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State guide

Start and run a trucking company in Missouri

Missouri puts almost every carrier credential in one place. MoDOT Motor Carrier Services issues intrastate operating authority, IFTA licenses, IRP apportioned plates, oversize permits and trip permits, all from one MoDOT Carrier Express account. The Department of Revenue handles only the CDL, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol runs CDL testing and roadside enforcement.

By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Oct 8, 2026

The short answer

State authority
Required for covered operations
State filing fee
From $10
USDOT number
Prerequisite recorded

Authority application scope; check the DOT number page for registration criteria

Issued by MoDOT Motor Carrier Services (830 MoDOT Drive, Jefferson City, MO 65102; 1-866-831-6277; contactmcs@modot.mo.gov)

Credential Missouri Intrastate Operating Authority

What these terms cover

State filing fee: $10 per power unit annual license decal, required only for authorized carriers that do not participate in the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) program; renewal decals are also $10 each.

USDOT number: MoDOT requires a USDOT number before the authority application.

Latest stored record/source date: Oct 8, 2026. Review each field's source, scope and unconfirmed notes.How we verify

Missouri compliance topics

Each topic has its own page with stored fields and source notes. Review the operation scope and unconfirmed fields before applying a requirement.

First, the federal side

Identical in every state, and not part of the Missouri sequence below: get your own authority, USDOT number, Form 2290, and what it all costs.

Before you file

  1. Start a trucking companyFederal steps plus this state, in order
  2. DOT numberState USDOT triggers and carrier numbers
  3. CDLLicense fees, testing, endorsements

State credentials

  1. Intrastate authorityState operating authority: rule, agency, fee
  2. Insurance requirementsState liability minimums and insurer filings

Plates, fuel tax and trip permits

  1. IRP registrationApportioned plates and cab cards
  2. IFTAFuel tax license, decals, filing
  3. Trip and fuel permitsTemporary IRP and IFTA permits

Permits and state taxes

  1. Trucking permitsEvery state permit a carrier may need
  2. Oversize permitsLegal limits, permit fees, escorts

How Missouri organizes trucking compliance

Open a MoDOT Carrier Express account first. Every Motor Carrier Services program runs through it: intrastate authority for for-hire carriers, IFTA, IRP plates with annual cab cards, oversize and overweight permits, and the 72-hour trip and fuel permits.

The Department of Revenue issues commercial driver licenses at its contract license offices. The Missouri State Highway Patrol gives the CDL knowledge and skills tests and applies the federal safety rules to intrastate trucks above the state weight line.

What you will find here

The authority page covers who needs Missouri authority, the per-truck decal and the insurance filing. The permits pages cover legal limits from the Revised Statutes and MoDOT's fee, escort and travel tables. The IFTA and IRP pages cover licensing, quarterly returns and the four IRP renewal periods.

Each figure ties to the MoDOT page, rule or statute it came from.

Free calculators that cover Missouri

Frequently asked questions

Does Missouri require its own operating authority?

Yes, for for-hire carriers of property or passengers operating wholly inside Missouri, unless RSMo 390.030 exempts the operation. Interstate authority does not cover intrastate hauls. Private carriers hauling their own goods need none.

Which agencies handle trucking compliance in Missouri?

MoDOT Motor Carrier Services for authority, IFTA, IRP and oversize permits; the Department of Revenue for CDLs; and the Missouri State Highway Patrol for CDL testing and enforcement.

Do I need a USDOT number before the Missouri paperwork?

Yes. MoDOT requires a USDOT number before you apply for intrastate authority, and Missouri applies the federal safety rules to intrastate trucks above the weight shown on the USDOT page.

Does Missouri charge for an IFTA license?

No. MoDOT charges nothing for the IFTA license or decals.

Sources

The official sources used on this page. Check the current instructions before you file or pay.

  1. Missouri Operating Authority - Intrastate Operations · Missouri Department of Transportation, Motor Carrier Services

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.