Transport Insights

Enforcement of the 2022 Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) program begins January 1, 2022. Carriers subject to UCR should complete registration by December 31, 2021. 

The UCR filing requirement applies to for-hire passenger, property, and exempt commodity carriers; private property carriers; freight forwarders; leasing companies; and brokers engaged in interstate commerce. If you’re an entity based in and/or operating in non-participating states, you are still required to register with UCR; the UCR application form provides guidelines for selecting a base state.

If you are an entity domiciled in Canada or Mexico operating in the United States, you are also subject to UCR registration. The following two types of entities are not subject to UCR fees:

• Purely intrastate carriers, that is, those that do not handle interstate freight or make interstate movements (unless the state has elected to apply the provisions of the UCR Agreement to such intrastate carriers); and
• Private motor carriers transporting passengers in interstate commerce, e.g., church buses, are not required to register under UCR.

As a motor carrier, your UCR fees are based on the number of commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) that you operate interstate. The number of CMVs operated is:

• The number of commercial motor vehicles reported on your last MCS-150/MCSA-1 form filed with the FMCSA, or
• The total number of vehicles owned and operated for the 12-month period ending June 30 of the year immediately prior to the year for which the UCR registration is made.

Fees The UCR fee structure is a bracket system, with the per-carrier fees based on the number of vehicles the carrier operates. UCR fees are not imposed per vehicle, and are uniform across the country for all entities of a given size, no matter where they are based.

Freight forwarders operating a fleet of vehicles are considered motor carriers and are subject to fees depending upon the number of vehicles they operate.

Brokers, leasing companies, and freight forwarders (who do not operate any commercial motor vehicles) are subject to the lowest fee tier. However, if these entities are also motor carriers, they are subject to the fee according to the number of vehicles they operate.

Motor carriers not required to have a USDOT number, but that have for-hire authority, pay the lowest fee tier because the vehicles are not defined as commercial motor vehicles.

When you register for UCR, a paper credential is not issued and your drivers do not need to carry proof of payment in your commercial vehicles; however, some carriers prefer to carry proof of payment as a best practice. Proof of registration is available electronically using your USDOT number. Proof of registration under the UCR is available to roadside enforcement and the public via the FMCSA electronic information systems at www.safersys.org or www.ucr.gov.