The BMC-84 broker bond
Every licensed freight broker has $75,000 on file with FMCSA, either as a BMC-84 surety bond or a BMC-85 trust fund. It is the only money standing between an unpaid invoice and nothing — and on a failing broker it runs out quickly.
Insurance and bond filings (FMCSA dataset ypjt-5ydn), counted 2026-09-28. Filings accumulate over time, so the total on file exceeds the 25,081 currently active brokers.
What it actually protects
The bond exists so that when a broker collects from the shipper and does not pay the carrier, the carrier has someone to claim from. It does not protect the broker — the surety pays the claim and then pursues the broker for every cent of it. That is why sureties price bonds on the broker's credit, and why a broker who cannot get a bond usually cannot get authority either.
The number to hold on to is that the $75,000 is per broker, not per claim. When a mid-sized brokerage fails owing carriers two or three million dollars, every one of those carriers claims against the same $75,000. Carriers who file first and file completely do better than carriers who wait to see what happens.
How to claim
- Get the surety's name. Run the MC number through the lookup — the result lists the insurance and bond filings with the insurer and the effective date.
- Notify in writing, immediately. Don't wait for the broker's next promise. A written claim with a date is what puts you in the queue.
- Send the whole file. Rate confirmation, bill of lading, signed proof of delivery, your invoice and a record of the chasing you have done.
- Keep hauling paperwork clean meanwhile. If the load is still moving, deliver it and document it. Abandoning freight turns a payment dispute into a cargo claim against you.
- Expect a share, not the total. Sureties commonly interplead — hand the $75,000 to a court and let the claimants divide it.
Reading the filing before you book
The filing date matters as much as the existence of the bond. A bond filed last month on a docket that has been active for six years means something changed — the previous surety cancelled, or the broker switched after a claim. The lookup shows the filings newest first so you can see that pattern instead of just a yes/no.
And a revocation pending almost always means the bond has lapsed: 14,906 dockets are in that state right now. See checking broker authority.
Questions
How much is a freight broker bond?
$75,000. Every broker and freight forwarder must have either a BMC-84 surety bond or a BMC-85 trust fund for that amount on file with FMCSA before authority activates. The broker pays a premium for the bond, typically a few per cent of the face value a year depending on credit — the $75,000 is what the surety would pay out, not what the broker paid.
What is the difference between BMC-84 and BMC-85?
A BMC-84 is a surety bond: an insurer promises to pay claims up to $75,000 and then chases the broker. A BMC-85 is a trust fund: the broker's own money, or assets, held by a financial institution. Both satisfy the requirement. BMC-84 is far more common — 30,482 on file against 3,072 BMC-85 trust funds.
How do I claim against a broker bond?
Notify the surety named on the FMCSA filing in writing, with the rate confirmation, bills of lading, proof of delivery and your invoice. The lookup prints the insurer's name and the filing date. Do it immediately — the bond is a single $75,000 pool shared by every claimant, and a failing broker usually owes far more than that.
What if the broker has no bond on file?
Then they should not have active authority, and 111 currently do. The lookup flags it red. Without a bond an unpaid invoice has no backstop at all beyond suing them.
Does the bond cover a double-brokered load?
Often not the way carriers hope. If you hauled for a broker you had no contract with, whether the bond responds depends on the surety, the facts and sometimes litigation. The bond is a reason to check before you haul, not a guarantee afterwards.