# IRP Florida: Apportioned Registration, Plates, Fees and the Distance Schedule

Florida IRP registration runs through FLHSMV, which also handles IFTA. Who needs an apportioned tag, how fees split by distance, what to keep for audits.

Source: https://www.highpointgps.com/resources/irp-florida-apportioned-registration
By Israel Margulies, CEO & Founder, published 2026-09-18, updated 2026-10-13

## Who Handles IRP Registration in Florida?

IRP registration in Florida is administered by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), the same agency that runs the state's IFTA program, so a Florida carrier deals with one office for both credentials. The peninsula is long enough that many Florida fleets stay intrastate and never need apportioned plates. Fleets that run I-75 and I-95 into Georgia and beyond, or the I-10 corridor to Alabama, register with Florida as their base jurisdiction.

## What Drives the Fee for Florida Apportioned Plates?

Florida itself dominates the schedule. A Miami-to-Jacksonville run covers 350 miles of Florida before the first border. Regional fleets add Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee to their percentages, and long-haul produce and consumer freight carriers add the full Eastern Seaboard. Because the in-state share is so large, it is the figure to get right: a few points of Florida distance misreported as Georgia moves fee dollars from one schedule to another. Telematics distance-by-jurisdiction reporting, built from continuously logged position, gives you the July-to-June schedule per unit and the IFTA quarter for FLHSMV from one dataset.

![Bar chart showing an IRP fee apportioned by distance share across Quebec, Ontario, New York and Vermont, with the factors that change the total](https://www.highpointgps.com/images/figures/irp-apportioned-fee.webp)

*An apportioned fee is each jurisdiction's full-year fee weighted by the share of distance run there, added up and paid once to the base jurisdiction.*

## What Happens at Roadside Checks and Audits?

Troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol's Office of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement work Florida's weigh stations and the I-75, I-95 and I-10 corridors, where they check cab cards, IFTA decals and ELD records together. Florida's agricultural inspection stations are a separate checkpoint, run by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Keeping all three credentials current from one telematics record leaves fewer gaps to explain at either stop.

## IRP in Florida at a Glance

The essentials for a Florida-based fleet in one place. Confirm current procedures and fee schedules with the agency before you renew.

| Item | Florida |
| --- | --- |
| IRP administered by | Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) |
| Threshold | Power unit over 26,000 lb, or three or more axles, or a combination over 26,000 lb, in two or more jurisdictions |
| Credential | Apportioned plate and cab card per power unit; trailers not apportioned |
| Distance reporting period | July 1 to June 30 before the registration year |
| Fee basis | Each jurisdiction's fee at the registered weight, weighted by distance share |
| First-year fleet | Estimated distance chart until a full year of actual distance exists |
| Audit window | Three years after the registration year closes |
| Distance source | ELD or GPS jurisdiction report, per unit |

## FAQ

### Who handles IRP registration in Florida?

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) handles IRP registration. Applications, renewals and supplements for the apportioned plate and cab card all go through that office. The same agency runs Florida's IFTA program, so a carrier based in the state manages both credentials with one office.

### Does a truck based in Florida need IRP if it never leaves Florida?

No. A power unit that stays inside Florida registers with FLHSMV the ordinary way. IRP applies to qualified vehicles that operate in two or more member jurisdictions, so the first regular run into Georgia or Alabama is what triggers it. A one-off trip can travel on a trip permit instead of a full apportioned plate.

### Which reporting period does the Florida distance schedule cover?

It covers July 1 to June 30 of the year before the registration year. The renewal you file with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) asks for actual miles per jurisdiction for each power unit over that window. A new fleet without a full year on record uses the estimated distance chart instead.

### Does an apportioned plate from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) replace the IFTA licence?

No. The apportioned plate and cab card cover registration, and the IFTA licence and decals cover fuel tax. A Florida fleet that crosses into Georgia needs both. Officers at Florida weigh stations check cab cards and IFTA decals together, so letting either one lapse costs you a roadside stop.

### How long must IRP distance records be kept in Florida?

Keep them for at least three years after the close of the registration year they support. FLHSMV can audit that window and asks for distance by jurisdiction tied to a unit and a date. GPS trip logs supply that record directly, unit by unit and day by day.

## Sources

- [FLHSMV: International Registration Plan](https://www.flhsmv.gov/motor-carriers/international-registration-plan-irp/)
- [IRP, Inc.: The Plan](https://www.irponline.org/)