By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Oct 5, 2026
Delaware sets its IRP trip permit in statute: 3 days including the day issued, for a $15 fee, available for any vehicle that could lawfully run in Delaware with full or apportioned registration (21 Del. C. 2103(6)). Trip permits can be ordered from the state in advance or bought through private permit services. No Delaware source read states a fuel trip permit fee or duration for an unlicensed out-of-state carrier, so that fee is left blank rather than copied from a vendor. Delaware-licensed IFTA carriers can get a 30-day vehicle-specific temporary permit in place of decals.
The trip permit (registration side)
This credential answers for registration. Without it, a vehicle whose cab card does not list Delaware has no legal registration standing in the state.
- Who needs it
- A vehicle or combination not apportioned for Delaware that would otherwise need Delaware registration, such as an apportionable power unit (two axles over 26,000 pounds, three or more axles, or a combination over 26,000 pounds) based in a jurisdiction that does not list Delaware on its cab card. The permit and any other papers needed must be in the cab before the truck enters the jurisdiction, and the DMV manual says trip permits are for occasional or emergency use, never a way around apportioned registration.
- Where to buy
- Ordered in advance from Delaware, the jurisdiction that issues it (Delaware DMV Motor Carrier Services Section, 302-744-2702, DOT.MotorCarrier@delaware.gov). The DMV pages read do not describe a walk-in or online ordering procedure, so confirm the method before the trip.; Private permit service agents. The DMV posts a list of 16 service agents (sheet dated 09.03.2019); their phone numbers belong to those companies, not to the DMV.
The fuel permit (tax side)
This credential answers for the state's highway or fuel tax when there is no IFTA license (or, in the weight-distance states, no tax account) behind the truck.
- Fee
- No Delaware fuel trip permit fee appears in the Delaware IFTA manual, the DMV IFTA FAQ, the special fuel subchapter of the Delaware Code (30 Del. C. ch. 51, subchapter II) or the DMV trip permit sheet. A permit-vendor site quotes a price, but a vendor is not a source here, so no amount is recorded.
- Who needs it
- An out-of-state carrier running an IFTA qualified motor vehicle into Delaware without an IFTA license: a power unit with two axles over 26,000 pounds, three or more axles regardless of weight, or a combination over 26,000 pounds. The DMV IFTA FAQ notes that failing to display a license can mean buying a trip permit and receiving a citation.
Other temporary permits in Delaware
Short-term credentials Delaware issues beside the trip and fuel permits, for situations those two do not cover.
- IFTA temporary permit for Delaware licensees
- A Delaware IFTA carrier in good standing may get a 30-day temporary permit in place of decals. It is vehicle specific and must be carried in that vehicle. No fee is stated on the DMV IFTA FAQ.
- Temporary Operating Authority (TOA)
- A 60-day temporary IRP credential dated from when registration is paid, issued only after the original application, a DMV inspection and VIN check, the bill of sale and insurance are on file. It is not issued when the carrier already holds the documents for a Delaware title. The DMV manual says a TOA fee may be charged but states no amount.
- Hunter permit (unladen special temporary registration)
- Lets an owner-operator move an unloaded commercial vehicle with no current registration while looking for work, interstate or intrastate. Issued by the IRP office in Dover; the DMV manual publishes no fee.
- Temporary permit for an expired registration
- A temporary permit to move a vehicle with an expired registration to a repair shop and to inspection before reregistering, for $20 on top of the regular registration fee. (21 Del. C. 2103(3))
Worth knowing
The trip permit covers registration only. Fuel tax is a separate obligation with no published Delaware stand-in, so a carrier making regular Delaware runs should license for IFTA in its base jurisdiction.
Where these fit in the Delaware permit stack
Temporary permits are the exception path. The standing credentials they replace are IRP apportioned registration and the Delaware IFTA license. Oversize loads use a different permit family entirely, covered in Delaware oversize and overweight permits, and the full picture of every state permit lives in Delaware trucking permits.