UCR fees set to go up again
UCR fees are expected to increase by 20% in 2027.
In a notice of proposed rulemaking, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced that the Unified Carrier Registration Board of Directors recommended a fee increase that will vary from $9 to $9,329, depending on the applicable fee bracket.
UCR is an annual permit that most motor carriers must pay if they have an active U.S. DOT number, regardless of whether they are using that DOT number or whether it is marked interstate, according to OOIDA’s Permits and Licensing Department.
All states must enforce UCR requirements, whether or not they participate in it. The not-participating states are Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont and Wyoming. Washington, D.C., also does not participate. The UCR applies to all motor carriers and entities required to register with FMCSA, including those based in Canada and Mexico.
UCR fees for 2026
| Fleet size | Fee |
|---|---|
| 0-2 | $46 |
| 3-5 | $138 |
| 6-20 | $276 |
| 21-100 | $963 |
| 101-1,000 | $4,592 |
| 1,001 and above | $44,836 |
Proposed UCR fees for 2027
| Fleet size | Fee |
|---|---|
| 0-2 | $55 |
| 3-5 | $167 |
| 6-20 | $333 |
| 21-100 | $1,163 |
| 101-1,000 | $5,548 |
| 1,001 and above | $54,165 |
Slush fund?
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association has been critical of the UCR system, calling it nothing more than a “slush fund” for states.
The UCR system, which imposes taxes on motor carriers and distributes the revenue to 41 participating states, was established by Congress in 2005 to maintain a single national register of motor carriers engaged in interstate travel.
OOIDA told Congress in 2025 that the system no longer meets its objectives.
“Many states use UCR revenue as a non-federal match for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program funding, which is devoted primarily to enforcement,” OOIDA wrote. “Essentially, these states are utilizing a federally authorized tax on motor carriers to leverage additional federal funding for the policing of them. Rather than returning surplus funds to the depository, several donor states are currently flouting the UCR agreement and keeping revenues that exceed their entitlement. As DOT reviews wasteful spending programs, UCR is a prime candidate for repeal.”
How to comment
FMCSA will accept comments on the proposed fee increases for the next 30 days. To submit a comment, go to Regulations.gov and enter FMCSA-2025-0655. LL