Freight Broker License Requirements by State (2026)

Being a freight broker.entails finding transportation for shippers (those with cargo that needs to get from point A to point B).

This task includes not only finding suitable carriers through load boards or other means, but also:

Verifying commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) and other qualifications.
Tracking shipments.
Acting as an intermediary between shippers and carriers.
Negotiating pricing for both parties.
Keeping records and generating invoices.
Working within the confines of shipping industry laws and transportation laws.

Every state requires a federal license to operate as a freight broker.

In addition, there are often additional requirements set down by the individual states.

Each place is different in that regard.

At the federal level, you must:

Register Your Business: Form your legal entity (LLC recommended) and get an EIN if needed.
Get USDOT & MC Numbers: Apply with the FMCSA for your USDOT number and apply for Broker Authority (MC Number).
Secure Financial Guarantees:
- $75k Surety Bond (BMC-84): This bond protects carriers from non-payment; requires liquid backing (cash/securities) starting Jan 2026.
- Liability Insurance: Required for protection against claims.
Appoint a Process Agent (BOC-3): A designated agent to receive legal documents for your business in each state.
Complete FMCSA Application: Submit required forms and pay the fee ($300).
Get Your Unified Carrier Registration (UCR): Annual fee based on your states of operation.

If the life of a freight broker sounds intriguing, continue to see what it takes to pursue this degree in your state.

Alabama

In Alabama, in addition to the federal requirements, you will also need to:

Age: Be at a minimum of 18 years of age.
Education: Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Surety Bond: Obtain a freight broker bond (BMC-84 bond).
Insurance: Be insured with cargo liability insurance and/or bodily injury and property damage insurance.
Criminal History: Not have disqualifying convictions.

Alaska

In addition to federal requirements, Alaska brokers must:

Register with the State of Alaska Department of Revenue
Create a business entity with the Department of Commerce
Obtain an EIN from the Internal Revenue Service
Proof of U.S. Citizenship
USDOT Number
At least 21 years of age

Arizona

Freight brokers in Arizona must:

Be a minimum of 18 years of age.
Have a high school diploma or GED.
Register with the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
Pay a non-refundable application fee (currently $300).
Be bonded with a $75,000 freight broker bond (BMC-84 bond).
Have a business insurance policy.
Secure a process agent licensed in Arizona.
Not have any disqualifying criminal convictions.

Arkansas

In Arkansas, a freight broker, in addition to federal requirements, must:

Age: Be 18 years of age or older.
Criminal History: Have no disqualifying convictions.
Education: Have a high school diploma or GED.
Surety Bond: Get a freight broker bond (BMC-84 bond).

California

California has the following requirements, in addition to federal rules:

You must be at least 18 years of age
You must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent.
You will need to have a good credit score.
You must register your business in California
You must obtain a trust fund or freight broker bond of a minimum of $75,000
You must submit proof of obtaining an insurance policy with a minimum liability of $750,000 per occurrence for cargo losses or damage.

Colorado

Federal obligations plus the following must be met:

You must be at least 18 years old.
You need to have a high school diploma or equivalent.
You have to secure a $75,000 surety bond.
You must register your business in Colorado.
You need to obtain an FMCSA license.

Connecticut

In Connecticut, federal rules do most of the work.

You only need to complete them and:

Register Your Business: Form a legal entity (like an LLC), get an Employer Identification Number (EIN), and open a business bank account.
UCR Registration: Register for the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) program annually, even for brokers, and pay fees.
State Tax ID: Obtain any necessary state tax identification from Connecticut.

