By the TruckerNavi compliance team, led by Dmitry Borovoy, a New Jersey-licensed insurance producer and author of "Safety Manager: From Zero to Expert".
Short answer: a Georgia trucking company is four filings in four offices. The LLC costs $110 at the Secretary of State (ecorp.sos.ga.gov, 7 to 10 business days), then $60 a year by April 1. A USDOT number is required from 10,001 lbs GVWR even if the truck never leaves Georgia. Georgia-only carriers register with the Department of Public Safety under GIMC at $5 per truck; interstate carriers get MC authority through FMCSA Motus for $300, pay UCR $46 for 2026 and $55 for 2027, and have the insurer file $750,000 of liability within 20 days of publication. Authority goes Active in 20 to 25 business days. A tractor over 26,000 lbs adds IRP and IFTA ($3) at the Department of Revenue; a two-axle box truck at 26,000 lbs GVWR adds neither and needs no CDL.
Why other sites show different numbers. FMCSA closed its legacy registration tools on May 14, 2026 and moved everything into Motus with a login.gov identity check. The SOS fee schedule in force since September 6, 2025 charges the same $110 online and on paper (the old "$100 online, $110 by mail" line is gone). UCR opened its 2027 year on October 1, 2026 at $55. Every figure below is linked to the office that collects it.
Georgia is one of the cheaper states to start in: one $110 filing, federal fees that are the same everywhere, and a few state items that depend on weight and on whether the truck crosses the state line.
| Payment | Amount | Who collects, how often |
|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (LLC) | $110 ($100 plus $10 service charge), online or paper | Georgia SOS, once |
| Name reservation (optional) | $35, 30 days | Georgia SOS, once |
| Registered agent, Georgia street address | Yourself, or $149 a year (TruckerNavi) | Annually |
| EIN and USDOT number | $0 | IRS and FMCSA Motus, once |
| MC operating authority | $300 per authority type, non-refundable | FMCSA, once, interstate for hire |
| BOC-3 process agent | About $35 | Process agent, once |
| UCR | $46 for 2026, $55 for 2027 (0 to 2 trucks) | ucr.gov, annually, interstate only |
| GIMC | $5 per vehicle by December 31, $25 after | Georgia DPS, annually, intrastate only |
| LLC annual registration | $60, $25 late penalty | Georgia SOS, January 1 to April 1 |
| IFTA license and decals | $3 per vehicle | Georgia DOR, annually, qualified vehicles |
| IRP apportioned plates | By mileage share and weight, no flat figure | Georgia DOR, annually |
| Form 2290 (federal HVUT) | From 55,000 lbs; IRS example $550 a year at 80,000 lbs | IRS, annually |
| TAVT at titling | 7% of value, once; IRP vehicles pay annual AAVT instead | County tag office |
| Highway user impact fee | $50 at 15,500 to 26,000 lbs GVWR, $100 from 26,001; not on IRP vehicles | Georgia DOR, annually |
| Liability insurance | By quote | Insurer, annually |
| TruckerNavi Authority Bundle | $499, government fees separate | Once |
FMCSA does not require one; a sole proprietor can hold a USDOT number and MC authority. Almost everyone forms an LLC anyway, because brokers, factoring companies and insurers prefer an entity, and in Georgia it costs less than a tank of diesel.
File Articles of Organization at ecorp.sos.ga.gov for $110; per the SOS how-to guide the fee is the same by mail on Form CD 030. Online filings take 7 to 10 business days, paper about 15, per the fee schedule; two-day service adds $120, same day $275, one hour $1,200. A name reservation is optional, $35 for 30 days.
Get the EIN the day the Certificate of Organization arrives. It is free, but the IRS warns that a new EIN takes about four weeks to work for Form 2290.
FMCSA requires a USDOT number at 10,001 lbs GVWR, GCWR or actual weight, and its Do I need a USDOT number page lists Georgia among the states that require one for intrastate commerce too. The DPS FAQ is blunt: a business truck of 10,001 lbs needs a USDOT number, a medical examiner's certificate and a stop at every open weigh station, whether or not it ever sees Alabama. What changes with the state line is the registration on top of the number.
