• The International Registration Plan (IRP) allows qualified commercial vehicles to travel through several jurisdictions with one license plate as long as their registration fees have been paid to the base jurisdiction.
• All vehicles registered under the IRP receive one apportioned license plate and a cab card listing the registered weight the vehicle must comply with to operate in each jurisdiction.
• Vehicles registered under the IRP are authorized to travel interstate, intrastate, interprovincially, or intra-provincially.

The International Registration Plan (IRP) is an agreement that provides for the apportioned registration of commercial motor vehicles, allowing a qualifying commercial vehicle to travel through several jurisdictions with one license plate, provided the apportioned registration fees have been paid to the base jurisdiction.

The base jurisdiction collects the fees, sends each jurisdiction its share, and issues a single IRP cab card and apportioned vehicle registration plate that allows travel in all jurisdictions.

All vehicles properly registered under the IRP receive one “apportioned” license plate from their base jurisdiction, and a cab card. The cab card lists the registered weight the vehicle must comply with to operate in each jurisdiction.

Cab cards are vehicle-specific, and the original cab card must be carried in the vehicle for which it was issued. Cab cards may be carried in an electronic format.

Vehicles registered under the IRP are authorized to travel either interstate or intrastate or interprovincially or intra-provincially. No additional vehicle registration is required.

Vehicles not meeting the definition of an apportionable vehicle under IRP do not automatically receive reciprocity when traveling to another U.S. jurisdiction. These non-apportioned vehicles are subject to the registration laws in each state of operation. Carriers should check the registration requirements before entering another jurisdiction. Trip permits or full apportioned registration may be required.

IRP apportioned registration applies to the power unit only. Trailers are issued registration plates from the jurisdiction of registration.

The lower 48 states, the District of Columbia, and the 10 Canadian provinces are members of IRP.

The IRP official document can be found by visiting www.irponline.org.