UCR isn’t a clerical chore. It’s a federal registration — separate from your USDOT and MC authority — that funds state highway enforcement. Operating without it is its own violation, with no grace period the moment a new year begins.
The Unified Carrier Registration agreement is established under 49 U.S.C. § 14504a. It requires interstate motor carriers, freight brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies to register annually with the UCR Plan and pay a fee scaled by fleet size. Forty-one states currently participate, and registration is required before you operate in any of them. Even with active operating authority, no current UCR puts your drivers out of service at the first roadside inspection of the new year.
UCR filing — four categories, one annual filing.
UCR applies to a broad set of transportation entities operating in interstate commerce. If any of the following describes you, annual registration is not optional.
Interstate motor carriers
Any trucking company or owner-operator transporting property or passengers across state lines in a commercial motor vehicle — under your own authority or a leasing arrangement.
Fleet size = vehicles you operate
Freight brokers
Licensed property brokers arranging interstate transport must register, even with no vehicles. The 0-vehicle category in the fee schedule applies.
Files in the 0-vehicle band
Freight forwarders
Entities that accept freight and use motor carriers to actually move it must maintain current UCR registration as part of operating-authority compliance.
Annual — every calendar year
Leasing companies
Companies that lease commercial motor vehicles to motor carriers for interstate use are independently required to register based on their own leased-vehicle fleet.
Independent of lessee filings
All-in pricing. No add-ons.
Fees scale by total commercial motor vehicles operated. Government fee and our filing service are bundled into one number — no surprise charges at submission.
Fleet size
All-in fee
1–2 Vehicles
$125
3–5 Vehicles
$250
6–20 Vehicles
$425
21–100 Vehicles
$1,300
101+ Vehicles
Call usHow fleet size is counted
Count all commercial motor vehicles you operate, own, or lease — including tractors, straight trucks, and trailers that cross state lines. If you lease under another carrier’s authority, count only vehicles you report on your USDOT record. Brokers and freight forwarders with no vehicles file in the 0-vehicle category — same lowest-tier fee, recorded under their broker authority.
One filing. Four moments to know.
UCR has only one annual filing — but four dates that decide whether you’re covered, exposed, or out of service. File on the front edge of the window and the rest takes care of itself.
Oct 1
Filing window opens
Registration for the upcoming calendar year opens. File now to lock in coverage and avoid the December rush.
Dec 31
Recommended deadline
Last reliable day to file before processing congestion. After this, expect 3–5 business days for receipt delivery.
Jan 1
Coverage begins
Without a current-year UCR receipt, every interstate trip from January 1 onward is a potential violation. No grace period.
Dec 31
Coverage ends
Registration runs the full calendar year and expires automatically. Mid-year fleet expansions require an amended filing.
Order at least 7–10 business days before Jan 1 to absorb peak-season processing.
Five ways an un-filed UCR shows up.
Roadside out-of-service orders
Inspectors check UCR compliance during roadside inspections. A driver who can’t produce proof of current registration can be placed out of service immediately — costing the load and adding to your CSA record.
Civil fines from $100 to $5,000+
State and federal enforcement agencies assess civil penalties per instance of operating without valid registration. Violations compound across multiple trips and inspection events.
CSA score impact
UCR violations are documented in FMCSA inspection records and roll into your Compliance, Safety, Accountability scores — affecting broker relationships, insurance premiums, and your ability to win loads.
Operating-authority risk
Persistent non-compliance with federal registration requirements is one factor FMCSA weighs during safety-fitness determinations. Carriers rated Unsatisfactory face authority revocation.
No grace period for late filing
UCR offers no grace window for operating in a new calendar year without registering. If the filing period has opened and you haven’t renewed, every interstate mile is a potential violation.
From order to receipt.
01
Order & fleet verification
You place the order; we confirm USDOT number, operating-authority status, and fleet count. Under-reporting vehicles is itself a violation — accurate count is checked before submission.
02
Portal submission
We file through the official UCR Plan portal by hand. Filing is completed by our compliance team, not automation, so errors are caught before submission rather than after.
03
Official receipt delivered
Your UCR receipt arrives by email — the digital copy drivers should keep accessible during roadside inspections in any of the 41 participating states.
04
Records retained for audit
We hold your filing record. Year over year, your full UCR history is on file — usable as audit documentation if FMCSA, a broker, or an insurer ever asks.
What to expect when you file through Trucking Comply.
1–2
business days
Standard turnaround
3–5
business days
Peak season (Oct–Dec)
41
states
UCR-participating
12
months
Coverage per filing
What carriers ask before they file.
Is UCR the same as my USDOT number or MC authority?
No — three separate federal requirements. Your USDOT number is your carrier identification issued by FMCSA. Your MC authority authorizes you to operate as a for-hire carrier in interstate commerce. UCR is an annual registration program funding state safety enforcement, administered by the UCR Plan rather than FMCSA. You can have an active USDOT and MC authority and still be in violation for UCR non-compliance.
Do owner-operators with one truck need to file?
Yes. UCR applies based on interstate operation, not fleet size. A single-truck owner-operator transporting property across state lines registers annually. The lowest fee tier covers 1–2 vehicles. There is no exemption for small fleets or occasional interstate trips.
Do freight brokers need to register if they have no trucks?
Yes. Freight brokers register under UCR regardless of whether they operate any vehicles. The plan has a specific category for brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies that operate zero vehicles, with the corresponding fee.
When should I file for the upcoming year, is there a deadline?
The registration period for the upcoming calendar year typically opens in October or November of the current year. Once January 1 arrives, your prior-year registration is expired and operating without a current-year filing is a violation from the very first interstate trip. We recommend filing as soon as the new period opens to eliminate any coverage gap.
What happens if I add vehicles mid-year after registering?
If your fleet grows during a registration year and crosses into a higher fee bracket, you must amend your UCR registration. Amending is straightforward — contact us, we update the filing and pay the difference. Operating additional vehicles without updating the registration is a violation.
I only drive in one state — does UCR still apply?
UCR applies if you operate in interstate commerce — meaning you cross state lines, transport goods that originated out of state, or transport passengers across state lines — regardless of which specific states you touch. Currently 41 states participate. If your home state is not a member, you still must register if you operate in any UCR-participating state. Purely intrastate operations (all cargo picked up and delivered within one state) are generally exempt — but that is the exception.
How do I count fleet size for UCR?
Count all commercial motor vehicles you operate — tractors, straight trucks, and trailers you own or lease and use in interstate commerce. Vehicles you lease to another carrier and that appear under that carrier’s USDOT, not yours, are generally not counted on your registration. Under-reporting fleet size is a filing error and exposes you to additional violations. When in doubt, we verify the correct count before filing.
Can I show my UCR receipt at a roadside inspection?
Yes. A printed or digital copy of your UCR receipt should be kept accessible in your cab. Officers in participating states can verify status electronically, but having the receipt is the most reliable way to demonstrate compliance on the spot. We deliver in a format you can save to a phone or print.
Road-legal every interstate mile.
Place the order, we verify your fleet and file through the official UCR Plan portal — receipt arrives by email, audit-ready records on file. Coverage holds until December 31.
Questions — (732) 200-2754 · [email protected]