The purpose of the International Registration Plan (IRP) is to promote and encourage the fullest possible use of the highway system by authorizing the proportional registration of fleets of vehicles and the recognition of vehicles proportionally registered in other jurisdictions, thus contributing to the economic and social development and growth of all jurisdictions.

In accordance with the plan, an interstate carrier is only required to submit an application with the jurisdiction in which he is based. The base jurisdiction in turn issues the apportioned license plate and cab card. Inasmuch as the cab card will list all jurisdictions in which the registrant has paid registration fees, it is the only vehicle registration required to operate interstate or intrastate in IRP jurisdictions. However, all other requirements pertaining to fuel or any other tax must be in compliance prior to entry into each state.

Apportioned vehicles are defined as any vehicle used or maintained primarily for the transportation of property and:

1. Is a power unit having 2 axles and a gross vehicle weight or registered gross vehicle weight in excess of 26,000 pounds or 11,793.401 kilograms; or
2. Is a power unit having three or more axles regardless of weight; or
3. Is used in combination, when the weight of such combination exceeds 26,000 pounds or 11,793.401 kilograms.

Vehicles, or combinations thereof, having a gross vehicle weight or registered gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds or less and two-axle vehicles may be proportionally registered at the option of the registrant.

Due to the fact that incorrect or incomplete application will be returned to you – please take the time to carefully check your schedules before submitting them to our office.

1. List the correct IRP Account Number at the top of all pages of the application in the box indicated “Account Number”. Submit the US DOT# that has been assigned to you.  (If this is a new account and you don’t have a USDOT number, the account number and the US DOT# will be assigned by our office.)

2. Verify that all applications are completed in full and in blue or black ink. Please print legibly.

3. The original cab card must be submitted with the Schedule C when deleting vehicles. Even if the license plate is being transferred to another vehicle. (Cab Card(s) not needed when deleting vehicle(s) at renewal.)

4. Proof of ownership (the original title only or complete title application) for all vehicles being added to your IRP account.

5. Make sure that you have signed all applications where a signature is requested.

6. Mileage must be indicated on Schedule B for every jurisdiction you plan to operate in during the license year.

7. All estimated mileage that are not from the South  Carolina Estimated Mileage Chart must be explained.

8. Copy of Lease Agreement.

9. You must have a Power Of Attorney to conduct transactions on an IRP account that is in the name of another person or entity.

You will need the following when submitting payment for your apportioned license plate.

1.      Form 2290 – Proof of payment of Heavy Vehicle Use Tax for all vehicles registered at a gross vehicle weight of 55,000 pounds or greater. Acceptable proof of payment shall be the Form 2290 – Schedule 1, validated by IRS or a copy of the current year’s completed Form 2290 – Schedule 1, accompanied by a photocopy of the canceled check (front and back) which was used for payment of same. A Form 2290 is not needed if the vehicle is registered within 60 days from the date of purchase. However, HVUT must be paid within 30 days from the date of purchase to avoid late penalties by the IRS.

2.      Partial payment will be allowed providing the South Carolina license fee is in excess of $400.00 per vehicle and previous payments have not been delinquent. If your invoice does not indicate a “1^st payment” total, your account does not qualify for a partial payment and the entire amount due must be paid before credentials are issued.

3.  PAYMENT FOR LICENSE PLATES MUST BE IN THE FORM OF

CASH, CHECK OR MONEY ORDER. Checks must be in the name of the company or individual on the account. Make check payable to the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. We remind you that it is imperative for your payment to be submitted promptly if your credentials are to be issued on time.

PENALTIES will be charged to the following:

South Carolina will issue letters authorizing temporary vehicle registration, pending issuance of IRP credentials. These permits may be obtained from this Department upon receipt of a completed application for title and registration of a newly purchased vehicle being transferred from another state or when adding another jurisdiction to your fleet. Temporary registrations will not be issued on vehicles being renewed under IRP. This permit can only be obtained by contacting IRP Section in Columbia and is valid for a period of 45 days or until the expiration of the license year. An original TA must be carried in each vehicle listed on the Temporary Registration. When requesting a temporary registration, you must submit the following documents and fees:

Regardless of the purchase date, some vehicles are exempt from the requirement to pay HVUT because of the mileage on the vehicle, because the vehicle is registered to a governement entity or a specific organization, or because of the type of vehicle.

1.       Mileage exemption - Vehicles driven 5,000 miles a year or less (7,500 miles a year or less for agricultural vehicles).

