Any motor carrier who drives a commercial motor vehicle carrying cargo over state or international lines. Any carrier who has an active DOT# for any part of the registration year
Example: You apply for and receive a DOT# in October 2025 means you will pay the UCR fees for 2025.
Example: You file a MCS 150 with the FMCSA on January 5, 2025 to cancel your DOT# means you will be required to pay the 2025 UCR fees.
Registration dates are October 1 through December 31 of each calendar year. Any fees not paid on January 1 are considered late.
Example: 2025 UCR registration fees are due between 10/1-12/31/2024.
Yes, a USDOT number is required. Freight forwarders and brokers are required to have them as well under the Unified Registration System (URS). It is possible if you are a new or active carrier that FMSCA has already issued you a USDOT number. Visit FMCSA's website for more information.
To register for UCR, go to the National Registration System at ucr.gov.
- Enter your DOT number.
- Select "View Terms and Conditions".
- Select "View Privacy Policy".
- Mark "I Agree".
- Select "Submit".
On the next screen, please re-enter your USDOT # and select Continue. On the next screen, you can register by selecting the "Register Now" button and fill out the required fields.
Interstate school buses, emergency vehicles and vehicles with a manufacturer's weight rating of less than 10,000 pounds including trailer equipment
If you had an active DOT in any part of the year, you are required to pay the registration fee.
In order to close a DOT account, you need to submit a MCS 150 to the FMCSA.
If your business has changed so that you no longer need to be registered under UCR, you should update your carrier record appropriately with FMSCA. You also should contact DMV to update your records with the Commonwealth.
If you don't update your carrier information as required by the UCR Plan or are actually required to register under UCR, then you are subject to enforcement action and/or explanation of your records in the state audit process. Enforcement typically starts 90 days after the beginning of the registration period.
How much is the UCR fee in 2023?
UCR fees have decreased by 31%
The 2023 UCR fees are:
2022 vs. 2023 Unified Carrier Registration Plan fees No. of power units 0-2 3-5 6-20 21-100 101-1,000 1,001 and above 2022 fee (previous) $59 $176 $351 $1,224 $5,835 $56,977 2023 fee (new) $41 $121 $242 $844 $4,024 $39,289 Difference -$18 -$55 -$109 -$380 -$1,811 -$17,688
For more information refer to the UCR Handbook.
Yes, a USDOT number is required. Freight forwarders and brokers are now required to have them as well under the Unified Registration System (URS). It is possible if you are a new or active carrier that FMSCA has already issued you a USDOT number. Visit FMCSA's website for more information.
To update your UCR registration, go to the National Registration System.
- Enter your DOT number.
- Select "View Terms and Conditions".
- Select "View Privacy Policy".
- Mark "I Agree"
- Select "Submit".
On the next screen, please re-enter your USDOT # and select Continue. On the next screen, you can update your UCR registration by selecting the "Update MCS-150" button and fill out the required fields.
Annual registration typically begins on October 1 preceding the applicable registration year.
For example: The 2025 UCR registration begins October 1, 2024. On occasion, the registration period may be delayed when there is a change in registration fees, requiring approval from the U. S. Secretary of Transportation.
If you have an active USDOT number, you will receive an email from the National Registration System (NRS) advising when UCR registration is open. Additionally, DMV may send postcards and recurring emails (through the NRS system) to unregistered businesses and new businesses who just obtained their USDOT number.
To ensure timely and accurate processing, be sure to add in the applicable transaction fees, which vary depending on your payment choice. For electronic payments made by credit and debit cards or ACH, the transaction fees (shown below) will automatically be added to your payment. E-checks received that are not the correct amount WILL NOT be processed and will delay your registration update.
- Personal Credit Cards - 1.99%
- Business Credit Cards - 2.63%
- Debit Cards - $3.75 ($2.99 for bracket 1 only)
- ACH/E-Checks (personal checks) - $1.00
If you need information regarding UCR and Virginia is your base state, contact a motor carrier representative at (804) 249-5140. Otherwise you should contact your base state as its requirements could be different.