Washington DC Freight Broker Bond$75,000 BMC-84 — No DC Bond on Top of It
Every DC-based freight broker needs a $75,000 surety bond filed on FMCSA Form BMC-84, required under 49 U.S.C. § 13906(b) and 49 CFR § 387.307. DC's Department of For-Hire Vehicles licenses taxis and TNCs, not property brokers, so there's no second District filing to track. What makes DC worth its own page is what sits on top of that one bond: brokers here are closer to GSA and DoD freight tenders than anywhere else in the country, most of them route freight across DC, Maryland, and Virginia on nearly every load, and the BMC-84 itself is only step one of the federal-contracting picture. 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(b) • 49 CFR § 387.307
Your BMC-84 Doesn't Get You GSA or DoD Freight — SAM.gov Does
Being headquartered blocks from GSA and the Pentagon doesn't change what your BMC-84 does — it's still the same $75,000 broker bond required of every property broker in every jurisdiction. What's different for a DC-area broker is the volume of freight moving under federal tenders, and the fact that reaching it requires a completely separate credential your BMC-84 has nothing to do with: SAM.gov entity registration. Any business bidding on or invoicing a GSA Transportation and Logistics Category contract — including the Schedule 48 Transportation, Delivery and Relocation Solutions IDIQ — has to carry an active SAM.gov registration first. It's free, it renews annually, and it issues the Unique Entity ID (UEI) that federal contracting officers check before they'll do business with you. A broker can hold a perfectly valid BMC-84 and still be unable to touch a GSA or DoD tender without it.
Three Separate Federal-Freight Requirements — Not One Stacked Bond
Which one applies depends on whether you broker or haul, and whether the freight is federal at all
| Requirement | Who Needs It | Amount | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMC-84 Broker Bond | Any property broker, federal or commercial freight, everywhere in the U.S. | $75,000 flat | 49 CFR § 387.307 |
| SDDC Performance Bond | Carriers hauling DoD freight directly under their own operating authority | $25,000–$100,000 by operating scope | DoD Surface Deployment & Distribution Command |
| SAM.gov Registration | Any entity bidding on or invoicing a federal contract, broker or carrier | No bond — free registration | FAR-mandated entity registration |
A DC-area broker arranging (not hauling) federal freight needs only the first and third rows. Carriers hauling DoD freight under their own authority need the SDDC bond instead of — not in addition to — a broker's BMC-84.
If your business physically operates trucks under DoD contracts rather than brokering the freight, the bond that applies to you is the SDDC performance bond, not the BMC-84 — see our DoD freight contract bond guide for the full $25,000–$100,000 carrier breakdown.
Ready to get bonded and start booking federal, DC-metro, or commercial interstate freight? We file your BMC-84 directly with the FMCSA.
Why a 68-Square-Mile District Needs a Three-Jurisdiction Filing Answer
The District of Columbia is small enough that a broker's office, the carriers on their bench, and the shippers they serve are routinely spread across DC, Maryland, and Virginia at the same time. That geography doesn't change the BMC-84 — it's federal and it doesn't stack by jurisdiction — but it does change one filing step almost no directory explains correctly: Unified Carrier Registration (UCR).
DC Doesn't Participate in UCR
DC is one of the non-participating jurisdictions under the UCR Plan established by 49 U.S.C. § 14504a. A DC-principal broker can't register DC as a base state — the UCR Plan's assigned alternate-state list for DC filers includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Virginia Is the Practical Pick
Maryland isn't on that list — Maryland is also a non-participating jurisdiction. Of the options that are, Virginia is the one already inside most DC brokers' operating footprint, which is why it's the common choice rather than a New England state with no other connection to the business. Confirm your exact assignment at ucr.gov before filing — alternate-state lists are set by the UCR Plan and can change.
None of this touches the BMC-84 itself, which is filed with the FMCSA regardless of state or base-state selection. It only affects the annual UCR fee filing — Bracket 1 brokers (0–2 power units) pay $46 for 2026, routed through whichever participating state they select. See our Virginia freight broker bond page and Maryland freight broker bond page for the neighboring-jurisdiction filing detail.
What DFHV Actually Bonds
The DC Department of For-Hire Vehicles licenses and regulates taxicabs, limousines, sedans, and digital-dispatch (TNC) carriers under D.C. Official Code § 50-301.07. Property/freight brokers are entirely outside that jurisdiction. If you also arrange passenger transportation on the side, confirm which DFHV license category applies to that business separately from your BMC-84.
One Bond, No District Filing to Track
Whether your freight starts and ends inside the District or crosses into Maryland or Virginia, the $75,000 BMC-84 is your only bond premium. The routine add-ons are the annual UCR fee (routed through an alternate base state) and, only if you're chasing federal freight tenders, a free SAM.gov registration — neither is affected by credit score.
Federal Address, Same Underwriting: DC BMC-84 Pricing
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 or which federal agencies you sell to; see our freight broker bond cost by state guide and surety bond cost overview for broader context.
Federal Contracting Doesn't Change the Premium
Whether you run GSA/DoD tenders, DC-metro regional freight, or general commercial brokerage, your BMC-84 premium is priced on personal credit — not on which shippers you serve. SAM.gov registration and any federal past-performance requirements are handled entirely outside the bond itself.
Six Steps From OP-1 to SAFER ACTIVE — Plus the SAM.gov Track
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.
DC-Specific Steps
- 1
Register for UCR via an Alternate Base State
DC doesn’t participate — Virginia is the common pick; $46/year Bracket 1
- 2
Register at SAM.gov (Federal Freight Only)
Free, ~2–4 weeks to activate — required before any GSA/DoD tender, separate from the BMC-84
SAM.gov registration can run in parallel with your FMCSA filings rather than after them.
Washington DC Freight Broker Bond — Frequently Asked Questions
Questions specific to DC-based brokers, GSA/DoD federal tenders, and DC/MD/VA filing logistics
Does the District of Columbia require its own freight broker bond on top of the federal BMC-84?
Does the $75,000 BMC-84 get me access to GSA or DoD freight contracts?
What's the difference between my broker's BMC-84 and the SDDC performance bond carriers need for DoD freight?
Is DC part of the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) program, and how do DC brokers register?
DC does not participate in UCR — what does a DC-based broker file, and what about federal freight tenders?
FMCSA Broker Registration
Official FMCSA portal for broker authority applications, BMC-84 filing status, and SAFER system lookups.
SAM.gov Entity Registration
Free federal entity registration required before bidding on or invoicing any GSA or DoD freight contract — separate from your BMC-84.
Freight Broker Bond Resources
Freight Broker Bond Hub
Complete BMC-84 guide — requirements, costs, claims, 2026 changes
DoD Freight Contract Bond
SDDC carrier performance bonds ($25K–$100K) for hauling DoD freight
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
Virginia Freight Broker Bond
Hampton Roads drayage, I-81 & NoVa data-center freight
Maryland Freight Broker Bond
Port of Baltimore drayage & post-Key-Bridge I-95 routing
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 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 Washington DC Freight Broker Bond
BMC-84 approval in 24 hours. No separate DC bond, ever — DFHV bonds passenger carriers, not property brokers. 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