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    Document Guide

    Know which documents are required for your driver application before you head to DMV.
    Access Guide
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    • Title Your Vehicle or Trailer
    • Registration
    • License Plates
    • Buying/Selling a Vehicle
    • Insurance Coverage Verification
    • Taxes & Fees
    • E-ZPass at DMV
    • Insurance Requirements
    • General Information
    • National Motor Vehicle Titling Information System (NMVTIS)
    • Abandoned Vehicles/ Mechanics & Storage Lien (MSL) Vehicles
    • Download Vehicle Forms

    Registration Renewal

    Renew your vehicle registration before it expires to avoid a late fee.
    Renew Registration
  • Businesses

    • Motor Carriers
      • Contact Motor Carrier Services
      • Motor Carrier Portal
      • International Registration Plan (IRP)
      • International Fuels Tax Agreement (IFTA)
      • Sign up for VirginiaMCS
      • For-Hire Intrastate Operating Authority
      • Overload Permits
      • Citations for Motor Carrier Violations
      • IRP and IFTA Trip Permits
      • Escort Vehicle Driver Certification
      • EZFleet
      • EZReg
      • Size and Weight Services
      • Federal Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT)
      • Motor Carrier Related Links
      • Downloadable Motor Carrier Forms
      • Downloadable Forms for Hauling Permits
      • Licensed Transportation Services
      • Motor Carrier - Frequently Asked Questions
        • For-Hire Intrastate Operating Authority Frequently Asked Questions
        • Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) Frequently Asked Questions
        • International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) Frequently Asked Questions
        • International Registration Plan (IRP) Frequently Asked Questions
        • Motor Carrier Acronyms
        • Motor Carrier Services - General Questions
        • Questions Related To Virginia Citations
      • Seven Steps to Choosing a Limo Service
      • United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) Number
      • Virginia’s Commercial Business Customers
      • Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Program
      • Checklist- Closing Down a Business
      • Vehicle Registration Fee Charts
    • Hauling Permits
    • Insurance Services
    • Electronic Lien Program
    • Virginia Motor Fuels Tax Programs
    • Business Opportunities
    • How to Become a DMV Select Partner
    • Online Fleet
    • Dealer Services
    • Online Dealers
    • Rental Tax
    • Transportation Network Companies (TNC)

    VirginiaMCS

    Access VirginiaMCS to conduct your Virginia IRP and/or IFTA transactions online.
    Access VirginiaMCS
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    • Request a Copy of Your Driver or Vehicle Record
    • Request a Police Crash Report from DMV
    • Obtain Vehicle History
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    • Governmental Access to DMV Records
    • Resources for Family of Deceased
    • Emergency Contact Information
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    • Release of DMV Information
    • Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Rights and Responsibilities
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    Purchase a copy of your driver or vehicle record online.
    View Records
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    Check your points balance to see where your record stands.
    Check Balance
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International Registration Plan (IRP) Frequently Asked Questions

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  • Motor Carrier - Frequently Asked Questions
    • For-Hire Intrastate Operating Authority Frequently Asked Questions
    • Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) Frequently Asked Questions
    • International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) Frequently Asked Questions
    • International Registration Plan (IRP) Frequently Asked Questions
    • Motor Carrier Acronyms
    • Motor Carrier Services - General Questions
    • Questions Related To Virginia Citations

IRP stands for the International Registration Plan. The Plan is a method of registering fleets of vehicles that travel in two or more member jurisdictions. Fees are calculated according to the miles that you travel in each jurisdiction and other variables. All fees are paid to your base jurisdiction which then distributes them to the other appropriate jurisdictions.

Generally, we cannot tell you what your IRP license plate fees will be until we process your application and generate an invoice. The fee calculation for each jurisdiction varies based on the laws of that jurisdiction. The fee calculation for your vehicle may be based on gross weight, mileage, vehicle year model, vehicle make, purchase price, your type of operation or other factors, depending on which jurisdictions you traveled. Our system will calculate the full vehicle registration fee for each jurisdiction and will then determine the appropriate percentage of that fee to charge based on the percentage of miles traveled in that jurisdiction.

You will be required to get IRP plates or a temporary trip permit for the other jurisdictions if you are doing intrastate movement within another jurisdiction regardless of the weight of your vehicle. Intrastate movement means operation point to point within a jurisdiction.

The Virginia International Registration Plan (IRP) Application (Form IRP-1).

Yes, you must have an established place of business in Virginia to qualify for IRP registration in Virginia. A physical street address is required rather than a PO box.

Yes, your vehicle has to be titled in Virginia to get IRP plates in Virginia. If you do not want to give up your title in another jurisdiction, you may title your vehicle for registration purposes only. We will issue a title number and hold the title.

A base jurisdiction is where the registrant has an established place of business, where mileage is accrued by the fleet and where operational records of that fleet are maintained or can be made available. The established place of business should be a physical structure owned, leased or rented by the fleet registrant and should be designated by a street number or road.

No. Multi-use plates on an IRP qualified vehicle are not acceptable and may result in a ticket for improper registration.

No, IRP plates are issued for a 12-month period expiring at the end of the month based on the date you apply. For example, if you submit your application on 9/1/99 your license plates will expire 9/30/00.

No. Virginia does not issue temporary IRP license plates.

You must also register for IFTA and file motor fuel road tax reports on a quarterly basis if the vehicles within your fleet if:

  • have two axles and a gross vehicle weight or registered gross vehicle weight of more than 26,000 pounds or
  • have three or more axles regardless of weight or
  • are used in combination, when the combined weight is more than 26,000 pounds gross or registered gross vehicle weight at any time.

No; All credentials are mailed from DMV Headquarters. IRP applications are processed at HQ unless you have access to Virginia's online solution for IFTA and IRP, VirginiaMCS (www.virginiamcs.com). Some transactions allow for cab card preview and print from your place of business.

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