Trip and fuel permits, issued before the truck reaches the line
One vehicle, one state, one trip. Registration, fuel and weight-distance trip permits for any state, usually issued the same business day. $49 per permit plus the state fee, typically $15 to $60.
For the trip you did not plan
A load into a state that is not on the cab card, a truck with no IFTA licence yet, a new unit not yet decaled, or a one-off run through a weight-distance state. A trip permit covers it legally for the window you need.
Usually 72 hours
Most states issue registration and fuel trip permits for 72 hours from the entry time you choose. A few run shorter or longer. The permit has to be in the cab before the first mile in that state.
Not a substitute for registration
Once a truck needs permits for the same state more than a few times a year, apportioned plates, an IFTA licence or a weight-distance account cost less and take the dispatcher out of the loop.
One price per permit, state fee at cost
Temporary permits and the permanent alternative
| Service | Our fee | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| Trip or fuel permit, any state | $49 | one-time |
| IFTA license and decals | $99 | one-time |
| New York HUT certificate and decal | $99 | one-time |
| Kentucky KYU number | $79 | one-time |
| New Mexico weight-distance permit | $79 | one-time |
| Oregon weight-mile setup | $149 | one-time |
State permit fees vary by state and permit type, typically $15 to $60 per permit. We pay them on your behalf and bill them at cost, itemized apart from the Profirm fee.
How it works
- Tell us the trip
Call 450-245-0005 or send the form: vehicle plate, VIN, year, make, weight, the states the truck will enter, and the date and time it reaches the first line.
- We buy the permits
We order each permit from the state, pay the state fee on your behalf and check the validity window against your schedule.
- Permit in the cab
You get each permit by email as a PDF. The driver keeps a printed or electronic copy in the cab for the validity period and shows it at the scale.
Where the break-even sits
| Situation | Trip permit | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Intrastate truck taking one out-of-state load | Yes, registration and fuel permit for each state entered | No |
| New truck delivered, IRP and IFTA paperwork pending | Yes, for the delivery run | Already in progress |
| Truck crossing one weight-distance state twice a year | Yes, a state trip certificate or temporary permit | No |
| Truck entering the same state monthly | Costs more over the year | Yes, apportion the plate and open the account |
| Canadian truck on a weekly US lane | Only for the weight-distance states until accounts open | Yes, IRP and IFTA via the province, HUT and KYU accounts |
| IFTA licence revoked for unfiled returns | Works, but expensive at every border | Reinstate the licence |
A single state's registration and fuel permits together often cost more than one quarter of IFTA filing with us at $75. Three or four trips a year into the same state is the point where registering starts to win, before counting the dispatcher's time and the risk of a truck at the line without a permit.
Order a permit now
Online requests open soon. Call or email us and we answer the same business day.
Truck already rolling? Call 450-245-0005 and have the plate, VIN and entry time ready.
Canadian carriers and the four states IFTA skips
A Quebec or Ontario carrier with provincial IRP plates and an IFTA licence is covered for registration and fuel in every state. What the provincial credentials do not cover are the weight-distance taxes in New York, Kentucky, New Mexico and Oregon. For a first trip or an unusual load, a trip permit or trip certificate from that state keeps the truck legal. For the weekly Champlain or Buffalo run, open the account.
We have issued permits and opened accounts for Canadian carriers since 1988, in French and English, from a desk that knows both the SAAQ cab card and the New York scale house. One call covers the permit for tomorrow and the account for next quarter.
What we need for a trip permit
- Plate number, state or province, and VIN
- Year, make, number of axles and gross weight
- USDOT number and carrier name
- States the truck will enter and the route
- Date and time the truck reaches the first state line
- Whether the truck needs registration, fuel or weight-distance coverage, or all three
Frequently asked questions
What is a trip permit?
A temporary registration credential that lets a vehicle operate in a state or province that is not on its IRP cab card, for a limited time and usually a single trip. A fuel trip permit does the same job for fuel tax when the vehicle has no IFTA licence, or when its licence does not cover the jurisdiction. Weight-distance states sell their own versions: a New York HUT trip certificate, a temporary KYU permit, a New Mexico tax trip permit and an Oregon temporary pass.
When does a trip permit make more sense than IRP or IFTA?
When the vehicle enters a jurisdiction rarely. A truck that leaves its home state a few times a year is usually cheaper on trip permits than on apportioned plates and an IFTA account with four returns. A truck that crosses a state line every week is not. The break-even depends on the states, but the practical rule is that once a truck needs a permit for the same state more than a few times a year, register it. See our IFTA page for what the licence involves.
How long is a trip permit valid?
Most states issue registration and fuel trip permits for 72 hours from the time you specify. Some run 48 hours, some 96, and a few go longer, such as Kentucky's 10-day temporary KYU permit. The clock starts at the entry time you choose, not when the permit is issued, so we set it for when the truck will actually reach the line.
What do the states charge?
Typically $15 to $60 per permit per state, depending on the state and on whether it is a registration permit, a fuel permit or both. A trip that crosses three states without coverage needs three permits. Profirm charges $49 per permit to obtain it, on top of the state fee, which we pay on your behalf and bill at cost.
How fast can you issue one?
Most permits are issued the same business day, often within an hour, once we have the vehicle information and the entry time. Some states issue instantly online; a few still process by fax or phone and take longer. Call before the truck is at the line, not from the line; a permit issued after the crossing does not cure the violation.
Can an IFTA licensee still buy a fuel trip permit?
An IFTA licence already covers every member jurisdiction, so a licensed carrier does not need a fuel trip permit in the lower 48 or the provinces. Fuel trip permits are for vehicles with no IFTA licence, for a licence that has been revoked, or for a qualified vehicle a licensee has not yet decaled. If your licence was revoked for unfiled returns, trip permits at every border become expensive fast; reinstating the licence is the better fix.
Do Canadian carriers use trip permits?
Yes, in the same situations. A Quebec or Ontario carrier with provincial IRP and IFTA is covered in every state for registration and fuel, but not for the weight-distance taxes in New York, Kentucky, New Mexico and Oregon. A Canadian truck making one trip to Louisville can run on a temporary KYU permit; a truck crossing at Champlain every week should hold a HUT certificate. We issue both. See our cross-border page.
Need a permit for a truck leaving today?
Call with the plate, VIN and entry time. We order the permits, pay the state fees and send the PDFs to the driver, usually within the hour.