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Broker bond (BMC-84)
A broker bond, filed on form BMC-84, is the surety bond FMCSA requires before it will grant property-broker authority.
Last updated 11 October 2026.
FMCSA's insurance filing requirements, under 49 CFR 387.307, list the requirement for a broker of property: a surety bond or trust of seventy-five thousand dollars. The surety bond is form BMC-84. The trust agreement is form BMC-85.
FMCSA says it will not grant operating authority until that minimum is on file, and that the filing has to stay in force. The bond is there for motor carriers and shippers if the broker does not pay. It is not cargo insurance, and it is not a safety rating.
A brokerage buys it from a surety, and the surety files it with FMCSA. You do not upload a homemade PDF and call the authority done.
FreightScout is not a broker and it does not file your bond. The bond sits between you, your surety, and FMCSA. Nothing on this page is a filing. What FreightScout does with authority is the carrier check on a cover, before a rate. The page for what FreightScout is spells out that boundary.
Questions people actually ask
What does FMCSA require on a BMC-84?
A surety bond of seventy-five thousand dollars for a property broker, or a BMC-85 trust for the same amount. FMCSA's insurance filing chart is the source, under 49 CFR 387.307.
Does FreightScout file a broker bond?
No. FreightScout is not a broker. Your surety files the BMC-84 with FMCSA. FreightScout checks carrier authority and insurance before booking.