BMC-84 Freight Broker Bonds Nationwide
If your freight brokerage falls under FMCSA’s financial-responsibility rules, you need $75,000 in a surety bond or a qualifying trust fund. The BMC-84 is the surety-bond filing. Ashton Agency can help identify the required bond, provide a quote, and explain where it needs to be filed.
Questions about your bond? Call our East Coast team at (800) 451-4854 or our West Coast team at (800) 452-2663, or use the quote form below.
What Is a BMC-84 Freight Broker Bond
A BMC-84 bond helps protect shippers and motor carriers when a broker fails to carry out covered transportation arrangements. Federal rules require the security to stay in place while your broker registration is active.
Three parties sit behind it: the brokerage required to obtain the bond (the principal), the surety company that issues it, and FMCSA, which requires it (the obligee). Ashton helps arrange the bond but isn’t one of those three parties. If the surety pays a valid claim, the principal has to pay the surety back.
Who Needs One and What It Covers
The BMC-84 requirement is federal. The $75,000 amount applies nationwide to covered brokers and doesn’t change from state to state. Any state or local business requirements are separate.
FMCSA lists a $75,000 BMC-84 bond or BMC-85 trust fund for both property brokers and household-goods brokers. The bond is one registration requirement; the BOC-3 process-agent filing is separate.
The $75,000 is the required security amount, not your annual premium. A BMC-85 trust fund is a different arrangement with its own funding and provider rules.
Changing providers? Plan the replacement filing and its effective date so your security never lapses. Federal rules expect the security to stay in place without a gap, and they cover cancellation notice and replacement filings. FMCSA can suspend a registration if the security is impaired.
Why Choose Ashton Agency
One filing, many carriers
We work with more than one carrier, so we can compare the BMC-84 bond options and rates available to your brokerage.
Same rules wherever you broker
This is a federal filing that applies wherever you broker, and Ashton is licensed nationwide.
People, not just a form
You can talk with a member of the Ashton team about your bond, not just fill out a form.
Sixty years in
Ashton has been in the bond business since 1966.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between BMC-84 and BMC-85?
BMC-84 records a surety bond; BMC-85 records a trust fund. Both meet the $75,000 financial-security requirement, but trust funding and provider eligibility follow separate rules.
Who submits the replacement filing?
Your new surety or trust provider submits it electronically. Once FMCSA accepts it, it replaces the current filing. Work with the provider on the effective dates.
What happens if security drops below $75,000?
FMCSA may send a suspension notice after a reportable payment or determination. You then have seven business days after the notice is served to supply qualifying evidence, such as proof that security has been restored or that the report was wrong. Follow the instructions in your notice promptly.
Will FMCSA decide whether an individual claim is valid?
No. FMCSA oversees the required filings and financial responsibility, but it doesn’t step into individual claim or payment disputes. Those follow the applicable claims process.
Request a BMC-84 Freight Broker Bond Quote
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