What do I need to file a BOC-3?

Your USDOT number, your MC, FF or MX number once it is issued, your legal business name exactly as on your FMCSA record, your principal business address, and an email address for the filed copy. The process agent supplies the agent names and street addresses for each state.

Who can file a BOC-3 with the FMCSA?

A process agent - usually a blanket company on FMCSA's process-agent list - files the BOC-3 with FMCSA on behalf of the motor carrier, broker or freight forwarder. Filings are submitted electronically (Motus, which replaced the legacy URS system in May 2026).

How fast does an online BOC-3 show up?

Your BOC-3 is submitted after you order. Once FMCSA accepts it, the designation shows in FMCSA’s Motus public search and counts toward MC authority activation under 49 CFR §365.107; FMCSA sets its own posting and activation timing.

What information is required on Form BOC-3?

Form BOC-3 requires the carrier's legal name, USDOT or MC number, principal place of business address, and the name and physical street address (no PO boxes) of each designated process agent per state, per FMCSA's Form BOC-3 page.

Why do BOC-3 filings get rejected?

Common BOC-3 rejection reasons include: (1) a submission that did not come through a process agent, (2) PO box used in place of a physical address, (3) MC number not yet issued by FMCSA, (4) mismatched legal name between BOC-3 and MCS-150, and (5) missing states for nationwide operations.

How much does a BOC-3 cost?

The FMCSA charges no fee for the BOC-3; the cost is entirely the process agent's service fee. Some providers charge a yearly fee (for example $25 a year) and others a one-time fee, based on prices checked Oct 27, 2026. FastBOC3 Filing charges $75 once - lifetime coverage in all 50 states plus D.C. and a refile-or-refund guarantee, with no annual renewal.

What if my online BOC-3 is rejected?

The filing is corrected and resubmitted. If FMCSA rejects it because of an error on our side, it is refiled free, and if it still can't be fixed, we refund your $75. If the rejection comes from information you supplied, such as a legal name that doesn't match your FMCSA record, it is refiled once you send the corrected details.

Can I file a BOC-3 before I have an MC number?

You can order before your MC number is issued: the order stays open and the BOC-3 is filed once the number is issued, because the designation posts to the MC docket. FMCSA controls when the number is issued.

Do I need to send BOC-3 copies to each state?

The designation is filed with FMCSA. 49 CFR §366.2T has you keep a copy of the current BOC-3 at your principal place of business.

Reference · FMCSA Form BOC-3

How to File a BOC-3 Online (New Trucking Company Guide)

Last reviewed: 2026-11-02By Korey Sharp-Paar, Founder, FastBOC3FilingReviewed against 49 CFR §366.4T & §366.5T

How do you file a BOC-3?

A process agent files your BOC-3 with FMCSA on your behalf. You choose a process agent company, usually a blanket agent on FMCSA's list that covers every required state, and give it your legal name, USDOT number and MC number. The agent files Form BOC-3 electronically, then you confirm it shows on your FMCSA record.

File your BOC-3 online in 3 steps

To file a BOC-3 online, you order from a process agent service and the agent files it with FMCSA for you. Through FastBOC3Filing it costs $75 once, with a refile-or-refund guarantee. No MC number yet? With MC Watch in the $125 Authority Package, your BOC-3 is filed once the MC is issued (see filing before your MC number).

1.Company: Enter your USDOT or MC number and check your legal name and address against your FMCSA record.
2.Package: Choose the $75 standard BOC-3, or the $125 Authority Package: your order handled first in the queue, plus MC Watch if your MC number is not issued yet.
3.Review & pay: Confirm your details and pay through Stripe. Your BOC-3 is submitted after you order, and a copy of the filed form is emailed to you.

After that, confirm it in FMCSA's Motus public search, or run the free authority status check to see what is still missing before your authority goes active.

File your BOC-3 - $75

The Form BOC-3 lists your legal name, USDOT and MC number, and an agent with a street address in every required state, and the agent files it through FMCSA's Motus registration system (which replaced URS in May 2026). Intrastate-only carriers that don't need FMCSA operating authority don't file a BOC-3 at all. Your BOC-3 is submitted after you order. FMCSA charges no fee for the BOC-3; you pay the agent's service fee, once or yearly depending on the provider (this service is $75 once; compare prices).