Intrastate household goods movers also need a DPS certificate, and intrastate ELDs have been mandatory since January 1, 2019, short-haul excepted, per gamccd.net. Where the line falls, including local drayage that counts as interstate: interstate vs intrastate authority.
| Operation | USDOT | MC | GIMC | UCR | IRP | IFTA | CDL | D&A testing | Form 2290 | Impact fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26,000-lb two-axle box truck, Georgia only | Yes | No | $5 | No | No | No | No | No | No | $50 |
| Same box truck, for hire across state lines | Yes | $300 | No | $46 / $55 | No | No | No | No | No | $50 |
| 80,000-lb tractor-trailer, Georgia only | Yes | No | $5 | No | No | No | Class A | Yes | Yes | $100 |
| 80,000-lb tractor-trailer, interstate for hire | Yes | $300 | No | $46 / $55 | Yes | $3 | Class A | Yes | Yes | No (IRP) |
Since May 14, 2026 every USDOT and MC application goes through Motus, per the FMCSA registration page. You sign in through login.gov and pass an IDEMIA identity check (ID photo plus selfie, about twenty minutes) personally as the owner; no USDOT PIN is needed. Walkthrough: FMCSA Motus registration.
The biennial update under 49 CFR 390.19T still applies: FMCSA paused automatic deactivations from June 1, 2026 while Motus settles, and the pause is temporary.
For an interstate carrier FMCSA sets the number and the insurer files it. Georgia enters for intrastate for-hire carriers under GIMC and for IRP, where DOR is picky about the document, not the amount.
| Operation | Minimum | Form | Who files, where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interstate for-hire property, GVWR 10,001 lbs and up | $750,000 | BMC-91 or BMC-91X, MCS-90 on the policy | Insurer, to FMCSA (source) |
| Interstate for-hire property, GVWR under 10,001 lbs | $300,000 | BMC-91 or BMC-91X | Insurer, to FMCSA |
| Interstate household goods | $750,000 plus cargo $5,000 per vehicle | BMC-91/91X plus BMC-34 or BMC-83 | Insurer, to FMCSA |
| Intrastate for-hire under GIMC | Set by Georgia law; the insurer applies it | Form E | Insurer, via tylerinsurancefilings.com to DPS (source) |
| DPS certificate holders (household goods, passengers) | $100,000 per person, $300,000 per occurrence, $50,000 property; cargo $25,000 per vehicle, $50,000 aggregate | Form E, H, K | Insurer, to DPS (rule 570-38-2-.05) |
| IRP registration | Proof of coverage, no separate limit | Policy card or certificate; binder only within 30 days; no declarations page | You, to DOR (source) |
The DPS rule figures apply to certificate holders, not to every intrastate freight truck. Driving uninsured in Georgia is a $200 to $1,000 fine or up to 12 months under O.C.G.A. 40-6-10, cited on DOR's IRP page. Premiums are quoted, not published; get the quote before you pay FMCSA, because the filing is what turns an application into authority.
Apportioned plates come from the Department of Revenue, not the county. Per the DOR FAQ, IRP applies when a vehicle travels in two or more jurisdictions and is a power unit over 26,000 lbs or with three or more axles, combinations included. A two-axle 26,000-lb box truck running to Tennessee does not need it; an 80,000-lb tractor does.
Since July 3, 2023 new accounts open only through EZ IRP (ezirp.dor.ga.gov): DOR responds within five business days, issues a login on approval and a Temporary Apportioned Permit on payment. Its processing table lists 7 to 10 business days for new accounts, last updated in 2021, so treat it as a guide.
What gets applications refused is base jurisdiction. DOR wants five proofs from the Established Place of Business list or three from the Georgia Residency list, never mixed; P.O. Boxes and virtual offices are not accepted, every document must show one address, and records must be kept in Georgia. An established place of business is a building you own or lease with a permanent sign, proven by the SOS annual registration, a county zoning certificate, a public listing under 30 days old, an employee schedule and a paystub. A one-truck owner who lives in Georgia takes the residency route with three personal documents, the path we usually file.
Bring: driver's license, the insurance document from the table above, the Georgia title receipt (titles are issued only at the county tag office, and IRP is never processed there, per DOR), the lease if any, the 2290 checklist for any VIN above 54,999 lbs (stamped Schedule 1 or a bill of sale under 60 days old), and Form RD-1061 if someone files for you. IRP vehicles skip the 7% TAVT through Form T-146 and pay annual AAVT instead.
Renewal follows the first letter of the company name per DOR: A and B expire in January, X, Y and Z in December. Filing in the expiration month costs a 10% penalty, paying after it 25%, and Georgia sells no trip permits to its own carriers, so an expired cab card parks the truck. How IRP, IFTA, NY HUT and 2290 fit together: IRP vs IFTA vs NY HUT vs 2290. Account setup and proofs assembled for you: /permits, apportioned fees paid to DOR.
