Interstate Commerce Commission

American  

noun

U.S. Government.

1. a board, consisting of seven members, that supervises and regulates all carriers, except airplanes, engaged in interstate commerce. I.C.C., ICC

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Interstate Commerce Commission ¹ Cultural  

1. A federal agency for regulating commerce that takes place in more than one state. One of its most familiar activities is regulation of trucking.

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Interstate Commerce Commission ² Cultural  

1. A federal agency that monitors the business operations of carriers transporting goods and people between states. Its jurisdiction includes railroads, ships, trucks, buses, oil pipelines, and their terminal facilities.

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The ICC was established in 1887 as the first federal agency.

Example Sentences

Since 1887, when Congress created the Interstate Commerce Commission to regulate railroad rates, lawmakers on Capitol Hill believed they had the authority to create independent boards and commissions.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2025

It took decades of public anger to regulate the railroads through the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1887.

From New York Times • Apr. 22, 2022

That November, buses were required to post signs saying, "Seating aboard this vehicle is without regard to race, color, creed, or national origin, by order of the Interstate Commerce Commission."

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2021

The Interstate Commerce Commission folded in 1995 with 400 employees, down from 2,000 during its heyday regulating interstate business in the 1970s.

From Washington Post • Apr. 9, 2019

In 1910 a Commerce Court was created, to decide appeals from the orders of the Interstate Commerce Commission; but in 1913 this court was abolished.

From Government in the United States National, State and Local by Garner, James Wilford