How much is the freight broker bond?

$75,000, kept on file with FMCSA as a BMC-84 surety bond or a BMC-85 trust fund agreement. FMCSA lists it in its insurance filing requirements table under 49 CFR 387.307.

What is the difference between BMC-84 and BMC-85?

BMC-84 is the $75,000 surety bond for brokers and freight forwarders. BMC-85 is the $75,000 trust fund agreement for brokers and freight forwarders, filed by a financial institution. Both satisfy the same requirement; the bond spreads the cost through a surety company while the trust ties up your own funds.

Does a freight broker need liability insurance filings like BMC-91?

No. FMCSA lists no public liability or cargo minimum for a property broker in its filing table; the financial security instrument stands in for it. Shippers and carriers you work with may still ask for coverage by contract.

Does a freight broker pay UCR?

Yes. 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. The UCR fees table shows the current amount.

Federal registration

What is a freight broker authority?

A freight broker authority is FMCSA registration to arrange freight transportation for compensation without operating the trucks. You apply through the same system carriers use, pay $300 per authority type, designate process agents on Form BOC-3, and keep $75,000 of financial security on file through a BMC-84 surety bond or BMC-85 trust fund.

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 18, 2026

What broker authority lets you do

FMCSA draws the line at arranging freight for pay. In the agency's words: Companies that transport passengers in interstate commerce for compensation, or transport federally regulated commodities owned by others (or arrange their transport) for compensation in interstate commerce, need interstate operating authority in addition to a USDOT number.

The broker is the "arrange their transport" side of that sentence: you book regulated freight onto other companies' trucks and take a margin for it. The carrier hauling the load runs under its own authority. Operating authority is identified as an MC, FF, or MX docket number depending on the type granted. A company may need multiple operating authorities to cover its planned operations; each authority type dictates the operation, the cargo, and the insurance level required.

Broker authority is separate from the safety-side USDOT registration; our operating authority vs USDOT number guide untangles the two.

The financial security requirement: BMC-84 or BMC-85

Instead of the liability insurance a carrier files, a property broker keeps financial security on file with FMCSA. Two instruments satisfy it:

Amount required: $75,000, per FMCSA's insurance filing requirements table (49 CFR Part 387 (property carriers 387.303, brokers and freight forwarders 387.307, endorsements 387.15), as displayed on FMCSA's insurance filing requirements page).
BMC-84: $75,000 surety bond for brokers and freight forwarders. A surety company issues the bond and files it for you.
BMC-85: $75,000 trust fund agreement for brokers and freight forwarders, filed by a financial institution.

A financial responsibility provider (insurance or surety company) must file the required forms on the applicant's behalf. Applicants may not file insurance forms for themselves. The premium a surety charges for the bond is priced per applicant, so no flat figure appears here.

What a broker application costs

Three items make up the federal side. Here they are:

Application fee: $300, per authority type, so applying for two authority types costs $600. FMCSA does not refund application fees, even for mistaken or dismissed applications.
BOC-3 process agents: Only a process agent, on behalf of the applicant carrier, can file Form BOC-3 with FMCSA. A broker or freight forwarder applicant without commercial motor vehicles can file the BOC-3 on its own behalf. Either individual or blanket designations may be made. The mechanics live in our BOC-3 filing guide.
UCR (annual): $46.00 per registration year. Brokers and leasing companies pay the lowest bracket no matter how much freight they move. Brackets and deadlines are on our UCR fees page and in UCR registration.

Add the surety's bond premium or the funds tied up in a trust, and that is the federal stack. The carrier-side equivalent, with trucks and insurance in the picture, is itemized in how much it costs to start a trucking company.

Broker authority vs carrier authority

Ready to file rather than read definitions? The application sequence, from the authority application through the annual renewals, is laid out step by step in our start a freight brokerage hub.

A carrier hauls freight under its own MC number; a broker arranges it. Plenty of companies do both, and FMCSA treats each activity as its own authority with its own fee and its own filings. If you plan to run trucks as well, walk through getting your own authority for the carrier side, and how long the grant takes for the timeline either way.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the freight broker bond?: $75,000, kept on file with FMCSA as a BMC-84 surety bond or a BMC-85 trust fund agreement. FMCSA lists it in its insurance filing requirements table under 49 CFR 387.307.
What is the difference between BMC-84 and BMC-85?: BMC-84 is the $75,000 surety bond for brokers and freight forwarders. BMC-85 is the $75,000 trust fund agreement for brokers and freight forwarders, filed by a financial institution. Both satisfy the same requirement; the bond spreads the cost through a surety company while the trust ties up your own funds.
Does a freight broker need liability insurance filings like BMC-91?: No. FMCSA lists no public liability or cargo minimum for a property broker in its filing table; the financial security instrument stands in for it. Shippers and carriers you work with may still ask for coverage by contract.
Does a freight broker pay UCR?: Yes. 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. The UCR fees table shows the current amount.
Can one company hold carrier and broker authority at the same time?: Yes. Operating authority is identified as an MC, FF, or MX docket number depending on the type granted. A company may need multiple operating authorities to cover its planned operations; each authority type dictates the operation, the cargo, and the insurance level required. The application fee is $300 per authority type, so applying for two authority types costs $600.

Sources

Primary statutes and official agency pages this guide relies on. Laws and fees change, so confirm against the current source before you act.

Get Operating Authority (Docket Number) · Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), U.S. DOT
Instructions for Form OP-1, Application for Motor Property Carrier and Broker Authority (Revised 01/10/2017) · Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), U.S. DOT
Insurance Filing Requirements · Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), U.S. DOT
Form BOC-3, Designation of Agents for Service of Process · Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), U.S. DOT
UCR Fee Brackets · Unified Carrier Registration Plan Board of Directors

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.