How much does an IFTA license cost in Iowa?

The IFTA license itself costs $10 and each set of vehicle decals costs $1, at the fees cited in the table above.

How do I get an IFTA license in Iowa?

Email or mail the completed Iowa DOT IFTA application, the signed record retention statement, and the new carrier checklist to Motor Carrier Services, with the application fee and decal fee, and three documents proving your established Iowa place of business. New accounts cannot be processed in person.

When are Iowa IFTA returns due?

Quarterly, by the last day of the month following each calendar quarter, with payment received or postmarked by that date to avoid penalty and interest. The dates render on this page from Iowa DOT's Dates to Remember schedule.

What vehicles qualify for Iowa IFTA?

A vehicle or combination over the IFTA weight line, or registered over it, or a power unit with three or more axles. Vehicles that meet none of the tests receive fuel reciprocity when traveling through other IFTA jurisdictions.

Iowa IFTA Registration and Filing

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Sep 2, 2026

Iowa IFTA administration

IFTA member: Yes
Agency: Iowa Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services (Office of Vehicle and Motor Carrier Services)
License fee: $10 (The Iowa Truck Information Guide states the IFTA license costs 10 dollars; the Iowa DOT IFTA page's new-carrier checklist repeats the 10-dollar application fee.)
Decal fee: $1 (The IFTA page's new-carrier checklist prices 1 dollar per annual fee for each set of decals; the Truck Information Guide states decals are 50 cents for a set of two. Both figures come from Iowa DOT; the checklist figure is the application-time fee.)
Application: Iowa DOT Form 441041, Application for International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA), with the new carrier checklist and the record retention statement (Iowa DOT Form 442069) signed by the registrant
Application: methods: Email the completed paperwork to Iowa DOT Motor Carrier Services or mail it to P.O. Box 10382, Des Moines, IA 50306. New IFTA accounts cannot be processed in person. Existing carriers file and renew online through the IFTA online system (Login to IFTA on the Iowa DOT IFTA page).
Application: requirements: The business physical address must be in Iowa. Applicants provide three documents, no older than 12 months, verifying the physical address of the established place of business, per the new carrier checklist. Business name, address, USDOT and TIN changes must be made with FMCSA first (through MCMIS) before Iowa processes the IFTA change.
Filing frequency: Quarterly. IFTA fuel tax returns must be filed, and payment received or postmarked, by the last day of the month following each calendar quarter (January 31, April 30, July 31, October 31) per Iowa DOT's Dates to Remember.
Base jurisdiction: summary: Iowa is the base jurisdiction for carriers whose established place of business is in Iowa. A new IFTA customer's physical business address must be in Iowa, and the application is filed with Iowa DOT Motor Carrier Services by email or mail; new accounts cannot be processed in person.
Base jurisdiction: qualified motor vehicle: A vehicle is qualified for IFTA if the vehicle or combination weighs more than 26,000 pounds, or is registered for more than 26,000 pounds, or the power unit has three or more axles. Recreational vehicles are outside IFTA. Vehicles from IFTA jurisdictions that meet none of the three criteria are granted fuel reciprocity when traveling through another IFTA jurisdiction.

More Iowa IFTA rules

Renewal: IFTA licenses and decals renew annually. New decals must be displayed on the vehicle and credentials available for inspection by March 1 per the Dates to Remember schedule (the 2025 schedule set March 1, Saturday as the display date for 2025 decals). Carriers who did not renew can renew by logging into their IFTA account or by contacting Motor Carrier Services at 515-237-3268.
Credentials: note: A copy of the IFTA license must be carried in each vehicle and produced on request. IFTA decals must be displayed on the exterior of the power unit, one on each side.

Licensing rules, records, and penalties

Which vehicles the licence covers, how long it runs, what Iowa can ask you to post or produce, and what a late or wrong return costs. Each one is sourced.

Application: Form: Iowa DOT Form 441041, Application for International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA), with the new carrier checklist and the record retention statement (Iowa DOT Form 442069) signed by the registrant
Application: Methods: Email the completed paperwork to Iowa DOT Motor Carrier Services or mail it to P.O. Box 10382, Des Moines, IA 50306. New IFTA accounts cannot be processed in person. Existing carriers file and renew online through the IFTA online system (Login to IFTA on the Iowa DOT IFTA page).
Application: Requirements: The business physical address must be in Iowa. Applicants provide three documents, no older than 12 months, verifying the physical address of the established place of business, per the new carrier checklist. Business name, address, USDOT and TIN changes must be made with FMCSA first (through MCMIS) before Iowa processes the IFTA change.
Credentials: Note: A copy of the IFTA license must be carried in each vehicle and produced on request. IFTA decals must be displayed on the exterior of the power unit, one on each side.
Renewal: IFTA licenses and decals renew annually. New decals must be displayed on the vehicle and credentials available for inspection by March 1 per the Dates to Remember schedule (the 2025 schedule set March 1, Saturday as the display date for 2025 decals). Carriers who did not renew can renew by logging into their IFTA account or by contacting Motor Carrier Services at 515-237-3268.

Getting the Iowa IFTA license

New carriers complete Iowa DOT's application form plus the new carrier checklist and the record retention statement, and prove the established place of business with documents no older than a year; the physical address must be in Iowa and new accounts cannot be opened in person. The fees are small and paid with the application, and any name, address, USDOT, or taxpayer-number change must be made with FMCSA first before Iowa touches the account.

A vehicle qualifies for IFTA on the weight or axle tests, and carriers that meet none of the tests get fuel reciprocity instead of a license obligation.

Quarterly filing and the calendar

Returns are quarterly, due with payment by the last day of the month after each quarter closes; Iowa DOT's Dates to Remember page lists each due date and treats receipt or postmark on the date as the deadline to avoid penalty and interest. The license copy rides in the truck, decals go on both sides of the power unit, and each new year's decals must be displayed by the spring date on the calendar.

Carriers who miss a renewal can recover through the online account or the Motor Carrier Services desk; suspended accounts are handled by the same office.

Running in Iowa without an IFTA license

Two doors exist for the unstickered truck. An IFTA carrier from another jurisdiction buys Iowa's temporary fuel permit, good for one trip inside a short window. A carrier from a non-IFTA jurisdiction can instead enter with a small supply-tank load of fuel, buy fuel in-state, and keep the purchase receipts for inspection. Both alternatives come from Iowa DOT's own guide.

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, effective Jul 1, 2026 through Sep 30, 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 Iowa 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 Iowa IRP. If you are still setting up, the full order of operations is in start a trucking company in Iowa.