North Carolina is a member of the International Registration Plan – or IRP – which is a registration reciprocity agreement that provides apportioned payments of registration fees, based on the total distance operated in the continental United States and Canada.
A vehicle registered under the International Registration Plan – referred to as an apportioned vehicle – is only issued one license plate and one cab card.
The
N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles' International Registration Manual serves as a guide to securing proportional registration in North Carolina and serves as a basic reference when preparing applications for annual registration.
For additional information, visit the
International Registration Plan's website.
Registering Under the IRP
Any carrier that is intended to transport passengers or goods across state lines or into Canada and meets any of the following requirements must register as an apportioned vehicle with the International Registration Plan:
- Has two axles and a gross vehicle weight in excess of 26,000 pounds
- Has three or more axles, regardless of weight
- Exceeds a gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds (when combined with other vehicles)
New IRP RequirementsCarriers wanting to register under the IRP must meet certain requirements, which are outlined in
NCDMV's new account checklist.
Insurance Requirements
Federal regulations require a minimum of $750,000 in liability insurance for a for-hire carrier (with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more) that engages in interstate or foreign commerce and transports non-hazardous property.
North Carolina law requires that any commercial motor vehicle owner have financial responsibility for the operation of the motor vehicle in an amount equal to that required for for-hire carriers transporting non-hazardous property in interstate or foreign commerce. The minimum required is $750,000.
The tables below outline insurance minimums required for interstate operations.
Schedule of Limits for Operations
| (1) For-hire (interstate or foreign commerce) | Non-hazardous property and household goods | $750,000 |
| (2) For-hire and private (interstate, foreign or intrastate commerce) | Hazardous substances (as defined in 49 CFR 171.8) transported in cargo tank, portable tanks or hopper-type vehicles with capacities in excess of 3,500 water gallons; or in bulk Class A or B explosives, poison gas (Poison A), liquefied compressed gas or compressed gas; or highway route controlled quantity materials (as defined in 49 CFR 173.403) | $5 million |
| (3) For-hire and private (interstate or foreign commerce in any quantity or intrastate commerce in bulk only) | Oil (as defined in 49 CFR 172.101); hazardous waste, hazardous materials and hazardous substances (as defined in 49 CFR 171.8 and listed in 49 CFR 172.101, but not mentioned in (2) above or (4) below | $1 million |
| (4) For-hire and private (interstate or foreign commerce |
Any quantity of Class A or B explosives; any quantity of poison gas (Poison A); or highway route controlled quantity radioactive materials (as defined in 49 CFR 173.403) |
$5 million |
*The type of carriage listed under (1), (2), and (3) applies to vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or more. The type of carriage listed under (4) applies to all vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 10,000 pounds.
Passenger Carriers
| Any vehicle with a seating capacity of 16 passengers or more | $5 million |
| Any vehicle with a seating capacity of 15 passengers or less | $1.5 million |
Heavy Vehicle Tax (2290)
Registered motor vehicles that have a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more must file a
Form 2290 and Schedule 1 for the tax period beginning July 1 and ending June 30 of the registration year.
IRP Record-Keeping
Registrants with the International Registration Plan must record their mileage and report it on their IRP renewal application for the required reporting period.
Reported mileage should include all movement (interstate and intrastate), including loaded, empty, deadhead and/or bobtail miles.
The following documents are needed for IRP renewal: