UCR Registration for New Carriers (Fees and Deadline)
How much is UCR for a new trucking company?
UCR is billed in fleet-size tiers. A carrier running two or fewer vehicles pays roughly $46 for the registration year, and the fee rises with each tier. Registration opens in the fall for the following calendar year and enforcement begins January 1. Interstate carriers, brokers, freight forwarders and leasing companies all have to file.
Last verified by ELD Hub.
- Cost
- Roughly $46 per year in the smallest fleet tier (0–2 vehicles)
- Timeline
- Filed online, effective immediately
- Filed with
- Your base state, through the national UCR system
- Form
- UCR online registration
Register now, activate the day your MC clears
FMCSA requires an ELD from your first mile under authority. Set it up while you wait — $15 per truck per month, no contract, cancel anytime.
4 quick steps — personal details, company info, billing, done. About 2 minutes.
Who has to file this
- Interstate motor carriers, private and for-hire
- Freight brokers, forwarders and leasing companies
- Carriers based in a non-participating state, who register through a designated state
How to file it, in order
- 1
Count your qualifying vehicles
Use the vehicle count from your most recent MCS-150 filing. Trailers do not count; power units do.
- 2
Register through the national UCR site
Filing through your base state's portal or the national system costs the same. Third-party 'UCR compliance' mailers charge a markup for the identical filing.
- 3
File before January 1
Registration for the next year typically opens in October. Roadside enforcement of the new year starts January 1.
- 4
Keep the receipt in the truck
There is no UCR credential to display, but inspectors verify against the national database and a receipt resolves disputes fast.
What trips new carriers up
- Paying an official-looking mailer several times the state fee for the same registration.
- Filing late — states issue fines that dwarf the registration fee itself.
- Under-reporting the vehicle count to reach a lower tier, which is a violation when audited.
Questions new carriers ask
Who has to file UCR?
Any interstate motor carrier, broker, freight forwarder or leasing company. Purely intrastate carriers who never cross a state line are exempt.
When is the UCR deadline?
Registration for the coming year usually opens in October and enforcement of that year begins January 1. Filing early costs the same and avoids the January rush.
Is UCR the same as IRP or IFTA?
No. UCR is a flat annual fee based on fleet size. IRP is your apportioned plate, and IFTA is quarterly fuel-tax reporting. A new interstate authority typically needs all three.
The rest of the launch sequence
USDOT number →
Free, issued in minutes. The first filing every carrier makes.
MC operating authority →
$300, non-refundable. Roughly 4–6 weeks from filing to active.
BOC-3 filing →
About $40 one-time. Must be on file before authority activates.
IRP apportioned plates →
$1,200–$2,500 in year one, filed with your base state.
Drug & alcohol consortium →
$50–$100 per driver per year. Required before the first dispatch.
90-day launch checklist →
Every filing in dependency order, start to first load.
Startup cost calculator →
Your year-one budget, itemized by filing.
Register now, activate the day your MC clears
FMCSA requires an ELD from your first mile under authority. Set it up while you wait — $15 per truck per month, no contract, cancel anytime.
4 quick steps — personal details, company info, billing, done. About 2 minutes.