Motor carriers are required to have the proper authorization permits before operating in a jurisdiction. Usually, carriers obtain “permanent” permits annually for operating authority, vehicle registration (IRP) and fuel use (IFTA). If travel is required in a jurisdiction for which the carrier does not have permanent permits, a trip, or temporary, permit must be obtained.
Summary of requirements
Trip permits are authorized by the state agencies responsible for regulatory oversight, and can be obtained through wire services.
Depending upon the state, trip permits are valid for a defined period of time or for a single trip. The fee is determined by the state, and wire services charge an additional fee.
Vehicle registration permits. Interstate motor carriers are required to have proper vehicle license/registration for each jurisdiction of travel. Unlike cars, which can travel freely anywhere in the United States and Canada with a legally valid license plate from any state or province, commercial motor carriers must register their vehicles and pay fees in every jurisdiction in which they will travel.
When operating a commercial vehicle in a jurisdiction in which it is not properly registered, a trip permit is necessary. The trip permit serves as a “temporary license plate.”
There are three instances when a commercial vehicle must have a trip permit:
- Intrastate qualified commercial motor vehicles that do not have credentials under the International Registration Plan (IRP) but need to travel on an interstate trip. A “qualified” or “apportionable vehicle” under the IRP is: a power unit having two axles and a GVW or RGVW in excess of 26,000 pounds; or a power unit having three or more axles, regardless of weight; or a power unit used in combination, when the weight of such combination exceeds 26,000 pounds.
- Interstate trucks and truck tractors, and combinations of vehicles having a gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds or less. Such vehicles are not required to apportion under the IRP; however, they may be proportionally registered at the option of the registrant. When you choose not to apportion such vehicles, they are subject to individual jurisdiction registration laws and automatic reciprocity is not granted. Depending upon the jurisdictions of travel, a trip permit may be required for interstate travel and/or intrastate travel.
- Vehicles operating interstate on restricted plates. Restricted plates have some restriction on their use, such as commodity, mileage, geographic area, or time (under one year). Transporter plates, dealer plates, and farm plates are examples of restricted plates. These plates are valid for travel in the state of issue under the terms and conditions accompanying the plate. However, they do not receive automatic reciprocity for travel outside the state of issue. Before traveling interstate with a restricted plate, contact the jurisdictions of travel to determine whether reciprocity is granted or a trip permit is needed.
A handful of states will limit the number of trip permits issued to a carrier or vehicle within a certain timeframe established by the state.
Operating authority permit. Trip permits for interstate for-hire operating authority are not available from states. Carriers must have Federal Operating Authority and be registered under the Unified Carrier Registration program before conducting transportation.
Jurisdictions requiring authority registration for interstate exempt and/or private carriers typically do not have temporary permits available for carriers not permanently registered.
Unified Carrier Registration. All interstate and international carriers (private, exempt, for-hire) must be registered with the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Agreement. Registration is available on the UCR website. UCR trip permits are not available.
Fuel/mileage tax permits. Carriers operating in any International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) member jurisdiction under an IFTA license do not require a trip permit.
In some jurisdictions, IFTA temporary permits are available to IFTA registrants for vehicles that do not yet have annual IFTA decals.
Fuel trip permits are available for IFTA-qualified vehicles that do not have IFTA credentials in order for the vehicles to enter another IFTA jurisdiction.
A few U.S. jurisdictions — Connecticut, Oregon, New York, Kentucky, and New Mexico — have a mileage tax or highway use tax assessed in addition to the fuel use tax (IFTA). For some of these states, trip permits are available to satisfy tax requirements for carriers not permanently registered. These permits are sometimes combined with a fuel trip permit.
For information on how to obtain temporary permits, contact J. J. Keller’s Temporary Permit Service at (800) 231-5266.
