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BOC-3 · Designation of Process Agents

One blanket filing. Process agents in all 50 states.

A BOC-3 designates a process agent in every state your authority touches — the place where lawsuits and court papers can be served on your company. FMCSA won't issue or reinstate operating authority without one on file. Order it here and our team files it with FMCSA for you.

File my BOC-3 · $59 → 📞 Call to sign up · (602) 899-1606 Book a discovery call
$59
One-time BOC-3 filing
Form BOC-3
Designation of process agents
Part 366
49 CFR · the rule behind it

You can't file BOC-3 yourself. Only a registered process agent can.

A for-hire motor carrier operating CMVs designates its process agents through a third-party agent, not on its own. Once the BOC-3 is on file, your authority can be issued or reinstated. Without a current BOC-3 on file, FMCSA will not grant operating authority.

Source49 CFR Part 366
— Who it applies to

Who needs a BOC-3.

The rule sweeps in for-hire interstate operators. Private and intrastate-only carriers are outside it. Here's the quick read.

— PROFILE 01
REQUIRED

For-hire motor carriers.

Anyone hauling property or passengers across state lines for compensation. New authority applicants and reinstatements both. A motor carrier designates an agent for each state it is authorized to operate in and each state it passes through (49 CFR § 366.4T(a)).

Example. A new owner-operator filing for MC authority to haul interstate freight.
— PROFILE 02
REQUIRED

Brokers & freight forwarders.

Property brokers designate an agent for each state where they have an office or write contracts (49 CFR § 366.4T(b)). Freight forwarders applying for authority file one too.

Example. A digital freight broker headquartered in Illinois booking loads nationwide.
— PROFILE 03
NOT REQUIRED

Private & intrastate carriers.

If you only haul your own goods, or you only operate within a single state, BOC-3 doesn't apply. The URS-era expansion to private carriers was suspended and remains so under § 366.1T.

Example. A construction firm running its own dump trucks within one state.
— Blanket designation

One agent. Every state. On the public ledger.

A blanket designation uses a company that has filed a list of process agents for each state with FMCSA (49 CFR § 366.5T). One BOC-3 then covers every state your authority touches, instead of a separate agent and a separate filing for each one.

— If you're ever served

What happens when papers actually arrive.

The papers go to the process agent named for that state, who accepts them on your company's behalf and gets them to you. Ask us who your designated agent is and how they'll reach you, so you know before you need it.

— 49 CFR Part 366

The rule, in one paragraph.

You designate a process agent for every state you operate in or pass through, on Form BOC-3. A process agent has to reside in or keep an office in the state it covers. The designation doesn't expire, and it changes only when a new one is filed.

  • Form BOC-3.Designations are made on Form BOC-3, Designation of Agent for Service of Process (§ 366.2T).
  • Every state you operate in.Motor carriers designate for each state they are authorized to operate in and each state they traverse (§ 366.4T(a)).
  • Brokers by office and contract.Brokers designate for each state where their offices are or where contracts will be written (§ 366.4T(b)).
  • Changes need a new filing.A designation can be canceled or changed only by a new designation (§ 366.6T).
— 49 CFR § 366.2T

"Designations shall be made on Form BOC-3, Designation of Agent for Service of Process."

— 49 CFR § 366.4T(b)

"Every broker shall make a designation for each State in which its offices are located or in which contracts will be written."

— 49 CFR § 366.6T

"A designation may be canceled or changed only by a new designation."

Read from the current eCFR, Title 49 Part 366. ecfr.gov

— Pricing

$59 to file your BOC-3.

One price from our published price list, paid once when you order. No separate charge from us per state.

— New filing or a change of agent

Initial BOC-3

$59 one-time
  • Form BOC-3 filed with FMCSA by our team
  • For motor carriers, brokers and freight forwarders
  • Order online with your MC number and business address
File my BOC-3 → 📞 Call to sign up · (602) 899-1606 Book a discovery call
— Common questions

Things carriers ask us first.

Don't see yours? Call or text (602) 899-1606.
Hours: Mon–Fri 6 AM – 5 PM AZ
[email protected]

Can I be my own process agent for BOC-3?
Only for the state where you live or keep an office. A process agent must reside in or maintain an office in the state it covers (49 CFR § 366.3T), and a for-hire motor carrier needs one for every state it is authorized to operate in and every state it passes through (§ 366.4T(a)). You can name yourself for your home state, but you would still need an agent in each of the others. That is why carriers use a blanket company, which has agents on file with FMCSA for every state (§ 366.5T). FMCSA lists the registered blanket companies on its process agents page.
What does "BOC-3" actually mean?
Form BOC-3 is FMCSA's Designation of Agent for Service of Process (49 CFR § 366.2T). It names a process agent in every state where you operate — a real person or office where lawsuits and court papers can be legally served on your company. FMCSA requires the form on file before issuing or reinstating operating authority for a for-hire interstate carrier, broker, or freight forwarder.
Can I file my own BOC-3?
Usually no. Form BOC-3 is filed by the process agent, not by the motor carrier. A broker or freight forwarder that doesn't operate CMVs may file its own in narrow cases, but most use a process agent anyway. Order it from us and our team files the designation with FMCSA for you.
How fast will my BOC-3 actually be filed?
Our team files it after your order comes in. We don't publish a guaranteed turnaround; if you're up against an FMCSA deadline, call or text (602) 899-1606 before you order and we'll tell you where things stand.
Does a BOC-3 expire?
No. A designation stays on file until it is replaced: under § 366.6T it can be canceled or changed only by a new designation. File a new BOC-3 when you change process agents, and ask us whether a change to your company's legal name or address needs one.
What happens if I'm actually served with papers?
The papers are delivered to the process agent named for that state, who accepts them on your company's behalf and gets them to you. Ask us who your designated agent is and how they'll reach you, so you know before you need it.
Do I need a BOC-3 if I only operate in one state?
Probably not. BOC-3 is a federal interstate-commerce requirement. Pure intrastate operations and private (own-goods) carriers are outside the rule. If you cross state lines for compensation — even occasionally — you do need one. Talk to us if you're unsure where you sit.
What if my BOC-3 provider goes out of business?
File a new BOC-3 with a new process agent right away — a designation can only be changed by a new one (§ 366.6T). We can file it for you at the same $59 price; call or text (602) 899-1606.
Is a P.O. box address okay for the agent?
No. Under § 366.3T a process agent must reside in or maintain an office in the state it covers, which a mailbox alone doesn't do.

BOC-3 filed. Authority unblocked.

$59 one-time, filed with FMCSA by our team. Questions first? Call or text us.

File my BOC-3 · $59→ 📞 Call to sign up · (602) 899-1606→ Book a discovery call→
Call or text: (602) 899-1606 · Hours: Mon–Fri 6 AM – 5 PM AZ