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Home > Motor Carrier Services > Maine Motor Carrier Manual > Part 1 - IRP

Part 1
International Registration Plan (IRP)

Phone (207) 624-9000 ext. 52135

WHAT IS THE IRP?

"IRP" stands for the International Registration Plan. The IRP is a special plan for registering commercial vehicles, traveling in two (2) or more IRP jurisdictions. The IRP was developed by several states with the assistance of the trucking industry. IRP Inc. administers the plan with the advice of the motor carrier industry. Every state in the continental United States must join the IRP or forfeit the ability to register commercial motor vehicles used in interstate commerce. All ten Canadian provinces also have joined the IRP. See Appendix A for a list of the current IRP members.

Qualified registrants based in Maine who travel in another IRP jurisdiction must be in the IRP or have valid trip permits for the jurisdictions in which they wish to operate. Registrants based in another IRP jurisdiction must have Maine on their IRP registration cab card for the correct weight, or have a valid Maine trip permit. Registrants are issued one registration credential (cab card) and one set of registration plates per vehicle, and pay a registration fee determined by:

  • The percentage of miles traveled in each IRP jurisdiction
  • The registered gross weight (GVW) of each vehicle
  • The number of vehicles in the registrant's fleet

The IRP provides for the equitable sharing of registration revenue among member jurisdictions. Each jurisdiction receives a proportional share of its registration fee for each truck operating on its highways. The base jurisdiction collects the appropriate registration fees and distributes those fees to other IRP jurisdictions.

Apportioned registrations do NOT exempt the registrant from any jurisdiction's:

  • Operating authority requirements
  • Motor fuel tax licensing and reporting requirements
  • Truck size and weight requirements

IRP registrants may engage in intrastate or interstate operation in all jurisdictions for which vehicles have been apportioned and fee paid, or for which trip permits have been obtained. (See Appendix A for trip permit requirements).

HOW THE IRP WORKS

Each IRP registrant is required to file an annual application with their base jurisdiction. The application lists the vehicles to be apportioned, the fleet mileage for each jurisdiction, and the declared gross weight for each jurisdiction. Once all fees are paid, the registrant is issued a cab card and registration plate for each vehicle. The cab card lists all the IRP jurisdictions for which the registrant has apportioned, and the gross weight for each jurisdiction. Generally, only power units are required to be apportioned.

Maine has opted for a staggered registration system. Generally, registrations will expire one year from the month of issue. Maine carriers are required to consolidate their IRP fleets into a single expiration month. Separate fleets may be maintained only by permission. You must advise your town of your expiration month. Your town will prorate your vehicles' excise tax to the appropriate month.

If you are adding a newly acquired vehicle to your account, you must add that vehicle to an existing fleet. This may require a registration of fewer than twelve months. Please make certain to advise your town to prorate excise tax accordingly.

Mileage reporting and fee calculations are done on a fleet basis. A fleet is one or more apportionable vehicles with a common expiration date qualified for the same jurisdictions. Vehicles with registrations expiring in a particular month will be treated as a separate fleet. That is, all registrations that expire in January will be treated as one fleet. All of a registrant's registrations that expire in February will be treated as a second fleet, and so on.

For existing accounts, the IRP Unit will mail renewal forms about two (2) months before the fleet's expiration date. For a registrant with registrations expiring in several different months, each month will be treated as a separate fleet and separate renewals will be mailed. The IRP Unit will process each registrant's renewal in the order the application is received. You will be sent temporary registrations and a registration bill. You will have up to forty-five (45) days to pay the bill and receive permanent credentials.

The IRP Unit may restrict or deny the use of temporary registrations for cause. The registrant's failure to pay previous bills on time may be considered sufficient cause to deny subsequent temporary registration.

WHEN TO APPORTION VEHICLES

You must register your vehicle(s) in the IRP if the vehicle(s) will travel in two (2) or more IRP jurisdictions, and

  • Is a power unit having a gross weight, or accumulated weight in excess of 26,000 pounds; or
  • Is a power unit having three (3) or more axles regardless of weight; or
  • Is a power unit used in combination with another unit and the combined gross weight is in excess of 26,000 pounds

IRP registration of vehicle(s) with two (2) axles and a gross weight of $26,000 pounds or less is optional. These vehicles may be operated in interstate commerce without being placed in the IRP. Any truck with a gross weight of 26,000 pounds or less and two axles should be registered in the IRP if the truck is to be used in intrastate operation in another state or province. For example, it may be advantageous to register pick-up trucks used on construction projects in the IRP if the alternative is to obtain a full plate registration in other IRP jurisdictions. Trip permits are available for occasional intrastate operation for trucks otherwise not required to be in the IRP.

EXEMPT VEHICLES

The following types of vehicles are not required to be registered in the IRP:

  • Government-registered vehicles
  • Buses used for chartered parties-charter buses may be put into the IRP at the registrant's option
  • Recreational vehicles
  • Vehicles with restricted plates

Maine's restricted plates include:

  • Farm plates (interstate operation only)
  • Antique plates (no load may be carried)
  • Wrecker plates (wrecker with commercial plates NOT exempt)
  • Dealer plates (no load may be carried)
  • Transit plates (no load may be carried)
  • Emergency vehicles
  • Special mobile equipment (tractor plates-interstate operation only)
  • Special equipment plates

Vehicles with restricted plates are subject to bilateral reciprocity agreements. The granting of reciprocity to a particular type of restricted plate is at the option of the host (granting) jurisdiction. the operators of vehicles with restricted plates should verify each jurisdiction's requirements.