BOC-3 is a form that is provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, and it gives brokers, motor carriers, and freight forwarders the ability to operate in multiple states in which they conduct business by providing them with a legal presence in each one of those states. BOC stands for “blanket of coverage,” and the form lists the companies’ process agent from each state business is conducted in (typically hauling freight). A process agent is the person or company that accepts legal paperwork in that state on the behalf of a business, and they are the ones that file Form BOC-3 with the FMCSA.
How do you Get your BOC-3 Form Filed?
The BOC-3 applicant will need to contact one of its process agents, who will then file the form with the FMCSA. Just remember, when choosing your process agents, that the person or company must be based in the state where he, she, or it intends to represent your freight business. This means the process agent must have a physical presence in said state. A post office box is not considered an acceptable place to receive any documentation meant for clients.
The chosen process agent needs to submit only one completed Form BOC-3 to the FMCSA. The cost of filing usually falls between $20 and $40. A separate form is not expected for each state, since all states that required agency designations will be included on the federal form with agents representing the company’s presence in each state listed, along their contact information.
As a matter of fact, only one form is allowed to be on file with the FMCSA at any given time. The only time a new Form BOC-3 should be filed is when there are changes to one of the designated agents, or their contact information, or another state is added to the roster of where a company conducts business. That said, a copy of Form BOC-3 should be kept at the broker’s or carrier’s principal place of business at all times.
Can a Company File its Own Form BOC-3?
No, it cannot. The law states that only a process agent can file Form BOC-3 with the FMCSA. The only exception to this rule is those freight forwarders or brokers that do not operate their own commercial motor vehicles. They are allowed to file Form BOC-3 for themselves.
Does a Form BOC-3 Expire?
According to the FMCSA, a Form BOC-3 does not ever expire once it is filed. It remains on your account indefinitely unless you initiate a change of agent, a change to an existing agent’s address, phone number, or email, or add or erase a state in which your company conducts business.
In conclusion, filing Form BOC-3 is a crucial part of legally running a freight forwarding or motor carrying business or brokerage. You will need a dependable processing agent to ensure that the form is filed correctly, on time, and properly. With Lafayette Process Servers as your processing agent, you can count on us to take care of filing Form BOC-3 and any other paperwork critical to your operation. Give us a call today!
Donna Lee Hellmann is a New Orleans-area copywriter. The foregoing article has simply been presented for informational purposes only. She, and those at Lafayette Process Servers, are not attorneys. If you seek further information about this topic, contact an attorney in your local area.
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