Delaware

Federal requirements need to be met, and also:

Business Registration: Register your chosen business entity (e.g., LLC) with the Delaware Secretary of State.
Unified Carrier Registration (UCR): Pay annual UCR fees as an interstate broker.
** Delaware Division of Revenue**: Handle any state tax registrations

Florida

In addition to federal requirements:

Get a USDOT number:
Apply for a broker authority
Register your company:
Get a surety bond
Purchase insurance
Find a process agent

Georgia

Federal requirements plus:

Must be at least 18 years of age
Have a high school diploma or GED equivalent
Must be able to pass a criminal background check
Have a clean credit record
Be able to obtain a surety bond or trust fund agreement for a minimum amount of $10,000
Submit proof of the fact that they have acquired liability insurance coverage of an amount between $750,000 and $5 million
Must be able to provide proof of a valid business license from the state of Georgia

Hawaii

Federal requirements and:

Have a high school diploma or GED
Be at least 18 years of age
File for USDOT and Motor Carrier numbers
Carry general liability and cargo insurance
Have a process agent for every state where you are operating
Have obtained a surety bond of $75,000 by filling out form BMC-84
Pay the application fee

Idaho

Idaho requires federal and:

Have a high school diploma or GED
Obtain insurance and a freight broker bond (BMC-84)
Seek a USDOT number from the Department of Transportation
Have EIN and MC numbers
Wait for 15-30 business days to receive your freight broker license.

Illinois

In Illinois, you will also need:

A high school diploma or GED
An EIN if running your own business
A USDOT Number & USDOT PIN
An MC Number
Insurance
Freight Broker Bond for each application
Process Agent

Indiana

Indiana’s additional requirements are:

An Employment Insurance Number (EIN)
A U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Number & PIN
A Motor Carrier Number (MC Number)
A $75,000 Freight Broker Bond (BMC 84 Bond) or Trust Fund Agreement
Business Insurance
An Indiana Process Agent

Iowa

In Iowa, the only thing you need in addition to federal requirements is to register your business and deal with business finances in accordance with Iowa state laws.

Kansas

Kansas only requires that you meet federal licensing requirements.

Kentucky

In Kentucky, you will most likely be able to get by with adhering to federal requirements.

If hauling within Kentucky only, you might need a KYU (Kentucky Unit) number for large trucks (>60,000 lbs GVW), but federal rules cover interstate brokers.

Louisiana

Federal requirements and:

A USDOT Number & USDOT PIN
An MC Number
Insurance
Freight Broker Bond
Process Agent

Maine

Maine only requires federal licensing requirements, but you must register your business and adhere to all business owner requirements.

Maryland

Maryland is yet another state where only business aspects are regulated by the state as long as federal licensing requirements are met.

Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, focus on the federal FMCSA requirements, but remember to formally register your company before you start operating.

Michigan

In Michigan, federal rules and:

High school diploma or equivalent, such as a GED.
No disqualifying criminal convictions.
U.S. Department of Transportation Number (USDOT Number).
Motor Carrier Number (MC Number).
Insurance & a BMC 84 Bond (Freight Broker Bond) or Trust Fund Agreement.
Michigan process agent.

Minnesota

In Minnesota, complete federal requirements, and you must also comply with general Minnesota business registration and tax requirements.

Mississippi

Mississippi requirements are:

An EIN
A USDOT Number & USDOT PIN
An MC Number
Freight Broker Bond or trust fund
Insurance
Process Agent(s)

Missouri

Missouri additional requirements:

A high school diploma or equivalent, such as a GED.
No disqualifying criminal convictions.
U.S. Department of Transportation Number (USDOT Number).
Motor Carrier Number (MC Number).
Freight Broker Bond or Trust Fund Agreement.
Insurance.
Missouri process agent.

Montana

Federal requirements are the most needed in Montana, but you must comply with Montana’s business registration and UCR requirements to operate legally within the state.

Nebraska

Nebraska is yet another state that only requires federal licensing and registering your business.

Nevada

Federal licensing and Intrastate Authority (If Needed): If you only haul within Nevada, you’ll need to look into intrastate authority through the Nevada DMV or State Police, which has different rules than interstate (out-of-state) brokers.
Business Registration: Register your business name and structure with the Nevada Secretary of State.

