# Agency Information Collection Activities; Renewal of an Approved Information Collection: Designation of Agents, Motor Carriers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders
**AGENCY:**
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Department of Transportation (DOT).
**ACTION:**
Notice and request for comments.
**SUMMARY:**
In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, FMCSA announces its plan to submit the Information Collection Request (ICR) described below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval and invites public comment. FMCSA requests approval to renew an ICR titled, “Designation of Agents, Motor Carriers, Brokers and Freight Forwarders,” OMB control number 2126-0015. This is necessary to provide motor carriers, property brokers, and freight forwarders a means to designate process agents, as required by law.
**DATES:**
Comments on this notice must be received on or before January 20, 2026.
**ADDRESSES:**
You may submit comments identified by Docket Number FMCSA-2025- 0457 using any of the following methods:
• *Federal eRulemaking Portal:**https://www.regulations.gov.* Follow the online instructions for submitting comments.
• *Mail:* Dockets Operations; U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
• *Hand Delivery or Courier:* Dockets Operations, U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, West Building, Ground Floor, Washington, DC 20590-0001 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 366-9317 or (202) 366-9826 before visiting Dockets Operations.
• *Fax:* (202) 493-2251.
To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods. See the “Public Participation and Request for Comments” portion of the *SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION* section for instructions on submitting comments.
**FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:**
Mr. Jeffrey Secrist, Office of Registration, Chief, Registration Division, DOT, FMCSA, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590-0001; (202) 385-2367; *[email protected].*
**SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:**
**Instructions**
All submissions must include the Agency name and docket number. For detailed instructions on submitting comments, see the Public Participation heading below. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to *https://www.regulations.gov,* including any personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading below.
**Public Participation and Request for Comments**
If you submit a comment, please include the docket number for this notice (FMCSA-2025-0457), indicate the specific section of this document to which your comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and material online or by fax, mail, or hand delivery, but please use only one of these means. FMCSA recommends that you include your name and a mailing address, an email address, or a phone number in the body of your document so FMCSA can contact you if there are questions regarding your submission.
To submit your comment online, go to *https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FMCSA-2025-0457/document,* click on this notice, click “Comment,” and type your comment into the text box on the following screen.
If you submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an unbound format, no larger than 8 1/2 by 11 inches, suitable for copying and electronic filing.
FMCSA will consider all comments and material received during the comment period.
**Privacy Act**
In accordance with 5 United States Code (U.S.C.) 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its regulatory process. DOT posts these comments, including any personal information the commenter provides, to *www.regulations.gov* as described in the system of records notice DOT/ALL 14 (Federal Docket Management System (FDMS)), which can be reviewed at *https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/privacy/privacy-act-system-records-notices.* The comments are posted without edits and are searchable by the name of the submitter.
**Background**
The Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) is authorized to register motor carriers under the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 13902; freight forwarders under the provisions of 49 U.S.C. 13903; and property brokers under provisions of 49 U.S.C. 13904. These persons may conduct transportation services only if they are registered pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 13901. The Secretary delegated authority pertaining to these registration requirements to FMCSA in 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1.87(a)(5).
Registered motor carriers, brokers and freight forwarders must designate an agent on whom service of notices in proceedings before the Secretary may be made (49 U.S.C. 13303). Registered motor carriers must also designate an agent for every State in which they operate and traverse in the United States during such operations, on whom process issued by a court may be served in actions brought against the registered motor carrier (49 U.S.C. 13304, 49 CFR 366.4T). Every broker shall make a designation for each State in which its offices are located or in which contracts are written (49 U.S.C. 13304, § 366.4T). Regulations governing the designation of process agents are found at 49 CFR part 366. This designation is filed with FMCSA on Form BOC-3, “Designation of Agents for Service of Process.” For this renewal, the program's annual burden hours increased from 3,448 to 18,503. This is due to an updated estimate of the number of respondents and responses.
*Title:* Designation of Agents, Motor Carriers, Brokers and Freight Forwarders.
*OMB Control Number:* 2126-0015.
*Type of Request:* Renewal of a currently approved information collection.
*Respondents:* Motor carriers, freight forwarders and brokers.
*Estimated Number of Respondents:* 110,799.
*Estimated Time per Response:* 10 minutes, or 0.167 hours.
*Expiration Date:* April 30, 2026.
*Frequency of Response:* On occasion. Form BOC-3 must be filed by all motor carriers, freight forwarders, and brokers when the transportation entity first registers with FMCSA. All brokers must make a designation for each State in which it has an office or in which contracts are written. Subsequent filings are made only if the motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder changes process agents or begins operating in a new State.
*Estimated Total Annual Burden:* 18,503.
*Public Comments Invited:* You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information collection, including: (1) whether the proposed collection is necessary for the performance of FMCSA's functions; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways for FMCSA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of the collected information. The Agency will summarize or include your comments in the request for OMB's clearance of this ICR.
Issued under the authority of 49 CFR 1.87.
Jonathan Mueller,
Acting Associate Administrator, Office of Research and Registration.