Title 49 › SUBTITLE IV — INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION › PART B — MOTOR CARRIERS, WATER CARRIERS, BROKERS, AND FREIGHT FORWARDERS › CHAPTER 145 — FEDERAL-STATE RELATIONS › § 14504a
Creates a single, national registration system called the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR). Motor carriers, motor private carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies must register and pay fees to one State called their base-State. What counts as a commercial motor vehicle depends on the year (the law treats vehicles differently for calendar years 2008–2009 and for years after December 31, 2009). Carriers can count vehicles either from their most recent MCS–150 filing or the total they owned or operated in the 12-month period ending June 30 before the registration year. Carriers may choose not to count vehicles used only for intrastate property, waste, or recyclable hauling. Fees are based on fleet size, use a progressive scale with 4 to 6 fee brackets, and brokers and leasing companies pay the smallest fee. The Secretary sets fees within 90 days after the board recommends them and after public comment. Sets up a 15-member board to run the plan. The board includes 4 representatives from FMCSA service areas (as of January 1, 2005), 5 state agency staff, 5 industry members (including at least one national property-trade rep and one small-fleet carrier), and one Department of Transportation official. The Secretary names the chair and vice-chair. Board members serve staggered initial terms (five for 3 years, five for 2 years, five for 1 year) and then 3-year terms. The board writes the rules, standard forms, dispute procedures, and chooses a depository. States must send the Secretary a plan within 3 years after the Unified Carrier Registration Act of 2005 saying which agency will run the UCR and promising to use UCR revenues for safety, enforcement, or UCR administration; the Secretary must send a copy of each plan to the board chair within 10 days. Revenue is split among participating States based on past shares (including amounts from the old SSRS and prior intrastate fees), with non-SSRS States eligible for up to $500,000. The Attorney General may sue to enforce compliance on the Secretary’s request, and States may fine carriers that fail to file required information or pay fees. States may also opt to apply the UCR rules to carriers that operate only inside the State.
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Transportation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Legislative History
Reference
Citation
49 U.S.C. § 14504a
Title 49, Transportation
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110