National reference
UCR fees for 2026
Unified Carrier Registration is a yearly federal fee paid through your base state. For the 2026 registration year the fee starts at $46.00 for a fleet of one or two trucks and climbs by bracket to $44,836.00 for fleets of more than a thousand, with payment due before the registration year begins.
By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 18, 2026
The 2026 fee bracket table
The bracket you land in is set by your fleet count. Number of commercial motor vehicles owned or operated, per the UCR Plan fee bracket table. Find your row, and that is the whole annual fee. There is no per-truck math beyond counting the fleet.
| Bracket | Fleet size (vehicles) | Annual fee |
|---|---|---|
| B1 | 0-2 | $46.00 |
| B2 | 3-5 | $138.00 |
| B3 | 6-20 | $276.00 |
| B4 | 21-100 | $963.00 |
| B5 | 101-1000 | $4,592.00 |
| B6 | 1001+ | $44,836.00 |
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Six annual fee brackets (B1 through B6) based on the number of vehicles owned or operated: 0-2, 3-5, 6-20, 21-100, 101-1,000, and 1,001 or more. Brokers and leasing companies pay the lowest bracket fee regardless of size. For a broker or leasing company that means $46.00 a year.
The published 2026 fees are identical to the published 2025 fees for every bracket. The UCR Plan cites the Federal Register fee rule as the source for both year tables.
How your fleet size is counted
The vehicle count that sets your bracket comes from one of two figures: the number of commercial motor vehicles you reported on your most recently filed MCS-150, or the total number of commercial motor vehicles you owned or operated during the 12-month period ending June 30 of the year before the registration year.
UCR counts commercial motor vehicles, which the UCR Act defines as self-propelled vehicles. Power units count toward your bracket; because trailers and other towed equipment are not self-propelled, they do not add to the total. A carrier may also elect to include any commercial motor vehicle in the count if it chooses.
When calculating fleet size, a motor carrier or motor private carrier may elect not to include commercial motor vehicles used exclusively in the intrastate transportation of property, waste, or recyclable material, so vehicles that never cross a state line can be left out of the bracket count.
Once you have your count, the row it lands in is your whole annual fee. The bracket boundaries are fixed by the UCR Plan and shown in the table above.
Who must register, and by when
The Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Agreement is the interstate agreement between the UCR Plan Board of Directors and the 41 participating states, governing the collection and distribution of registration information and fees paid by covered motor carriers and others under the UCR Act.
Every entity subject to UCR must register annually with its base state and pay the annual fee to that state. The fee bracket table covers motor carriers, freight forwarders, brokers, and leasing companies.
UCR registration must be completed and the fee paid before January 1 of the registration year. After that date the fee is still due and a non-registrant may be subject to state enforcement action. The registration portal for the coming year opens in the fall on the National Registration System at ucr.gov; the 2026 portal opened October 1, 2025.
Step-by-step filing instructions live in our UCR registration guide. Not sure whether UCR even applies to you? It keys off interstate operation, the same trigger explained in operating authority vs USDOT number.
Where UCR fits in your annual paperwork
UCR is the flat yearly line item. The variable ones are quarterly fuel tax, compared in our IFTA rates by state table, and the mileage taxes four states layer on top, covered in weight-distance tax states. For the full first-year picture, from filings to plates, see how much it costs to start a trucking company.
Frequently asked questions
When are 2026 UCR fees due?
- UCR registration must be completed and the fee paid before January 1 of the registration year. After that date the fee is still due and a non-registrant may be subject to state enforcement action.
Who has to register for UCR?
- Every entity subject to UCR must register annually with its base state and pay the annual fee to that state. The fee bracket table covers motor carriers, freight forwarders, brokers, and leasing companies.
How is fleet size counted for the fee brackets?
- The vehicle count that sets your bracket comes from one of two figures: the number of commercial motor vehicles you reported on your most recently filed MCS-150, or the total number of commercial motor vehicles you owned or operated during the 12-month period ending June 30 of the year before the registration year.
Which vehicles count toward my UCR fleet size?
- UCR counts commercial motor vehicles, which the UCR Act defines as self-propelled vehicles. Power units count toward your bracket; because trailers and other towed equipment are not self-propelled, they do not add to the total. A carrier may also elect to include any commercial motor vehicle in the count if it chooses.
Can I leave intrastate-only trucks out of the count?
- When calculating fleet size, a motor carrier or motor private carrier may elect not to include commercial motor vehicles used exclusively in the intrastate transportation of property, waste, or recyclable material, so vehicles that never cross a state line can be left out of the bracket count.
Do brokers and leasing companies pay UCR?
- Six annual fee brackets (B1 through B6) based on the number of vehicles owned or operated: 0-2, 3-5, 6-20, 21-100, 101-1,000, and 1,001 or more. Brokers and leasing companies pay the lowest bracket fee regardless of size.
Did UCR fees change for 2026?
- The published 2026 fees are identical to the published 2025 fees for every bracket. The UCR Plan cites the Federal Register fee rule as the source for both year tables.
When does the registration window open?
- The registration portal for the coming year opens in the fall on the National Registration System at ucr.gov; the 2026 portal opened October 1, 2025.
Sources
Primary statutes and official agency pages this guide relies on. Laws and fees change, so confirm against the current source before you act.
- Fee Brackets (2026 and 2025 UCR fees) · Unified Carrier Registration Plan (UCR)
- Fees for the Unified Carrier Registration Plan and Agreement (final rule cited by the UCR Plan fee bracket page) · Federal Register
- 49 U.S.C. 14504a - Unified Carrier Registration System plan and agreement · United States Code (Office of the Law Revision Counsel)
Haul Handbook publishes educational information about trucking registration and compliance requirements. This is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Rules, fees, and deadlines change; confirm with the agency before you file or pay.