Per DOR's motor fuel rules the license and two decals cost $3 per vehicle, valid through December 31. A qualified vehicle runs interstate with two axles over 26,000 lbs, three or more axles, or in a combination over 26,000 lbs; a two-axle 26,000-lb box truck stays out. Register at gtc.dor.ga.gov with the EIN, IRP or USDOT number and a Georgia place of business; decals go on both doors.
The trap is the return: Forms IFTA-100 and IFTA-101 are due every quarter by the end of the following month even with zero miles. Late filing is $50 per return, late payment $50 or 10% plus 1% interest a month, and running without decals or a $16 10-day permit is at least $145 per incident under O.C.G.A. 48-9-45. Motor Fuel Tax Unit: 404-656-4055. Building the return from ELD miles: IFTA filing guide.
"How to start a box truck business in Georgia" is the most searched question that lands here, and the answer is shorter than for a tractor as long as the truck stays at 26,000 lbs GVWR on two axles.
What falls away. No CDL: 49 CFR 383.5 starts Group B at 26,001 lbs, and the DPS FAQ confirms air brakes under 26,001 lbs change nothing unless you haul placarded hazmat. No Part 382 testing, consortium or Clearinghouse, because Part 382 covers only CDL drivers. No IRP, no IFTA, no Form 2290.
What stays. A USDOT number from 10,001 lbs. MC authority at $300 for interstate for-hire work, or GIMC at $5 in-state. The FMCSA minimum of $750,000 at 10,001 lbs and up ($300,000 below). A medical card, an ELD unless short-haul applies, the name and USDOT number on both doors, county registration with 7% TAVT and the $50 impact fee, UCR if interstate. And New Entrant monitoring for 18 months under 49 CFR 385.307, with the audit generally after at least three months.
Once a CDL driver joins or the next truck is 26,001 lbs, the second column switches on: Clearinghouse (how to register), a consortium at $150 a year, IRP, IFTA. Plan the truck size around that line. What load boards and delivery platforms require is their own policy; confirm it with the platform before buying.
This order avoids waiting on your own paperwork: the tractor and Georgia-only rows run in parallel with the federal application.
| When | Step | Office | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | LLC on ecorp.sos.ga.gov, Georgia registered agent, EIN when the Certificate of Organization arrives | SOS, IRS | 7 to 10 business days | $110; agent $149 a year if hired |
| Weeks 1 to 2 | Motus account and identity check, USDOT and MC application, insurance quotes, BOC-3, UCR | FMCSA, process agent, ucr.gov | One day to file | $300; about $35; $46 or $55 |
| Weeks 2 to 3 | Publication in the FMCSA Register; insurer files BMC-91X; 10-day protest window | FMCSA | Insurance within 20 days of publication | Premium by quote |
| Weeks 3 to 5 | Authority granted, documents mailed, Active on SAFER | FMCSA | 20 to 25 business days from filing | $0 |
| Parallel, tractor | EZ IRP with 5 or 3 proofs; title at the county tag office with Form T-146; IFTA at the Georgia Tax Center | DOR, county | 5 business days for the response, then 7 to 10 | IRP by mileage; AAVT; IFTA $3 |
| Parallel, Georgia only | GIMC with Form E, affidavit, ID and seminar proof; county registration | DPS, county | Active when every document and payment are in | $5 per truck; TAVT 7%; impact fee $50 or $100 |
| Week 5 and later, tractor | Form 2290 once the EIN is four weeks old; Clearinghouse; CDL driver into a consortium | IRS, FMCSA | 2290 by the last day of the month after first use | HVUT per IRS table; consortium $150 a year |
| Months 1 to 18 | New Entrant monitoring and audit; annual registration by April 1; UCR and GIMC by December 31; IRP in your letter month | FMCSA, SOS, DPS, DOR | Audit generally after 3 months | $60; $55; $5; IRP by mileage |
| Office | What it handles | Phone | Address or portal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secretary of State, Corporations Division | LLC, annual registration, registered agent | (404) 656-2817 | 2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE, Suite 313 West Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334; ecorp.sos.ga.gov |
| Department of Public Safety, UCR-GIMC Section | GIMC, UCR questions, household goods certificates | (844) 238-8097, (404) 624-7247; ucr.gimc@gsp.net | 959 United Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30316 (by appointment); gamccd.net |
| DPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement | Inspections, safety rules, size and weight permits | (404) 624-7212; permits (844) 837-5500 | dps.georgia.gov |
| Department of Revenue, IRP unit | Apportioned plates, cab cards, T-146, trip and hunter permits | commercial.vehicles@dor.ga.gov | ezirp.dor.ga.gov; Georgia Trucking Portal |
| Department of Revenue, Motor Fuel Tax Unit | IFTA license, decals, quarterly returns | 404-656-4055 | gtc.dor.ga.gov |
| Department of Driver Services | CDL, CLP, ELDT, medical certificate | See dds.georgia.gov | CDL from 18 (Georgia only until 21); CLP held 14 days; CAP fee $35 |
| FMCSA Contact Center | USDOT, MC, Motus, BOC-3, insurance filings | 1-800-832-5660 | motus.dot.gov; safer.fmcsa.dot.gov |
| UCR Plan | UCR registration and payment | 1-833-827-7526; helpdesk@ucr.gov | ucr.gov |
| IRS Form 2290 line | HVUT, Schedule 1, EIN status | 866-699-4096 | irs.gov, Trucking Tax Center |
The Authority Bundle is $499 for the work: the LLC on ecorp.sos.ga.gov, the EIN, USDOT and MC in Motus, the BOC-3, UCR and Clearinghouse registration, with the name and address matched across every filing. Government fees go to the government: $110 to the SOS, $300 to FMCSA, about $35 for the BOC-3, UCR $46 for 2026 or $55 for 2027. The identity check in Motus is the one step you do yourself, and we are on the phone while you do it. After the start: Registered Agent $149 a year, Safety Compliance, rate on request, Drug & Alcohol consortium $150 a year when a CDL driver joins, Mock DOT Audit $399. Russian, English and Ukrainian.
