Unified Carrier Registration and Renewal Service

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Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) is the annual registration and fee that motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies in interstate commerce pay through a base state. The 2027 registration is open, fees run from $55 to $54,165 by fleet size, and you must pay before January 1, 2027.

We file or renew your UCR, check your fleet bracket, and make sure the fee is paid on time.

What is Unified Carrier Registration in trucking?

UCR is a state revenue program set up by federal law. The UCR Act, part of the 2005 highway bill known as SAFETEA-LU, created the UCR Agreement, now 49 U.S.C. 14504a, and replaced the older Single-State Registration System, or SSRS (UCR Handbook).

It works as a base-state program, like IRP and IFTA: you register and pay once, through one state, on behalf of all 41 participating states. Unlike IRP and IFTA, the fees are the same in every state. The U.S. Secretary of Transportation sets them on the recommendation of the UCR Board.

UCR is not a license or a credential. It doesn’t replace your USDOT number or MC authority, nothing rides in the truck, and officers check your status electronically by USDOT number.

Who needs UCR registration?

Any of these businesses operating in interstate or international commerce must register every year, wherever they are based, including Canada and Mexico:

  • Motor carriers of property, for-hire or private, including exempt carriers that hold no operating authority
  • For-hire passenger carriers
  • Brokers and freight forwarders
  • Leasing companies that lease vehicles without drivers to interstate carriers

Carriers that operate only in intrastate commerce and private carriers of passengers are not subject. Watch the definition, though: for UCR, a truck that never leaves its state is interstate when it carries part of a shipment that crosses a state or national line, such as a container drayed to or from a port. That reaches carriers that need no IRP plates or IFTA license.

Do you need UCR with one truck, or none?

Yes. Fleet size sets the fee, not whether you owe it. An owner-operator with one truck pays the lowest bracket, and so does a carrier that designates interstate commerce but runs no commercial motor vehicles. A seasonal operation registers even if it sits idle most of the year.

One legal entity that is both a carrier and a broker registers once, at the carrier fee. A carrier operating under more than one USDOT number registers and pays for each number.

Which base state do you register through?

Normally the state of your principal place of business. Nine states and Washington, D.C. don’t participate in UCR: Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Wyoming. Carriers based there still register and pay; they just use a participating state as their base state.

UCR registration for Florida carriers

A Florida carrier with an office or operating facility in a participating state must use that state. Otherwise it chooses the nearest participating state or one of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Texas (UCR Plan FAQ). Our Florida DOT compliance page covers the state’s other carrier rules.

UCR registration in Georgia

Georgia participates, and the Georgia Department of Public Safety administers UCR there. DPS lists a December 31, 2026 registration deadline for 2027, with enforcement from January 1, 2027. Georgia also enforces at roadside: the UCR Plan’s top inspector for UCR violations in August 2026 was a Georgia DPS officer, with 26.

Carriers that run only inside Georgia generally register with DPS under the state’s GIMC program instead. See our Georgia DOT compliance page for those rules.

UCR fees and deadline for 2027

The 2027 registration opened October 1, 2026 at ucr.gov. To keep operating legally, complete it and pay before January 1, 2027. After that the fee is still due, and states can take enforcement action.

Vehicles owned or operated2027 fee
0–2 (and all brokers and leasing companies)$55
3–5$167
6–20$333
21–100$1,163
101–1,000$5,548
1,001 and above$54,165
2027 UCR fee per entity, from 49 CFR 367.50 as amended September 1, 2026

FMCSA’s final rule raised fees an average of 20 percent over 2026. The fee isn’t prorated: a carrier that starts interstate work in November owes the full year, and one that closes in March gets nothing back. For how to count vehicles and file step by step, see our UCR renewal guide.

What goes wrong with UCR?

Most problems come from a missed year or a bracket that doesn’t match the fleet.

  • An unpaid year. Officers check UCR through FMCSA’s SAFER system, CVIEW, or ucr.gov and record a “392.2 UCR, Failure to pay UCR fees” violation at roadside. Some states also refuse to register your vehicles until UCR is paid.
  • The wrong bracket. States audit their carriers and compare IRP-plated vehicles with the bracket paid. A carrier that can’t justify its bracket pays the difference, or its registration is suspended.
  • A stale MCS-150. UCR’s auto-renew program has filed with the power-unit count on your most current MCS-150. Check that record first; our MCS-150 biennial update guide explains how to update it.
  • A new carrier that forgets UCR. The fee is due the moment you designate interstate commerce on your USDOT record, not when you haul your first load.
  • Paying by mail. If you register online and mail a check, the registration isn’t effective until the payment is received and posted.

An honest caveat: each participating state sets its own penalties for not registering, so the cost of a missed year depends on where you are based and where you are stopped.

How our UCR registration service works

UCR rules let a carrier use a third party to register and pay its fees. We file new UCR registrations and renewals: we verify your entity, your fleet bracket, and the submission, and we make sure your fee is paid in full and on time every year.

Starting a new interstate operation? Our interstate authority package includes UCR for fleets of 0 to 2 vehicles, along with the USDOT number, MC authority, and BOC-3. The same trucking permits team handles temporary fuel permits, IRP trip permits, and oversize permits.

Use the form below with your USDOT number, and tell us how many trucks you run in the comments. We’ll check your UCR status and file your registration.

Frequently asked questions

What is UCR in trucking?

UCR, or Unified Carrier Registration, is a yearly registration and fee required by federal law for motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies in interstate commerce. You pay it once through your base state, and the fee depends on how many commercial motor vehicles you run.

Who needs a UCR registration?

For-hire and private motor carriers of property, for-hire passenger carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies operating in interstate or international commerce. Intrastate-only carriers and private passenger carriers are not subject.

Is UCR a license?

No. UCR is an annual registration and fee, not operating authority. It doesn’t replace your USDOT number or MC authority, no credential is issued, and you don’t need proof of UCR in the truck.

Do Florida carriers need UCR registration?

Yes. Florida doesn’t participate in UCR, but Florida-based interstate carriers still register and pay through a participating base state: one where they have an office or operating facility, or else the nearest participating state or one on the UCR Plan’s Florida list, such as Georgia or Alabama.

Where do Georgia carriers register for UCR?

Georgia carriers register through Georgia as their base state, online at ucr.gov or with the Georgia Department of Public Safety, which administers UCR in Georgia. For 2027, DPS lists a December 31, 2026 deadline.

Do I need UCR if I only operate one truck?

Yes, if you operate in interstate commerce. One or two trucks put you in the lowest bracket, which is $55 for 2027.

Sources

The rules and figures on this page come from these official sources, checked on October 5, 2026.

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