EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, 2016 CHARTER BUSES THAT TRAVEL INTERSTATE ARE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN IRP REGISTRATION.
ATTENTION CHARTER BUS COMPANIES! EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, 2016 CHARTER BUSES THAT TRAVEL INTERSTATE ARE REQUIRED TO OBTAIN IRP REGISTRATION.
Beginning on January 1, 2016, in order to operate a charter bus interstate, a company will need to register their buses (through their base state or province) with IRP registration and license plates or purchase trip permits for each jurisdiction they intend to travel through.
The International Registration Plan (IRP) is a reciprocal agreement that authorizes the proportional registration among the jurisdictions (the 48 contiguous states of the United States and several provinces of Canada) of commercial motor vehicles. This means if a truck or bus is operated in multiple jurisdictions, the owner must annually report mileage driven in each state and taxes are paid proportionately based on the mileage driven. The good news is the owner may pay those taxes in one jurisdiction—referred to as the base jurisdiction or base state. Vehicle owners are required to register under IRP, if:
- their vehicle is over 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight (GVW); or
- has three or more axles, regardless of weight; or
- is a power unit and trailer whose combined GVW is in excess of 26,000 pounds, and
- trucks that are part of a declared fleet that operates in their home state and at least one other IRP jurisdiction.
Take a couple of minutes to familiarize yourself with the IRP…watch this video…
For further information on the IRP please visit the official IPB website. It is a great resource for FAQs, and base state contact information.
Still confused? Take a deep breath and contact Bravo Zulu. We will be happy to make this whole IRP thing a bit less confusing and set you on the right track to compliance with this regulation.