An out-of-state commercial vehicle entering Maryland generally needs two Maryland trip permits before it crosses the state line: a 72-hour IRP registration permit that costs $15, and a separate 15-day IFTA fuel tax permit. Carriers regularly assume one covers the other. It doesn’t. Getting this wrong draws a roadside fine of $290 or more for operating without proper registration.
Do You Actually Need a Trip Permit
You need a trip permit if your vehicle meets the IRP qualifying thresholds and isn’t already registered under the International Registration Plan with Maryland listed as a jurisdiction. Those thresholds are: power units with two axles and a gross vehicle weight over 26,000 pounds, power units with three or more axles regardless of weight, and combination vehicles exceeding 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.1Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Apportioned Registration/International Registration Plan (IRP)
Smaller two-axle vehicles or combinations at or below 26,000 pounds can register under the IRP voluntarily but aren’t required to, so trip permits generally don’t apply to them.
If your vehicle is already registered under the IRP, a Maryland trip permit isn’t needed at all. Maryland adopted the IRP Full Reciprocity Plan effective January 1, 2015, and every IRP cab card now covers all member jurisdictions, so an apportioned carrier can enter Maryland without buying anything extra.2Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Full Reciprocity Plan – International Registration Plan
The 72-Hour IRP Registration Permit
The 72-hour IRP registration permit costs $15 and acts as a temporary substitute for full IRP registration.3Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. MVA Fee Listing It must be purchased before you enter Maryland. That timing rule is strict, and it’s the point where carriers most often get caught out.
Two ways to buy it:
- Directly from the MVA, by mail, fax, or in person at the Motor Carrier Services section in the Glen Burnie MVA office, or at any full-service MVA branch (the branch forwards your application to Motor Carrier Services by fax).
- Through a vendor authorized by the MVA to sell permits. Each vendor has its own procedures and forms, though all include a serial number issued by the MVA. Third-party vendors typically add a processing fee on top of the $15 state charge.4Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration. Registration – IRP – Issuing a 72-Hour Trip Permit
Charter buses now fall under the IRP rules too, so a charter bus operating outside its home jurisdiction needs either full IRP registration or a 72-hour trip permit.1Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration. Apportioned Registration/International Registration Plan (IRP)
Permits are not transferable between vehicles or between carriers. Every truck you send into Maryland needs its own.
The 15-Day IFTA Fuel Tax Permit
The second permit covers fuel taxes, and it’s the one most often missed. If your commercial vehicle isn’t registered under the International Fuel Tax Agreement, you need a Maryland IFTA trip permit in addition to the IRP permit. The IRP permit does not cover fuel taxes.
The IFTA fuel trip permit is valid for 15 consecutive days, running from the start date printed on the permit to the end date printed on it.5Code of Maryland Regulations. Code of Maryland Regulations, Chapter 03.03.04, Section 03.03.04.05 – Trip Permits You buy it from the Comptroller’s Field Enforcement Bureau or one of its authorized trip permit agents. The application asks for your name, address, federal identification number (or Social Security number), and the vehicle’s make, serial number, and state of registration.
One hard bar: if your IFTA license has been suspended or revoked in any IFTA jurisdiction, Maryland will not issue you a fuel trip permit.5Code of Maryland Regulations. Code of Maryland Regulations, Chapter 03.03.04, Section 03.03.04.05 – Trip Permits A suspension in another state follows you here, so clear it up before planning a Maryland run.
Carrying the Permits
The IFTA fuel trip permit must be physically carried in the cab whenever the vehicle is in Maryland.5Code of Maryland Regulations. Code of Maryland Regulations, Chapter 03.03.04, Section 03.03.04.05 – Trip Permits No Maryland regulation lets a digital copy on a phone substitute, so keep the paper document accessible. The 72-hour IRP permit should also be on hand for law enforcement verification.
A permit bought but left in the office produces the same result at a weigh station as no permit at all.
Fines for Driving Without a Permit
Operating a commercial vehicle in Maryland without the required registration or trip permit violates the Transportation Code.6Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Transportation – Section 13-402.1 The traffic fine schedule sets the penalty for operating an unregistered motor vehicle at $290.7Maryland Courts. Traffic Fine Schedule – Transportation Article
Fuel tax violations are penalized separately. Failing to display a required identification marker for a commercial motor vehicle carries a $240 fine. More serious fuel tax violations, such as engaging in the motor fuel business without a license or falsifying IFTA documentation, are flagged as “must appear” on the schedule, meaning a judge sets the penalty rather than a fixed dollar amount.7Maryland Courts. Traffic Fine Schedule – Transportation Article Those are the cases where costs escalate, since a court appearance and legal fees pile on top of whatever the judge orders.
Enforcement is handled by the Comptroller’s Field Enforcement Bureau, which oversees motor fuel tax and motor carrier tax compliance and also issues the IFTA permits.8Comptroller of Maryland. Field Enforcement Bureau The same office that sells the permit is the one checking for it on the road.
Oversize or Overweight Loads Need a Separate Permit
A trip permit is not a hauling permit. If your vehicle or load exceeds Maryland’s standard size or weight limits, you also need an oversize or overweight hauling permit from the MDOT State Highway Administration, whether or not you have a trip permit. The triggers are gross weight above 80,000 pounds (single axle above 20,000, tandem above 34,000, tridem above 42,500), width over 102 inches, height over 13 feet 6 inches, and indivisible loads over 70 feet. Loads over 150,000 pounds gross require a Super Load Permit, and loads 14 feet 6 inches or taller require a pole vehicle and a route survey.9Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration. Overdimensional Permit Limitations Approval runs one to ten days depending on the load.10Maryland OneStop. Regular Hauling Permit and Oversize/Overweight Hauling Permit Details An out-of-state, oversized vehicle can need all three: IRP trip permit, IFTA trip permit, and hauling permit.