Permits
Trip permits for trucking
A trip permit is temporary registration for a truck crossing a state it isn't apportioned in. Tell us the route and we price one for every state that needs it, then file them for you.
What a trip permit actually covers
Interstate trucks are normally registered under the International Registration Plan, which apportions your registration fees across the states you run in. Your cab card lists those states.
Run into a state that isn't on the card — or run without apportioned plates at all — and that state wants registration for the crossing. A trip permit is that registration, issued for a short window instead of a year.
It is not authority, and it is not fuel tax. It answers one question: is this truck registered to be on this state's roads today.
You need one when
- You're not IRP-apportioned and you're crossing a state line — generally at over 26,000 lbs gross, or with three or more axles.
- The state isn't on your cab card. Apportionment covers the jurisdictions you registered for, not every state.
- Your IRP application is still processing. New carriers and newly added power units run on trip permits until the plates arrive.
- The unit is leased or a substitute and its credentials don't match the truck doing the work.
- You only run there occasionally — a handful of trips a year rarely justifies apportioning for a state.
How long they last, and what they cost
Both vary by state, and neither follows a pattern you can guess at. Some states issue a permit for a fixed number of days; others write it for a single entry or a single trip. Fees are set by each state's own schedule — some flat, some by weight, some by mileage.
Rather than publish numbers that go stale, we price your actual route against each state's current schedule and show the total before you pay. Permits are dated for the trip you give us, so tell us the start date you mean to run.
Trip permits in every state
Pick a state to see what it requires, how it prices a permit, and where its permit office is.
Common questions
- Do I need a trip permit if I have apportioned plates?
- Only for a state that isn't on your cab card. IRP apportioned registration covers the jurisdictions listed on that card; anywhere else needs a trip permit for the crossing.
- How long is a trip permit good for?
- It varies by state. Most are a few days to 30 days, and some are written for a single trip or a single entry rather than a period. The permit itself states the window, and you cannot extend it after the fact — you buy another.
- Is a trip permit the same as a fuel permit?
- No, and carriers are cited for this constantly. A trip permit covers registration; a fuel permit covers fuel tax. Crossing a state without IRP apportionment and without IFTA credentials means you need both, and a few states sell them as one combined permit.
- Does a trip permit give me operating authority?
- No. It is registration only. Your MC number, USDOT number, insurance and any hazmat or specialty credentials are separate and still have to be in order.
- What happens if I get caught without one?
- Fines vary by state and are usually well above what the permit would have cost, and the truck can be held at the scale until the registration is sorted out. The delay is normally worse than the fine.