2026 UCR Fee Schedule Released - Bracket A Holds at $46

What changed

The Unified Carrier Registration Plan (the inter-state body that administers UCR under 49 CFR Part 367) published the 2026 fee schedule on April 14, 2026. The fee structure mirrors the 2025 schedule with no statutory adjustment. Bracket A - covering carriers with 0 to 2 power units - holds at $46 for the seventh consecutive year.

Brackets B through F also remain unchanged from 2025: $138 for 3–5 power units, $276 for 6–20, $963 for 21–100, $4,592 for 101–1,000, and $44,836 for fleets of 1,001 or more.

Why this matters

UCR is one of the three filings that confuse new motor carriers most often. It's separate from BOC-3 (a one-time process-agent designation) and from MCS-150 (a biennial information update). UCR is an annual fee paid through your base state, with proceeds redistributed to participating jurisdictions for carrier-safety enforcement.

The fee being unchanged is good news for owner-operators on Bracket A. The bad news is that carriers on Bracket E (101–1,000 PUs at $4,592) saw a sharp jump from the 2023 schedule of $4,335; that increase carried into 2024 and remains in 2026.

Carriers operating in interstate commerce who have not paid UCR for 2026 by December 31, 2025 will be flagged at roadside inspections in 2026. Several states (Indiana, New York, Ohio) actively cite carriers operating without paid UCR - penalties typically run $100–$500 per state where the violation is recorded.

How to file

UCR is filed through your base state. Most carriers will use a state-administered web portal - the National Registration System (NRS) at ucr.gov is the federally-hosted backup if your base state doesn't provide its own portal.

You'll need your USDOT number, your MC docket number (if applicable), and your power-unit count. The system computes the bracket fee automatically. Pay by ACH, credit card, or e-check; receipts populate to the FMCSA SAFER system within 48 hours.

If you operate in multiple states but maintain your principal place of business in one, that state is your base state - not the state you cross most often.

What to do next

If you operate in interstate commerce and have not yet paid 2026 UCR: add it to your November-December checklist. The Dec 31, 2025 deadline is firm; January 1 starts the enforcement window.

If you're not sure whether your fleet size puts you on Bracket A or B, our UCR Fee Calculator at /tools/ucr-fee-calculator computes the correct fee from your power-unit count.