UCR Fees by Registration Year

Who This Applies To

• Motor carriers checking the current-year UCR fee bracket for their fleet size before completing registration through plan.ucr.gov.
• Freight brokers and freight forwarders who need to confirm the flat-fee category used for non-carrier entities, separate from the vehicle-count brackets used by motor carriers.
• Small fleets that added or removed vehicles during the year and need to determine which bracket applies for the upcoming registration year.
• Carriers who have registered for UCR for multiple years and want to confirm whether the fee amounts changed for the new year.
• Bookkeepers who received an invoice from a third-party UCR registration service and want to verify the fee shown matches the official UCR Plan fee schedule.
• Carriers who registered for the wrong year and need to understand how the fee and correction process works.

What To Verify

• That the UCR fee schedule is set annually by the UCR Plan Board and published at plan.ucr.gov. Fee amounts can change year to year — the fee for the same bracket that applied in 2024 may not be the same as the 2025 fee. Confirm the exact amount for the specific registration year being completed.
• The vehicle count method used by the UCR Plan. Motor carriers count all owned or operated commercial motor vehicles used in interstate commerce that meet the weight threshold. The definition of 'commercial motor vehicle' for UCR purposes and the counting rules are published at plan.ucr.gov for each registration year.
• Whether the entity qualifies as a motor carrier, broker, freight forwarder, or leasing company for UCR purposes. Freight brokers and freight forwarders pay a flat fee rather than a vehicle-count bracket fee — the applicable category affects the registration cost and the correct registration form.
• Whether trailers are included in the vehicle count. Trailers are generally excluded from the UCR vehicle count — only power units (trucks and tractors) count toward the bracket. Verify the current rule at plan.ucr.gov before counting.
• Whether the registration window currently open covers the upcoming calendar year or the current year. The UCR window for a given year typically opens in October of the prior year — registering in October 2025 registers for 2026, not 2025. If 2025 is not yet registered, that is a separate action.
• Any service fee charged by a third-party UCR registration service in addition to the UCR Plan fee. Third-party services are permitted to charge a handling fee on top of the UCR Plan fee — the total paid to a third-party registrar includes both amounts.

Step-by-Step Overview

1. Go directly to plan.ucr.gov to access the official UCR Plan fee-brackets page for the registration year being completed. Do not use a fee table from a prior year, a third-party website, or an email summary — the official page is the only reliable source.
2. Confirm the registration year shown on the fee page. If the window is open for the following year, ensure the registration is for the intended year before paying.
3. Determine the entity category: motor carrier (use vehicle-count bracket), freight broker or freight forwarder (use flat fee), or leasing company (use applicable category). The category determines which fee table applies.
4. Count qualifying power units for the registration year using the UCR Plan's vehicle-count instructions for that year. Do not include trailers. If vehicle count changed during the year, use the count per the UCR Plan's current guidance.
5. Complete the registration through plan.ucr.gov or a participating state agency portal. After payment, save the registration confirmation showing the year, entity type, vehicle count (for motor carriers), and fee paid.
6. Set a reminder for the following October to check when the next year's registration window opens and to confirm the fee bracket before registering.

Common Mistakes

• Using the prior year's fee bracket without checking whether it changed. UCR fees can change annually — sending the same amount as last year may underpay if the fee increased for the current bracket.
• Paying the motor carrier fee bracket as a freight broker. Freight brokers pay a flat fee regardless of fleet size — applying a vehicle-count bracket to a broker registration will overpay or underpay depending on the fleet size used.
• Including trailers in the vehicle count. UCR vehicle counts cover power units only — adding trailers inflates the count and places the entity in a higher (more expensive) bracket unnecessarily.
• Registering in October or November thinking the payment covers the current calendar year. The October window covers the following year — a carrier that registers in October 2025 is registering for 2026. If 2025 has not been registered, a separate action is needed.
• Relying on a third-party service to file UCR without verifying the registration appears in the UCR Plan system. Third-party services submit on the carrier's behalf, but the carrier should verify the registration is in UCR Plan records — not just take the service's word for it.
• Assuming UCR is satisfied by FMCSA authority registration. FMCSA authority (USDOT number, MC number) and UCR are separate obligations — holding one does not satisfy the other.