Get the Authority Bundle, $499 →Or just call: (315) 871-0833 · WhatsApp
Form a Georgia LLC ($110), get an EIN, and apply for a USDOT number in FMCSA Motus: a box truck at 10,001 lbs GVWR needs one even inside Georgia. Staying in-state, register with DPS under GIMC for $5 per truck with a Form E from the insurer; for hire across state lines, add MC authority ($300), UCR ($46 for 2026, $55 for 2027) and a $750,000 liability filing. Title at the county tag office costs 7% TAVT plus the $50 impact fee. At 26,000 lbs on two axles: no CDL, IRP or IFTA, but a medical card and an ELD.
Authority is federal; the Georgia part is the LLC and the address. Create a Motus account through login.gov, pass the IDEMIA identity check, and apply for a USDOT number and MC authority at $300 per authority type. Order a BOC-3 from a process agent (about $35) and have the insurer file the BMC-91X within 20 days of publication in the FMCSA Register. A new applicant is granted in 20 to 25 business days if the name and address match the Secretary of State record exactly. Then pay UCR and, for a tractor, open IRP and IFTA at DOR.
A box truck needs the same MC authority as a tractor if it hauls someone else's freight across state lines for pay: $300 in Motus, a BOC-3, a BMC-91X filing for $750,000 at 10,001 lbs GVWR and up, and UCR. What it skips at 26,000 lbs on two axles is IRP, IFTA, a CDL driver and a testing consortium, which makes it the cheapest authority to run. A box truck that never leaves Georgia needs no MC authority: it registers with DPS under GIMC for $5 per vehicle and, if for hire, files Form E through the insurer.
No. The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse covers drivers who must hold a CDL or CLP and their employers, because it is built on Part 382 testing, and 49 CFR 382.103 applies only to CDL drivers. A Georgia box truck company whose drivers run at 26,000 lbs GVWR or less on a regular license has no Clearinghouse registration, no queries and no consortium. The moment one CDL driver is hired or one truck crosses 26,001 lbs, the employer registers, runs pre-employment and annual queries, and puts the driver in a random pool, which for one driver means a consortium.
Government fees for a one-truck interstate carrier: $110 for the LLC, $300 for MC authority, about $35 for the BOC-3, UCR at $46 for 2026 or $55 for 2027, $3 for IFTA, and IRP fees that depend on the miles declared per state. Add 7% TAVT at titling unless the truck goes under IRP, Form 2290 (the IRS example is $550 a year at 80,000 lbs) and $60 a year to keep the LLC. A Georgia-only carrier swaps MC and UCR for GIMC at $5 per truck plus the $50 or $100 impact fee. Insurance is the largest line and is set by a quote. TruckerNavi's Authority Bundle is $499 for the filings.
Yes, once the truck or combination reaches 10,001 lbs GVWR, GCWR or actual weight. Georgia is on FMCSA's list of states that require a USDOT number for intrastate commerce, and the DPS FAQ says a business truck of 10,001 lbs needs a USDOT number, a medical examiner's certificate and a stop at every open weigh station. The number is free and issued in Motus. What you do not need for Georgia-only work is MC authority or UCR; instead you register with DPS under GIMC, $5 per vehicle by December 31 and $25 after, with the DPS seminar every 12 months.
