taxes

Trip Permits for Interstate Truckers

A person entering Texas for commercial purposes with a qualified motor vehicle may purchase a trip permit in lieu of the required interstate trucker license or International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) license if there are no more than five entries into the state during a calendar year.

  • A trip permit is valid for only one entry into Texas and for only 20 days from the date of entry.
  • A round trip through Texas constitutes two separate entries, even when the round trip is completed within 20 days (for example, a trip originating in Arkansas, traveling through Texas to New Mexico, and then returning through Texas to Arkansas would require the purchase of two Texas trip permits).
  • A trip permit is required for each state in which travel occurs, and each state has its own instructions for obtaining a permit.
  • Operating a motor vehicle without a valid interstate trucker's license or trip permit may subject the operator to a penalty under the Motor Fuels Tax Code, Subchapter E.

A qualified motor vehicle is a motor vehicle used, designed or maintained to transport persons or property and meets one of these criteria:

  • has two axles and a gross vehicle weight or registered gross vehicle weight exceeding 26,000 pounds or 11,797 kilograms
  • has three or more axles regardless of weight
  • is used in combination when the weight of such combination exceeds 26,000 pounds or 11,797 kilograms gross vehicle weight (combination means both the two-axle vehicle and the trailing unit)

How to get a Texas trip permit

  • Purchase a $50 cashier's check or money order payable to the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
  • Mark both the face of the cashier's check or money order and the receipt with the following:
    • The words "trip permit"
    • The license plate number or the manufacturer's vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle entering Texas
    • The date the vehicle will enter Texas
  • The receipt from the cashier's check or money order is the trip permit and must be carried in the vehicle for which the tax payment is made.
  • Mail the cashier's check or money order to:
    Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
    P.O. Box 13528
    Austin, Texas 78711-3528
    Attn: Fuel Trip Permit