.307
Why Salt Lake City, Specifically

Salt Lake City's Brokerage Workforce Changes Who's Applying for a Bond

Most states that show up in a “freight broker bond” search are being searched by first-time small operators. Utah is different because Salt Lake City has a sizable freight-brokerage and trucking workforce, including brokerages that use agent networks where carrier-sales reps build their own books before branching out. The result is a steady pipeline of people searching for a Utah freight broker bond who already know the industry — they're leaving a host brokerage's authority to file their own for the first time, not learning the business from zero.

Where Utah Applicants Come From

  • Agents leaving a host brokerage's authority to file their own
  • Carrier staff moving from dispatch or carrier sales at a trucking company into brokerage
  • Brokerage employees at Salt Lake City offices starting their own firm

What That Means for Your Bond

  • Agents operating under a host brokerage's authority use the host's BMC-84, not their own
  • Filing your own MC number and BMC-84 is the step that makes you an independent brokerage
  • Sureties often underwrite ex-agent applicants faster given verifiable carrier-sales experience

Ready to file your own MC number and leave a host brokerage's authority behind, or start fresh on the I-80/I-15 corridor? We file your BMC-84 directly with the FMCSA.

Get Utah QuoteBMC-84 Complete Guide
The Ports-of-Entry Wrinkle

Utah Code Title 72, Chapter 9 Regulates Carriers at UDOT's Ports of Entry — Not Brokers

Utah's Motor Carrier Safety Act defines “motor carrier” under § 72-9-102 as anyone transporting freight or property by commercial vehicle on a Utah highway, and directs the Utah Department of Transportation to enforce federal safety regulations against carriers under § 72-9-301, including through the ports of entry it constructs and operates under § 72-9-501. UDOT runs eight ports of entry statewide — two of them on the corridors that matter most to a Salt Lake City-based broker.

Producer Insight: Why This Matters to a Broker

A carrier flagged out of service or overweight at Echo, Wendover, Perry, or St. George doesn't just get a citation — it misses your delivery window and can strand the rest of that truck's route for the day. Checking a carrier's FMCSA safety rating and credentials before you book a load matters more on corridors with active port-of-entry enforcement than in states without one.

The Rail Capacity Most Brokers Ignore

The Salt Lake City Intermodal Terminal Is a Second Freight Lane, Not a Sideshow

The Salt Lake City Intermodal Terminal (SLCIT), a Class I rail intermodal terminal, is what UDOT's own freight planning documents describe as Utah's global freight gateway. Roughly 500 to 600 containers and trailers are loaded or unloaded there daily, against a maximum throughput of about 1,200 units per day, with direct rail service to the Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach and Oakland on the West Coast and inland hubs in Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, Memphis, and Houston. Most inbound freight arriving at SLCIT from the west is manufactured goods from Asia; most outbound freight is Utah food products, animal feed, and seed.

500–600
Containers/trailers per day
Typical SLCIT throughput
1,200
Max daily unit capacity
SLCIT ceiling, per UDOT
7
Direct rail-linked hubs
LA/Long Beach, Oakland, Chicago, KC, STL, Memphis, Houston
Rail
Terminal type
Class I intermodal terminal

For a broker, the practical takeaway: drayage and transload capacity around SLCIT exists independent of I-15/I-80 over-the-road freight. A broker whose book leans entirely on highway carriers is missing a lane of Salt Lake City capacity that intermodal-savvy competitors are already booking against.

Utah 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.

The SLC Spinout Pricing Reality

Agents leaving a host brokerage's authority to file their own BMC-84 for the first time are underwritten as new brokers regardless of how many years they've sold freight — expect $1,500–$9,000/year even with strong personal credit until you build 12–18 months of independent operating history. Use our BMC-84 premium calculator to estimate your range.

No Utah Add-On Bond Cost

Because Utah Code Title 72, Chapter 9 never licenses brokers separately from carriers, there's no second premium to budget for. Your entity-registration costs with the Division of Corporations ($59 to form, $18/year to renew) are the only other recurring line item.

Getting Broker Authority as a Utah-Based Broker

Because Utah runs no separate broker-licensing track, the process is entirely federal — plus Division of Corporations 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.

Utah-Specific Steps

  1. 1

    Register Your Entity With the Utah Division of Corporations (If Forming Here)

    $59 Certificate of Organization for a new LLC, filed through the OneStop portal

  2. 2

    Register for UCR

    $46/year for brokers in 2026; separate from your BMC-84 renewal date

Utah LLCs also file an $18/year renewal report with the Division of Corporations — unrelated to your BMC-84.