The state where the truck is based and the records are kept, which for a Georgia driver is Georgia. An LLC formed elsewhere still registers in Georgia as a foreign entity, still needs a Georgia registered agent, and does nothing for IRP, where DOR wants five proofs of an established place of business or three proofs of Georgia residency at one Georgia address. Georgia's own numbers are low: $110 to form, $60 a year to keep, 7 to 10 business days to process. The one thing to match is the SOS address with the Motus address, because a mismatch delays the authority.
In Georgia, in order: an LLC and EIN; a USDOT number and, for interstate for-hire work, MC authority through Motus; a BOC-3 process agent; liability insurance filed by the insurer on a BMC-91X; UCR for interstate or GIMC for Georgia-only operation; for a tractor, IRP plates and an IFTA license from DOR plus a stamped Form 2290 Schedule 1; for a CDL driver, Clearinghouse registration and a consortium; for every driver, a medical certificate and an ELD unless short-haul applies. Then a driver qualification file, the name and USDOT number on the doors, and a plan for the New Entrant audit within 18 months.
$110: a $100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge, the same online at ecorp.sos.ga.gov or by mail on Form CD 030. Online filings take about 7 to 10 business days; two-day service is $120 more, same day $275. Then the LLC files an annual registration for $60 between January 1 and April 1, with a $25 late penalty.
Yes, from 10,001 lbs GVWR. FMCSA lists Georgia among the states that require a USDOT number for intrastate commerce, and the Georgia DPS FAQ says a business truck of 10,001 lbs or more needs a USDOT number, a medical examiner's certificate and a stop at every open weigh station. On top of it, an intrastate carrier registers with DPS under GIMC at $5 per vehicle by December 31.
The same as everywhere, because it is federal: you apply through FMCSA Motus, and a new applicant is granted in 20 to 25 business days unless the file is pulled for further review. The insurer must file the BMC-91 or BMC-91X within 20 days of publication in the FMCSA Register, there is a 10-day protest window, and an application with no insurance and no BOC-3 is dismissed after about 90 days with the $300 lost.
No. Under 49 CFR 383.5 a Group B CDL starts at a GVWR of 26,001 lbs, and the Georgia DPS FAQ confirms that air brakes on a truck under 26,001 lbs do not create a CDL requirement unless you carry placarded hazardous materials. What stays: a USDOT number, a medical examiner's certificate, an ELD unless the short-haul exception applies, and $750,000 of liability for a for-hire truck at 10,001 lbs or more.
Not with two axles and a gross or registered weight of 26,000 lbs or less, even across state lines. Georgia's IRP rule covers power units over 26,000 lbs or with three or more axles in two or more jurisdictions, and the IFTA qualified vehicle definition is the same: two axles over 26,000 lbs, three or more axles, or a combination over 26,000 lbs. A tractor-trailer needs both; a 26,000-lb two-axle box truck needs neither.
GIMC is the Georgia Intrastate Motor Carrier registration run by the Department of Public Safety for carriers that operate only inside Georgia with vehicles of 10,001 lbs or more: $5 per vehicle by December 31, $25 after, plus Form E from the insurer for for-hire carriers, a notarized affidavit and proof of the DPS seminar. UCR is the federal registration for interstate carriers, paid at ucr.gov: $46 for 2026 and $55 for 2027 for 0 to 2 trucks. A carrier pays one or the other, never both.
For an interstate for-hire property carrier the FMCSA minimum is $750,000 at a GVWR of 10,001 lbs or more and $300,000 below that; household goods carriers add $5,000 of cargo coverage per vehicle. Georgia DPS rule 570-38-2-.05 sets $100,000 per person, $300,000 per occurrence and $50,000 property damage for holders of DPS certificates such as household goods and passenger carriers. The premium is set by a quote, not a table.
No. A vehicle registered under IRP claims the exemption from the 7% Title Ad Valorem Tax on Form T-146 and is assessed an annual Alternative Ad Valorem Tax instead, calculated by the Department of Revenue at registration. The $50 or $100 Heavy Vehicle Highway User Impact Fee also does not apply to IRP vehicles; it is charged on Georgia-only trucks from 15,500 lbs GVWR.
Yes. The Authority Bundle is $499 for the work: the LLC at the Georgia Secretary of State, the EIN, the USDOT number and MC authority in Motus, BOC-3, UCR and Clearinghouse registration. Government fees are paid separately: $110 to the SOS, $300 to FMCSA, about $35 for the BOC-3, UCR $46 for 2026 or $55 for 2027. The one step you do yourself is the identity check in Motus, about twenty minutes, and we stay on the phone: (315) 871-0833.