Federal Fee Reference
One table, current amounts, and a source for every line. Kept up to date because an undated fee table is worse than no fee table.
One-time federal costs
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| USDOT number | No FMCSA fee | Required for most interstate commercial vehicles |
| Operating authority, per authority type | $300 | One time, non-refundable; multiple types mean multiple fees |
| Authority reinstatement | $80 | Per request |
| Legal name change | $14 | Per request |
Annual and recurring
| Item | Amount | Cadence and notes |
|---|---|---|
| UCR — 0 to 2 vehicles | $55 | 2027 registration year; effective October 1, 2026 |
| UCR — 3 to 5 vehicles | $167 | 2027 registration year |
| UCR — 6 to 20 vehicles | $333 | 2027 registration year |
| UCR — 21 to 100 vehicles | $1,163 | 2027 registration year |
| UCR — 101 to 1,000 vehicles | $5,548 | 2027 registration year |
| UCR — 1,001 or more vehicles | $54,165 | 2027 registration year |
| UCR — brokers, forwarders, leasing companies | $55 | Smallest bracket regardless of vehicles |
| Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (Form 2290) | By taxable gross weight | Vehicles 55,000 lbs and above; tax period July 1 – June 30; due by August 31 for vehicles first used in July |
| BOC-3 process agent | Varies by agent | Blanket agents cover all states in one filing |
The 2027 UCR fees are about 20 percent higher than 2026, with increases ranging from $9 to $9,329 depending on bracket. Even so, they remain below the fees charged in the 2019 to 2022 registration years. Full detail in UCR fees for 2027.
Minimum insurance levels
Not a fee, but a federal requirement with a number attached. Under 49 CFR § 387.9:
| Operation | Minimum public liability |
|---|---|
| Non-hazardous property, GVWR 10,001 lbs or more | $750,000 |
| Oil and certain listed hazardous materials | $1,000,000 |
| Bulk hazardous substances in cargo tanks and certain high-hazard materials | $5,000,000 |
These are legal floors. Brokers commonly require $1,000,000 in liability and $100,000 in cargo coverage before tendering a load.
What this table does not cover
State-level costs — IRP apportioned plates, IFTA, state weight-distance taxes in New York, Kentucky, New Mexico and Oregon, and intrastate authority where required — vary by base jurisdiction and are not federal. They are frequently larger than the federal fees on this page. A state-by-state reference is planned.
Sources
- Fees for the Unified Carrier Registration Plan and Agreement — Federal Register, September 1, 2026.
- Cost of obtaining operating authority — FMCSA.
- Form 2290 filing deadlines — IRS.
- 49 CFR Part 387 — eCFR.