By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 18, 2026
Florida IFTA administration
- Agency
- FLHSMV Division of Motorist Services, Bureau of Commercial Vehicle and Driver Services (BCVDS)
- Decal fee
- $4 (IFTA decals cost 4.00 USD per set (pair) per qualified vehicle, renewed annually and charged on initial application and each re-order (re-orders via IFTA Decal Re-order Form, HSMV 85010).)
- Application
- Application for International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) Credentials, HSMV 85008 (two-page form including the Decal Order portion)
- Application: routes
- By mail to BCVDS (Mail Stop 62), at the Tallahassee walk-in office (original applications and first-time renewals), or electronically; E-File access requires an E-File Request form (HSMV 85083). Quarterly returns and decal orders can be filed through the Interstate Carrier Filing System (ICFS) / E-File.
- Application: account number
- The carrier's FEIN is used as the IFTA account number; IFTA and IRP accounts must use the same business name and FEIN.
- Base jurisdiction: criteria
- Florida is the base jurisdiction if the carrier has qualified motor vehicles registered in Florida, maintains operational control and records in Florida (or can make them available there), and has qualified vehicles that actually travel on Florida highways and are based in Florida.
More Florida IFTA rules
- Agency contact: mailing
- Neil Kirkman Building, Mail Stop 62, 2900 Apalachee Parkway, Tallahassee, FL 32399-6552
- Agency contact: email
- [email protected]
- Agency contact: walk in
- BCVDS Kirkman Building Service Center, limited to new applications and first-time renewals
- Qualified vehicle: definition
- A motor vehicle used, designed, or maintained for transportation of persons or property that has two axles and a gross vehicle weight or registered GVW exceeding 26,000 lb, or has three or more axles regardless of weight, or is used in combination when the combination weight exceeds 26,000 lb.
- Qualified vehicle: exempt
- Recreational vehicles not used in a business and government-owned vehicles.
Quarterly filing deadlines
Returns are due on the same schedule every year. Missing one draws the late-filing penalty above.
Licensing rules, records, and penalties
Which vehicles the licence covers, how long it runs, what Florida can ask you to post or produce, and what a late or wrong return costs. Each one is sourced.
- Qualified vehicle: Definition
- A motor vehicle used, designed, or maintained for transportation of persons or property that has two axles and a gross vehicle weight or registered GVW exceeding 26,000 lb, or has three or more axles regardless of weight, or is used in combination when the combination weight exceeds 26,000 lb.
- Qualified vehicle: Exempt
- Recreational vehicles not used in a business and government-owned vehicles.
- Application: Form
- Application for International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) Credentials, HSMV 85008 (two-page form including the Decal Order portion)
- Application: Routes
- By mail to BCVDS (Mail Stop 62), at the Tallahassee walk-in office (original applications and first-time renewals), or electronically; E-File access requires an E-File Request form (HSMV 85083). Quarterly returns and decal orders can be filed through the Interstate Carrier Filing System (ICFS) / E-File.
Who needs the license
The test is the standard IFTA one: heavier two-axle vehicles over the registered weight line, anything with three or more axles, and combinations that cross the line when coupled. Recreational vehicles outside business use and government vehicles sit outside it. The sourced definition field carries the exact wording and weights.
License, decals, account
One application form covers the license and the first decal order, and the carrier's FEIN doubles as the account number, which must match the IRP account's business name. Decals renew each year, with a re-order form for extra sets. First-time applications can be walked into the Tallahassee service center; established accounts file online.
The quarterly rhythm
A return is due after every quarter, at the end of the following month, even when the truck never moved. Late filings pay the greater of a flat penalty or a share of the tax due, plus monthly interest, and credits left unused past the sourced quarter limit are forfeited. The deadline table renders each sourced due date.
Caught without credentials
A qualified vehicle on Florida roads without IFTA credentials pays a fine and buys a temporary fuel use permit, sold online through the state permit portal for a short window. The sourced permit fields carry the fee and duration.
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 3Q 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.
For the registration-to-return process in order, follow the Florida IFTA filing walkthrough.
What pairs with IFTA
IFTA and IRP travel together: the same interstate operation that needs a fuel tax license usually needs apportioned plates through Florida IRP. If you are still setting up, the full order of operations is in start a trucking company in Florida.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Florida IFTA license cost?
- The license itself is free; the state charges only for decals, per set per qualified vehicle each year. Both sourced fee fields render on this page, and the decal charge repeats at renewal and on re-orders.
When are Florida IFTA returns due?
- Quarterly, at the end of the month after each quarter closes, with the next business day applying when the deadline lands on a weekend or state holiday. A return is due even for a quarter with no operations. The sourced deadline table on this page lists each date.
What happens if I file a Florida IFTA return late?
- The sourced filing rules set the penalty at the greater of a flat amount or a share of the net tax due, plus interest that accrues monthly at a rate tied to the federal underpayment rate. The exact figures render from the filing-rules field on this page.
Can I run Florida miles without an IFTA license?
- Only with a temporary fuel use permit bought before the trip through FLHSMV's online permit portal, and only for the permit's short duration. Operating a qualified vehicle without either brings a fine plus the forced permit purchase, per the sourced permit field.
Haul Handbook publishes educational information about trucking registration and compliance requirements. This is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Rules, fees, and deadlines change; confirm with the agency before you file or pay.