Federal BMC-84 Freight Forwarder Broker Bond

Overview

The BMC-84 is the federal surety bond that activates a freight broker's operating authority. Under 49 CFR section 387.307, a property broker must have a $75,000 surety bond or trust fund in effect, and FMCSA will not register a broker until security for the full amount is on file. Evidence of a surety bond is filed with FMCSA on its prescribed Form BMC-84; the alternative trust-fund route uses Form BMC-85. The registration remains valid only as long as that financial security stays in effect — which makes this filing as fundamental to a brokerage as the MC authority itself.

Who Needs This Bond?

Property brokers and freight forwarders registering with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration need $75,000 in financial security on file before FMCSA will grant or maintain operating authority. Brokers arrange transportation of freight by authorized motor carriers; freight forwarders consolidate and ship freight in their own name. Both fall under FMCSA's financial responsibility rules, and both satisfy the requirement with either a surety bond (BMC-84) or a trust fund agreement (BMC-85). If you're applying for broker authority, this filing is a precondition — not an afterthought.

What is this Bond For?

The bond ensures the financial responsibility of the broker by providing payment to shippers and motor carriers when the broker fails to carry out its contracts for transportation, per 49 CFR section 387.307(a). In practice it is the carrier's and shipper's backstop against a broker that doesn't pay freight bills. FMCSA's financial responsibility rule also polices the security itself: under the agency's Broker and Freight Forwarder Financial Responsibility rule, if available financial security falls below $75,000 — for example, after a drawdown — and is not replenished within 7 calendar days, FMCSA will suspend the broker's or freight forwarder's operating authority.

When is it Required?

The security must be in effect before registration: FMCSA will not register a broker until a surety bond or trust fund for the full prescribed amount is filed, and the registration remains in effect only as long as the security does. That makes the BMC-84 both a startup requirement and a continuous-compliance obligation — a cancellation or lapse ends your authority, and a drawdown below the required amount starts the 7-day replenishment clock under FMCSA's financial responsibility rule before suspension follows.

Where Does it Apply?

This is a federal requirement that applies nationwide to interstate property brokers and freight forwarders registered with FMCSA — there is no state-by-state version of the BMC-84. The filing itself goes directly to FMCSA from your surety, using the agency's prescribed forms: BMC-84 for a surety bond, BMC-85 for a trust fund with a financial institution. Wherever your brokerage operates in the United States, the same single federal filing covers your authority.

How to Buy Online

Click 'Buy This Bond Online' on this page and the secure surety portal opens in a new tab. Complete the short application, review your bond documents, and pay securely in one session. Once executed, your surety files the BMC-84 with FMCSA so your operating authority can be granted or stay in force.

Why Bond Titan?

Bond Titan is powered by The Southern Agency, a licensed surety agency, and every requirement stated here is cited to the federal regulation and FMCSA's own compliance guidance in the Official Sources section below — check the rules yourself before you buy. The online flow is built for brokers on a registration deadline who need the filing handled correctly the first time.

Official Sources

The requirements described on this page are verified against the official sources below.

• $75,000 surety bond or trust fund required; registration contingent on security; Forms BMC-84/BMC-85; payment protection for shippers and carriers: 49 CFR §387.307 (eCFR — Property broker surety bond or trust fund) (verified July 16, 2026)
• Suspension of operating authority if security falls below $75,000 and is not replenished within 7 calendar days; surety notification duties: FMCSA — Broker & Freight Forwarder Financial Responsibility Rule (Overview and Compliance) (verified July 16, 2026)