The Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) system is a federal program established by the Unified Carrier Registration Act of 2005 (UCR Act) . The UCR system replaces the former system for registering and collecting fees from the operators of vehicles engaged in interstate travel, the Single State Registration System (SSRS) . The UCR system requires individuals and companies that operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate or international commerce to register their business with a participating state and pay an annual fee based on the size of their fleet. The UCR fees are used to supplement funding for state highway motor carrier registration and safety programs.
The UCR system is 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 UCR Agreement is a base-state system that is part of the UCR Act and is found in 49 United States Code (USC) section 14504a. The UCR Agreement requires motor carriers involved in interstate commerce and other businesses subject to UCR to submit annual fees based on fleet size.
To register for UCR, carriers can apply online through the National Registration System at www.ucr.gov. The UCR registration fees vary based on the size of the fleet, and the fees for the 2023 UCR registration period have been reduced from the 2022 registration period.
