A temporary fuel permit, often called a 72-hour fuel permit, IFTA temporary permit, or fuel trip permit, is one of those compliance tools that’s simple in concept and dangerous in execution if misunderstood. It exists for a clear purpose: to authorize a qualified motor vehicle to travel through a state or province and remain compliant with fuel tax requirements when the carrier does not have valid IFTA credentials for that unit.
This is not optional “paperwork for paperwork’s sake.” Fuel tax compliance is one of the fastest ways to turn a routine trip into an enforcement issue—especially when a carrier crosses multiple borders without proper credentials.
Fuel permit vs trip permit: the difference that keeps getting people in trouble
Let’s make this crisp:
- Fuel permit = fuel tax compliance (IFTA substitute, short-term).
- Trip permit = registration/apportionment compliance (IRP substitute, short-term).
Many carriers need both when credentials aren’t ready, which is why “trip & fuel permits” are frequently bundled. The compliance mistake is assuming one covers the other. It doesn’t. If you fix the registration side and ignore fuel tax, you’re still exposed—and vice versa.
Who typically needs a temporary fuel permit
You likely need a temporary fuel permit if you operate a qualified motor vehicle (commonly 26,000 lbs or more GVW, or vehicles meeting axle thresholds such as three or more axles on the power unit) and you plan to cross a jurisdictional border without valid IFTA license or decals for that vehicle.
Common real-world scenarios:
- New carriers: IFTA applications or decals are still processing, but loads need to move now.
- Newly added power units: The fleet is growing faster than credential issuance.
- Lapsed or out-of-service IFTA: Renewal issues, lost decals, administrative changes.
- Occasional interstate trips: Infrequent cross-border runs where permanent IFTA isn’t practical.
- Leased/substitute units: Short-term equipment swaps where credentials don’t match the unit.
A compliance partner’s job is to keep this from becoming a scramble: if the fleet must run before permanent credentials are ready, the permits should be planned and issued in advance, not while a driver is already approaching the state line.
What states will ask for: data requirements and why accuracy matters
While each jurisdiction varies, expect to provide:
- Legal business information (USDOT, legal name/DBA, FEIN as applicable)
- Vehicle details (VIN, plate, unit number, year/make, fuel type, GVW/axles)
- Route/jurisdictions and entry date/time
- Carrier status (IFTA/IRP standing, lease details if any)
- Payment method and billing contact
Two compliance truths here:
- VIN and plate accuracy must be perfect. Small typos create roadside friction.
- Time windows matter. Some permits are time-bound; a permit that starts too late is effectively no permit at the moment you need it.
The disciplined move is to create a single internal intake sheet per unit (VIN, plate, unit #, fuel type, contacts) and reuse it for every jurisdiction to avoid re-keying errors.
Costs and processing: cheap per permit, expensive when repeated
Fuel permits are often inexpensive individually, but they become costly and operationally annoying when a carrier repeatedly runs interstate without IFTA. Processing is frequently same-day during business hours, but timing varies by jurisdiction and service level (standard vs rush). After-hours and weekend moves should be planned ahead; “we’ll get it in the morning” is not a compliance strategy when the driver’s entry is at 5 a.m.
What drives variability:
- Jurisdiction fee schedules and permitted duration (often 24–96 hours depending on the state/province)
- Completeness of submitted data
- Time of day and holidays
- Volume and coordination across multiple jurisdictions
How to obtain permits in a way that scales
A clean operational workflow looks like this:
- Confirm vehicle qualification and route: Identify GVW/axles and which borders will be crossed.
- List all required jurisdictions: Each state/province entered without IFTA requires fuel permit coverage.
- Gather data once: Use standardized unit intake to prevent errors.
- Submit requests with realistic start windows: Build a timing buffer.
- Distribute documents to the driver: PDF access must be inspection-ready.
- Retain proof and reconcile: Keep permits with fuel receipts and trip reports to support filings and the audit trail
Beyond fuel permits: mileage/HUT and other credentials that are not IFTA
Temporary fuel permits solve one slice of the compliance puzzle. Certain jurisdictions impose mileage-based or weight-distance tax credentials that are separate from IFTA and IRP—commonly described as HUT or weight-distance tax programs (with examples like KYU, NM WDT, OR WDT, CT HUT, and NY HUT in practice). These requirements must be checked in addition to fuel permits and trip permits when running without full credentials.