If a vehicle is exempt because the vehicle is driven a limited number of miles, the customer must present an original Form 2290 (Schedule 1, Part 2) stamped by the IRS for the current tax year which lists the exempt vehicles.  Photocopies will not be accepted for exempt vehicles.

2.       Government entities or organizations –  These vehicles are not required  to be listed on the 2290 Schedule I. However,  a  Form MC2290 – Heavy Vehicle Use Tax  Exemption must be completed.

The following government entities or organizations are not required to pay a HVUT; therefore, a Form 2290 will not be required for those vehicles and the vehicles may be registered or renewed following the normal process.

a)       The federal government

b)       The District of Columbia

c)       A state or local government

d)       The American Red Cross

e)       A nonprofit volunteer fire department, ambulance association or rescue squad

f)         A Native American tribal government only if use of the vehicle involves the exercise of an essential tribal government function

g)       A mass transportation authority if it is created under a statute that gives it certain powers normally exercised by the state

Customers can get immediate help with their Form 2290 questions by calling the IRS Help Line at 1-866-699-4096 (toll free). The hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, or by visiting their Web site, www.irs.gov.  

3.       Specially designed mobile machinery for nontransportation functions - A self-propelled vehicle is not a highway vehicle if all the following apply.  These vehicles are not required  to be listed on the 2290 Schedule I. However,  a  Form MC2290 – Heavy Vehicle Use Tax Exemption must be completed.

a)       The chassis has permanently mounted to it machinery or equipment used to perform certain operations (construction, manufacturing, drilling, mining, timbering, processing, farming or similar operations) if the operation of the machinery or equipment is unrelated to transportation on or off the public highways,

b)       The chassis has been specially designed to serve only as a mobile carriage and mount (and power source, if applicable) for the machinery or equipment, regardless of whether the machinery or equipment is in operation, and

c)       The chassis could not, because of its special design and without substantial structural modification, be used as part of a vehicle designed to carry any other load.

4.       Vehicles specially designed for off-highway transportation -   These vehicles are not required  to be listed on the 2290 Schedule I. However,  a  Form MC2290 – Heavy Vehicle Use Tax Exemption must be completed.

A vehicle is not treated as a highway vehicle if the vehicle is specially designed for the primary function of transporting a particular type of load other than over the public highway and because of this special design, the vehicle's capability to transport a load over a public highway is substantially limited or impaired.

To make this determination, you can take into account the vehicle's size, whether the vehicle is subject to licensing, safety or other requirements, and whether the vehicle can transport a load at a sustained speed of at least 25 miles per hour. It does not matter that the vehicle can carry heavier loads off highway than it is allowed to carry over the highway.

5.       Nontransportation trailers and semi-trailers -   These vehicles are not required  to be listed on the 2290 Schedule I. However, a  Form MC2290 – Heavy Vehicle Use Tax Exemption must be completed.

Requests for duplicate or replacement cab cards should be submitted on Form 3090. The fee will be $1.00 per card. There is no charge for corrections due to departmental error or address changes.

To replace a lost, stolen or mutilated license plate, the registrant must complete Form 452-A. The fee will be $6.00 per replacement license plate. Be sure to submit these forms and fee, along with your original cab card for the license being replaced, directly to the Motor Carrier Services Office, whether by mail or in person, unless temporary authorization has been issued. In which case, these forms and fee must be submitted to the Branch Office personnel issuing the temporary authorization. The Branch Office will then forward these documents to the Motor Carrier Services Office. You should receive replacement license plates, and duplicate cab cards within two (2) weeks. If not, please contact Motor Carrier Services.

Credentials for the registration year should be on the vehicle no later than mid-night of the last day of your expiration month. License plates must be mounted on the front of the power unit and the back of trailers and semi-trailers. The original cab card must be available for inspection by appropriate enforcement personnel; copies are not acceptable.

Providing original applications IRP Schedule A/E and Schedule B has been filed for a current year, the registrant may expand his operation into and through a jurisdiction not previously included by filing a supplemental application (Schedule C) showing the additional member jurisdiction, desired registration weight, and estimated mileage. Be sure to explain why the mileage is being estimated by completing a new Schedule B showing the mileage for the added jurisdiction only, if not using the provided estimated chart.

Should the registrant decide to increase his registered weight for any member jurisdiction, a Schedule C must be filed with this Department. Additional fees will be calculated for the increase in weight for the remaining portion of the registration year.

NOTE: Vehicle weights will not be decreased during the license year.

Weight decreases can only be made at license renewal time.