How do I file a BOC-3 for a new trucking company?

A new trucking company gets its BOC-3 filed in four steps.

1.Get a USDOT number and apply for MC authority in Motus.
2.Choose a process agent, usually a blanket company.
3.Give the agent your legal name, USDOT and MC numbers.
4.The agent files Form BOC-3, due 20 days after your FMCSA Register notice (49 CFR 365.109T).

Filing the BOC-3 doesn't activate your authority by itself: FMCSA also needs your insurance filing, and FMCSA decides when the authority goes active. The details of each step are below, and BOC-3 for a new MC number covers the timing.

Updated for Motus - FMCSA's New Registration System (May 2026)

FMCSA has retired its legacy URS registration flow. The replacement, Motus, opened Phase I to new applicants on December 8, 2025; legacy systems were retired on May 14, 2026 and Motus opened to all users on May 19, 2026. Motus now handles FMCSA registration end to end, with identity verification through Login.gov.

For the BOC-3, nothing changes on your side: the filing is still submitted by the process agent, through the agent's own Motus account - it is not filed inside your own Motus registration. Your steps are the same as before: file your BOC-3 online for $75, and it is submitted after you order (once your MC or FF number is issued). For a portal-specific walkthrough, see how to file a BOC-3 in Motus.

BOC-3 filing requirements at a glance

Step	What happens	Cost	Authority
1. Get USDOT/MC	Submit MCS-150 / OP-1 in Motus	$300 (MC fee)	49 CFR §365.107
2. Choose process agent	Select blanket nationwide service	$0 FMCSA fee; provider fee varies	49 CFR §366.4T
3. Provide carrier info	Legal name, USDOT/MC, business address	Included	49 CFR §366.5T
4. Agent files BOC-3	Electronic submission via Motus	$0 FMCSA fee	FMCSA Form BOC-3 page
5. FMCSA processing	Motus record updated; MC activated after FMCSA review	-	49 CFR §365.107

Sources: 49 CFR §366.4T (states to designate); FMCSA Form BOC-3 page (form contents and who files); 49 CFR §365.107 (MC authority activation).

Order online for $75. Your BOC-3 is submitted after you order, with all 50 states + D.C. covered and a refile-or-refund guarantee.

Start filing - $75

Who can file the BOC-3

A process agent (usually a blanket company) files the BOC-3 for you. Designations are filed electronically (through Motus as of May 2026, replacing the legacy URS system), so a paper BOC-3 someone mails or emails you to send in is not how the filing gets made.

How many process agents you need

Under the operative rule, 49 CFR §366.4T, the number of designated process agents depends on operational scope: a motor carrier designates an agent for each state in which it is authorized to operate and for each state it traverses, and a broker for each state in which its offices are located or in which contracts are written. Interstate motor carriers and freight brokers need an agent in every state where they pick up loads, deliver, or accept service of process. Most carriers use a blanket nationwide service that designates an agent in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia in a single filing.

Required information on Form BOC-3

The BOC-3 must list the carrier's legal name as registered with FMCSA, USDOT and MC numbers, principal place of business, and the full name and physical street address of each designated process agent. PO boxes are not accepted (FMCSA Form BOC-3 page) - the agent must have a real, staffed street address where legal papers can be served during normal business hours.

Common BOC-3 rejections

Common rejection reasons include a submission that did not come through a process agent, a PO box used in place of a street address, the MC number not yet issued by FMCSA at the time of filing, the legal name on BOC-3 not matching the name on the MCS-150, and missing states for nationwide operations. A rejected BOC-3 has to be corrected and refiled before your authority can activate, which is why most carriers have a process agent handle the BOC-3 filing. The rejection causes guide covers the fix for each.

Filing for new authority: what to have ready, and what happens next

Before the BOC-3 can be filed you need two things: a USDOT number (registration in FMCSA's Motus system is free), and an operating-authority application on file with FMCSA - an MC number for carriers and brokers, FF for freight forwarders, MX for Mexico-domiciled carriers. You don't have to wait for the authority to be granted. FMCSA expects the BOC-3 within 20 days of your application notice in the FMCSA Register (49 CFR 365.109T(a)(6)), so filing early is the safer order.

