UCR 2027: who has to file, what it costs, and the deadline

Who has to file UCR?

UCR turns on what kind of operation you run and whether it crosses state lines. The UCR Plan's own questionnaire and FAQ give these answers:

Leased to another carrier and running under its authority? Your answer depends on whose operation it is. Run the UCR Plan questionnaire or call your base state's UCR office before you pay twice or not at all.

What counts as a commercial motor vehicle for UCR?

The bracket is set by how many commercial motor vehicles you own or operate. The UCR FAQ uses the federal definition: a self-propelled vehicle that "Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross vehicle weight of at least 10,001 pounds, whichever is greater, or when connected to trailing equipment has a gross combination weight rating or gross combination weight of at least 10,001 pounds, whichever is greater", or that carries placarded hazmat, or seats more than 10 including the driver (UCR FAQ). A tractor counts. Trailers aren't self-propelled, so they don't.

"For for-hire motor carriers transporting property or passengers and motor private carriers transporting property, the UCR fees are based only on the total number of commercial motor vehicles operated."

UCR Plan FAQ

2027 UCR fees by fleet size

Source: 91 FR 56063, published Sep 1, 2026, effective Oct 1, 2026; matches the UCR Plan's fee page checked Oct 24, 2026. Fee calculator and CSV: UCR fees.

The 2027 schedule replaces the one adopted for 2025 and kept for 2026. FMCSA describes the increase as averaging 20 percent, "with varying increases ranging between $9 and $9,329 per entity". For one truck the $9 bump still leaves 2027 below what carriers paid a few years ago:

"Even after the 2027 fee increase, the fees for registration year 2027 will still be lower than those in effect during registration years 2019 through 2022."

FMCSA, 91 FR 56063

When is UCR 2027 due?

Before January 1, 2027, so the last day is Thursday, December 31, 2026. The 2027 portal opened on October 1, 2026. The fee doesn't go away if you're late, and states can act from January 1:

A fleet that changes size during the year doesn't re-file: "Changes during the UCR Agreement registration year in the number of vehicles operated will not be reflected until the following year and the carrier will not need to report them currently." (UCR FAQ). There's no sticker or cab card to carry either. "No. You are not required to carry any proof of compliance in the vehicle. You can carry the receipt for payment of the fees if you choose."

How do I file?

1. Go to ucr.gov and start the 2027 registration. The plan says "The 2027 Registration Portal through the NRS opens October 1, 2026."
2. Enter your vehicle count. Carriers on the plan's auto-renew program get the count from FMCSA: "These registrations will all be done with option A and use the number of power units on their most current MCS-150 form." (UCR Plan). If your MCS-150 is out of date, fix it first; see the MCS-150 guide.
3. Pay the bracket fee. For one or two trucks that is $55, the whole bill.
4. Save the receipt. It's optional to carry but it is your proof if a collection notice shows up.

Is that UCR letter real?

Carriers have received letters and emails that look official and ask for more than the fee. OOIDA's warning:

"Members of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association have received reports and emails from third-party UCR vendors claiming their UCR fees were delinquent or late. Many times, this is not the case and the fee has already been paid."

Land Line (OOIDA), Apr 9, 2019

Signs you're looking at a third-party service, not the UCR Plan:

• The amount is above $55 for a one or two truck carrier. That is the fee in federal regulation, with no add-ons.
• The link or return address isn't ucr.gov or plan.ucr.gov.
• It says your registration is late when you've already paid. Log in at ucr.gov to check, or call 1-833-827-7526.

"Anytime you get a notice like this and have any doubt at all, you need to double check that your fee has been paid," says Crystal Minardi, OOIDA Permits and Licensing Department Supervisor (Land Line). We don't link to any UCR filing service and earn nothing from UCR.

Which state do I register through?

Your base state. The UCR Plan FAQ describes the setup this way: "The UCR Agreement is a base-state system administered by federal and state governments and by the motor carrier industry for the collection of fees levied on motor carriers and related entities." The agreement is between the UCR Plan's board "and the 41 states participating in the UCR Plan" (UCR Plan). Registration itself goes through the national registration system (NRS) at ucr.gov, which opened for 2027 on October 1, 2026 (UCR Plan).

Two federal fees sound alike and are not this one. The UCR FAQ asks whether fees for the federal registration system (UCRS) have anything to do with UCR fees and answers: "No." Those are collected by FMCSA when you apply for authority. Your $300 authority fee is not a UCR payment, and paying UCR doesn't register you with FMCSA.

Does UCR replace IRP, IFTA or my authority?

No. UCR is its own yearly fee. Your MC authority, apportioned plates (IRP), IFTA fuel tax license and Form 2290 are all separate filings with their own dates. The order for a new carrier is in New MC authority: the first 90 days.

Not legal advice. The UCR Plan and your base state are the authority on UCR; this page quotes them and the Federal Register. Not affiliated with the UCR Plan, FMCSA or any state.