Virginia Freight Broker Bond$75,000 BMC-84 for Hampton Roads to I-81 Brokers
Every Virginia freight broker moving interstate loads needs a $75,000 surety bond filed on FMCSA Form BMC-84, required under 49 U.S.C. § 13906 and 49 CFR § 387.307. Virginia doesn't stack a second bond on top of it — the intrastate-only $25,000 DMV bond that used to apply was repealed effective January 1, 2018. What makes Virginia worth a dedicated page is what's underneath the bond math: freight moving off the newly deepened Port of Virginia, up the I-81 corridor, and into the Northern Virginia data-center build-out are three different businesses wearing one BMC-84. 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
Three Freight Economies, One BMC-84: Port, Interstate, and Data-Center Build-Out
Every state requires the same $75,000 BMC-84. What varies is what the freight underneath it looks like — and Virginia runs three genuinely different lanes at once: deep-water container drayage out of Hampton Roads, dense north-south truckload traffic on I-81, and a data-center construction boom in Northern Virginia that's reshaping flatbed rates statewide. A broker who understands which lane they're actually running underwrites, prices, and collects differently than one treating Virginia as one undifferentiated market.
Hampton Roads Drayage
- Norfolk's Thimble Shoal Channel hit 55 feet deep on Feb. 28, 2026 — now the deepest channel on the U.S. East Coast
- Part of a $450 million dredging project inside the port's $1.4 billion Gateway Investment Program
- 2025 volume ran about 3.23 million TEUs, but May 2025 alone set an all-time monthly record above 340,000 TEUs
I-81 Long-Haul
- Built for 15% truck traffic; now averages 26%, reaching 35–40% through the Shenandoah Valley
- Carries nearly half of Virginia's $312 billion in annual goods value along a single corridor
- About 11.7 million trucks a year — more truck volume than I-95 sees south of Baltimore
NoVa Data Centers
- Colocation vacancy fell to 0.5% in H2 2025 amid 1+ gigawatt of new capacity delivered that year
- Another 1,100 MW under construction, 5,500+ MW in active planning across Loudoun and Prince William counties
- Build-out freight has kept flatbed spot rates elevated industry-wide for roughly 18 months
Claims & Cash-Flow Profile by Virginia Freight Lane
Same $75,000 BMC-84 — different underwriting conversation depending on which lane dominates your book
| Lane | Typical Load Pattern | Where Claims Cluster | Cash-Flow Rhythm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton Roads drayage | Short-haul, high-frequency, tied to container free time | Owner-operator payment disputes, terminal detention | Fast turnover, frequent small settlements |
| I-81 long-haul | Fewer, larger loads over multi-day transits | Cargo damage, delayed-delivery disputes | Slower turnover, larger individual payouts |
| NoVa data-center freight | Specialized flatbed, project-driven volume | Concentrated shipper/carrier exposure, project delays | Higher per-mile revenue, less diversified |
Descriptive comparison based on general freight-lane characteristics, not FMCSA claims data. Individual broker experience varies by carrier network and payment terms.
Ready to get bonded and start booking Hampton Roads, I-81, or NoVa freight? We file your BMC-84 directly with the FMCSA.
Why Virginia Freight Brokers Never Need a Second Bond
Before January 1, 2018, Virginia DMV Motor Carrier Services separately licensed intrastate-only property brokers — anyone arranging transportation exclusively for pickup and delivery entirely inside Virginia — and required them to keep a $25,000 surety bond or letter of credit on file, using Form OA437 or the property broker irrevocable letter of credit (Form OA456). The Virginia General Assembly repealed that entire licensing and bonding framework (former VA Code §§ 46.2-2174 through 46.2-2176, repealed by Acts 2017, cc. 790 and 815, effective January 1, 2018) as part of a broader deregulation of intrastate property carriers. Virginia DMV's current bond-requirements page confirms it in one line: property brokers are not required to file surety bonds — interstate or intrastate. The $75,000 BMC-84 is the only bonding requirement a Virginia freight broker has today.
What Changed in 2018
- The intrastate property broker license and its $25,000 bond (Form OA437) were eliminated statewide
- DMV no longer distinguishes intrastate-only property brokers from interstate ones for bonding purposes
- Some older directories and even a few surety sites still describe the pre-2018 rule as current — it isn't
What Virginia DMV Still Bonds
Don't confuse this with passenger transportation. Virginia DMV still requires a $25,000 bond from transportation-of-passengers brokers and TNC brokers, and a $50,000 bond from household goods carriers — those licenses were never repealed. Property/freight brokers are the category that was removed from DMV's bonding list entirely. Call DMV Motor Carrier Services (804-497-7100) if you also broker passenger or household-goods moves and need to confirm which bond track applies to that side of the business.
Virginia 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.
One Bond, No Exceptions
Whether every load you broker starts and ends in Virginia or crosses state lines, the $75,000 BMC-84 is your only bond premium — Virginia's old intrastate bond requirement was repealed in 2018. The only routine add-on for most Virginia brokers is the $46/year federal UCR fee — not a bond, and unaffected by credit score.
Getting Broker Authority as a Virginia-Based Broker
For interstate authority, the entire process runs through the FMCSA. See our full guide to getting freight broker authority for more detail on each step.
Virginia-Specific Steps
- 1
Register for UCR Through Virginia DMV
$46/year for brokers; separate from your BMC-84 renewal date
- 2
No Virginia Broker License to File
Unlike passenger brokers, Virginia DMV doesn’t license or bond property brokers — your FMCSA authority is sufficient statewide
Virginia Freight Broker Bond — Frequently Asked Questions
Questions specific to Virginia-based brokers, the repealed intrastate bond rule, and Port-to-I-81 freight economics
Does Virginia require its own freight broker bond on top of the federal BMC-84?
Virginia used to require a $25,000 intrastate property broker bond — what happened to it?
Why do drayage claims out of Hampton Roads look different from I-81 long-haul claims to a surety?
How does the Northern Virginia data center boom change freight broker cash flow?
Who is the base-state UCR administrator for a Virginia broker?
FMCSA Broker Registration
Official FMCSA portal for broker authority applications, BMC-84 filing status, and SAFER system lookups.
Virginia DMV Motor Carrier Services
Official current insurance and surety bond requirements by carrier type, confirming property brokers file no state bond, plus UCR registration for Virginia-based carriers.
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
All Virginia Surety Bonds
Contractor, title agent, auto dealer, and SCC financial bonds statewide
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 Virginia Freight Broker Bond
BMC-84 approval in 24 hours. No second Virginia bond, ever — that requirement was repealed in 2018. Rates from $750/year, all credit levels reviewed.
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