By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Aug 9, 2026
Indiana apportioned plates come from the Department of Revenue's Motor Carrier Services, not from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. A new account is opened by appointment or by email to [email protected], and after that every IRP transaction has to be done electronically: state law requires it, and the online system processes, pays for and prints cab cards.
Indiana IRP administration
- Office
- Indiana Department of Revenue, Motor Carrier Services Division, IRP Unit, 7811 Milhouse Road, Suite M, Indianapolis, IN 46241
- Process
- To open an International Registration Plan account with Motor Carrier Services, submit a complete application. New accounts are opened by appointment with Motor Carrier Services or by email at [email protected], and online payment only becomes available after the registration is posted.
- Fee structure
- A carrier registers in its base state, declares the mileage of the fleet's operations everywhere it travels, declares the registered weight in each state, and pays all registration fees on one bill with its base state. The base state calculates, bills and collects the fees for every IRP jurisdiction the carrier operates in, then informs the other jurisdictions and distributes the money.
- Fees: late payment penalty
- A penalty of 10 percent applies to any IRP renewal paid after the payment due date, which is the last day of the expiring registration period. The 10 percent is added to the total Indiana renewal fees. Paying by mail requires a postmark on or before the due date; paying online requires completion before midnight on the due date; paying in person at 7811 Milhouse Road requires completion before 4:30 p.m. on the due date.
- Fees: base plate late penalty
- A Base Plate Registration renewal paid after 11:59 p.m. on the last day of the expiring registration period costs $15 per cab card.
- Fees: cab card fee basis
- IC 9-18.1-13-4(g) sets the distinctive cab card fee at $5 and the duplicate cab card fee at $1. The department may waive the duplicate fee when the duplicate is processed on its website.
- Cab card
- A distinctive cab card is issued for every vehicle registered under the International Registration Plan and must be carried in that vehicle. IC 9-18.1-13-4(g) prices it at $5, with a $1 duplicate that the department may waive when processed on its website.
- Cab card: electronic
- Indiana IRP cab cards are available as an electronic image, and all United States states and Canadian provinces are required to accept electronic images of IRP cab cards. When stopped, credentials may be shown as an electronic image, which may require the officer to briefly take possession of the device. The Department of Revenue suggests storing the document as a PDF on a device in each vehicle so it is readable where there is no service or Wi-Fi.
- Process: application route
- New IRP applications go to [email protected] or by mail to the Motor Carrier Services Division IRP Unit at 7811 Milhouse Road, Suite M, Indianapolis, IN 46241. Appointments are required at the MCS Customer Service Center to open a new IRP or IFTA account and are limited to one person or one account each.
- Process: electronic mandate
- Under state law, IRP and Base Plate Registration transactions must be conducted electronically. The online application processes, pays for and prints cab cards, renews plates, and handles most transaction types including adding vehicles, transfers, adding states and replacement plates.
- Process: documents
- Before credentials issue, Motor Carrier Services verifies a verifiable Indiana established place of business, a valid Indiana title or processed title application, any existing lease agreement, valid insurance information, proof of payment of the current federal heavy vehicle use tax on Form 2290, a USDOT number for every registrant, a valid IFTA license, and UCR registration.
- Process: checklists
- The required-document checklist differs by whether the business address is commercial property or residential property, and by entity type (sole proprietorship, single or multi-member LLC, corporation, partnership).
- Process: temporary registration
- IC 9-18.1-13-4(i) requires the department to issue a document serving as temporary registration authorization pending issuance of the permanent plate and cab card, and that document must be carried in the vehicle it was issued for.
- Process: plate display
- New apportioned plates and cab cards must be displayed by 12 a.m. on the first day of the new registration period. An apportioned plate goes on the front of tractors, truck-tractors and dump trucks, and on the rear of trucks, trailers and buses. The cab card is carried in the vehicle it was issued for.
More Indiana IRP rules
- Base jurisdiction rules: test
- To qualify for a new IRP account in Indiana the applicant must either claim Indiana as its base jurisdiction by having a qualifying established place of business, or reside in Indiana.
- Base jurisdiction rules: residency route
- Most owner-operators, sole proprietors and new Indiana businesses establish base jurisdiction using residency. Residency may also apply where a business cannot prove an established place of business because it is new to Indiana.
- Base jurisdiction rules: established place of business
- The established place of business address must be verifiable before credentials are issued.
- Qualifying vehicles: test
- A qualifying vehicle is any vehicle used or intended for use in two or more member jurisdictions that is a power unit with two axles and a gross vehicle weight or registered gross weight in excess of 26,001 pounds, a power unit with three or more axles regardless of weight, used in combination where the combination weight exceeds 26,001 pounds gross vehicle weight or registered weight, a bus with a registered gross weight in excess of 26,001 pounds, or a bus designed for 16 or more passengers including the driver.
