Bond Costs

Freight Broker Bond (BMC-84) Cost

The FMCSA requires a $75,000 BMC-84 bond to get and keep freight broker authority, but that is not what you pay. Here is what the bond actually costs, what drives the premium, and how the BMC-84 compares to a BMC-85 trust.

Freight broker bond cost by the numbers

$75,000: Federal BMC-84 freight broker bond required for FMCSA operating authority; FMCSA
$8.6B: U.S. surety direct written premium; SFAA, 2022

Premium, not the full $75,000

The FMCSA requires a $75,000 BMC-84 bond before it will issue your MC operating authority, but you do not post $75,000. You pay an annual premium, a percentage of the bond amount. Premiums typically run 1% to 10% of the $75,000, set mostly by your personal credit, with finances and experience factoring in. Strong-credit brokers land near the low end; newer or credit-challenged brokers pay more.

What drives your rate

Credit. The biggest lever. It largely decides where in the 1% to 10% range you land.
Experience and finances. An established brokerage with clean financials is an easier file than a brand-new authority.
The market. Sureties price freight bonds differently, so shopping the file matters, especially on tougher credit.

BMC-84 vs. BMC-85

The FMCSA lets you meet the $75,000 requirement two ways. A BMC-84 is a surety bond: you pay a small premium and keep your capital free to run the business. A BMC-85 is a trust fund that locks up the full $75,000 in cash or assets. Most brokers choose the BMC-84 so their money stays working, the same capital logic behind a bond versus a letter of credit.

Newer or credit-challenged?

A thin file or rough credit means a higher rate, not an automatic decline. We shop the markets that write these brokers. See the full freight broker bond page and how we place bad-credit surety bonds, then start a quote for your exact rate.

Questions

FAQs

Reviewed by Michael Melshenker, CEO. Updated September 2026.

How much does a freight broker bond cost?

You pay an annual premium, not the full $75,000. Premiums typically run 1% to 10% of the bond amount, set mostly by credit. Brokers with strong credit generally land at the low end; newer or credit-challenged brokers pay more. We shop markets for your best rate.

Do I pay the full $75,000?

No. The $75,000 is the FMCSA's required coverage, not your cost. You pay a percentage of it as an annual premium based on your credit, finances, and experience.

What is the difference between a BMC-84 and a BMC-85?

Both satisfy the FMCSA's $75,000 requirement. A BMC-84 is a surety bond: you pay a premium and keep your capital working. A BMC-85 is a trust that ties up the full $75,000. Since January 16, 2026 the trust is also harder to hold: its assets must liquidate to cash within seven calendar days, and loan and finance companies can no longer act as trustees.

Does the 2026 FMCSA rule change what a bond costs?

Not the premium directly, but it changes what a lapse costs you. Since January 16, 2026 a drawdown has to be replenished within about seven days of FMCSA's notice instead of the 30 days brokers were used to, and your authority is suspended if it is not. Days of suspended authority cost far more than a year of premium.

Can I get a BMC-84 with bad credit?

Often, yes. Credit affects the rate, not your eligibility outright. We work the markets that write credit-challenged and newer brokers rather than declining at the door. Underwriting still applies.