Guides / Counting vehicles
How to Count Vehicles for UCR: Power Units, Option A vs Option B, Exclusions
Only self-propelled vehicles count, trailers never do. The MCS-150 count versus the actual 12-month count, the intrastate-only exclusion, and the records to keep for three years.
Updated November 4, 2026 · 8 min read · sources cited inline
This is the part that decides your fee, and a wrong count is the main reason carriers get audited. The rules come from 49 U.S.C. 14504a(f) and the UCR Handbook.
What counts
- Only power units: self-propelled vehicles — straight trucks, tractors, buses.
- Trailers and semi-trailers never count.
- Vehicles registered to you or held by you under a long-term lease.
- A vehicle must meet the commercial motor vehicle definition: 10,001 lbs alone or in combination, placarded hazmat, or 11+ seats.
Two ways to count (§14504a(f)(3))
| Option | How it works |
|---|---|
| Option A | The power-unit count from your last MCS-150 (item 26). This is the default, and what auto-renewal at ucr.gov uses. |
| Option B | The number of vehicles you actually operated in the 12 months ending June 30 of the previous year. For 2027 that is July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026. |
If Option B lands you in a cheaper bracket than your MCS-150 would, keep a list of the vehicles (form UCR-2). A state can ask for it at audit.
Tip: update your MCS-150 at FMCSA before registering if the fleet changed. A gap between your UCR bracket, your MCS-150 and your IRP plates is exactly what the FARs audit process looks for. See audits.
The intrastate-only exclusion
You may leave out a vehicle that operates only within one state if all three hold:
- it has not and will not operate outside the state;
- it has not and will not carry freight, waste or recyclables that came from or are going to another state;
- it is not registered under IRP (no apportioned plate).
- Only freight vehicles can be excluded. Passenger vehicles (buses, vans, limousines) cannot.
- Keep a list of excluded vehicles on form UCR-1.
- A primarily intrastate school transportation company may leave out its school buses.
Other rules
- The count is fixed for the year. A fleet that grows in March owes nothing extra; it shows up next year. A fleet that shrinks gets no refund.
- The statute lets you voluntarily include lighter vehicles (§14504a(a)(1)(B)) — few do.
- Carrier and broker in one company: count the whole fleet and pay once as a carrier. Indiana's example: a broker with 4 tractors and 9 trucks has 13 units → bracket 6–20 → $333 in 2027.
- Owner-operators leased on to a carrier: the vehicle counts under the company operating it on the long-term lease — normally the carrier.
Records to keep
Keep your vehicle list and any UCR-1 / UCR-2 forms for three years. You do not file them; a state requests them only if you are selected for audit. Forms are on plan.ucr.gov/forms.
When you order through UCRAssist we compare the count you enter with the FMCSA record and tell you before filing if they differ. Start here.