Permit renewal deadlines near
The clock is ticking for owner-operators to get their paperwork and permits in order.
Helping truckers navigate the process of renewing the multitude of necessary permits is old hat for OOIDA. During a September episode of Land Line Now, Brittany Murphy and Caleb Sears of OOIDA’s Permits and Licensing Department discussed a few permits coming up for renewal.
Unified Carrier Registration
UCR is an annual permit that most motor carriers must pay if they have an active U.S. DOT number marked interstate. The UCR permit needs to be maintained regardless of whether a driver uses that DOT number or not.
Law enforcement in all states is required to enforce UCR requirements, whether or not the state participates in receiving funding from UCR fees. Non-participating states are Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont and Wyoming. Washington, D.C., also does not participate.
The window to file and pay the UCR fee began Oct. 1 and runs through Dec. 31. Sears said that for drivers who already are registered, the process is “super easy.” Visit the UCR website and input your DOT number. You then will be prompted to verify your information and input payment information.
International Fuel Tax Agreement
When it comes to renewing your IFTA permit, you’ll need to be aware of your state’s rules to know how and when to renew.
With some states doing auto-renewals and others requiring a bit more legwork, Murphy said you’ll want to be on the lookout for a reminder from your state regarding its renewal period.
In most states, the IFTA renewal period began on Oct. 1. Carriers are required to display the decal for the upcoming year no later than Dec. 31.
Weight/distance permits
There are currently five states – Connecticut, Kentucky, New Mexico, New York, Kentucky and Oregon – that require carriers to pay fees based on miles driven in the state.
Any carrier operating in those states will need not only to calculate those fees but also to register annually for a weight/distance permit. This year, the only one of the states that is up for renewal is New Mexico.
As with the other permits, the renewal period opened on Oct. 1 and needs to be completed by Dec. 31. LL