By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Oct 6, 2026
Alabama IFTA administration
- License fee
- The Department of Revenue IRP & IFTA page and its IFTA rules state no IFTA license fee, so none is recorded rather than guessed.
- Decal fee
- Rule 810-5-9-.09 says the fee, if any, for a set of Alabama IFTA decals is set under Code of Alabama Section 40-17-150. The department does not print the dollar amount on its IRP & IFTA page or in the rule, so no figure is recorded here.
- Application: methods
- Submitted to the Alabama Department of Revenue each year with the proper remittance, and it may be filed electronically. Decal requests must be submitted electronically unless the department authorizes otherwise.
- Application: requirements
- The data elements the application must carry are those set by the IFTA governing documents. An incomplete application is rejected and returned for correction, and an applicant must have an account in good standing with no delinquent quarterly returns or unpaid liabilities.
- Filing frequency
- Quarterly. First quarter returns (January to March) are due April 30, second quarter July 31, third quarter October 31 and fourth quarter January 31. A return due on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday may be filed on the next work day without penalty.
- Base jurisdiction: summary
- A carrier based in Alabama that runs qualified motor vehicles in two or more IFTA jurisdictions licenses with the Alabama Department of Revenue and files one quarterly fuel use tax return. The return reports miles traveled, fuel purchased and the tax or credit due in each jurisdiction, and Alabama collects and distributes the money to the other members.
- Base jurisdiction: qualified motor vehicle
- A vehicle used, designed or maintained to carry persons or property that has two axles and a gross or registered gross weight over 26,000 pounds, or has three or more axles regardless of weight, or is used in a combination weighing over 26,000 pounds. Recreational vehicles are excluded.
More Alabama IFTA rules
- Renewal
- Licensees submit the Form MV: IFTA-1 application every year. The Department of Revenue opens IFTA renewals in November, just before the new registration year.
- Credentials: detail
- IFTA decals may not move between licensees or vehicles. While annual decals are on the way, the department issues a temporary decal permit at no fee, and a legible copy of the IFTA license carried with it covers the vehicle for 30 days until the decals arrive and are affixed. Additional decals are requested on Form MV-IFTA-5 and mailed within 30 days of approval.
Licensing rules, records, and penalties
Which vehicles the licence covers, how long it runs, what Alabama can ask you to post or produce, and what a late or wrong return costs. Each one is sourced.
- Application: Methods
- Submitted to the Alabama Department of Revenue each year with the proper remittance, and it may be filed electronically. Decal requests must be submitted electronically unless the department authorizes otherwise.
- Application: Requirements
- The data elements the application must carry are those set by the IFTA governing documents. An incomplete application is rejected and returned for correction, and an applicant must have an account in good standing with no delinquent quarterly returns or unpaid liabilities.
- Credentials: Detail
- IFTA decals may not move between licensees or vehicles. While annual decals are on the way, the department issues a temporary decal permit at no fee, and a legible copy of the IFTA license carried with it covers the vehicle for 30 days until the decals arrive and are affixed. Additional decals are requested on Form MV-IFTA-5 and mailed within 30 days of approval.
Who licenses for IFTA in Alabama
A carrier based in Alabama that runs qualified motor vehicles in two or more IFTA jurisdictions licenses with the Department of Revenue. Alabama then collects the fuel tax for every member and passes each its share.
Qualified means two axles and a weight over the IFTA line, three or more axles at any weight, or a combination over the same weight line. Recreational vehicles are excluded.
Applying for an Alabama IFTA license
File Form MV: IFTA-1 with the Department of Revenue, electronically if you like, with the decal fee. An incomplete form comes back for correction, and the account must have no late returns or unpaid tax. While decals are in the mail, a free temporary decal permit and a copy of the license cover the truck.
Quarterly filing
Once licensed, you file one IFTA return each quarter covering every jurisdiction where you ran. The return is due the last day of the month after the quarter closes, and penalty and interest apply to late returns or payments. The filing schedule and penalty rule are sourced fields on this page.
The tax rates live in the quarterly matrix
IFTA rates change every quarter, so we keep them in one refreshed store instead of copying them onto every state page. The current quarter is 4Q 2026, effective Oct 1, 2026 through Dec 31, 2026, provisional until Dec 4, 2026. Use the IFTA rates by state table for the full matrix, or the IFTA calculator to run your miles and gallons against the current rates.
What pairs with IFTA
IFTA and IRP travel together: the same interstate operation that needs a fuel tax license usually needs apportioned plates through Alabama IRP. If you are still setting up, the full order of operations is in start a trucking company in Alabama.