Utah Freight Broker Bond — Frequently Asked Questions

Questions specific to Utah-based brokers, the Salt Lake City brokerage cluster, and UDOT's ports of entry

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

No. Utah's Motor Carrier Safety Act — Utah Code Title 72, Chapter 9 — defines and regulates "motor carrier" (a person transporting freight, passengers, or property by commercial vehicle on a Utah highway, per § 72-9-102) but never defines or licenses "broker" as a separate category. The chapter's substance is enforcement of federal safety regulations against carriers (§ 72-9-301) and the construction and operation of the state's ports of entry (§ 72-9-501) — both aimed at vehicles and drivers on Utah highways, not at the office-based brokers who arrange for those vehicles to move freight. Because a property broker never takes possession of freight or operates a commercial vehicle, Utah has no separate licensing track for you to fall into. Your $75,000 BMC-84, filed under 49 U.S.C. § 13906(b) and 49 CFR § 387.307, is the entire bonding requirement.

Why do so many Utah freight brokers start out as agents of another Salt Lake City brokerage instead of filing their own MC number?

Because Salt Lake City has a number of established freight brokerages, and some of them use an agent model, where an experienced carrier-sales rep runs their own customer book under the parent company's existing FMCSA authority and BMC-84 rather than filing for their own. The practical effect: a meaningful share of people searching for a Utah freight broker bond are agents ready to leave a host brokerage and file their own authority for the first time, not brand-new hires with zero industry background — which is exactly why our quote form asks which of those two positions you're in before it asks for your USDOT number.

What do UDOT's ports of entry actually check, and why does that matter to a broker who never drives a truck?

The Utah Department of Transportation operates eight ports of entry statewide under Utah Code § 72-9-501, checking motor carriers, drivers, vehicles, and loads for weight, credentials, and safety compliance. Two sit on I-80 — Echo, near the Wyoming border, running since 1952, and Wendover, on the Nevada line next to the Bonneville Salt Flats — and two sit on I-15: Perry, north of Brigham City since 1952, and St. George, near the Arizona border, rebuilt in 1992 as what UDOT calls the first fully computer-automated port in the country. For a broker, these stations are where a carrier's safety and credential problems surface in real time — an out-of-service order or a weight violation at Echo or Perry can blow the delivery window on a load you booked. Checking a carrier's FMCSA safety rating before tendering a load matters more on Utah's port-of-entry corridors than in states without them.

How much does it cost to register a freight brokerage entity in Utah, separate from the bond itself?

A Utah LLC files its Certificate of Organization with the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code for $59, effective under the state's fiscal year 2026 fee schedule. After formation, every Utah LLC owes an $18 annual renewal report (plus a $10 late fee if you miss the deadline), filed through the state's OneStop business portal. Neither fee is connected to your BMC-84 — they're entity-registration costs you'll pay regardless of which state your bond is filed through, and they're due on your own renewal cycle, not your bond's.

Is Salt Lake City's freight economy just long-haul trucking, or does the rail intermodal terminal matter for a broker's book?

It matters more than most brokers assume. The Salt Lake City Intermodal Terminal, a Class I rail intermodal terminal, is described by UDOT's own freight planning documents as the state's global freight gateway — with roughly 500 to 600 containers and trailers loaded or unloaded there daily against a maximum throughput of about 1,200 units per day, and direct rail service to the Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Oakland, and inland hubs in Chicago, Kansas City, St. Louis, Memphis, and Houston. Most of what moves inbound through SLCIT is manufactured goods arriving from Asia via West Coast ports; most of what moves outbound is Utah food products, animal feed, and seed. A broker who understands that drayage and transload capacity around SLCIT exists independent of I-15/I-80 truck freight has a second lane of Utah capacity to draw on that a highway-only operation doesn't.

Who needs a Utah freight broker bond?

Property brokers and freight forwarders based in Utah 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 Utah 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.

UDOT Motor Carrier Division

Official UDOT portal for motor carrier compliance, ports of entry, and permitting — not a bonding requirement, but relevant carrier-vetting context for brokers.

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

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

Utah Contractor License Bond

Another Utah-specific bond, for licensed contractors

Colorado Freight Broker Bond

Another interior Mountain West brokerage state, no state bond either

Arizona Freight Broker Bond

Southwest property broker bonding, I-10/I-40 corridor

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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From Host-Brokerage Agent to Your Own Authority

Get Your Utah Freight Broker Bond

BMC-84 quotes within one business day. No second Utah 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.

Get Your Utah Bond NowBack to Freight Broker Bonds
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

Fast BMC-84 filing for Wyoming-registered brokers

Freight Broker Bond Resources

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