How to become a licensed freight broker (BMC‑84 bond)

General information, not legal advice. Rules, fees and forms change. Confirm with the agency named in the sources, or a licensed professional, before you file or ship.

Who needs this

Anyone who will arrange interstate or regulated truck transport of other people's property for pay in the United States needs broker authority, whether the business is a company, partnership or individual. Brokers must hold a $75,000 bond or trust fund, and must designate process agents in each state where they operate or maintain an office.

Cost

FMCSA charges a $300 non-refundable application processing fee for each type of operating authority requested, and the fee is not refunded even if the application is later denied. The $75,000 bond is written by a surety company, which charges its own premium; that premium is a private cost, not a government fee. Process agent services are also private fees and vary by provider.

Time

FMCSA's broker registration page gives an approximate application processing time of four to six weeks, but that page is older than the current Motus system, so confirm current timing with FMCSA. Two stages add time: the protest period after publication, and the 90-day window to file BOC-3 after the application is published in the FMCSA Register.

Applies to

US

A freight broker arranges truck transport for shippers without taking possession of the freight. In the United States, you cannot legally act as a for-hire broker of property until FMCSA grants you broker operating authority, which depends on a USDOT Number, an OP-1 application, a financial security filing and process agent designations. This guide covers the broker of property route. Household goods brokers face the same bond amount but are a separate authority.

Step by step

1. 1

   Confirm you need broker authority

   Check that your activity is arranging transport of property belonging to others for payment, without taking possession of the goods. If you will also operate trucks, you need separate carrier authority. Every regulated entity needs a USDOT Number, so plan to get one as part of the same registration in Motus.

2. 2

   Set up your Motus account

   Go to motus.dot.gov, the USDOT registration system run by FMCSA, and create a user profile and company account. Motus replaces the Unified Registration System, so older instructions that refer to URS no longer apply. Complete the identity verification steps the system requests.

3. 3

   File the OP-1 application for broker authority

   In Motus, apply for broker of property (except household goods) operating authority, which uses the OP-1 application content. Enter your legal business name exactly as it appears on your formation and tax records, and pay the $300 processing fee through the system. You receive a docket (MC) number once FMCSA assigns it.

4. 4

   Obtain the BMC-84 surety bond or BMC-85 trust

   Ask a surety company for a Broker/FF Surety Bond on Form BMC-84 in the amount of $75,000. The surety company, not you, files the BMC-84 with FMCSA. If you use a trust fund instead, Form BMC-85 is filed by a financial institution. FMCSA will not register the broker until the full bond or trust is in effect.

5. 5

   Designate process agents in each state

   File Form BOC-3, Designation of Process Agents, naming an agent in every state where you will do business or keep an office. You can name yourself in a state where you have a physical office, or use a blanket process agent company that covers all states. The BOC-3 must be filed within 90 days of the FMCSA Register publication of your application.

6. 6

   Wait for the grant and the protest period

   FMCSA reviews the OP-1, insurance and process agent filings. After approval, a protest period follows publication. If no protest is filed, FMCSA issues your broker license, shown as operating authority in the FMCSA Register and its Licensing and Insurance system.

7. 7

   Confirm ACTIVE status before operating

   Do not accept freight or book loads until your broker authority shows ACTIVE in FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance system and the grant appears in the FMCSA Register. Keep the bond and process agents in place, because your registration stays in effect only while the bond or trust remains in effect.

Documents you will need

• Legal business name and business form, matching the name on your formation records and tax records
• Physical business address (a post office box is not a physical office)
• Authorized signer details for the company, with proof of authority if an agent signs
• Access to Motus, including a Login.gov account if FMCSA requires it
• Form BMC-84 surety bond for $75,000 from a surety company, or Form BMC-85 trust fund agreement from a financial institution
• Form BOC-3 with a process agent in each state of operation, or a blanket process agent service
• Payment method for the $300 processing fee

Common mistakes

• Using a different company name on the OP-1, bond and BOC-3, which delays or stops the application; use one legal name everywhere.
• Letting the 90-day BOC-3 window pass after publication, which can lead to dismissal of the application and loss of the fee; file the BOC-3 early.
• Starting to broker loads before your authority shows ACTIVE, which is not allowed; wait for the official record.
• Treating the bond as a one-time task, when the broker registration lapses if the bond or trust stops being in effect; check the bond status and renewal terms with your surety.
• Relying on outdated URS instructions from older guides; apply through Motus and check the FMCSA resources hub for current steps.

In pictures

The same facts as this page, as images to save or share. Tap one to open it full size.

Official sources

1. Broker RegistrationFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
2. Instructions for Form OP-1, Application for Motor Property Carrier and Broker Authority (OMB No. 2126-0016)Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
3. 49 CFR Part 387 Subpart C, Surety Bonds and Policies of Insurance for Motor Carriers and Property BrokersU.S. Government (eCFR)
4. Availability of Motus, FMCSA's New Registration SystemFederal Register, published 29 April 2026
5. Move into MotusFederal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)
6. Get Operating Authority (Docket Number)Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

Claims ledger: 17 facts and where each comes from

• Brokers register with FMCSA by filing Form OP-1, the Application for Motor Property Carrier and Broker Authority.¹
• Brokers of property must show proof of insurance coverage: a Form BMC-84 surety bond or Form BMC-85 trust fund agreement of $75,000.¹
• The broker application requires Form BOC-3 for process agents, and brokers may name themselves as process agent in the state where they write contracts.¹
• The application processing fee for broker authority is $300, which is non-refundable.¹
• The approximate application processing time for broker registration is four to six weeks.¹
• A separate $300 fee applies to each type of operating authority requested.²
• Form BMC-84, the broker surety bond, must be filed by an insurance company, while Form BMC-85 is filed by a financial institution.²
• All brokers must have a BMC-84 or BMC-85 filing of $75,000.²
• FMCSA requires each applicant for operating authority to designate a process agent in every state in which it conducts business or maintains an office.²
• Form BOC-3 must be filed within 90 days of the date the application was published in the FMCSA Register, and missing this deadline results in dismissal of the application and loss of the application fee.²
• Operating authority is issued after FMCSA approves the application, insurance and process agent filings, and the protest period ends without protests.²
• Applicants may not begin operations until the official record of operating authority is published in the FMCSA Register and shows an ACTIVE status in FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance system.²
• FMCSA will not register a broker until a surety bond or trust fund for the full limits of liability is in effect.³
• The broker registration remains in effect only as long as a surety bond or trust fund remains in effect.³
• Motus replaces the Unified Registration System, and Phase II was planned to open the system to all regulated entities in the second quarter of 2026.⁴
• Users access Motus at motus.dot.gov to apply for a new USDOT Number or operating authority and to manage registrations.⁵
• The permanent operating authority filing fee is $300.00.⁶

Every figure on this page is tied to a cited source, last checked on 16 October 2026. Pages like this are re-checked every three months. Found something out of date? Tell the desk.