- Qualifying vehicles: intrastate hauls
- A qualifying vehicle also includes any vehicle completing intrastate hauls in a jurisdiction other than the base state, regardless of weight.
- Qualifying vehicles: optional registration
- A power unit, or a power unit in a combination, with a gross vehicle weight of 26,001 pounds or less may be registered under IRP at the registrant's request.
- Qualifying vehicles: exempt
- Recreational vehicles, vehicles displaying restricted plates carrying commodity, area or mileage restrictions such as farm plates, city pick-up and delivery vehicles, vehicles displaying special-machinery plates, and government vehicles are exempt from registering in IRP.
- Qualifying vehicles: apportioned plate scope
- The apportioned plate allows both interstate and intrastate operation.
- Renewal: reporting period
- The IRP reporting period is a full year running July 1 through June 30, and the renewal month decides which year is reported. Renewals in January through September report July 1 to June 30 of the previous year; renewals in October, November and December report July 1 to June 30 of the current year.
- Renewal: mileage rule
- Actual distance traveled in each jurisdiction must be reported exactly. Estimated distance is only accepted where no actual distance has been traveled, in which case the Average Per Vehicle Distance chart is used. Under Full Reciprocity Plan rules a combination of actual distance and average per-vehicle distance is never used.
- Renewal: new fleet rule
- Where a registrant's fleet is new under Section 420 of the IRP, or the fleet accumulated no actual distance during the reporting period, fees are calculated using the jurisdictional average per vehicle distance chart.
- Renewal: base only operations
- A registrant whose only actual operations during the distance reporting period were in its base jurisdiction reports that actual distance and pays fees accordingly.
- Renewal: full reciprocity
- All new IRP accounts must be registered for every jurisdiction on their cab cards and pay a per-vehicle distance percentage to each jurisdiction.
- Renewal: recordkeeping agreement
- Every carrier establishing an Indiana IRP account signs an agreement to maintain accurate records of mileage traveled in all jurisdictions and to retain quarterly distance logbooks.
- Renewal: upload option
- Large and medium fleets can upload renewal information for faster and more accurate processing, with separate renewal user guides for small, medium and large carriers.
- Audit: authority
- IC 9-18.1-13-4(c) lets the Department of Revenue audit the records of persons who register trucks, trailers, semitrailers, buses and rental cars under the International Registration Plan, to verify the accuracy of the application and to collect or refund fees due.
- Audit: records
- Indiana warns that most electronic logging devices fall short for fuel tax and IRP purposes and publishes separate ELD guidance and audit tips for keeping accurate records.
- Temporary credentials: trip permit
- A trip permit may be issued for a vehicle that could otherwise be operated in Indiana for 72 hours instead of full registration, and covers both interstate and intrastate travel. It may not be used to evade full registration; doing so, or using it beyond 72 hours, is a Class C infraction. The Department of Revenue describes the same product as a 3-day trip permit for out-of-state carriers properly registered and insured in their base states but not apportioned for Indiana. It must be secured before entry, must stay in the vehicle while in Indiana, and no refund or credit is given for an unused permit.
- Temporary credentials: hunters permit
- A hunter's permit is a limited 30-day permit that lets an owner-operator move a vehicle at unladen weight between lessors while looking for work, valid for both intrastate and interstate travel, and issued only to a registrant who is both owner and operator. It needs a copy of the previous registration cab card, a copy of the title, insurance information, and a $10 permit fee.
- Temporary credentials: temporary 45 day
- A 45-day temporary IRP registration permit is issued for vehicles inside an established Indiana IRP fleet once registration is complete, and lets qualified vehicles go into service immediately after payment is processed, except for added vehicles and replacement plates. Follow-up documentation must be submitted within 20 days. Permits are not issued to an account in arrears with the state, and not to renewal vehicles or previously registered vehicles until payment has been received.
- Temporary credentials: yard tractor permit
- A yard tractor permit is issued to a non-apportioned tractor used to move semi-trailers within a terminal, loading site or spotting facility. A tractor operating on one may not carry cargo, transport, or draw a semi-trailer. The fee is $40 and the registration year runs July 1 through June 30.
- Temporary credentials: repair and maintenance permit
- A repair and maintenance permit authorizes a carrier to travel from another state into Indiana to repair or maintain vehicles or semi-trailers and return directly to the originating state. IC 6-6-4.1-13(c) sets the annual IFTA repair and maintenance fee at $40; it covers all of the carrier's motor vehicles, is not transferable, and does not permit carrying cargo or passengers.
- Temporary credentials: freshness caveat
- The trip, hunter's, 45-day, and yard tractor permit descriptions and the $10 and $40 figures come from the Motor Carrier Services Commercial Motor Vehicle Guide, last revised July 2024. The 72-hour trip permit rule and the $40 repair and maintenance fee are confirmed in current statute. Confirm the permit prices with Motor Carrier Services before budgeting.