New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, following national guidelines and:

Register your business in New Hampshire
Apply to the FMCSA via the Unified Registration System (URS) with the OP-1 form
Meet ongoing compliance like UCR registration.

New Jersey

Follow federal broker licensing requirements.

New Mexico

In addition to federal requirements:

Register your business (e.g., LLC) with the New Mexico Secretary of State and get an EIN.
Check with New Mexico’s Department of Transportation and the local city/county for any additional business licenses or intrastate authority if you only haul within NM.
While not federally mandated for brokers, professional liability (E&O) and general liability insurance are highly recommended

New York

New York simply requires registering as a business and following federal regulations.

North Carolina

Following federal guidelines is all you will need in North Carolina.

North Dakota

While you register your business with the state and pay ND-specific fees (like UCR), the primary “license” (Operating Authority) comes from the federal FMCSA, not a separate state-level freight broker license.

Ohio

In Ohio, in addition to federal requirements, you will need to:

Register your business with the Ohio Secretary of State.
Get necessary state tax IDs and register with the Ohio Department of Taxation

Oklahoma

You must meet all federal requirements in Oklahoma, but you do not need to meet any additional ones.

Oregon

In Oregon, the primary hurdles are federal registration (USDOT, MC#) and the financial requirement of the $75k bond/trust, plus your state setup and UCR registration.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania also requires only that you meet federal requirements.

Rhode Island

In addition to federal regulations, in Rhode Island, you must register your business with the RI Secretary of State and comply with state tax/registration rules.

South Carolina

South Carolina leaves all the requirements to the federal government.

South Dakota

In South Dakota, in addition to the federal requirements, you must

Register with the South Dakota Department of Revenue (DOR) for necessary state taxes and registrations, as any taxable business in SD needs a license/registration.

Tennessee

Federal licensing is key here, and then you must:

Register your business entity (LLC, Corp, etc.) with the Tennessee Secretary of State.
Get an EIN from the IRS and any necessary state tax IDs for sales tax or employer withholding.

Texas

In Texas, you must meet federal requirements and have:

An EIN
A USDOT Number
An MC Number
Insurance
A Freight Broker Bond (BMC-84)
Process Agent
Equipment

Utah

Utah follows federal guidelines for licensing, but also requires you to:

Form an LLC (recommended), get an EIN, and register with Utah’s state authorities.
Obtain necessary local and state business licenses

Vermont

Vermont has a few requirements beyond the federal ones:

Register Your Business: Form an LLC or other business entity in Vermont with the Secretary of State.
Get an EIN: Obtain an Employer Identification Number from the IRS.
Unified Carrier Registration (UCR): If operating interstate, you’ll need to register and pay fees annually under the UCR Agreement.
Intrastate Authority: Check with the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) for specific intrastate (within Vermont) operating rules, though federal rules often cover most brokerage

Virginia

Virginia adheres to the federal regulations.

Washington

While Washington relies mainly on the federal guidelines, it also offers a certificate for freight brokers that can increase business reliability.

West Virginia

West Virginia requires you to:

Follow federal FMCSA rules for authority.
Register your business entity (like an LLC) with the WV Secretary of State.
Comply with the state’s UCR requirements for interstate brokers

Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, the license is based on federal requirements, but you must also:

Form an LLC or corporation with the Wisconsin Secretary of State.
Get an Employer Identification Number from the IRS.
Check for any general business licenses required by your city or county in Wisconsin.

Wyoming

Wyoming requires the following in addition to a federal license.

Designate a process agent in each state where you’ll operate (including Wyoming) using the BOC-3 form.
Choose a business structure (like an LLC), register with Wyoming’s Secretary of State, and get an EIN from the IRS.
File for the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) agreement, which applies to brokers operating across state lines.
Look into Wyoming’s Department of Transportation (WyDOT) for any specific intrastate (within Wyoming) licensing, tax IDs, or local permits needed for freight brokerage.
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