International Registration Plan

The International Registration Plan (IRP) is a registration reciprocity agreement among the contiguous United States and Canadian provinces which provides payment of registration fees on the basis of total distance operated in all jurisdictions. IRP's fundamental principle is to promote and encourage the fullest possible use of the highway system.

The benefit of this is that the carrier, registered in its "base" (or home) jurisdiction, only needs one license plate (specially marked as "Apportioned," "APP" or "ARP") and cab card for each one of their vehicles. The apportioned license plate signifies that each jurisdiction the carrier travels through is receiving its fair share of registration fees, regardless of which state the license plate is from. The cab card lists each jurisdiction in which the vehicle is valid for travel, and for how much weight it is registered to carry.

Vehicles are eligible for apportionment under the provisions of the International Registration Plan if they meet the following criteria:

• Intended for use in two or more jurisdictions
• Is a power unit having two axles and a gross vehicle weight in excess of 26,000 pounds (11,794 kg)
• Is used in combination, when the weight exceeds 26,000 pounds (11,794 kg) gross vehicle weight
• Is a power unit having three or more axles