UCR Fees Hold Steady in 2026, Then Jump 20%
Published Date: 4/7/2026
Proposed Rule
Summary
If you’re a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder, get ready: the fees you pay for Unified Carrier Registration will stay the same for 2026 but jump about 20% in 2027. The increase means some will pay a little more, others quite a bit more, but fees will still be lower than they were a few years ago. Comments on this change are open until May 7, 2026, so now’s the time to speak up!
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
UCR Fees Rise ~20% in 2027
FMCSA proposes to adopt a UCR fee increase averaging 20% for registration year 2027 and subsequent years, raising fees by between $9 and $9,329 depending on your bracket. The proposed 2027 fees are $55 (0-2 CMVs), $167 (3-5), $333 (6-20), $1,163 (21-100), $5,548 (101-1,000), and $54,165 (1,001+), up from the 2025/2026 fees shown above.
Fee Hike Covers $21.79M Shortfall
The proposed increase is intended to cover a projected $21.79 million shortfall so the UCR Plan can meet its $118 million revenue requirement for 2027. The UCR Plan also requested a $250,000 increase in its administrative cost allowance (from $4,250,000 to $4,500,000) and to recover an administrative shortfall of $6,500,000 from registration years 2025 and 2026.
No Fee Change for 2026
If you are a motor carrier, broker, freight forwarder, leasing company, or motor private carrier, the UCR fees for the 2026 registration year stay the same as 2025. The fee table for 2025 and 2026 shows $46 (0-2 CMVs), $138 (3-5), $276 (6-20), $963 (21-100), $4,592 (101-1,000), and $44,836 (1,001+).
2027 Fees Still Below 2019–2022 Levels
Even after the proposed 2027 increase, the UCR fees for 2027 would remain lower than the fee levels in effect during registration years 2019 through 2022. For example, the largest-bracket fee was $66,072 in 2019 and is proposed at $54,165 for 2027.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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