A process agent is a legal representative upon whom court papers may be served in any proceeding brought against a motor carrier, broker, or freight forwarder. Every motor carrier (of property or passengers) shall make a designation for each state in which it is authorized to operate and for each state traversed during such operations (using Form BOC-3). Brokers are required to list process agents in each state in which they have an office and in which they write contracts. Many commercial firms will arrange process agents in any state for a fee.

Carriers who operate exclusively in either Alaska or Hawaii need only designate a process agent in that state.

Mexican carriers operating in the Commercial Zone need only designate a process agent in the states they will be operating in.

A list of process agents can be found in the instruction packet accompanying an application or on our website.