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Idaho trucking

Idaho trip and fuel permits

A truck can run Idaho legally without apportioned plates or an IFTA license, but only on the state's own temporary permits, bought before the trip. Here is each trip permit and fuel permit, what it stands in for, what the state charges, and where to buy it, every fact sourced.

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Sep 28, 2026

Idaho sells temporary registration and fuel permits under Idaho Code 49-432 through ITD Commercial Vehicle Services. Commercial vehicles over 10,000 pounds in Idaho in the furtherance of their business must either license or buy Idaho temporary permits, before the vehicle moves on an Idaho highway. Carriers self-issue the permits in the Commercial Registration System (CRS) with an active USDOT number and a Motor Carrier account, print them, and display them in the windshield. The 120-hour and 30-day registration permits are capped at three per vehicle per calendar year; fuel permits are not.

The trip permit (registration side)

This credential answers for registration. Without it, a vehicle whose cab card does not list Idaho has no legal registration standing in the state.

Permit
120-Hour Temporary Registration (Trip) Permit
Stands in for
Idaho registration (IRP or Full Fee) for the vehicle
Fee
$60 ($60.00 for a single vehicle, or $120.00 for a combination that includes more than one unregistered vehicle (Idaho Code 49-432(1)(a)(i)). If an annual registration is bought within 30 calendar days of the permit, the permit fee is applied to the registration fee; no part of a permit fee is refundable.)
Valid for
120 hours
Annual limit
Three 120-hour and 30-day registration permits per vehicle per calendar year, except for transporters, wreckers, and laden dealer and manufacturer plates
Who needs it
Commercial vehicles over 10,000 pounds (as defined in 49 CFR 390.5) operating in Idaho in the furtherance of their business that are not registered for Idaho. ITD's flyer says other vehicles through 26,000 pounds are granted free flow.
Where to buy
Self-issue online in the Commercial Registration System (CRS) through the Permits Only log-in, with the company USDOT number and an email address; ITD DMV Commercial Vehicle Services, (208) 872-3163 or cvs@itd.idaho.gov (to set up the Motor Carrier account CRS requires)
Caught without one
Idaho Code 49-432(5) requires the permit to be bought before the vehicle moves on a highway, and 49-432(4) requires it to be readily available whenever the vehicle operates. ITD says to print the permit and display it in the front windshield or another prominent, legible place.
Statute
Idaho Code 49-432

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.

Permit
Idaho Fuel Permit (temporary fuels tax permit)
Stands in for
An IFTA license for the vehicle
Fee
$60 ($60.00 under Idaho Code 49-432(1)(a)(ii). Fuel permits are exempt from the three-per-year cap.)
Valid for
Idaho Code 49-432 sets the fuel permit fee but states no validity period, and the ITD and Tax Commission pages read this pass do not publish one. ITD's trip permit flyer describes the 120-hour permit as one bought in lieu of registering a vehicle or obtaining IFTA. Check the permit type description in CRS before relying on a duration.
Who needs it
Carriers operating IFTA-qualified vehicles in Idaho without an IFTA license. The Tax Commission's IFTA Handbook says a carrier with IFTA-qualified vehicles registered under IRP in Idaho must either hold an Idaho IFTA license or buy a temporary fuels tax permit when traveling in any IFTA jurisdiction, including Idaho, and that ITD can require permits of a carrier whose IFTA license is revoked.
Where to buy
Self-issue online in the Commercial Registration System (CRS) through the Permits Only log-in; ITD DMV Commercial Vehicle Services, (208) 872-3163 or cvs@itd.idaho.gov
Caught without one
Like the registration permit, the fuel permit must be bought before the vehicle moves on an Idaho highway (Idaho Code 49-432(5)).
Statute
Idaho Code 49-432(1)(a)(ii)

Short-term credentials Idaho issues beside the trip and fuel permits, for situations those two do not cover.

30-Day Unladen Weight Permit
A $60.00 permit for moving an unladen vehicle for 30 days in lieu of registration (Idaho Code 49-432(1)(a)(iii)); like fuel permits, it is exempt from the three-per-year cap. (Idaho Code 49-432(1)(a)(iii))
Overweight registration permits (above registered gross weight)
A vehicle already registered in Idaho may buy a permit to run above its registered maximum gross weight, up to 129,000 pounds: $50.00 for 120 hours, or a 30-day permit priced by the permitted maximum ($225 to $350 for a vehicle registered at 50,001 to 60,000 pounds). Permits may be combined up to 90 days and are vehicle specific and non-refundable. (Idaho Code 49-432(2))
IFTA 30-day temporary decal
For a current Idaho IFTA licensee who lacks decals to put a vehicle in service right away: a vehicle-specific 30-day temporary decal at $10 per unit, sold only at the Tax Commission offices in Boise, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Worth knowing

Oversize and overweight (special) permits are separate: ITD issues them through ITRPS at permits4idaho.com under IDAPA 39.03.01, not through the CRS trip permit screen.

Where these fit in the Idaho permit stack

Temporary permits are the exception path. The standing credentials they replace are IRP apportioned registration and the Idaho IFTA license. Oversize loads use a different permit family entirely, covered in Idaho oversize and overweight permits, and the full picture of every state permit lives in Idaho trucking permits.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Idaho permit cost?

The 120-hour temporary registration (trip) permit is $60, and The idaho fuel permit (temporary fuels tax permit) is $60, at the fees cited in the tables above. Those are the state's own charges; a third-party seller adds its own service fee on top.

Do I need a trip permit or a fuel permit for Idaho?

Usually both, and they are separate purchases. The trip permit stands in for apportioned (IRP) registration and the fuel permit stands in for the IFTA license. If your cab card lists Idaho and your IFTA decals are current, you need neither; the tables on this page carry each permit's terms with the official source.

When does buying temporary permits stop making sense?

Temporary permits price a single trip. A carrier running Idaho lanes on a regular schedule comes out ahead adding the state to its IRP cab card and holding an IFTA license, because permit fees repeat on every trip while the annual credentials do not.

Can I buy these permits after entering the state?

No. Each credential on this page must be in place before the vehicle operates on Idaho highways, and enforcement happens at roadside inspections and weigh stations. Buying from the state's own channel before the trip is the cheapest clean path.

Are permit-service prices the state fee?

No. Wire services and permit companies resell state permits with a service markup. The fees on this page are what Idaho itself charges on its primary pages; anything above that is the middleman's fee, not the state's.

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.