The process agent will ask for your legal business name exactly as it appears on your USDOT record (plus any DBA), your USDOT number and docket number, your business address, and your authority type.

Once filed, the BOC-3 is one of the filings FMCSA needs before it activates your authority. The other is proof of financial responsibility - your insurer's filing for a carrier, or the $75,000 bond or trust for a broker. Authority moves from pending to active only when every required filing is on record. What to check at that point is covered in what to file after your MC number is issued and how to check your BOC-3 status. The free authority status check shows which filings are still missing.

Filing as a broker? See what to have ready in the broker checklist, what to do if you have no MC number yet, and common broker mistakes. To compare providers, see how to choose a blanket process agent.

Frequently asked questions

Can I file a BOC-3 online?: Yes, by ordering online from a process agent service. A process agent files the BOC-3 with FMCSA electronically through its own Motus account; it is not filed inside your own Motus registration. Through FastBOC3Filing you enter your company details, pick a package and pay, and your BOC-3 is submitted after you order.
What do I need to file a BOC-3?: Your USDOT number, your MC, FF or MX number once it is issued, your legal business name exactly as on your FMCSA record, your principal business address, and an email address for the filed copy. The process agent supplies the agent names and street addresses for each state.
Who can file a BOC-3 with the FMCSA?: A process agent - usually a blanket company on FMCSA's process-agent list - files the BOC-3 with FMCSA on behalf of the motor carrier, broker or freight forwarder. Filings are submitted electronically (Motus, which replaced the legacy URS system in May 2026).
How fast does an online BOC-3 show up?: Your BOC-3 is submitted after you order. Once FMCSA accepts it, the designation shows in FMCSA’s Motus public search and counts toward MC authority activation under 49 CFR §365.107; FMCSA sets its own posting and activation timing.
How many process agents do I need?: It depends on the type of authority. Under the operative rule, 49 CFR §366.4T, a motor carrier must designate an agent for each state in which it is authorized to operate and for each state it traverses, and a broker for each state in which its offices are located or in which contracts are written. Interstate operators therefore need a designated process agent in every state where they operate or accept loads - most use a blanket agent service covering all 50 states plus DC.
What information is required on Form BOC-3?: Form BOC-3 requires the carrier's legal name, USDOT or MC number, principal place of business address, and the name and physical street address (no PO boxes) of each designated process agent per state, per FMCSA's Form BOC-3 page.
Why do BOC-3 filings get rejected?: Common BOC-3 rejection reasons include: (1) a submission that did not come through a process agent, (2) PO box used in place of a physical address, (3) MC number not yet issued by FMCSA, (4) mismatched legal name between BOC-3 and MCS-150, and (5) missing states for nationwide operations.
How much does a BOC-3 cost?: The FMCSA charges no fee for the BOC-3; the cost is entirely the process agent's service fee. Some providers charge a yearly fee (for example $25 a year) and others a one-time fee, based on prices checked Oct 27, 2026. FastBOC3 Filing charges $75 once - lifetime coverage in all 50 states plus D.C. and a refile-or-refund guarantee, with no annual renewal.
What if my online BOC-3 is rejected?: The filing is corrected and resubmitted. If FMCSA rejects it because of an error on our side, it is refiled free, and if it still can't be fixed, we refund your $75. If the rejection comes from information you supplied, such as a legal name that doesn't match your FMCSA record, it is refiled once you send the corrected details.
Can I file a BOC-3 before I have an MC number?: You can order before your MC number is issued: the order stays open and the BOC-3 is filed once the number is issued, because the designation posts to the MC docket. FMCSA controls when the number is issued.
Do I file the BOC-3 in Motus myself?: No. A process agent files the BOC-3 through the agent’s own Motus account; it is not filed inside your own Motus registration. You then confirm it in FMCSA’s Motus public search (motus.dot.gov/public/search).
Do I need to send BOC-3 copies to each state?: The designation is filed with FMCSA. 49 CFR §366.2T has you keep a copy of the current BOC-3 at your principal place of business.