- Base plate registration: summary
- Indiana moved commercial base plate registration out of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and into Motor Carrier Services. Motor Carrier Services now provides base plate registrations for companies with 5 or more power vehicles weighing 11,001 pounds or more.
- Base plate registration: staggered month
- At initial registration the carrier picks a staggered month in which its vehicle registrations renew every year. Depending on that choice the initial registration fee can cover between six and 18 months, with the extra transitioning the carrier to the chosen month. If no month is selected, Motor Carrier Services assigns one. Once selected it cannot be changed.
- Base plate registration: plate term
- The plate is permanent, is renewed once a year, and only needs replacing if lost, stolen or mutilated; there are no annual stickers to manage. An account in good standing can add a vehicle, register and be road ready within 10 minutes.
- Base plate registration: temporary permit
- A temporary permit is issued to all paid vehicles that appear on renewals and on some transactions, allowing travel to continue legally until permanent plates arrive.
- Contact: email
- [email protected]
- Contact: new accounts email
- [email protected]
Base jurisdiction, renewal, and audit in detail
The rules that decide whether Indiana can be your base jurisdiction, what qualifies, and what happens at renewal and audit. Each one is sourced.
- Base jurisdiction rules: Test
- To qualify for a new IRP account in Indiana the applicant must either claim Indiana as its base jurisdiction by having a qualifying established place of business, or reside in Indiana.
- Base jurisdiction rules: Residency route
- Most owner-operators, sole proprietors and new Indiana businesses establish base jurisdiction using residency. Residency may also apply where a business cannot prove an established place of business because it is new to Indiana.
- Base jurisdiction rules: Established place of business
- The established place of business address must be verifiable before credentials are issued.
- Qualifying vehicles: Test
- A qualifying vehicle is any vehicle used or intended for use in two or more member jurisdictions that is a power unit with two axles and a gross vehicle weight or registered gross weight in excess of 26,001 pounds, a power unit with three or more axles regardless of weight, used in combination where the combination weight exceeds 26,001 pounds gross vehicle weight or registered weight, a bus with a registered gross weight in excess of 26,001 pounds, or a bus designed for 16 or more passengers including the driver.
- Qualifying vehicles: Intrastate hauls
- A qualifying vehicle also includes any vehicle completing intrastate hauls in a jurisdiction other than the base state, regardless of weight.
- Qualifying vehicles: Optional registration
- A power unit, or a power unit in a combination, with a gross vehicle weight of 26,001 pounds or less may be registered under IRP at the registrant's request.
- Qualifying vehicles: Exempt
- Recreational vehicles, vehicles displaying restricted plates carrying commodity, area or mileage restrictions such as farm plates, city pick-up and delivery vehicles, vehicles displaying special-machinery plates, and government vehicles are exempt from registering in IRP.
- Qualifying vehicles: Apportioned plate scope
- The apportioned plate allows both interstate and intrastate operation.
- Renewal: Reporting period
- The IRP reporting period is a full year running July 1 through June 30, and the renewal month decides which year is reported. Renewals in January through September report July 1 to June 30 of the previous year; renewals in October, November and December report July 1 to June 30 of the current year.
- Renewal: Mileage rule
- Actual distance traveled in each jurisdiction must be reported exactly. Estimated distance is only accepted where no actual distance has been traveled, in which case the Average Per Vehicle Distance chart is used. Under Full Reciprocity Plan rules a combination of actual distance and average per-vehicle distance is never used.
- Renewal: New fleet rule
- Where a registrant's fleet is new under Section 420 of the IRP, or the fleet accumulated no actual distance during the reporting period, fees are calculated using the jurisdictional average per vehicle distance chart.
- Renewal: Base only operations
- A registrant whose only actual operations during the distance reporting period were in its base jurisdiction reports that actual distance and pays fees accordingly.
- Renewal: Full reciprocity
- All new IRP accounts must be registered for every jurisdiction on their cab cards and pay a per-vehicle distance percentage to each jurisdiction.
- Renewal: Recordkeeping agreement
- Every carrier establishing an Indiana IRP account signs an agreement to maintain accurate records of mileage traveled in all jurisdictions and to retain quarterly distance logbooks.
- Renewal: Upload option
- Large and medium fleets can upload renewal information for faster and more accurate processing, with separate renewal user guides for small, medium and large carriers.
What the Indiana share of the fee is built from
An IRP bill is the base jurisdiction's own registration fee for the vehicle, apportioned by mileage, plus the same for every other jurisdiction on the cab card. These are the Indiana inputs to that calculation, each with its official source.
