By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Oct 6, 2026
Colorado IFTA is run by the Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation Division, Fuel Tax Unit. Colorado charges nothing for the license or decals. A carrier qualifies when its business, records and qualified vehicles are in Colorado and the vehicles travel in two or more member jurisdictions; carriers that never leave Colorado do not qualify. Apply on Form DR 7119 by email, mail, Revenue Online message, or at the DMV IRP counter in Lakewood. Quarterly returns are due April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31, and electronic filing through Revenue Online becomes mandatory for every licensee by March 31, 2028.
Colorado IFTA administration
- Agency
- Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation Division, Fuel Tax Unit (Room 200, P.O. Box 17087, Denver, CO 80217-0087)
- Decal fee
- $0 (Colorado does not charge for decals. They are mailed by regular mail; expedited FedEx delivery is charged to the carrier's own FedEx account.)
- Application
- International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) Application (DR 7119), with proof of good standing with the Colorado Secretary of State, the IRS FEIN letter and a copy of a valid vehicle registration. Leased vehicles add the IFTA Lease Agreement Certificate (DR 7511).
- Application: methods
- By email, by mail to the Fuel Tax Unit, by secure message through Revenue Online when reopening an account, or in person at the DMV office at 3265 S. Wadsworth Blvd. in Lakewood during an IRP registration. Complete applications are processed within 5 business days.
- Application: requirements
- A qualified motor vehicle based in Colorado, a valid Colorado Secretary of State business registration, and valid Colorado IRP or county registration (a temporary county registration does not qualify) in the same name and FEIN as the application. The applicant may not be out of compliance with IFTA in another jurisdiction or owe Colorado IFTA taxes or returns. An individual provides both an SSN and an FEIN.
- Base jurisdiction: summary
- Colorado is the base jurisdiction when the business is located in Colorado with operational control and records kept at a Colorado location, the qualified vehicles travel in Colorado regularly, and they are registered in Colorado. Colorado-based carriers that do not travel out of state do not qualify for IFTA.
- Late-filing penalty
- The greater of $50 or 10 percent of the tax due, plus interest at the IFTA annual rate for each month or part of a month. Failing to file or pay electronically when required draws the greater of $50 or 5 percent of the tax due. Unfiled returns are billed on estimated tax and can lead to suspension or revocation.
More Colorado IFTA rules
- Qualified motor vehicle
- A motor vehicle used, designed or maintained to transport persons or property that has two axles and a gross or registered gross vehicle weight over 26,000 lbs, or three or more axles regardless of weight, or is used in combination when the combination exceeds 26,000 lbs.
- Credentials: summary
- Colorado issues one license per account. A copy rides in each qualified vehicle, and one decal goes on each side of the cab in the lower rear corner. Decals are assigned to the account, not a vehicle, so any set can go on any qualified truck in the fleet. A vehicle bought out of state cannot get decals until it is registered in Colorado.
Quarterly filing deadlines
Returns are due on the same schedule every year. Missing one draws the late-filing penalty above.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
- About these dates
- A due date on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday moves to the next business day. Electronic filing through Revenue Online is phasing in: carriers with 80,000 or more miles in 2025 file electronically from the period ending March 31, 2026, those with 25,000 or more miles in 2026 from March 31, 2027, and every licensee from March 31, 2028.
Licensing rules, records, and penalties
Which vehicles the licence covers, how long it runs, what Colorado can ask you to post or produce, and what a late or wrong return costs. Each one is sourced.
- Qualified motor vehicle
- A motor vehicle used, designed or maintained to transport persons or property that has two axles and a gross or registered gross vehicle weight over 26,000 lbs, or three or more axles regardless of weight, or is used in combination when the combination exceeds 26,000 lbs.
- Application: Form
- International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) Application (DR 7119), with proof of good standing with the Colorado Secretary of State, the IRS FEIN letter and a copy of a valid vehicle registration. Leased vehicles add the IFTA Lease Agreement Certificate (DR 7511).
- Application: Methods
- By email, by mail to the Fuel Tax Unit, by secure message through Revenue Online when reopening an account, or in person at the DMV office at 3265 S. Wadsworth Blvd. in Lakewood during an IRP registration. Complete applications are processed within 5 business days.
- Application: Requirements
- A qualified motor vehicle based in Colorado, a valid Colorado Secretary of State business registration, and valid Colorado IRP or county registration (a temporary county registration does not qualify) in the same name and FEIN as the application. The applicant may not be out of compliance with IFTA in another jurisdiction or owe Colorado IFTA taxes or returns. An individual provides both an SSN and an FEIN.
- Credentials: Summary
- Colorado issues one license per account. A copy rides in each qualified vehicle, and one decal goes on each side of the cab in the lower rear corner. Decals are assigned to the account, not a vehicle, so any set can go on any qualified truck in the fleet. A vehicle bought out of state cannot get decals until it is registered in Colorado.
Who licenses for IFTA in Colorado
Colorado is your base when your business, operational control and records are in Colorado and your qualified vehicles are registered here and run here regularly. A qualified vehicle meets the IFTA weight and axle test. If your trucks never leave Colorado, you do not qualify for IFTA at all.
Applying for a Colorado IFTA license
Send Form DR 7119 with your Secretary of State good-standing proof, IRS FEIN letter and a copy of a valid Colorado registration, by email, by mail or in person during an IRP visit in Lakewood. The name and FEIN must match the vehicle registration, and a temporary county registration will not do. Lessees file the application and add the lease certificate, Form DR 7511.
Quarterly filing
File one return per quarter for the whole fleet, even with nothing to report. Late returns draw a penalty plus interest, and missing returns are billed on an estimate. Miles run on a fuel trip permit go in total miles but come out of taxable miles.
Renewal and decals
Licenses run for the calendar year, and most accounts in good standing renew on their own. Last year's license and decals stay valid through February. Decals belong to the account, so any set can go on any qualified truck, one on each side of the cab.
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 Colorado IRP. If you are still setting up, the full order of operations is in start a trucking company in Colorado.