Trucking Permits by State
Every permit an interstate trucker needs, with links to the official office in all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces for IRP registration, IFTA fuel tax and oversize/overweight permits.
Which permits does an interstate truck need?
If your truck weighs over 26,000 pounds, or has 3 or more axles, and crosses state lines, you need all of the first four below. The rest depend on what you haul and where you run.
IRP apportioned registration
One registration from your base state that covers every state you drive in. You pay fees split by the miles you run in each state and get a cab card listing them all. Renews yearly.
IFTA fuel tax license
One license and two decals per truck from your base state. You file one return each quarter covering miles and gallons in every state. Renews every December 31. Use our free IFTA calculator to see what you owe.
UCR registration
An annual federal fee for interstate carriers, brokers and freight forwarders, paid once per company based on fleet size. Register at ucr.gov.
Form 2290 heavy vehicle use tax
A federal tax on trucks at 55,000 pounds or more. File with the IRS each year by August 31 and keep the stamped Schedule 1, which
you need to renew your IRP plates. Details at irs.gov.
Oversize and overweight permits
Required from each state you cross whenever a load is over the legal size or weight limits. Sold per trip or, in many states, annually for routine loads. See the table below for each state's permit office.
State weight-distance taxes
Kentucky (KYU), New Mexico, New York (HUT) and Oregon charge their own mileage tax on top of IFTA. You need their permit before entering and must file with each state directly, usually quarterly.
Permit offices in all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces
Each link goes to the official agency page. Your IRP and IFTA credentials come from your base jurisdiction only, so you only need those two links for the state or province where your trucks are registered. Oversize and overweight permits come from every state or province on the route.
United States
Canadian provinces
| Province | IRP registration | IFTA fuel tax | Oversize/overweight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta (AB) | IRP office | IFTA license | Oversize/overweight permits |
| British Columbia (BC) | IRP office | IFTA license | Oversize/overweight permits |
| Manitoba (MB) | IRP office | IFTA license | Oversize/overweight permits |
| New Brunswick (NB) | IRP office | IFTA license | Oversize/overweight permits |
| Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) | IRP office | IFTA license | Oversize/overweight permits |
| Nova Scotia (NS) | IRP office | IFTA license | Oversize/overweight permits |
| Ontario (ON) | IRP office | IFTA license | Oversize/overweight permits |
| Prince Edward Island (PE) | IRP office | IFTA license | Overweight permit regulations |
| Quebec (QC) | IRP office | IFTA license | Oversize/overweight permits |
| Saskatchewan (SK) | IRP office | IFTA license | Oversize/overweight permits |
Alaska, Hawaii and the three Canadian territories are not IRP or IFTA members, so trucks based there register and pay fuel tax directly with their home jurisdiction. Agencies move pages from time to time. If a link breaks, the agency's home page will get you there, and you can tell us so we can fix it.
Which trucking permits are legal in electronic format?
This is the question we get most, so here is the short answer. Your regular permits are legal in electronic format, on any device, in all 50 states and all 10 Canadian provinces. Oversize and overweight permits are the exception, and acceptance depends on the state or province.
Legal in electronic format in all 50 states and 10 provinces
Accepted everywhere under IRP, IFTA and federal rules. No paper copy required.
IRP Plan, Section 600(b)
IFTA Articles of Agreement, R620
49 CFR 390.32(b), FMCSA electronic documents rule
Checked by the officer online. No paper needed in the cab in most states.
Oversize and overweight permits: it depends on the state
OS/OW permits are issued state by state, and so is the rule on how you carry them. Some states accept an electronic copy. Some require a printed copy in the cab. Some accept electronic but want you to show the full permit with route and conditions, not just a confirmation number.
Until a state tells you otherwise in writing, the safe move is to carry both: the electronic copy in your permit book and a printed copy in the truck. The permit itself or the state's permit office page in the table above states the rule for that state.
How the base state system works
You don't register or file in every state. IRP and IFTA both run on a base jurisdiction model, which is the single biggest time saver in trucking compliance.
It's the state where your business has an established place of business and where you keep your mileage records. Usually that's where you're incorporated and park the trucks.
Most states handle both in one motor carrier office. You'll need your USDOT number, proof of your business address, the trucks' titles and your 2290 Schedule 1 for IRP.
For IRP you report miles by state at renewal. For IFTA you report miles and gallons by state every quarter. Your base state sends each other state its share.
What to carry in the truck
What roadside inspectors most often ask for, in the order they usually ask.
| Document | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| IRP cab card | Base state IRP office |
| IFTA license copy and decals | Base state IFTA office |
| Insurance card | Your insurer |
| Annual inspection report | Your inspector |
| Oversize permit, when applicable | Each state on the route |
| KYU, NM, NY HUT or OR permit, when applicable | That state |
Everything on this list except the oversize permit is legal in electronic format in all 50 states and every Canadian province. Our electronic permits guide has the regulation behind each one and the fine print for each state.
Oversize and overweight permits, the basics
Federal law sets the limits on the Interstate system. States set their own limits on other roads and issue every permit, so the rules change at each state line.
Legal weight limits
80,000 pounds gross, 20,000 on a single axle and 34,000 on a tandem on the Interstate, subject to the federal bridge formula. Anything above these needs an overweight permit in every state you cross.
Legal size limits
Width is 8 feet 6 inches nationwide. Height is 13 feet 6 inches in most states, with 14 feet allowed in several western states. Length limits vary by state and trailer type, so check the permit office for each state on your route.
Trip vs annual permits
Single trip permits cover one load on a set route for a few days. Many states also sell annual permits for loads that are slightly over, which is cheaper if you run them regularly.
Escorts, hours and holidays
Wider or taller loads usually need pilot cars, and most states limit travel to daylight hours and ban it on major holidays or weekends. Each permit spells out its own conditions, and they differ by state.
Superloads
Loads far above the limits, often over 200,000 pounds or 16 feet wide, need an engineering review and take days or weeks to approve. Plan these well ahead.
Keep the permit with the load
Oversize permits are route and date specific. The permit has to be in the truck for that trip, and the load has to match it. Whether an electronic copy is enough depends on the state. Some accept it, some still require paper, so carry a printed copy unless that state says electronic is fine.
Trucking Permits FAQs
Common questions from carriers getting their first interstate permits.
Free tools for truckers
IFTA Calculator
Enter miles and gallons by state and see what you owe each jurisdiction at current quarterly rates, with a PDF report.
Open the IFTA calculatorTrucking Cost Per Mile Calculator
Permits are part of your fixed costs. Enter your month to see your cost per mile, profit per mile and break-even rate.
Open the cost per mile calculatorDOT Inspection Alerts
Get an email whenever FMCSA posts a roadside inspection for your USDOT number, with violations and out-of-service orders.
Get free inspection alertsKeep Every Permit in One Place
Digital Permit Book stores your IRP cab cards, IFTA license, 2290 and oversize permits for every truck, reminds you before each renewal, and shows them to an inspector in one tap.