By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Sep 27, 2026
North Dakota apportioned (prorate) registration is handled by the NDDOT Motor Carrier Section in Bismarck, which also runs IFTA. New accounts are opened by emailing the completed New Account Packet with three proofs of a North Dakota physical address. Fees are the jurisdictions' registration fees apportioned by the fleet's share of distance in the previous July 1 to June 30 period, or by North Dakota's average per vehicle distance chart for a new fleet. Carriers choose a registration expiration of March 31, June 30, or September 30, which cannot be changed later, and one plate and one cab card cover every member jurisdiction.
North Dakota IRP administration
- Agency
- North Dakota Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division, Motor Carrier Section (Prorate Section)
- Office
- Motor Carrier Section, 608 E. Boulevard Ave, Suite 103, Bismarck, ND 58505-0791. All new accounts and renewals are processed through the Bismarck office; the Grand Forks contracted branch handles vehicle additions, deletions, weight increases, and duplicate credentials only.
- Process
- Request and complete the Motor Carrier New Account Packet, then return it by email to [email protected] or by fax to 701-328-3500; in-person appointments are not available for new IRP or IFTA account setups. Existing accounts add or delete vehicles, increase weights, and buy duplicates in the Motor Carrier Online System.
- Fee structure
- IRP fees depend on the percentage of actual distance the fleet traveled in each jurisdiction, vehicle value and type, vehicle age, registered weight, and vehicle identification. A fleet with verifiable distance in the preceding July 1 to June 30 period pays each jurisdiction its share (the NDDOT example: 50 percent of miles in North Dakota and 50 percent in Minnesota means 50 percent of each state's annual registration fee); a new fleet pays by North Dakota's average per vehicle distance chart for its first cycle.
- Fees: north dakota share
- The North Dakota portion is a share of North Dakota's annual registration fee, which for trucks and truck-trailer combinations is set by registered gross weight and years registered in NDCC 39-04-19(2)(b) (1,792 dollars at 102,001 to 105,500 pounds in the first seven years). Any unused credit from an in-state registration applies toward the North Dakota portion on request.
- Fees: duplicates and extras
- Duplicate plate 10 dollars, duplicate cab card 5 dollars, duplicate No Sticker Required decal 3 dollars, duplicate IFTA license 3 dollars, duplicate IFTA decal and license 4 dollars; an optional rear Apportioned Vehicle plate costs 5 dollars.
- Fees: staggered first year
- NDCC 39-04-14.2 lets the director stagger apportioned registrations and collect up to eighteen months of fees at one time.
- Cab card
- One plate (two for buses) and one cab card are issued for each fleet vehicle. Apportioned trucks need only the front plate; a rear Apportioned Vehicle plate is optional (5 dollars) and not vehicle specific. The maximum operating and cab card weight shown for North Dakota in NDDOT's IRP manual chart is 105,500 pounds.
- Process: documents
- SFN 2477 IRP Original Application (Schedule A), an active USDOT number with the carrier operation marked Interstate, a stamped IRS Form 2290 for registered weights of 55,000 pounds or more, 3 proofs of North Dakota residency or an established place of business (no PO boxes or mail services), title or MCO for each vehicle, UCR registration, SFN 60450 Agreement to Maintain Records, and a lease (with USDOT number and the party responsible for IFTA) if running under someone else's authority.
- Process: established place of business
- A business opening an account as an established place of business needs a North Dakota physical location it owns or leases (a 12-month lease or real estate tax statement), photos of signage and posted hours, and proof the site is staffed at least 20 hours a week by a W-2 employee; virtual or shared offices do not qualify.
To work through your mileage inputs, calculate each jurisdiction’s share of your fleet miles. The estimator apportions any full-year fees you enter; it does not contain state fee schedules or issue an official quote.
More North Dakota IRP rules
- Temporary credentials: summary
- An operator needing temporary registration to move an apportionable unladen vehicle can get an Unladen Permit for 30 dollars, valid up to 14 days, by emailing [email protected] with the effective date, company details, EIN, and vehicle information. Out-of-state carriers without North Dakota on their cab card buy a 20 dollar 72-hour trip permit from the Highway Patrol.
- Contact: email
- [email protected]
- Contact: note
- 701-328-1287 is the Motor Carrier Section's own number, printed on the NDDOT International Registration Plans page, the IRP manual's contact block, and the SFN 2477 application. It is not the Highway Patrol Permit Office (701-328-2621, oversize and overweight, trip and fuel permits) or NDHP Motor Carrier Operations (701-328-5128). Office hours are Monday to Friday, by appointment only; the NDDOT page lists 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT while the IRP manual lists 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Base jurisdiction, renewal, and audit in detail
The rules that decide whether North Dakota can be your base jurisdiction, what qualifies, and what happens at renewal and audit. Each one is sourced.
- Base jurisdiction rules: Summary
- An applicant may base in North Dakota where it has an established place of business, the fleet accrues distance, and fleet records are kept or can be made available. Without an established place of business it must show North Dakota residence by at least three items, such as a North Dakota driver license, North Dakota incorporation or a North Dakota resident principal owner, tax returns filed from North Dakota, property taxes paid there, utility bills in its name, or a vehicle titled there. Every proof must show the same physical street address.
