Compliance FAQ
Do freight brokers need an MC number or USDOT number?
Both. Brokers register with the FMCSA and receive both an MC-B (broker authority) and a USDOT number. The MC-B is the operating-authority record; the USDOT is the parent ID. Brokers also need a $75K BMC-84 surety bond or BMC-85 trust, plus a BOC-3 process-agent designation.
Reviewed by Korey Sharp-Paar · Updated
Why does it matter?
A property broker (MC-B) does not own trucks or move freight on its own equipment - they arrange the movement of freight between shippers and motor carriers. The legal authority for broker registration sits in 49 USC §13904.
The broker stack is: broker-authority application → MC-B + USDOT issued → FMCSA Register notice (preliminary grant, 10-day protest window) → BOC-3 + $75K BMC-84/85 bond/trust filed within 20 days of the notice → activation. The USDOT is typically lower-volume since brokers don't generate roadside inspections - but FMCSA still uses it as the parent ID for the broker record.
The bond requirement (raised from $10K to $75K in 2013 under MAP-21) is the largest financial gating item. A surety bond (BMC-84) is a third-party guarantee the broker pays vendors; a trust (BMC-85) is a $75K cash-equivalent the broker funds. Most new brokers choose the BMC-84 since it doesn't lock up working capital.
BOC-3 designation is required just like for motor carriers - a registered process-agent provider files Form BOC-3 listing agents in every state.
Start your USDOT and MC authority application
We prepare your USDOT number and MC operating-authority application; it is submitted to FMCSA in Motus by you or a filer you authorize. FMCSA charges a $300 application fee for each operating authority type (49 CFR 360.3T); a USDOT number is free. Our $199 service fee and the $300 FMCSA fee are itemized as two separate amounts before you pay ($499 total).
Submitted to FMCSA in Motus by you or a filer you authorize.
Independent filing service operated by Fast Filing Group LLC. Not affiliated with FMCSA, USDOT or any government agency.