Get your authority active. File your BOC-3 today.

A BOC-3 is a federal FMCSA filing that names a process agent in every state authorized to accept legal service for an interstate motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder. The FMCSA requires it under 49 CFR §366 before your operating authority can go active. Without it, your MC or FF number is issued but cannot be used.

A BOC-3 filing costs $20 to $99 per year on annual-renewal models, or roughly $35 to $150 one-time for blanket coverage of all 50 states plus D.C. The FMCSA itself does not charge for accepting a BOC-3; the entire cost is the third-party process-agent service that prepares, signs, and submits the Designation of Process Agents on the carrier's behalf. Inside the annual-renewal tier, ATA charges $99/year for non-members, JJ Keller and several blanket providers charge $50-$80 every year, and a few low-cost services run $20-$30 with annual renewal, so five-year total cost of ownership lands at $100-$495 for the same federal designation the FMCSA accepts indefinitely once on file. FastBOC3 Filing charges $75 one time for lifetime coverage - a single flat fee, not a per-state charge and not a yearly one - and you never pay again unless the company's legal name, MC number, or process agent changes; a routine address change is an MCS-150 update, not a BOC-3 refile.

A BOC-3 is a one-time filing. Services that bill annually charge roughly $20-$99 every year you hold authority, so their five-year total runs about $100-$495 for the same federal designation the FMCSA never charges a renewal fee on. FastBOC3 charges $75 once.

Yes. Your authority status on SAFER will show "NOT AUTHORIZED" until your BOC-3 is on file with the FMCSA. Brokers, shippers, and load boards check this status before working with you. Filing your BOC-3 is typically the last step before your authority goes active.

Most BOC-3 filings are processed and reflected on SAFER within 1 business day of submission to the FMCSA. The process agent's submission speed is the variable that matters, since the FMCSA charges nothing to accept the designation once a registered agent transmits it. We submit your BOC-3 on the same business day you complete your order, and you'll receive an email confirmation as soon as it's complete.

The $75 is a one-time payment. There is no subscription, no stored card, and no annual invoice - we do not bill you again, and the FMCSA charges no federal fee for the BOC-3 itself. If your details change later and you need the designation refiled, you choose to order that; it is never charged automatically.

Blanket coverage means one BOC-3 filing designates a process agent in every state, instead of a separate filing or fee for each state. Some services charge per state or cover only certain regions. Our $75 flat fee is the complete price and covers all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. - including Alaska and Hawaii - with no per-state add-ons.

A BOC-3 filing does not expire. Once accepted by the FMCSA, the designation stays on file indefinitely. You only need to update your BOC-3 if your legal company name changes, your MC number changes, or your designated process agent changes (or its registration lapses). A routine address change is an MCS-150 update, not a BOC-3 refile.

Without a BOC-3 on file, your FMCSA authority shows "NOT AUTHORIZED" on SAFER and you cannot legally haul freight for hire interstate. Operating without required registration is a federal violation with civil penalties of at least $13,676 per violation (49 CFR part 386, Appendix B). Brokers, shippers, and load boards reject unauthorized carriers, so the business impact is immediate.