How to check if an auto transport broker is legit.
Four checks. Takes under a minute. If a broker fails any of them, walk away — there are 24,000+ other licensed brokers in the U.S.
- Look up their FMCSA registration — get the MC number, confirm it's real.
- Confirm broker authority is ACTIVE — not Inactive, Revoked, or Suspended.
- Check the BMC-84 bond is on file — $75,000 minimum, required by federal law.
- Match the legal company name — make sure who's quoting you is who FMCSA says they are.
Run all 4 checks at once.
Type the broker's MC number or company name. We pull live FMCSA data and run all four checks in one shot.
Look up their FMCSA registration
Every legal auto-transport broker in the U.S. has a Motor Carrier (MC) number issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. No MC number means they're not a licensed broker — they're either operating illegally or they're a different kind of company (e.g., a freight forwarder, a carrier, or just a website).
Where to look it up: the FMCSA SAFER public site (safer.fmcsa.dot.gov) or our verify tool. Both pull from the same federal database.
What you're looking for: a record exists, the legal name on file matches the company you're talking to (or is at least a related DBA), and the MC docket type is Broker — Property.
Confirm broker authority is ACTIVE
FMCSA classifies every broker's authority as Active, Inactive, Pending, Revoked, or Suspended. Only Active is safe.
- Active — legally permitted to broker shipments. Good.
- Inactive — they're not currently licensed. Even if they're still answering the phone and quoting jobs, they can't legally take your money.
- Pending — they applied for authority but haven't been granted it yet. Don't book.
- Revoked / Suspended — FMCSA pulled their authority. Walk immediately.
Brokers sometimes lose authority for non-payment of registration fees, bond lapses, or unresolved complaints. They often keep operating for weeks while "working on getting it back." That's your money at risk.
Check the BMC-84 bond is on file
Federal law (49 CFR 387.307) requires every property broker to maintain a $75,000 surety bond — usually called the BMC-84 bond. It's the only money that's recoverable if the broker fails to pay the carrier or otherwise breaks the contract.
If the bond isn't on file or has lapsed, two things are true: (1) they're operating in violation of federal law, and (2) you have no insurance behind the deal. If they take your money and disappear, there's nothing to claim against.
Our verify tool shows the bond amount AND the surety provider name (e.g., U.S. Specialty Insurance Company). If the surety company name doesn't show up, the bond isn't there.
Match the legal company name
Pull the company name FMCSA has on file. Compare it to the name on your quote, contract, and invoice. They don't have to match exactly — many brokers operate under DBAs ("doing business as") that are different from their legal name. That's normal.
What's NOT normal: the MC number you were given belongs to one company, but the contract/invoice you're signing is from a totally unrelated entity. That's the identity-spoofing scam — someone's using a real broker's MC# to look legitimate.
Quick sanity check: after looking up the MC, call the phone number FMCSA has on file (NOT the number the salesperson gave you). Confirm they have your quote.
- 7 car shipping scams you must avoid — what happens when these checks aren't run.
- Broker vs carrier — what's the difference?
- What is an MC number?
- Example: Montway Auto Transport — FMCSA verified profile
Now check yours.
Run all 4 checks on any broker — or get a verified quote from one we operate.