The International Registration Plan (IRP) is an international highway program designed for the licensing of heavy (>26,000 pounds) commercial vehicles that travel in two or more jurisdictions. A jurisdiction may be a state, the District of Columbia, or a Canadian province. The IRP office publishes quarterly newsletters to keep local registrants and other stakeholders informed of pertinent IRP activities. View Newsletter

The District of Columbia, like all member IRP jurisdictions, is required to comply with the following criteria:

• Issuance of a single (1) "apportioned" tag
• Issuance of a single registration cab card
• Allow intrastate and interstate movement

Under the IRP, an interstate carrier files an application with the jurisdiction in which its vehicles are based. That jurisdiction is known as the "base jurisdiction." The base jurisdiction collects registration fees authorizing a carrier's movement into other jurisdictions, and distributes those fees to the states or provinces for which the carrier has requested apportionment.

IRP registration does not:

• Exempt a carrier from the payment of motor fuel taxes
• Exempt a carrier from obtaining operating authority
• Exempt a carrier from payment of the Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (Form 2290)
• Review FHWA’s brochure related to Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT)*
• IRS Information for completing HVUT Form 2290
• Permit a carrier to exceed maximum height, length, width, and axle limitations **
• Permit a carrier to exceed "bridge laws" **