UCR Registration is Now Open!

Yeah we get it, the timing is less than ideal. But what’s new? We know all you truckers are currently buried under piles of of paperwork trying to finish up your 3rd quarter IFTA returns, but don’t forget about your UCR registration amidst all the madness!

The period officially opened on October 1, and now is the time to get it out of the way before the end of the year deadline. After all, nobody likes things hanging over their head; you’ve got enough on your plate already. So give us a call and let us complete your UCR registration, and while we’re at it, we can do your IFTA return for you, too!

If you aren’t sure what UCR registration is or how to go about getting yours taken care of, no worries, just keep reading and we’ll answer some of the most common UCR questions.

What is UCR Registration?

UCRA stands for the Unified Carrier Registration Agreement, which is mandated by the federal government. (Although it is administered by participating states) The registration is typically only for vehicles that operate interstate or internationally, and the fees are based on the total number of vehicles used or leased by the individual or company.

Most carriers that operate intrastate only, or that are registered under the PRISM program are not required to complete UCR registration. Although, certain states do have a UCR program for intrastate only carriers, like Georgia. If you’re unsure of the requirements of your state, be sure to check, as many state requirements change from year to year.

What’s My Base State?

Your base state is simply the state you are registered with that collects UCR fees on behalf of all participating UCR states. When choosing your base state, it is typical to choose the state where your business is headquartered, unless that state doesn’t participate in UCR.

If your state doesn’t participate, but you still need to register for UCR, you can choose the closest state that does participate where your business has an office or an operating facility. If that still isn’t an option for you, then you can just choose the nearest participating state as your base.

How Do I Change My Base State?

Well if you do need to change your base state, you couldn’t have picked a better time to do it. Even if your business has moved to another state, base changes are allowed once a year, and can only be done during the registration period - which is now! Just make sure you give the advanced notice of the change to your base state, and when renewing, choose your new base state.

What Happens if I Don’t Register or Register Late?

Each state that participates in the UCRA has the authority to enforce registration compliance through roadside enforcement checks and comprehensive business audits. During theses enforcement checks and audits, states are given the option to issue citations and fines if anything is found not to be in compliance. So while we can’t say for certain what will happen to you, we can confidently say that you can expect a pretty hefty fine.

We know that you have until the end of the year to register, but putting it off until then is probably the best possible way to forget about it entirely. So if you don’t think you’ll have time to get your UCR renewal completed, or if you just flat out don’t feel like doing it (we don’t blame you) then just give us a call at 803.386.0320, email us at support@tsnamerica.com, or send us a service request. Let us take the paperwork out of your way so you can get back to your day!