---
title: "BMC-84 surety bond"
url: https://carrierkyc.com/glossary/bmc-84
description: "A BMC-84 is the FMCSA form that evidences a freight broker's $75,000 surety bond, which pays carriers and shippers if the broker fails to meet its obligations."
---

# BMC-84 surety bond

**Definition:** A BMC-84 is the FMCSA form that evidences a freight broker's $75,000 surety bond, which pays carriers and shippers if the broker fails to meet its obligations.

Also called: BMC-84, Broker bond, Freight broker surety bond. Category: FMCSA & freight.

Under 49 CFR 387.307, a broker must have a $75,000 surety bond or trust fund in effect, filed on Form BMC-84 for a bond or [BMC-85](https://carrierkyc.com/glossary/bmc-85) for a trust. FMCSA won't register a broker without one, and the registration stays in effect only while the bond or trust does. A bond can be cancelled only on 30 days' written notice to FMCSA.

The broker financial responsibility rule, in force since 2026-01-16, added immediate suspension. When a surety pays claims that drop the bond below $75,000, it must notify FMCSA. FMCSA then tells the broker its authority will be suspended within 7 business days unless it shows the notice was in error, restores the bond to $75,000, or settles the claims without using the bond.

For a factor, the bond matters when a broker is your debtor. It is a backstop for carriers and shippers, not a guarantee: $75,000 is shared among every claimant, which may be small next to a busy broker's payables. Check debtors' bond status and watch for cancellation notices.

> **Red flag: Red flags** A pending bond cancellation on a debtor. Broker authority that was suspended or recently reinstated. A broker that can't name its surety. See [how to verify a freight broker](https://carrierkyc.com/guides/how-to-verify-a-freight-broker).

## Related

- [BMC-85 trust fund](https://carrierkyc.com/glossary/bmc-85)
- [Freight broker](https://carrierkyc.com/glossary/freight-broker)
- [Account debtor](https://carrierkyc.com/glossary/account-debtor)
- [How to verify a freight broker before you fund their loads](https://carrierkyc.com/guides/how-to-verify-a-freight-broker)
- [Broker credit checks and days-to-pay for freight factors](https://carrierkyc.com/guides/broker-credit-and-days-to-pay)

## Sources

- [49 CFR 387.307: Property broker surety bond or trust fund](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-387.307) (eCFR)
- [Federal Register: Broker and Freight Forwarder Financial Responsibility (final rule)](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/11/16/2023-25312/broker-and-freight-forwarder-financial-responsibility) (FMCSA, 2023-11-16)
- [Federal Register: Broker and Freight Forwarder Financial Responsibility, extension of compliance date](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/12/31/2024-30509/broker-and-freight-forwarder-financial-responsibility-extension-of-compliance-date) (Compliance date moved to 2026-01-16)