UCR is a federal-state program set up under 49 U.S.C. 14504a that collects one annual fee on behalf of the participating states. If you move property across state lines, whether for hire or hauling your own goods, you almost certainly owe it every year; if you operate only within one state, you don’t. The fee is set by fleet-size bracket, brokers and leasing companies pay the lowest bracket, and there’s no sticker or card to carry in the truck.
Who has to register
- Interstate motor carriers, for-hire and private. A private carrier hauling its own property, equipment or tools across state lines is not excused.
- Brokers, freight forwarders and leasing companies engaged in interstate commerce.
- Carriers with an MC number but only light vehicles. The UCR Plan says these still register, ordinarily in the lowest fee bracket because they operate no commercial motor vehicles.
Not subject: carriers operating only in intrastate commerce, and private motor carriers of passengers. Interstate can be broader than it sounds. The UCR Plan’s questionnaire asks whether the goods you move cross state or national borders at any point in their journey, including before you pick them up or after you deliver them, such as freight headed to a port or airport.
How the fee is figured
UCR uses six fee brackets based on the number of commercial motor vehicles owned or operated: 0–2, 3–5, 6–20, 21–100, 101–1,000, and 1,001 or more. Brokers, leasing companies, and freight forwarders that don’t operate vehicles pay the first-bracket fee. The amounts are set by federal rule in 49 CFR Part 367 and posted each year on the UCR Plan’s fee page.
For UCR, a commercial motor vehicle is one with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of 10,001 pounds or more, counting a trailer when it’s in combination; one carrying placarded hazardous materials; or one designed to carry more than 10 passengers including the driver. The bracket follows the vehicles operated in the preceding year, so adding or dropping trucks during the year doesn’t require a supplemental filing.
The fee doesn’t depend on how many states you run in or how many miles you drive. It depends only on your fleet and the fact that you operate interstate.
Base states and non-participating states
UCR is a base-state system: you register and pay once, through one state, on behalf of all the participating states. Forty-one states take part. Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, Wyoming and the District of Columbia do not.
Being based in a non-participating state doesn’t get you out of it. Those registrants choose a base state from a set order: a participating state where they have an office or operating facility, or otherwise one from a list of participating states assigned to their region. A Florida-based carrier without an office elsewhere, for example, picks from a group of southern participating states.
When it’s due and what to keep
Registration for each year opens before the year starts. For 2027, the UCR Plan’s National Registration System opened October 1, 2026, with the 2027 fees taking effect the same day. To keep operating legally, a carrier must register and pay before January 1 of the registration year. After that the fee is still owed, and a non-registrant can face state enforcement action.
There’s no UCR decal or cab card. Federal law generally bars states from requiring carriers to display credentials in the vehicle, and none of the exceptions covers UCR, so you aren’t required to carry proof in the truck, though you can keep the receipt.
UCR is separate from your USDOT number, operating authority, IFTA and IRP, and paying one doesn’t satisfy the others. How IFTA and IRP differ and how to get MC authority.
Common questions
Do intrastate-only carriers pay UCR?
No. Carriers that operate only within one state are not subject to UCR, though their state may have its own registration requirements.
Do brokers pay UCR?
Yes. Brokers in interstate commerce register each year and pay the lowest fee bracket, regardless of their size.
My state doesn’t participate in UCR. Do I still register?
Yes. You register through a participating base state chosen under the UCR Plan’s order of preference, usually one where you have an office or facility, or a designated state for your region.
Do I need a UCR sticker in my truck?
No. There is no UCR credential, and you are not required to carry proof of payment in the vehicle.
When is UCR due?
Before January 1 of the registration year. Registration for 2027 opened October 1, 2026.
Does adding trucks during the year change my UCR fee?
Not that year. The bracket is based on vehicles operated in the preceding year, and changes during the registration year are reflected the following year.
Sources
- UCR Plan: frequently asked questions
- UCR Plan: fee brackets
- UCR Plan: Do I need to register?
- UCR Plan: participating states
- 49 CFR Part 367 (eCFR): UCR fee brackets
General information about Unified Carrier Registration as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice; confirm current fees and requirements with the UCR Plan or your base state. Coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.