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Missouri trucking

Missouri trip and fuel permits

A truck can run Missouri 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 Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Oct 6, 2026

MoDOT Motor Carrier Services, not the Department of Revenue, sells Missouri's temporary credentials. An IRP 72-hour trip permit covers an out-of-state vehicle without apportioned plates, an IFTA 72-hour fuel trip permit covers a qualified vehicle without an IFTA license and decal, and a combination IFTA/IRP trip permit covers both. All three are sold online through the MoDOT Carrier Express self-service portal and must be valid before the vehicle starts operating on Missouri highways.

The trip permit (registration side)

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

Permit
IRP 72-Hour Trip Permit
Stands in for
IRP apportioned plates or full Missouri registration
Fee
$10 ($10 under RSMo 301.265. MoDOT's public pages do not list the price; the self-service portal calculates the fee during the order, before payment. The fee is nonrefundable.)
Valid for
72 hours
Who needs it
Out-of-state vehicles without apportioned plates that operate temporarily in Missouri, as long as federal requirements for interstate travel are met.
Where to buy
Online through the MoDOT Carrier Express self-service portal (the 72-Hour Permit Portal link on MoDOT's IRP and IFTA pages), with a taxpayer ID or USDOT number and an email address; no account login is needed; Existing MoDOT Carrier Express account holders can also order from the trip permit menu in their account; MoDOT Motor Carrier Services in Jefferson City, or a private contractor authorized to sell Missouri trip permits
Caught without one
Under RSMo 301.265, an operator who enters Missouri without the permit is subject to arrest and must buy the permit before going on.
Statute
RSMo 301.265; 7 CSR 10-25.060

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
IFTA 72-Hour Fuel Trip Permit
Stands in for
An IFTA license and decal
Fee
$10 ($10 per permit under RSMo 142.830. MoDOT's public pages do not list the price; the self-service portal calculates the fee during the order, before payment.)
Valid for
72 hours
Who needs it
A commercial vehicle of 26,000 pounds GVWR or more traveling between two jurisdictions without an IFTA license and decal.
Where to buy
Online through the MoDOT Carrier Express self-service portal (the 72-Hour Permit Portal link on MoDOT's IRP and IFTA pages), with a taxpayer ID or USDOT number and an email address; no account login is needed; Existing MoDOT Carrier Express account holders can also order from the trip permit menu in their account; MoDOT Motor Carrier Services in Jefferson City, or a private contractor authorized to sell Missouri trip permits
Statute
RSMo 142.830; 7 CSR 10-25.060

Other temporary permits in Missouri

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

Combination IFTA/IRP Trip Permit
One 72-hour permit covering both registration and fuel tax for the same vehicle, sold through the same self-service portal. MoDOT's public pages do not list its price; the portal calculates it at checkout.
Hunter's (Unladen) Permit
Lets a vehicle that was apportioned in Missouri move empty for 30 days to join a new lease, after a lease cancellation and the return of its plate. The most recent motor carrier responsible for the vehicle's safety requests it. (7 CSR 10-25.060)

Worth knowing

The Missouri statutes that set these fees still name the Department of Revenue and highway weigh stations as sellers. The current rule, amended in 2024, names MoDOT Motor Carrier Services, the MoDOT Carrier Express online system and authorized private contractors instead.

Where these fit in the Missouri permit stack

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

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Missouri permit cost?

The IRP 72-hour trip permit is $10, and the IFTA 72-hour fuel trip permit is $10, 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 Missouri?

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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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 Missouri 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.