- Late payment penalty
- A penalty of 10 percent applies to any IRP renewal paid after the payment due date, which is the last day of the expiring registration period. The 10 percent is added to the total Indiana renewal fees. Paying by mail requires a postmark on or before the due date; paying online requires completion before midnight on the due date; paying in person at 7811 Milhouse Road requires completion before 4:30 p.m. on the due date.
Setting up an Indiana IRP account
New accounts start with an appointment or an email to the account-opening address, and appointments cover one person or one account each. Qualification comes down to base jurisdiction: either a verifiable established place of business in Indiana, or residency here. Most owner-operators, sole proprietors and businesses new to Indiana come in on residency.
Before credentials issue, Motor Carrier Services checks a stack: the place of business, an Indiana title or processed title application, any lease agreement, insurance, proof of the current federal heavy vehicle use tax payment, a USDOT number for every registrant, a valid fuel tax license and Unified Carrier Registration. The required-document list then changes again by entity type and by whether your address is commercial or residential property.
Which vehicles qualify
A qualifying vehicle is used or intended for use in two or more member jurisdictions and meets one of the plan's axle, weight or passenger-capacity tests, alone or in combination. A vehicle completing intrastate hauls in a jurisdiction other than the base state qualifies too, whatever it weighs. Lighter power units can be registered under the plan at the registrant's request.
Some equipment sits outside it. Recreational vehicles, restricted-plate vehicles carrying commodity, area or mileage restrictions such as farm plates, city pickup and delivery vehicles, special-machinery plates and government vehicles are exempt. The apportioned plate itself allows both interstate and intrastate operation.
How fees work and what the cab card does
You register in your base state, declare the fleet's distance everywhere it travels and the registered weight in each state, and pay every jurisdiction on one bill. Indiana calculates, bills and collects, then distributes the money to the other jurisdictions.
A distinctive cab card issues for every apportioned vehicle and has to travel in that vehicle. The Indiana Code prices the cab card and its duplicate, and lets the department waive the duplicate charge when it is processed on the website. Indiana cab cards are also available as an electronic image, and every United States state and Canadian province is required to accept one; the department suggests keeping a copy stored on a device so it opens without a signal.
Late payment is expensive in a specific way. An apportioned renewal paid after the due date adds a percentage of the total Indiana renewal fees, and base plate renewals paid late add a flat charge per cab card.
Renewal, mileage reporting and audits
The reporting period runs from the start of July to the end of June, and your renewal month decides which year you report. Renewals early in the calendar report the previous period; renewals in the last quarter report the current one.
Actual distance has to be reported exactly. Estimated distance is accepted only where no actual distance was traveled, in which case the average per vehicle distance chart is used, and mixing actual distance with chart distance is never allowed under full reciprocity rules. Every carrier opening an Indiana account signs an agreement to keep accurate mileage records and quarterly distance logs.
Expect the records to be examined. The Indiana Code lets the department audit apportioned registrants to verify the application and to collect or refund fees, and the department warns that most electronic logging devices fall short for fuel tax and apportioned registration purposes.
Temporary credentials and base plate registration
Indiana issues a temporary registration document pending the permanent plate and cab card, and it has to be carried in the vehicle it was issued for. Inside an established fleet, a longer temporary permit lets paid vehicles go into service immediately once payment processes, with follow-up documents due shortly after. Permits are withheld from an account in arrears with the state.
Base plate registration is the newer arrival. Motor Carrier Services took commercial base plate registration over from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles for fleets above a published vehicle count and weight. At initial registration the carrier picks a staggered renewal month, which cannot be changed afterwards, and the plate itself is permanent with no annual stickers to manage.
What pairs with IRP
The same interstate operation that needs apportioned plates almost always needs an IFTA license through Indiana, and heavy power units owe the federal Form 2290 heavy vehicle use tax before plates renew. To compare how other states run IRP, see the national IRP registration table.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I register for IRP in Indiana?
- With the Department of Revenue's Motor Carrier Services, not the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. New accounts open by appointment or by email to the account-opening address, and after that state law requires apportioned and base plate transactions to be conducted electronically.
How are Indiana apportioned fees calculated?
- By distance share. You declare the fleet's mileage in every jurisdiction it travels and the registered weight in each, and Indiana bills all of them on one invoice, then distributes the money. Paying after the due date adds a percentage of the total Indiana renewal fees.
Do I need apportioned plates if I stay inside Indiana?
- No. Apportioned registration is for vehicles used or intended for use in two or more member jurisdictions. An Indiana-only truck takes commercial base plate registration instead, which Motor Carrier Services now handles for fleets above a published vehicle count and weight.
What temporary options exist while Indiana plates are processing?
- Indiana issues a temporary registration document pending the permanent plate and cab card, carried in the vehicle it was issued for. Inside an established fleet a longer temporary permit puts paid vehicles into service immediately, with follow-up documents due afterwards, and it is withheld from accounts in arrears.
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.