States

Texas Trucking Compliance

Every federal filing Texas motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders need - with Texas-specific context, deadlines, and DOT office info.

Registered carriers

55,000+

DOT office

Texas Department of Transportation

Phone

(512) 463-8588

FMCSA region

FMCSA Southern Service Center

Texas is home to 55,000+ registered motor carriers running freight through major corridors like I-10 and I-20. Freight hubs in the state - Port of Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth Intermodal, plus Laredo Border Crossing - drive a compliance burden that touches every carrier operating in or through Texas: federal filings through FMCSA and IRS, plus Texas-specific surcharges. Texas has the second-largest carrier registration base in the US (after California). The Laredo border crossing is the busiest US-Mexico land port by trade value, and Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and San Antonio drive enormous interstate freight volumes. Texas DPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement runs a massive program along I-10, I-20, I-35, and the Laredo corridor - the I-35 corridor sees the heaviest DOT-level inspection density in the state.

Sizing up the market? See monthly Texas carrier data - new USDOT registrations, top cities, and fleet mix.

Filings Texas carriers need

BOC-3 Filing

$75 flat (lifetime)

A BOC-3 designates a process agent in every US state so the FMCSA has a local point for service of legal process on your operating authority.

USDOT & MC Authority

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A USDOT number is the FMCSA safety identifier every commercial motor vehicle operator needs; MC operating authority is the for-hire interstate license that lets you legally haul freight for compensation.

UCR Registration

$90 first year, Bracket A ($55 federal fee + $35 service)

UCR is the annual federal fee that every interstate motor carrier, broker, and freight forwarder pays through their base state to fund safety and economic enforcement programs.

MCS-150 Update

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The MCS-150 is FMCSA's biennial check-in form for every USDOT holder - fleet size, driver count, operational mileage, and safety contact information.

Form 2290 (HVUT)

From $115 per return

Form 2290 is the federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) return for trucks 55,000 lbs taxable gross weight or higher. Filing produces the stamped Schedule 1 - proof of payment that state DMVs require for truck registration renewal.

State Trucking Permits

From $75 (varies by program)

State trucking permits cover any state-specific authorization, weight-distance tax, or commercial surcharge that stacks on top of federal UCR, MCS-150, and Form 2290 - required when operating commercial vehicles on a particular state's highways.

Driver Screening

From $40 (MVR only); full pre-hire pack $100

Driver screening combines the Motor Vehicle Record (MVR), CDLIS query, Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP) report, and FMCSA Clearinghouse query - the core pre-hire checks for a commercial driver position.

Authority Reinstatement

$275 flat

Authority reinstatement restores a revoked or inactive MC operating authority once the underlying cause, such as lapsed insurance, a missing BOC-3 or an unpaid civil penalty, is cleared.

Texas state-level surcharge

On top of federal UCR, MCS-150, and Form 2290.

TxDMV Motor Carrier Number - required for commercial vehicles 26,001+ lbs or transporting hazmat on Texas roads, including pass-through; oversize/overweight permits via TxDOT MCD

Texas-specific programs to know

  • 1TxDMV Motor Carrier Number - required for commercial vehicles 26,001+ lbs or transporting hazmat on Texas roads
  • 2DPS commercial driver license + medical card verification at every weigh station
  • 3Oversize/overweight permits issued through TxDOT MCD - corridor-specific, not blanket

Intrastate-only requirement

Texas DMV Number (TxDMV Motor Carrier Registration)

Applies to: Motor carriers with vehicles 26,001+ lbs or carrying hazmat on Texas roads, whether interstate or intrastate.

How: File your MCR application through TxDMV and coordinate insurance filings. Annual renewal, pricing scales with fleet size. Required even if you only pass through Texas - not just for intrastate operations.

Texas enforcement profile

What inspectors flag, where, and how often.

Texas DPS runs a massive commercial enforcement program along I-10, I-20, I-35, and the Laredo corridor. The I-35 corridor through Austin and Dallas sees the heaviest DOT-level inspections in the state, and the Laredo border crossing runs full Level I inspections on every commercial vehicle. Texas is particularly strict on hours-of-service violations (ELD tampering cases get escalated to federal) and trailer light/brake defects.

Texas freight hubs

  • Port of Houston
  • Dallas-Fort Worth Intermodal
  • Laredo Border Crossing
  • San Antonio Logistics

Major Texas corridors

I-10I-20I-35I-30I-45

Nearby states

Free tools

Check any Texas carrier in one click

Look up FMCSA status, MC docket, fleet size, and out-of-service flags for any USDOT - free, no signup.

Need to file?

Skip the calculator. File now.

Every requirement on your list can be filed for you through the matching Fast Filing Group service. Flat prices, shown before checkout.

BOC-3 FilingFastBOC3Filing$75
UCR RegistrationFastUCRFilingFrom $90
MC AuthorityFastTruckAuthorityPaused
MCS-150 UpdateFastMCS150FilingPaused
Form 2290Fast2290FilingFrom $115
ReinstatementFastReinstatementFilingFrom $275

All services by Fast Trucking Compliance — Fast Filing Group LLC