Who Is Exempt From UCR Registration?

Drivers and carriers must consistently update their paperwork to keep their commercial motor vehicles compliant with state and federal regulations. A part of that compliance often involves USDOT UCR registration. Who is exempt from UCR registration? What consequences will unregistered drivers encounter? 

FMCA Filings offers in-depth guidance and insight regarding UCR registration for drivers and carrier supervisors. Find answers to commonly asked questions below.  

About the UCR Program

The Unified Carrier Registration Program is a federally recognized administration of representatives from various states that participate in the program. This administrative board ensures that fleets operating within participating states comply with each state’s trucking requirements. They mandate that carriers transporting goods across their state lines register with and pay fees to their program. 

The UCR Program aims to streamline and solidify trucking regulations across state lines. Before instating the UCR, state agencies managed individual state enforcement. The UCR allows participating states to execute and enforce standardized regulations under the terms of the UCR agreement. 

What Does UCR Registration Mean?

You now understand how the UCR improves trucking operations for participating state governments. What does it mean for drivers and carriers? It means that carriers must register their fleets between October 1st and December 31st each year to remain compliant with the regulations required by participating states. 

When you register with the UCR, you will complete the required paperwork and pay a fee. The fee amount depends on your fleet size. The annual UCR fees go toward various safety enforcement activities and programs that ultimately unite and simplify the trucking industry while making roads safer for all drivers. 

What Does a UCR Registration Do?

Although UCR registration benefits the entire trucking industry, you might wonder how it benefits individual carriers. Both truckers and their supervisors must do the following:

• Reapply for various permits
• Complete and submit the paperwork 
• Keep records of their activities, safety compliance, hours of service, and other information
• Pay numerous fees

These tasks apply to state and federal programs. The UCR streamlines fees, paperwork, and regulations for participating states, lightening your workload and to-do list. Without this program, carriers and truckers would complete paperwork and pay fees for individual states rather than a unified board. 

Who Should File for UCR Registration?

Are you required to register your fleet with the UCR? The answer depends on whether you cross certain state lines. Examine where your fleet travels and which state lines they must cross to reach their destinations. With 41 states participating in the UCR, the following parties should register:

• For-hire and private carriers
• Leasing companies
• Freight forwarders
• Brokers
• Single-vehicle operators
• Large trucking corporations

Essentially, any party responsible for commercial vehicle operations who plans to cross state lines should file for a UCR registration annually. Otherwise, their drivers and the company could face numerous consequences. 

What If You Need UCR Registration but Don’t Register?

If you opt out of UCR registration despite your carrier-owned vehicles traveling into participating states, you may meet the following penalties:

Vehicle detainment and impoundment: If state troopers or DOT officers discover noncompliance, they can lawfully prevent the offending vehicle from continued operation via detainment. Once they impound the vehicle, the carrier must pay fines to retrieve it. 

• Expensive fines: First-time offenders may pay $100 fines. Second-time offenders will earn a $2,500 fine. Finally, more than two offenses could face $ 5,000 in monetary penalties.
• Revoked operating authority: In some cases, such as repeated offenses, the carrier may lose their operating authority.
• Jail time: Individuals with repeated offenses could face up to a year in jail with the above-listed penalties. 
• Tarnished reputation: Parties partnering with non-compliant carriers and drivers will take their business elsewhere and avoid companies that continuously violate the UCR requirements. 

Avoiding mandated registration has expensive and damaging consequences for drivers and carriers. It results in unnecessary expenses and needless inconveniences. It can even jeopardize your carrier’s standing. 

Who Is Exempt From UCR Registration?

While most carriers should register with the UCR, some may operate without registration. Who is exempt from UCR registration? Intrastate carriers not traveling across state lines can opt out of UCR registration. However, doing so could limit your business and growth opportunities.

The following states do not currently participate in the UCR Program:

• Wyoming
• Vermont
• Oregon
• New Jersey
• Nevada
• Maryland
• Hawaii
• Florida
• Arizona

Does the state in which you operate border these states? If so, you might narrowly avoid mandatory UCR registration, depending on the involved states’ requirements. You might also operate within a limited number of states. 

For example, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona share borders. Therefore, your fleet might traverse these states without registration. 

Complete Your UCR Registration Seamlessly With FMCA Filings

Who is exempt from UCR registration? Intrastate carriers and very few interstate carriers with restrictive travel abilities. Federal Motor Carrier Authority Online Filings can assist you with questions like “What is a UCR filing?” and obtaining necessary permits. Contact us today or speak with one of our professional agents via Live Chat.