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Last updated: General Wisconsin freight broker bond information — confirm current requirements with the licensing authority.
One Federal Bond, a Corridor and a Cold Chain

Wisconsin Freight Broker Bond$75,000 BMC-84 for the I-94 Land Bridge & Dairy Cold-Chain

Every Wisconsin freight broker needs a $75,000 surety bond filed on FMCSA Form BMC-84, as required by 49 U.S.C. § 13906(b) and 49 CFR § 387.307. Wisconsin's own motor carrier law, Wis. Stat. ch. 194, never even defines "broker" — it regulates carriers that operate trucks, not intermediaries who arrange freight. What makes brokering here different is what runs through the state: the I-94/I-90 land bridge carrying Twin Cities-to-Chicago freight, and a dairy cold-chain that's the largest in the country. See our broker authority guide for the full FMCSA process.

$75,000
Federal BMC-84
49 CFR § 387.307
None
Wisconsin State Bond
Ch. 194 has no broker definition
348.23 mi
I-94 Through Wisconsin
Minneapolis-St. Paul to Chicago
32.3B lbs/yr
WI Milk Production
#2 in the U.S., behind California
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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 Wisconsin or arranges loads through the state. Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin, Specifically

Wisconsin Is the Land Bridge Between the Twin Cities and Chicago

Every state requires the same $75,000 BMC-84. What's unusual about Wisconsin is that a meaningful share of the freight a Wisconsin-based broker books never actually originates or terminates in the state — it's through-freight riding I-94 and I-90 across Wisconsin's full width, connecting two of the Midwest's biggest freight markets.

Ready to get bonded and start booking land-bridge or dairy cold-chain freight? We file your BMC-84 directly with the FMCSA.

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The Nation's Largest Dairy Cold-Chain

Reefer Freight Runs on a Tighter Clock Here Than Almost Anywhere Else

Wisconsin is the No. 2 milk-producing state in the country and the No. 1 cheese producer by volume. Neither of those products tolerates a delayed pickup the way a pallet of dry goods does — and that changes what a broker is actually managing when they book Wisconsin dairy freight.

The Raw Numbers

  • 32.3 billion pounds of milk produced annually — second only to California
  • 5,200 dairy farms and roughly 1.27 million cows statewide as of September 2025
  • 3.64 billion pounds of cheese made in 2025 — about 25% of all U.S. cheese production
  • 1.03 billion pounds of specialty cheese, the most of any state, from about 1,200 licensed cheesemakers

Why It Changes the Broker's Job

  • Raw milk has to reach a processing plant within hours of the farm pickup, not days
  • Finished cheese and dairy products have to hold unbroken cold chain from plant to distributor
  • Reefer carrier vetting and on-time performance matter more here than for dry-van brokerage
  • Wisconsin exported $3.99 billion in ag/food products to 148 countries in 2025 — export-bound cold-chain freight adds port-drayage timing on top

Producer Insight: Reefer Bookings Are a Different Risk Profile to Underwrite

A surety underwriting a broker's book pays attention to what kind of freight that broker actually moves. A book that's heavy in temperature-controlled dairy freight carries different claims exposure than a book of general dry-van truckload — a blown reefer unit or a missed pickup window turns into spoiled product and a real claim in a way a delayed dry-goods delivery usually doesn't. Wisconsin brokers who lean into dairy and reefer freight should expect underwriters to ask more about carrier vetting and temperature-monitoring practices than a broker in a state where the freight mix skews toward non-perishable truckload.

Why Wis. Stat. Ch. 194 Doesn't Reach Property Brokers

Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 194 requires common motor carriers to hold a certificate from WisDOT under Wis. Stat. § 194.23(1), and the department evaluates an applicant's fitness — including insurance compliance and financial ability — under § 194.23(3). That's a real state-level filing requirement, but it's built entirely around a "common motor carrier" and a "contract motor carrier," both defined in Wis. Stat. § 194.01 as a person who transports property or passengers by operating a motor vehicle. Chapter 194 contains no definition of "broker" and no certificate category for an intermediary who arranges transportation without ever operating a truck. If you're brokering freight that starts or ends in Wisconsin — whether it's a load of cheese to Chicago or a Twin Cities-bound reefer trailer — your $75,000 BMC-84 covers you; there's no ch. 194 certificate or bond layered on top of it because that chapter was never written to reach you.

What This Means in Practice

One bond, filed once with the FMCSA. Wisconsin brokers don't track a second WisDOT certificate or renewal date the way a common carrier operating trucks under ch. 194 does — the only other annual filing to track is UCR, which is federal, not a state bond.

The Filing Step That Isn't a Bond: Unified Carrier Registration

Wisconsin doesn't add a second surety bond, but brokers do have one recurring federal filing to track: the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR), required under 49 U.S.C. § 14504a for brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies even though they don't operate commercial motor vehicles. Wisconsin participates in the UCR Plan as a base-state jurisdiction, with filing available through the national portal at plan.ucr.gov or the Wisconsin-branded UCR filing center.

What UCR Requires of Brokers

  • Annual registration, separate from the BMC-84 bond and FMCSA authority
  • Brokers pay the smallest fee bracket: $46 for the 2026 registration year, unchanged from 2025
  • Filed online, with Wisconsin as the base-state administrator for WI-domiciled brokers
  • Runs on a separate annual clock from your BMC-84 filing date

Why It Trips Up New Brokers

A new broker can have a perfectly filed BMC-84 and still get flagged if UCR lapses, because the two filings run on independent renewal clocks and neither system automatically reminds you about the other. UCR is federally mandated but administered with state participation, so track your BMC-84 renewal and your UCR registration separately — don't assume one covers the other.

Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin Add-On Cost

Because chapter 194 doesn't reach property brokers, there's no second state certificate or bond to budget for. The only additional line item is the $46/year UCR fee — a flat federal filing cost, not a bond premium, and unaffected by credit score or how much of your book is reefer or dry-van freight.

Getting Broker Authority as a Wisconsin-Based Broker

Because Wisconsin has no chapter 194 track for brokers, the entire authority process runs through the FMCSA. See our full guide to getting freight broker authority for more detail on each step.

Wisconsin Freight Broker Bond — Frequently Asked Questions

Questions specific to Wisconsin-based brokers, the I-94/I-90 land bridge, and dairy cold-chain freight

Does Wisconsin require its own broker bond on top of the federal BMC-84?

No, and the reason is more specific than "the state doesn't add one." Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 194 governs motor vehicle transportation in the state, and Wis. Stat. § 194.23(1) requires "any person" operating as a common motor carrier to obtain a certificate from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation before hauling. But chapter 194's definitions section, Wis. Stat. § 194.01, defines only "common motor carrier" and "contract motor carrier" — both defined around a person who physically operates a vehicle for hire. Chapter 194 contains no definition of "broker" at all, and no certificate, permit, or bond category for a person who arranges transportation without operating a truck. Property brokers simply fall outside chapter 194's scope. Your $75,000 BMC-84 bond, filed under 49 U.S.C. § 13906(b) and 49 CFR § 387.307, is the only surety bond a Wisconsin-based freight broker needs.

What does it mean that Wisconsin is the "land bridge" between the Twin Cities and Chicago?

Interstate 94 runs 348.23 miles across Wisconsin, entering from Minnesota near the St. Croix River and exiting into Illinois south of Kenosha — carrying traffic all the way through from the Twin Cities to Chicago. For roughly 91.76 miles between Tomah and Madison, I-90 and I-94 run concurrently on the same pavement, meaning freight bound for Chicago from as far as Seattle or Spokane funnels through that single Wisconsin stretch. On the Milwaukee-Chicago-Madison segment, large trucks make up 23% of total corridor traffic, according to Mid-America Freight Coalition data cited in WisDOT's own corridor planning documents. A broker working Wisconsin isn't just serving in-state shippers — they're positioned on one of the busiest truck corridors connecting two of the Midwest's largest metro economies, and a meaningful share of that freight never originates or terminates in Wisconsin at all.

Why does dairy and reefer freight matter more to a Wisconsin broker than almost anywhere else?

Wisconsin is the No. 2 milk-producing state in the country, behind only California, producing roughly 32.3 billion pounds of milk a year across about 5,200 dairy farms and 1.27 million cows as of a September 2025 count. It's also the nation's largest cheese producer by volume — Wisconsin's roughly 1,200 licensed cheesemakers turned out 3.64 billion pounds of cheese in 2025, about 25% of everything made in the U.S., including 1.03 billion pounds of specialty cheese, more than any other state. Nearly all of that has to move refrigerated, and most of it moves on a clock: raw milk has to reach a processing plant within hours, and finished cheese and dairy products have to hold cold chain from the plant to distribution. A broker arranging reefer freight in Wisconsin is booking capacity against tighter windows and higher spoilage stakes than a broker moving dry van freight in almost any other state — carrier vetting and on-time performance matter more here, not less.

Is Wisconsin part of the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) program, and do brokers have to file it?

Yes. Brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies are subject to UCR under 49 U.S.C. § 14504a even though they don't operate commercial motor vehicles — they're assessed at the smallest fee bracket alongside carriers with zero-to-two trucks, which is $46 for the 2026 registration year, unchanged from 2025. UCR is a federally mandated, state-administered program, and Wisconsin participates as a base-state jurisdiction for Wisconsin-domiciled entities, with filing available through the national portal at plan.ucr.gov or the state-branded Wisconsin UCR Filing Center. It's a separate annual filing from your BMC-84 bond, on its own renewal clock — missing it can flag your operating authority even if your bond is current and paid.

Does Wisconsin chapter 194 require a separate broker license?

No — Wisconsin has no separate state broker license for property brokers under chapter 194, so federal authority is sufficient statewide. UCR is still required annually: $46 for 2026 at the broker fee bracket, filed through plan.ucr.gov or the Wisconsin UCR Filing Center. The federal sequence itself is identical in every state and is walked through step by step in our guide to getting freight broker authority.

Who needs a Wisconsin freight broker bond?

Property brokers and freight forwarders based in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin 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.

Wis. Stat. Chapter 194

Official Wisconsin Legislature text — motor vehicle transportation law, including the § 194.23 certificate requirement for common carriers.

Treasury-Listed Carriers
FMCSA Sets Processing Time
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Freight Broker Bond Resources

Freight Broker Bond Hub

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Cost by State Guide

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Eric Drummond, Licensed Surety Producer
Reviewed by
Eric Drummond, Licensed Surety Producer
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All content is researched from official state and federal sources (.gov). BuySuretyBonds.com works with Treasury-listed surety carriers.

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Land Bridge Freight, Dairy Cold-Chain, One Bond

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BMC-84 quotes within one business day. No second Wisconsin certificate or 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.

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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.

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Northeast freight broker BMC-84 filing

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