Insurance
BMC-91, BMC-91X and the other insurance filings with FMCSA
Updated
A BMC-91 or BMC-91X is the certificate your insurer files with FMCSA to prove your public liability coverage. FMCSA won't grant your authority until the required filings are in effect, so a policy you've paid for can still leave you pending if the filing hasn't gone in.
At a glance
- Who files
- Your insurer or other financial responsibility provider
- Due after publication
- Within 20 days
- If it's late
- FMCSA decision gives 60 days before dismissal
- Cancellation notice
- BMC-35, ordinarily 30 days from FMCSA receipt
- Reinstatement request
- $80
Check your filing. The status check shows the insurance filing FMCSA has for you and whether a cancellation is on file. Check your status
The filings and who makes them
Your insurer, or another financial responsibility provider, files proof of coverage with FMCSA. Ready for Loads is not affiliated with FMCSA and doesn't file anything for you. FMCSA's own rules are on its insurance filing requirements page (opens in a new tab).
| Form | What it does |
|---|---|
| BMC-91 | Proves your public liability coverage |
| BMC-91X | Proves your public liability coverage, full or aggregated |
| BMC-34 | Proves household goods cargo coverage, at $5,000 per vehicle and $10,000 per occurrence |
| BMC-35 | Notifies FMCSA that your insurance is being cancelled |
| BMC-84 | A broker or freight forwarder's $75,000 surety bond |
| BMC-85 | A broker or freight forwarder's $75,000 trust agreement |
| BMC-36 | Notifies FMCSA that a bond is being cancelled |
Brokers check general freight cargo on your certificate of insurance (COI), since it has no FMCSA filing. The MCS-90 is the endorsement on the policy itself and is separate from these filings.
Your process agent filing, the BOC-3, also has to be on file.
Timing after you apply
Your application is published in the FMCSA Register first, and the clock runs from that date:
- Protests: anyone who wants to protest your application has 10 days from publication.
- Insurance filing: FMCSA's filing guidance calls for it within 20 days of publication.
- If it's late: FMCSA serves a decision that gives you 60 days to comply before the application is dismissed.
Go by the deadline in the decision you receive, since older FMCSA pages describe the timing differently.
Until every required filing is in and FMCSA issues the grant, Motus shows the authority as pending. The reasons it lists include FMCSA review, the BOC-3 and the insurance filing.
Pending authority can't haul. The pending authority guide covers each hold.
When your filing hasn't posted
A paid policy and a posted filing are separate events. If your authority is still pending on insurance, these steps narrow it down:
- Ask your agent for the date the filing went in and the form used, BMC-91 or BMC-91X.
- Confirm the filing lists your exact DOT and MC numbers and the liability amount you bought.
- Check your record again after the date your agent gives you.
Your record shows a filing only when your insurer, or another provider of the financial security, files it. A COI you send a broker doesn't put a filing there. Get the filing date in writing when you bind.
When a filing is cancelled
An insurer that cancels files a BMC-35. The cancellation ordinarily takes effect 30 days after FMCSA receives it, unless a replacement filing comes in.
Those 30 days are notice before the cancellation. Coverage that has already lapsed gets no grace period, and you can't haul uninsured during the notice period.
Getting revoked authority back
If your authority is revoked, the path back runs in this order:
- Get accepted insurance and a valid BOC-3 back on file.
- Make sure your USDOT number is active and up to date, and resolve any out-of-service order separately.
- Submit the reinstatement request and pay the $80 fee.
- Check that the authority shows active before you haul.
FMCSA's FAQ estimates active status about a week after it gets the request and payment, with no guarantee. Standard reinstatement isn't available while your USDOT number is inactive or out of service, or while an imminent-hazard or final unsatisfactory safety case is unresolved.
The FAQ still points to the old FMCSA Portal, and registration management has moved to Motus, so use the current Motus path. The reinstatement guide has the details.
Check what your filing opens. The load-ready check reads the coverage on your record and shows which brokers' published minimums it meets. Load-ready check
Frequently asked questions
Who files the BMC-91 or BMC-91X?
Your insurer, or another financial responsibility provider, files it with FMCSA. You don't file it yourself.
What is the difference between a BMC-91 and a BMC-91X?
Both prove your public liability coverage to FMCSA. A BMC-91X can show full or aggregated coverage.
How long do I have to get my insurance filed?
FMCSA's filing guidance calls for your insurance filing within 20 days of publication in the FMCSA Register. If it isn't in, FMCSA serves a decision that gives you 60 days to comply before the application is dismissed.
Does a certificate of insurance put a filing on my FMCSA record?
No. A COI you send a broker doesn't put a filing on your record, and only a filing by your insurer or another financial security provider does.
How much does it cost to reinstate revoked authority?
The reinstatement request costs $80. FMCSA's FAQ estimates active status about a week after it gets the request and payment, with no guarantee.