Freight Broker Bond (BMC-84)
Federal $75,000 BMC-84 for Dallas-Fort Worth freight brokers
Interstate property brokers and freight forwarders need a $75,000 BMC-84 surety bond (or BMC-85 trust) filed with FMCSA before broker operating authority is active. DFW inland ports and the I-35 corridor put Dallas-Fort Worth at the center of Texas over-the-road brokerage.
A BMC-84 freight broker bond is the $75,000 federal surety required under 49 U.S.C. § 13906 and 49 C.F.R. Part 387 before FMCSA grants or maintains broker operating authority.
The surety bond guarantees that the principal will perform the duties required under 49 U.S.C. § 13906; 49 C.F.R. Part 387 up to the penal sum.
A claim may arise if the principal fails to comply with the bonded Texas obligation or causes covered loss to the obligee or protected parties.
If a claim is valid, the surety may pay up to the bond penalty according to the bond terms; the principal remains liable to reimburse the surety.
Amount, premium, term, and the authority that requires this filing.
Dallas-Fort Worth freight brokers, dispatchers becoming brokers, and freight forwarders obtaining FMCSA property-broker authority need this federal filing.
Issue a BMC-84 for $75,000 naming the FMCSA as required and file through the FMCSA process.
Share your license type, court order, or obligee form and the exact penal sum required by Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
We review credit and filing details, then quote premium options through licensed surety markets.
Once approved, we issue the bond for delivery to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration or for your Texas filing package.
FMCSA requires exactly $75,000 in financial security — either a BMC-84 surety bond or a BMC-85 trust fund — under 49 C.F.R. § 387.307. The bond amount does not vary by state or city.
Most brokers pay an annual premium of about 1%–12% of the $75,000 bond amount ($750–$9,000+). Personal credit is the main pricing factor; you do not post the full $75,000 unless you choose a BMC-85 trust.
A BMC-84 is a surety bond: you pay an annual premium and the surety guarantees up to $75,000. A BMC-85 trust requires depositing $75,000 in cash or qualifying assets. After the January 2026 FMCSA rule, many BMC-85 trustees no longer qualify — most new brokers choose BMC-84.
Yes. File Form OP-1 through FMCSA's Unified Registration System, then your surety electronically files the BMC-84. FMCSA typically posts active broker authority within a few business days after the bond is accepted.
Usually no. Tex. Transp. Code § 646.002 exempts brokers with FMCSA authority under 49 U.S.C. § 13904. If you broker only inside Texas with no federal MC number, you may need the separate $10,000 TxDMV bond instead of BMC-84.
Also need coverage?
Need more than a bond? Through the same agency desk we can discuss commercial coverage for the whole business.
Contact us or call (877) 477-7578
Freight Bonds
BMC-84 freight broker, OTI, customs, SDDC, and warehouse operator filings.
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