How to Start a Freight Broker Business in Florida

If you searched for a freight broker license in Florida, here is the answer first: Florida does not issue one. Freight brokerage is regulated at the federal level. To arrange interstate freight for pay, you need property broker authority from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and $75,000 in financial security on file with FMCSA. Florida's part of the process is the business side: forming your company, registering your name, handling state and local tax registrations, and setting up your operation where you actually work.

This guide lays out the steps in the order most new brokers take them. It is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees and processing times change, so confirm every figure with the agency named before you pay anything. If your plans are complex, for example a broker that also operates trucks or contracts with large shippers, speak with a qualified attorney and a CPA who works with transportation companies.

Florida Freight Broker Requirements at a Glance

Before you start, know which requirements come from Washington and which come from Tallahassee and your city or county. The table below separates them.

Requirement	Issued or set by	Where it applies
FMCSA property broker authority	Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration	Federal. Required to broker interstate freight.
$75,000 financial security (BMC-84 surety bond or BMC-85 trust fund)	Surety company or trust arrangement, filed with FMCSA	Federal, under 49 CFR 387.307
Florida LLC or corporation	Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz)	Florida
Florida registered agent	Named in your Sunbiz filing	Florida
Fictitious name registration	Florida Division of Corporations	Florida, only if you use a name other than your legal name
Local business tax receipt	County or city	Florida, and not every county or city levies one
Sales and use tax registration	Florida Department of Revenue	Florida, only if you sell taxable goods or services
Florida freight broker license	None exists	Not applicable

The local business tax receipt is a tax, not a competency license. Holding one does not show that you are qualified to broker freight.

Materials and Information You Need Before You File

• Your legal company name, business address, and the names and addresses of your owners
• A Florida street address for your registered agent (a P.O. Box does not qualify)
• A federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS
• A business bank account in your company's name
• Funds, or a surety relationship, to post the $75,000 financial security
• Your FMCSA registration login and the company information the application requests
• Quotes from an insurance agent for the coverage your shippers and carriers are likely to expect
• A written broker-carrier agreement and shipper agreement, reviewed by an attorney
• Accounting software set up to track freight revenue and carrier payments separately

Step 1: Confirm Which Type of Broker You Are

Freight brokers arrange the transportation of commercial goods by motor carriers. Household goods brokers arrange moves of personal belongings. These are different businesses with different registrations, and mixing them up is one of the most expensive early mistakes. Intrastate household goods movers and brokers in Florida must register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) under Chapter 507 of the Florida Statutes. If you plan to broker household moves, confirm with FDACS which registration applies before you advertise that service.

If your work is commercial freight, you will deal with FMCSA rather than FDACS for broker authority. Settle this question first, because your entity name, marketing, and insurance all depend on it.

Step 2: Form Your Company With Sunbiz

Most brokers form a Florida limited liability company (LLC). You file Articles of Organization with the Florida Division of Corporations through Sunbiz eFile at dos.fl.gov/sunbiz/start-business/efile/fl-llc/. The filing fee is $125. Walk-in service is available at 2415 N. Monroe Street, Suite 810, Tallahassee, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, where most requests are completed while you wait. The Division does not offer expedited filing, so plan your launch date around processing times, which are not guaranteed.

Your name must end in Limited Liability Company, LLC, or L.L.C. Search the name first at the Sunbiz corporation search. If you need time to finish your paperwork, a name reservation costs $25 and lasts 120 days. Do not treat the name as approved, and do not print letterhead or sign contracts under it, until you receive a filing acknowledgment.

A corporation is the other option. A Florida profit corporation files Articles of Incorporation with a $70 filing fee and an annual report fee of $150. Most brokers choose an LLC for simplicity, but the tax treatment depends on how the entity is classified federally. Ask a CPA which structure fits your plans.

Step 3: Get Your EIN and Open a Bank Account

Apply for your EIN directly through the IRS at irs.gov. Third-party sites often charge for this number, so check the address before you enter any information. Once you have the EIN, open a business bank account in your LLC's exact legal name. Keep broker revenue and carrier payments separate from personal money, because commingled funds make it harder to prove what you owe carriers and what customers have paid.

Step 4: Appoint a Florida Registered Agent

Every Florida LLC and corporation must designate a registered agent with a physical street address in Florida. The agent must sign the filing to accept the appointment. Your company cannot serve as its own registered agent, but an individual owner or officer may. The designation fee is $25 for an LLC and $35 for a corporation, already included in the $125 and $70 formation totals, and changing the agent later costs the same amount. Commercial registered agent services charge their own fees, so compare them before you sign up.

Step 5: Register a Fictitious Name If You Need One

If your brokerage will operate under a name other than your LLC's legal name, register that name as a fictitious name. The fee is $50 to register and $50 to renew. A registration is valid for 5 years and expires on December 31 of the fifth year. Renewal is filed between July 1 and December 31 of the expiration year. Filing goes to the Division of Corporations statewide, not your county.

Florida also requires the name to be advertised at least once in a newspaper in the county of your principal place of business. No proof of the advertisement is filed with the state, but you must still run it. Register the name before you order trucks decals, signs, or contracts, because changing a name later means additional paperwork.

Step 6: Apply for FMCSA Property Broker Authority

Federal broker authority is what makes you a freight broker under federal law. Apply through FMCSA's online registration system at fmcsa.dot.gov. The application asks for company details, your designated process agent, and your financial security. This guide does not list the current FMCSA application fee or processing time, so confirm both directly with FMCSA before you file.

