To order IFTA decals, complete the decal order form issued by your base jurisdiction — the state or province where your fleet is registered, where some travel occurs, and where your operational records are kept. Most jurisdictions run the form through an online portal tied to your IFTA account; a few still accept paper. You submit your business information, the number of qualified vehicles in the fleet, each vehicle’s VIN, and payment for the per-set fee. Every qualified vehicle needs its own set of two decals, one for each side of the cab.
Confirm Your Vehicles Actually Need IFTA Decals
A vehicle qualifies for IFTA registration when it meets any of three criteria: two axles with a gross or registered gross vehicle weight over 26,000 pounds, three or more axles regardless of weight, or a power-and-trailer combination whose combined weight exceeds 26,000 pounds.1New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Fuel Use Tax/International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) – Section: Vehicles Requiring IFTA Licenses and Decals The vehicle also has to travel in at least two IFTA member jurisdictions. If you only operate inside one state, you do not need IFTA credentials at all.
Recreational vehicles used only for personal pleasure are exempt. Government-owned vehicles, school buses, farm-plated vehicles, and certain special mobile equipment are generally exempt as well, but recognition varies by jurisdiction. A vehicle that is exempt at home may not be exempt in every state you enter, so verify with each jurisdiction before you assume you can skip an order.
Gather What the Form Will Ask For
Every IFTA application and decal order runs through your base jurisdiction.2IFTA, Inc. Carrier Information If this is your first order, pull the following together before you open the form:
- Your Federal Employer Identification Number. Sole proprietors without an FEIN can use their Social Security Number, though some jurisdictions require obtaining an FEIN within 30 days.3Comptroller of Maryland. IFTA Compliance Manual – Section: Account Identification
- An active USDOT number, which most jurisdictions require as part of the IFTA application.
- Your legal business name and address, matching your other registration documents exactly.
- The Vehicle Identification Number for every qualified motor vehicle you plan to operate under the license.
- A count of qualified vehicles — one set of two decals per vehicle.
Already licensed and reordering? You’ll need your existing IFTA account number and the login credentials for your jurisdiction’s portal. Check that your account is in good standing first. Outstanding quarterly returns or unpaid balances will block a decal order until you clear them.
Fill Out the Form
After you log in, enter your legal business name and contact information exactly as they appear in the system. The form then asks how many decal sets you need. Count qualified vehicles carefully. Order too few and some trucks sit idle waiting for a second shipment.
The total cost is the number of sets multiplied by the jurisdiction’s per-set fee. Fees are usually modest: California charges $2 per set, Minnesota $2.50, Delaware $5.4Minnesota Department of Public Safety. IFTA Overview Some jurisdictions bundle the decal cost into the license fee, so decals appear to be free. Online forms calculate the total automatically.
If you are adding new vehicles at the same time, the form asks for each new VIN. Ohio’s portal, for example, takes VINs through an upload template or manual entry and rejects any VIN already in the records.5Ohio Department of Taxation. Requesting Additional and Replacement Decals (IFTA) Check every entry before you submit. A wrong VIN means the decals won’t match the vehicle, and that creates problems at weigh stations.
Submit and Pay
Online forms end at a review screen where you confirm the business name, vehicle count, and total amount before submitting. If your jurisdiction still uses paper, an authorized representative must sign the form and mail it, with payment, to the address printed on the form itself. Applications without payment do not get processed.
Accepted payment methods generally include credit cards and electronic checks, and in some cases paper checks or money orders.6Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) Online transactions may add a small convenience fee. Once payment clears, the system generates a confirmation number. Save it. In many jurisdictions the confirmation doubles as temporary operating authority while you wait for the physical decals.
A handful of states, including Arizona, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, and Texas, may require a surety bond before issuing IFTA credentials. Bond requirements are not universal and generally target carriers with a history of late filings, unpaid taxes, or failed audits rather than first-time applicants. If a bond applies to you, the jurisdiction will flag it during the application process.
What Happens After You Submit
Approved orders are mailed to the address on your account. Delivery time varies, but plan on one to three weeks. Keep your order confirmation or any temporary permit the jurisdiction issued in the vehicle cab so drivers can show proof of pending credentials during inspections.
When the decals arrive, IFTA Articles of Agreement section R625 requires placement on the exterior of both sides of the cab, one on the driver’s side and one on the passenger’s side, visible during weigh station or roadside checks.7IFTA, Inc. Articles of Agreement Manual – Section: R625 Display of Decals Transporters, manufacturers, dealers, driveaway operations, and short-term rentals of 29 days or less may display decals temporarily rather than permanently affix them, but the decals still must be visible on both sides.
IFTA decals are valid for a single calendar year. Renewal applications go to your base jurisdiction before the end of the preceding year, and most jurisdictions open their renewal window in the fall.8IFTA, Inc. IFTA Credential Grace Period Carriers who have filed for renewal get a two-month display grace period covering January and February, during which the prior year’s decals and license remain valid.9IFTA, Inc. Articles of Agreement Manual – Section: R655 Grace Period The grace period covers display, not the filing deadline itself.
Adding Vehicles Mid-Year
When you add a qualified vehicle to the fleet outside the annual renewal cycle, you order supplemental decals. You do not need a new IFTA license, because the license covers the carrier rather than individual vehicles. Most jurisdictions handle supplemental orders through the same portal used for the original order. Look for an option labeled “additional decals” or “supplement,” enter the new vehicle’s VIN, and submit.
Some jurisdictions issue temporary operating authority while the physical decals are printed and mailed. Pennsylvania, for instance, provides a faxed temporary permit valid for 30 days at $7 per vehicle.10Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. Getting a Temporary Permit for an IFTA Keep a copy of the IFTA license and the temporary permit in the vehicle until the permanent decals show up.
Replacing Lost or Damaged Decals
If a decal is lost, stolen, or damaged beyond recognition, contact your base jurisdiction for a replacement. Most states process replacement requests through the same portal used for regular orders. You’ll typically need your IFTA account number and the VIN of the affected vehicle. Some jurisdictions issue replacements at no charge; others charge a small per-set fee. The replacement count has to reconcile with your fleet size, and replacement requests can be flagged for audit.
Ask about temporary operating authority while you wait. Some states issue a letter or electronic authorization the driver can carry as proof that valid credentials are on the way.
Keep Your Account Eligible to Order
Holding an IFTA license means filing quarterly fuel tax returns with your base jurisdiction, even in quarters with no operations or no miles driven.11Illinois Department of Revenue. Illinois Motor Fuel Use Tax (IFTA) Filing and Payment Requirements Due dates fall on the last day of the month after each quarter closes: April 30, July 31, October 31, and January 31. When a due date lands on a weekend or holiday, it shifts to the next business day.
A missed quarterly filing puts your account out of good standing, and that blocks future decal orders and renewals. Two or more consecutive missed filings can trigger revocation, which the base jurisdiction then reports to every other member jurisdiction through the IFTA clearinghouse. Reinstating a revoked license means settling all outstanding taxes, penalties, and interest, then reapplying from scratch. The simplest way to keep the decal order form working for you is to keep quarterly returns current so the next order clears without a hold.