Short answer: before a new Georgia carrier can legally haul across state lines, it needs a BOC-3 on file with the FMCSA, a current UCR registration, apportioned IRP plates, and an IFTA fuel-tax license. Each one goes to a different place. Here's what each is and when it's due.

If you've started the process, you've seen these acronyms in every forum thread and every sales call. Most explanations assume you already know what they mean.

This one doesn't. Keep it open while you work through your setup.

First, the two filings everything else depends on

USDOT number. This is your company's federal identifier with the FMCSA (the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration). New applicants register through the FMCSA's online registration system. Getting a USDOT number by itself does not let you haul freight for hire across state lines.

Operating authority (MC number). This is the federal permission to haul regulated freight for pay in interstate commerce. The FMCSA fee is $300 for each type of authority you request, and it doesn't refund mistaken applications. Pick your authority type carefully, because it also sets what insurance you must carry. (We cover the waiting period in detail in the 21-day wait.)

1. BOC-3: your designated process agents

What it is. The BOC-3 names a process agent in every state where you operate or keep an office. A process agent is a person or company that can accept legal papers on your behalf.

Who files it. You or your process agent, filed with the FMCSA. Most carriers use a process agent company that covers all states with one filing. Those companies charge for the service.

When it's due. The FMCSA's instructions say within 90 days of your application's publication in the FMCSA Register. Miss it and your application is dismissed, and the fee is gone. In practice, file it as soon as you have your MC number. Your authority can't go active without it.

Your authority goes active only when the protest period is over and your insurance and BOC-3 are on file. Both are on you to confirm.

2. UCR: Unified Carrier Registration

What it is. An annual registration and fee for motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies operating in interstate commerce. It's not an FMCSA filing. It runs through the UCR Plan's national registration system at ucr.gov, and Georgia participates.

What it costs. UCR fees scale with fleet size. For the 2027 registration year, the smallest bracket (0 to 2 vehicles) is $55 per carrier, according to the UCR Plan. Larger fleets pay more.

When it's due. Every year, before January 1 of the registration year. The 2027 registration opened October 1, 2026. If you're getting your authority this fall, you may be looking at both the current year and next year.

3. IRP: apportioned plates

What it is. The International Registration Plan lets one registration cover your truck across the U.S. states and Canadian provinces you run in. You get an apportioned plate and a cab card, and registration fees are split among the places you drive based on miles.

Who needs it. Generally, heavier trucks and tractors that travel in two or more jurisdictions. A Georgia-only truck registers with the state instead.

Where Georgia carriers file. With the Georgia Department of Revenue. Since July 3, 2023, all new IRP accounts in Georgia must be submitted through Georgia's EZ IRP system. Fees depend on your truck and the jurisdictions you choose, and the Department of Revenue links to an IRP fee estimator.

4. IFTA: fuel tax, one license

What it is. The International Fuel Tax Agreement lets you report fuel taxes for every state you drive in through one license with your base jurisdiction. For a Georgia carrier, that's the Georgia Department of Revenue.

Who needs it. Interstate carriers running a "qualified motor vehicle." Under the IFTA agreement, that's a power unit with two axles and a gross or registered weight over 26,000 pounds, a power unit with three or more axles at any weight, or a combination weighing more than 26,000 pounds. Recreational vehicles are excluded.

When it's due. Quarterly. You file a return each quarter showing the miles you drove and fuel you bought in each state. Georgia's posted due dates for the rest of this year: the third-quarter 2026 return is due November 2, 2026, and the fourth-quarter return is due February 1, 2027. Your truck also carries IFTA decals, and you keep mileage and fuel records to back up every return.

The ones people forget

Insurance filings. Your insurer files proof of coverage with the FMCSA. Confirm it was received.

Drug and alcohol program. CDL drivers need a DOT testing program, including a pre-employment drug test before driving. Owner-operators usually join a consortium.

New Entrant program. Your first 18 months, with a safety audit within 12 months of starting operations.

Biennial update. The FMCSA requires every registered entity to update its USDOT information every two years, and any time your name, address, or details change.

What's free, and what isn't

Every item above that goes to a government agency or plan has its own fee or tax, and those are separate from what any advisor charges. Process agent services cost money too. Be wary of anyone who blurs those lines, or who uses an official-sounding name. J.A. Financial Solutions is a private advisory firm, not affiliated with the FMCSA, USDOT, or any state agency.

A note on MC numbers: the FMCSA is moving to a new registration system called Motus and has proposed retiring MC numbers in favor of the USDOT number. That's a proposal, not a rule in effect. For now, MC numbers still exist.

Doing it in the right order

The filings themselves aren't hard. The order is what trips people up. One client came to us with his own truck and no authority. In 52 days he had active authority, a second truck, and his first load. That was one client's result, not a promise.

We've formed more than 500 businesses over 14 years. For the full Georgia path, start with our guide to trucking authority in Georgia.

Quick answers

Do I need IRP and IFTA if I only drive in Georgia? Generally no. IRP and IFTA are for qualifying vehicles that travel in more than one jurisdiction. Intrastate-only trucks register with the state instead. Confirm your situation with the Georgia Department of Revenue.

Are these filings free? No. The FMCSA charges $300 per type of operating authority, UCR fees scale with fleet size, and IRP and IFTA carry state fees and taxes. Process agent companies charge for BOC-3 service. All of these are separate from any advisor's fee.

How often do these renew? UCR is annual. IFTA returns are quarterly and the license renews each year. IRP renews on a schedule set by Georgia. Your BOC-3 stays on file but must stay current, and the FMCSA requires a USDOT registration update every two years.