- Qualifying vehicles: Summary
- An apportionable vehicle is a power unit used or intended for use in two or more member jurisdictions for transporting persons for hire or property, with two axles and a gross or registered gross weight over 26,000 pounds, three or more axles regardless of weight, or used in combination over 26,000 pounds. Recreational vehicles, restricted-plate vehicles, and government vehicles are excluded; lighter power units may be apportioned at the registrant's option. Trailers are not prorated; they need only a current trailer registration.
- Qualifying vehicles: Intrastate alternative
- Vehicles traveling exclusively within North Dakota need an in-state commercial plate from any branch office. A carrier that leaves the state only rarely may use trip and fuel permits in each state entered instead of IRP and IFTA.
- Renewal: Summary
- North Dakota uses staggered registration: the carrier picks an expiration date on Schedule A (March 31, June 30, or September 30), and it cannot be changed once the account is established. Renewals are processed through the Bismarck office, not branch offices. There is no grace period for expired tabs.
- Reciprocity: Summary
- Apportioned registration does not waive operating authority, IFTA, UCR, other taxes, size and axle limits, Form 2290, or proof of liability coverage. North Dakota also keeps border free-zone agreements: North Dakota vehicles may be exempt from IRP within the South Dakota zone north of US 12 (east of the Missouri River) and SD 20 (west of it) for north-south moves, and from IRP and IFTA within 20 miles of the Minnesota line; North Dakota farm vehicles are exempt from IRP (but not fuel permits or IFTA) in Montana. The agreements can be rescinded on 30 days notice.
- Audit: Summary
- Distance records must be kept for three years after the close of the registration year and produced on 30 days notice. NDDOT audits an average of 3 percent of renewed fleets a year. Missing or inadequate records bring an assessment of 20 percent of apportionable fees for a first offense, 50 percent for a second, and 100 percent for a third. A hearing request must be made in writing within 30 days of the audit report letter.
What the North Dakota 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 North Dakota inputs to that calculation, each with its official source.
- North dakota share
- The North Dakota portion is a share of North Dakota's annual registration fee, which for trucks and truck-trailer combinations is set by registered gross weight and years registered in NDCC 39-04-19(2)(b) (1,792 dollars at 102,001 to 105,500 pounds in the first seven years). Any unused credit from an in-state registration applies toward the North Dakota portion on request.
Setting up a North Dakota IRP account
Request the Motor Carrier New Account Packet and return it by email or fax. The Bismarck office handles every new account and renewal, while the Grand Forks branch handles only additions, deletions, weight increases, and duplicates. The document list: the IRP application, an active USDOT number marked interstate, a stamped heavy vehicle use tax return for the heaviest registered weights, three proofs of North Dakota residency or an established place of business, titles, UCR registration, the records agreement, and a lease when you run under another carrier's authority.
An established place of business has to be real: a staffed physical location with signage and posted hours, and virtual or shared offices do not qualify. Titles from certain states must transfer to a North Dakota title.
How the fees work
Fees follow distance. Each member jurisdiction collects a share of its annual registration fee based on the fleet's actual distance there in the previous July to June period, so a fleet split evenly between two states pays half of each state's fee. A new fleet uses North Dakota's average per vehicle distance chart for its first cycle.
The North Dakota share comes from the state's weight-and-age registration schedule, and unused credit from an in-state registration can apply to it on request. The director may stagger registrations and collect more than a year of fees at once. Duplicate plates and cab cards carry small fees.
Plates and the cab card
Each fleet vehicle gets one plate and one cab card covering every member jurisdiction. Apportioned trucks need only the front plate, and a rear plate is optional. The cab card shows North Dakota's maximum operating weight. Trailers are not prorated; they need only a current trailer registration.
Renewal on a fixed expiration date
The carrier picks an expiration date on the application, one of three quarter-end dates, and cannot change it after the account is established. Renewals run through the Bismarck office, and expired tabs get no grace period.
Keep distance records for three years after the registration year closes and produce them on notice. NDDOT audits a small share of renewed fleets each year, and missing records draw assessments that climb with each offense.
Border free zones and what IRP does not cover
North Dakota keeps reciprocity zones with its neighbors. Near the Minnesota line, North Dakota vehicles may skip IRP and IFTA within a set distance. In a zone of northern South Dakota they may skip IRP for north-south moves, and North Dakota farm vehicles are exempt from IRP in Montana. The agreements can be rescinded on notice.
Apportioned plates leave other obligations in place. They do not waive operating authority, IFTA, UCR, other taxes, size and axle limits, the heavy vehicle use tax, or proof of liability coverage.
Reach the North Dakota IRP office
Account problems, supplement filings and credential replacements all route through the office that holds the account. Everything below is the agency's own published channel; where it publishes no phone line, the note says so rather than pointing at a permit vendor's number.
- [email protected]
- Notes
- 701-328-1287 is the Motor Carrier Section's own number, printed on the NDDOT International Registration Plans page, the IRP manual's contact block, and the SFN 2477 application. It is not the Highway Patrol Permit Office (701-328-2621, oversize and overweight, trip and fuel permits) or NDHP Motor Carrier Operations (701-328-5128). Office hours are Monday to Friday, by appointment only; the NDDOT page lists 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT while the IRP manual lists 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
What pairs with IRP
The same interstate operation that needs apportioned plates almost always needs an IFTA license through North Dakota, 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.