Do not broker interstate freight or quote loads for hire until FMCSA has granted your authority. A load booked before your authority is active creates exposure you cannot undo.

Step 7: Post the $75,000 Financial Security

Federal rules require a broker to maintain $75,000 in financial security on file with FMCSA. The two accepted forms are a BMC-84 surety bond or a BMC-85 trust fund, under 49 CFR 387.307. A surety bond is issued by a surety company, and you pay the surety a premium, usually a percentage of the bond amount that depends on your credit and history. Confirm the premium with your surety before you budget for it. A BMC-85 trust fund means the full $75,000 is held in trust for the benefit of the required parties, so plan the capital accordingly.

The security must stay in place. FMCSA's broker financial responsibility rule took effect January 16, 2026, and it tightened enforcement. If your security drops below $75,000 and is not restored within 7 business days, FMCSA can suspend your authority. Set a calendar reminder, and ask your surety how it notifies you of cancellations or reductions.

Step 8: Get Your Local Business Tax Receipt and Check Tax Registrations

Florida issues no general statewide business license. Chapter 205 of the Florida Statutes allows counties and cities to levy a local business tax, which results in a Local Business Tax Receipt for the address where you operate. Not every county or city levies it. Contact the local tax collector for the location of your office, your home office, or any other place you operate, and ask whether a receipt is required there.

Next, confirm your obligations with the Florida Department of Revenue at floridarevenue.com. Florida has no personal income tax and no state franchise tax on LLCs. A corporation, or an LLC classified as a corporation for federal tax purposes, pays the 5.5% Florida corporate income tax for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2022. An LLC classified as a partnership or disregarded entity generally does not file a Florida corporate income tax return, but a Florida Partnership Information Return is required if one or more owners is a corporation, and that corporate owner files its own return.

The state sales tax rate is 6%. Sales and use tax dealer registration is required only for businesses selling taxable goods or services. Ask the Department of Revenue whether any fee you bill a shipper is taxable. Do not assume your brokerage revenue is exempt or taxable until you have that answer in writing.

Step 9: Build Your Carrier Vetting and Contracts

Your exposure depends heavily on the carriers you use and the contracts you sign. Before you tender a load, verify that each carrier holds active FMCSA operating authority and has insurance on file. Check its safety record in FMCSA's public databases, and keep a dated record of every check. A short, consistent vetting file is one of the most useful habits a new broker can build.

Put every carrier and every shipper under a written agreement, and have an attorney review your templates. Agreements should spell out payment terms, claims handling, and who bears responsibility for loss or damage. Add a credit check process for shippers so you know whether a customer is likely to pay before you book a load.

Florida's import and export flows to Latin America give many brokers a regional niche. Freight moves through Florida's seaports and airports and then by truck into the Southeast and beyond, and much of it is time sensitive. Freight that crosses into or out of Mexico, Canada, or other countries follows additional federal and customs rules, so confirm documentation and cross-border requirements before you quote those loads.

Step 10: Calendar Your Recurring Florida Deadlines

A Florida LLC files its annual report between January 1 and May 1 each year. The fee is $138.75. A report received after May 1 carries a $400 late fee, for a total of $538.75. If the report is not filed by the third Friday in September, the company faces administrative dissolution. Corporations file a Profit Annual Report for $150, with a $400 late fee after May 1 (total $550).

Put your fictitious name renewal in the July 1 to December 31 window of its expiration year, and schedule a regular review of your FMCSA authority and financial security. Missing any one of these can interrupt operations, so treat them as operating tasks, not year-end chores.

What Results to Expect

Results vary with your experience, capital, and the lanes you choose. Once your entity, EIN, federal authority, and financial security are in place, you may be able to begin brokering loads, provided your local tax receipt and any other applicable registration are also in order. The early months often go toward building a carrier network and shipper contacts, so expect slower revenue at first.

A clean compliance file may help you avoid suspension, a lapsed bond, or administrative dissolution. It may also make it easier to pass a shipper's vendor onboarding review. Processing times at FMCSA and Sunbiz are not guaranteed, so build a buffer into your launch plan.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Looking for a Florida freight broker license. None exists. Your federal authority and bond are the credentials that matter for brokering interstate freight.
• Booking loads before authority is granted. Wait for FMCSA approval and confirm your status before you quote or book.
• Letting the $75,000 security lapse. A shortfall that is not restored within 7 business days can lead to suspension.
• Assuming a name is available. Wait for the filing acknowledgment before you use the name publicly or sign contracts under it.
• Using a P.O. Box for the registered agent. Florida requires a physical street address in Florida.
• Skipping the fictitious name filing. Operating under a brand name without registering it creates avoidable problems with banks, shippers, and the state.
• Confusing freight with household goods. Household moves involve a separate FDACS registration under Chapter 507.
• Ignoring the local business tax receipt. Where a county or city levies it, operating without one can create a problem with the local tax collector.
• Working without written agreements. Handshake arrangements make claims and payment disputes much harder to resolve.

Next Steps

Start with the Sunbiz name search, then move to the FMCSA application, since the bond and authority are the longest lead items. While those are in process, schedule meetings with the local tax collector and a CPA. The Florida SBDC Network offers advising for small businesses, and the SBA South Florida district office is another starting point for questions about planning and financing.

This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Florida and federal rules, fees, and deadlines change. Confirm every figure with the agency named in this guide, and consult a qualified attorney and CPA before you form your company, sign contracts, or make tax decisions.