How to get your FMCSA freight broker bond (BMC-84)

Getting your $75,000 freight broker bond is a quick online process. Here's exactly how it works from start to filed-with-the-FMCSA.

1. Apply online with your USDOT number. Start the application and enter your USDOT number. We pre-fill your business name, address, and authority details from public FMCSA data so you don't retype them.
2. Add owner info and answer a few questions. Provide each 20%+ owner's name and a few yes/no history questions (liens, bankruptcy, prior surety claims). It takes a couple of minutes.
3. E-sign the application. Review and e-sign. Your signature authorizes the credit check and the bond indemnity. Your SSN goes on the secure application form — never in an email.
4. Get your firm premium. We run the application through Old Republic Surety. Because the bond is credit-based, the surety returns your firm annual premium (typically $900–$2,500).
5. The surety files the bond with the FMCSA. Once you accept and the bond is issued, the surety files the BMC-84 electronically with the FMCSA — so it lands on your authority record automatically. You don't file anything yourself.

What you'll need

• Your USDOT number (and MC/broker docket if you have it).
• Each 20%+ owner's name, home address, and SSN (entered on the secure signed form).
• Your EIN and a desired effective date.
• A few yes/no history answers (liens, bankruptcy, prior surety claims in the last 5 years).

New broker with pending authority?

That's the most common case — the bond is what activates your authority. You don't need an active MC number first; apply for the bond, and once it's filed your authority can go live. If your DOT lookup can't confirm broker authority yet (common for brand-new registrations), just tell us you're a freight broker when you apply.