Florida
DOT compliance for Florida carriers
Led by a 20+ year transportation and DOT compliance professional. HaulLedger Studio is a private company, not a government agency.
Audit-ready in 14 days or your setup fee back. See the fine print →
Not sure where you stand? Run the free DOT check. It reads your public FMCSA record and shows what may be missing. No card needed.
Run the free DOT checkStarting a trucking company in Florida means dealing with two sets of rules at once: federal FMCSA requirements that apply in every state, and Florida's own IRP and IFTA credentials, which are handled by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). This page sums up what a new Florida carrier runs into, and where we can help.
Your first 18 months: the new-entrant period
FMCSA monitors every new interstate carrier for an initial 18-month period. A safety audit happens within 12 months after you begin operations, generally at your principal place of business. Some violations fail the audit automatically, including having no drug and alcohol testing program, using a driver without a valid CDL or a medically unqualified driver, operating without the required insurance and failing to require hours-of-service records. A failed audit means you must put a corrective action in place, or your USDOT registration is revoked.
Florida IRP and IFTA (FLHSMV)
If your power unit runs interstate and is over 26,000 pounds, has three or more axles, or is part of a combination over 26,000 pounds, FLHSMV treats it as qualified for IRP apportioned plates and an IFTA license. To use Florida as your base jurisdiction, IRP requires an established place of business in Florida. FLHSMV defines that as a physical structure you own or lease, open and staffed during regular business hours.
Florida charges no fee for the annual IFTA license. Decals are $4.00 per pair, and the license runs January 1 to December 31, with fuel tax reported by quarter. IRP transactions can be done by mail, online through FLHSMV's Interstate Carrier Filing System (ICFS), or at the walk-in service center in Tallahassee.
UCR and BOC-3
Unified Carrier Registration is an annual federal requirement for carriers in interstate commerce. The fee depends only on how many commercial motor vehicles you operate, not on how far or how many states you run. Before FMCSA grants operating authority, you also need a Form BOC-3 on file naming a process agent in each state where you operate. For motor carriers, the process agent files it for you.
Florida cities we cover
We work remotely with carriers anywhere in Florida. Our city pages cover the angle new carriers there ask us about most:
- DOT compliance in Miami
- DOT compliance in Orlando
- DOT compliance in Tampa
- DOT compliance in Jacksonville
- DOT compliance in Hialeah
How we help, and what it costs
- New Carrier Compliance Setup (Basic), $149 one-time: UCR filing, BOC-3 through a partner process agent, MCS-150 update checklist, DQ file setup for 1 driver and a new-entrant audit prep checklist.
- New Carrier Compliance Setup (Full), $249 one-time: everything in Basic, plus IFTA and IRP account setup, D&A consortium enrollment and Clearinghouse setup, DQ files for up to 3 drivers and a mock new-entrant audit.
- Monthly Compliance Plan, $99/mo or $990/yr: deadline calendar with reminders, DQ files kept current, UCR and MCS-150 updates prepared and submitted when you authorize, and audit prep kept current.
Government and third-party fees (UCR, IRP, IFTA decals, the process agent fee) are paid by you and aren't part of our price. Full details are on the pricing page.
Not sure where you stand? Run the free DOT check. It reads your public FMCSA record and shows what may be missing. No card needed.
Run the free DOT checkQuestions? Text us at (234) 978-2663 (text only, please) or email [email protected].
Sources
Checked October 15, 2026.