These processing agencies are designed to help trucking authorities navigate through their legal documents and assist when needed. Your process agents must also be available at that address during normal business hours (This is essentially the same as needing to have a registered agent in each state you operate in when you https://www.forex-reviews.org/ have an LLC). The BOC-3 (aka BOC 3 or BOC3) form is an FMCSA requirement for all interstate transportation companies in the US. It designates a person or an office to accept any legal papers on your behalf in any state you conduct business and/or travel through, and then forward them to you. If there is no BOC-3 form or no insurance on file with the FMCSA, there will be no authority issued.
What is a BOC-3 filing for transportation companies?
We can create a custom gameplan for your business, including helping you get your operating authority, pass the new entrant safety audit, and much more. Once everything has been properly filed, the documents will be mailed to you within a few business days. In other situations, if you are binance canada review a freight forwarder or a broker who doesn’t run commercial motor vehicles, then you are safe to go and file for your BOC-3 form all on your own.
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Normally, operating authority documents are sent out within 3-4 business days after authority has been granted. If 10 or more business days have passed since the grant date, and you have not yet received the operating authority document, you can contact the FMCSA. You can also check whether your operating authority has been issued by visiting the FMCSA Licensing and Insurance website. To receive and keep this authority, these companies must file Form BOC-3 (Designation of Agents for Service of Process) with the FMCSA.
What happens if I fail to comply with BOC-3 filing requirements?
A process agent is an individual or business appointed by you to receive legal documents on your behalf. Let’s define what a process agent is, to give you a little better context. In addition to this, a process agent will file the BOC-3 again if you have not received the operating authority. A process agent provides consultation services regarding your business and its operations.
- You can submit the form electronically through the FMCSA’s official website.
- The BOC-3 form is the Designation of Agents for Service of Process that makes the process agent eligible to work in the jurisdiction of other states mentioned in the form.
- Hence, for this purpose, the process agent will fill out the necessary documents on behalf of the company.
- Once it’s filed, you must keep a copy of the form at your principal place of business so you have a copy that proves you’ve allowed that agent to work on your behalf.
- Or, if you are a broker and arrange transport for others but don’t have your own vehicle.
- In addition to this, a process agent will file the BOC-3 again if you have not received the operating authority.
NEED YOUR BOC-3 FILING?
A completed BOC-3 form should include information on all states for which agency designations are needed, and it’s imperative to keep a copy of the form at your registered business address at all times. When filling out this form, you will need to provide your personal information to the processing agency. You should refile your BOC-3 any time there is a name change, transfer of authority, or another change to the details you provided on your application. That means that if you operate in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, you’ll need a process agent in each of those states. At Federal Motor Carrier Authority Filings, appointing and registering your BOC-3 agent costs you only $95, and we help guide you through every step with the help of our Live Agent services. Soshaul Logistics LLC and its affiliates do not provide tax, legal or accounting advice.
BOC-3 Filing Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Guide for Transportation Businesses
Each of these process agents must have their office in that particular state. You can also provide a blanket description, which means that one process agent will be available to the trucking business in all the states. However, you can choose a blanket process agent that covers you in each state your business operates.
Name changes, transfer of authority, or reinstatement of your motor carrier operating authority may lead to a BOC-3 needing to be refiled. A transportation company must have a process agent in all states that the transportation company traverses or drives through on their delivery routes. Using a process Blockchain stocks agent company fulfills the legal requirement to have a process agent in states where the transportation company does to have an actual office. The FMCSA regulations prohibit using a post office box as a process agent. The main program provided by the FMCSA is known as Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA). This program aims to use data-driven regulations to prevent motor vehicle accidents and deaths.
- For your info, the intrastate motor carriers get an exemption from this BOC-3 filing burden.
- BOC-3s are required for all motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders.
- And, you cannot file for yourself if you are planning on driving a truck for your company.
- An SOP agent or process agent is essentially an individual or business organization appointed by your business who is authorized to receive legal documents on the principal’s behalf.
- The FMCSA Enforcement Personnel is capable of suspending your operating authority, making you ineligible for a lifetime, or even causing the closure of the business.
- The fee can be paid online using a credit card or electronic funds transfer.
- Any new transportation company must file a BOC-3 before they can start operating within the United States, whether they plan to operate as a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder.
When to update your BOC-3 forms
Learn more about our new book, How to Start, Drive, and Accelerate a Trucking Business. In another case, if you are operating from a new state and ending your operation in an existing one, you will update it in your BOc-3 form. The BOC-3 is a requirement for everyone in the transportation industry. Seek out a compliance partner and provider that offers more than the minimum, such as impeccable customer support and innovative tools to keep you on top of essential compliance obligations. BOC-3 agents charge anywhere from $20 to more than $100, depending on the type of service you require.
Because only an appointed process agent can apply for it on your behalf, and it is done online. So, there is no legwork for you, but you can tell the process agent about your terms. By doing so, you test the process agent’s qualifications and service availability. Well, the answer to whether you can file BOC-3 on your own or not depends on your specific situation. For example, if you are a motor carrier who runs commercial motor vehicles (CMVs), you can’t file a BOC-3 form yourself. If somehow you fail to comply with this prerequisite and still operate, you may bear the burden of hefty fines.