By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Oct 8, 2026
Missouri IFTA is administered by MoDOT Motor Carrier Services, not the Department of Revenue. Missouri charges nothing for the license or decals. A carrier needs a Missouri-issued license plate and a Secretary of State filing for any business name, then applies online in MoDOT Carrier Express. Quarterly returns are due April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31 and must be filed online, including no-operation returns. Licenses and decals run January 1 to December 31 and MoDOT renews active accounts in November.
Missouri IFTA administration
- License fee
- $0 (Missouri does not charge for an IFTA license or decals. Request only as many decals as you need; the count must reconcile with your licensed trucks.)
- Application
- Online Missouri IFTA application in MoDOT Carrier Express, after a new customer application.
- Application: requirements
- A Missouri-issued license plate registration credential, such as a vehicle registration receipt or Missouri cab card. A corporation or fictitious name must be registered with the Missouri Secretary of State, and the application name must match exactly.
- Filing frequency
- Quarterly for most accounts; accounts designated as annual filers file all four quarters by January 31. Returns are required even with no operation, and since August 1, 2023 every return is filed online.
More Missouri IFTA rules
- Qualified motor vehicle
- An IFTA license is required to operate in two or more jurisdictions with a power unit that has two axles and a gross or registered gross weight of 26,001 lbs or more, has three or more axles regardless of weight, or is used in a combination of 26,001 lbs or more. Recreational vehicles used only for personal pleasure are exempt.
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 Missouri can ask you to post or produce, and what a late or wrong return costs. Each one is sourced.
- Qualified motor vehicle
- An IFTA license is required to operate in two or more jurisdictions with a power unit that has two axles and a gross or registered gross weight of 26,001 lbs or more, has three or more axles regardless of weight, or is used in a combination of 26,001 lbs or more. Recreational vehicles used only for personal pleasure are exempt.
- Application: Form
- Online Missouri IFTA application in MoDOT Carrier Express, after a new customer application.
- Application: Requirements
- A Missouri-issued license plate registration credential, such as a vehicle registration receipt or Missouri cab card. A corporation or fictitious name must be registered with the Missouri Secretary of State, and the application name must match exactly.
Who licenses for IFTA in Missouri
You need an IFTA license to run a qualified power unit in two or more jurisdictions. A qualified unit meets the IFTA weight and axle test. Recreational vehicles used only for personal pleasure are exempt.
Applying for a Missouri IFTA license
Register the vehicle in Missouri first and get any business name on file with the Secretary of State. Then apply in MoDOT Carrier Express. Order only the decals you need, since MoDOT reconciles them against your licensed trucks.
Filing and penalties
File each quarter online, even with no miles, by checking No Operation. Annual filers send all four quarters by the January deadline. Late filing or payment draws a penalty, and records must be kept for the retention period MoDOT sets.
Renewal
Licenses and decals run for the calendar year. MoDOT renews active accounts in November and mails a fleet information sheet to check.
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 4Q 2026, effective Oct 1, 2026 through Dec 31, 2026, provisional until Dec 4, 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.
What pairs with IFTA
IFTA and IRP travel together: the same interstate operation that needs a fuel tax license usually needs apportioned plates through Missouri IRP. If you are still setting up, the full order of operations is in start a trucking company in Missouri.