The Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Program is a Federally-mandated, state-administered program that went into effect September 10, 2007.

Motor carriers, motor private carriers, freight forwarders, leasing companies and brokers based in the United States, Canada, Mexico, or any other country that operate in interstate or international commerce in the United States must register under the UCR program.

For the for-hire carriers, UCR replaces the Single State Registration System (SSRS) program.     The UCR program is similar to SSRS in that UCR is a Base-State system, under which a carrier pays UCR fees through its Base State on behalf of all participating states.  Thirty-Nine (39) States will participate in the 2008 UCR program.

UCR fees are based on the total number of vehicles operated by a carrier.  The number of commercial motor vehicles (power units and trailers) for purposes determining a carrier’s UCR fees, is the number of commercial motor vehicles (power units and towed vehicles such as trailers) the carrier reported in the most recent Form MCS-150 filed with the FMCSA or the total number of commercial motor vehicles (power units and trailers) it owned or operated under long-term lease for period ending June 30, 2007.

UCR fees are not pro-rated.  Carriers must pay the 2008 UCR fees as they appear on the UCR application.

Carriers will be issued a receipt for the fees paid based on the total number of vehicles indicated on the UCR application.  This receipt expires December 31, 2008.  The issued receipt need NOT be carried in vehicles nor displayed by the carrier in any manner.

Entities not required to register under the UCR program include:
1.  USDOT registrants (usually owner-operators that do not have interstate authority) under the PRISM program.
2.  Purely intrastate carriers, that is, those that do not transport interstate freight nor cross state lines.

Beginning May 1, 2008, enforcement personnel will use computer records to verify UCR registration.