Guides / Penalties & enforcement
UCR Penalties, Roadside Enforcement and State Audits
What happens without UCR: state fines from $100 to $500 per day, out-of-service orders, the 392.2 UCR violation code, the January and June enforcement weeks, and how FARs audits work.
Updated November 4, 2026 · 7 min read · sources cited inline
Roadside enforcement
- Inspectors check UCR at roadside stops, weigh stations and inspections by looking up your USDOT number in the national database. No sticker or cab card exists, and states may not require one (49 U.S.C. 14506).
- An unpaid UCR is recorded on the Driver/Vehicle Examination Report under violation code 392.2 UCR — Failure to pay UCR fees.
- Twice a year states run a week of concentrated enforcement, the UCR Awareness Initiative (January and June).
Fines by state
There is no single federal penalty. The statute (§14504a(i)(4)) lets each state set “reasonable fines and penalties” under its own law. Examples from public sources — verify your own state:
| Source | What it says |
|---|---|
| Alabama Public Service Commission | From $100, up to $500 per day of operation without registration. |
| Michigan enforcement notice | A misdemeanor: fine up to $500 and/or up to 90 days in jail. |
| Industry summaries | Typically $100 to $5,000+, higher on repeat violations. |
| Several states | Out-of-service: the vehicle is parked until the fee is paid. |
And three things that make it worse:
- the fine does not replace the fee — you still pay UCR afterwards;
- every inspection in another state can produce a new citation;
- your base state can suspend your UCR registration after an audit.
State audits and FARs
States are required to audit carriers every year (state audit requirements). Two lists feed the work:
- “Retreat” carriers — you paid a lower bracket this year than last. The state checks whether the vehicles you dropped were properly excluded.
- FARs — Focused Anomalies Review (details) — the Audit subcommittee compares the bracket you paid with your number of active IRP apportioned plates. If the plates imply a higher bracket, that is an “anomaly” sent to your base state. It is not proof of underpayment, but the state must look.
The procedure: 100% of carriers in brackets 5–6 (101+ units) on the FARs and retreat lists are audited; brackets 1–4 up to 100 companies per state from the FARs list; the work is finished by March 31 for the prior 12 months; and a state may audit anyone. If you underpaid you pay the difference for each year, the state may add a penalty, and if you neither pay nor justify the lower bracket the state suspends the current year's registration.
How to be ready
- Keep your vehicle list and the UCR-1 / UCR-2 forms for three years. Nobody asks for them unless you are selected.
- Keep the UCR count, the MCS-150 power-unit count and the number of IRP plates consistent. The gap between them is what triggers FARs.
- Pay before December 31. Late payment carries no surcharge from the Plan, but every day in January without it is exposure at the scale.
When you order through UCRAssist we check your count against the FMCSA record before filing — start here. The counting guide covers the exclusions.