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Florida trucking

Florida trip and fuel permits

A truck can run Florida legally without apportioned plates or an IFTA license, but only on the state's own temporary permits, bought before the trip. Here is each trip permit and fuel permit, what it stands in for, what the state charges, and where to buy it, every fact sourced.

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 22, 2026

Florida keeps both temporary credentials under one roof at FLHSMV: a ten-day trip permit that stands in for IRP apportioned registration and a ten-day temporary fuel use permit that stands in for the IFTA license. Both are sold through the FLHSMV Commercial Vehicle Permit Portal and must be aboard before the truck enters the state.

The trip permit (registration side)

This credential answers for registration. Without it, a vehicle whose cab card does not list Florida has no legal registration standing in the state.

Permit
Temporary Trip Permit
Stands in for
IRP apportioned registration (Florida member jurisdiction)
Fee
$30
Valid for
Valid for ten (10) days
Who needs it
Out-of-state carriers operating apportionable vehicles in Florida on non-IRP registration from another jurisdiction. The permit must be obtained before entering Florida and remain with the vehicle while in the state.
Where to buy
FLHSMV Commercial Vehicle Permit Portal (online); Bureau of Commercial Vehicle and Driver Services by phone, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Statute
FLHSMV publishes the fee and terms on its trip permit page without citing a statute section; the figures here are exactly as published.

The fuel permit (tax side)

This credential answers for the state's highway or fuel tax when there is no IFTA license (or, in the weight-distance states, no tax account) behind the truck.

Permit
Temporary Fuel Use Permit
Stands in for
IFTA license
Fee
$45
Valid for
Valid for ten (10) days
Who needs it
Out-of-state carriers operating IFTA-qualified vehicles in Florida without an IFTA license, including IRP registrants whose IFTA account is inactive. It must be obtained before entering the state and remain with the vehicle.
Where to buy
FLHSMV Commercial Vehicle Permit Portal (online); Bureau of Commercial Vehicle and Driver Services by phone, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Statute
FLHSMV publishes the fee and terms on its temporary fuel use permit page without citing a statute section; the figures here are exactly as published.

Worth knowing

Florida-based owner-operators between jobs can buy a hunter permit (5 dollars, valid ten days) to move an empty vehicle without current IRP registration while looking for work.

Where these fit in the Florida permit stack

Temporary permits are the exception path. The standing credentials they replace are IRP apportioned registration and the Florida IFTA license. Oversize loads use a different permit family entirely, covered in Florida oversize and overweight permits, and the full picture of every state permit lives in Florida trucking permits.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Florida permit cost?

The temporary trip permit is $30, and The temporary fuel use permit is $45, at the fees cited in the tables above. Those are the state's own charges; a third-party seller adds its own service fee on top.

Do I need a trip permit or a fuel permit for Florida?

Usually both, and they are separate purchases. The trip permit stands in for apportioned (IRP) registration and the fuel permit stands in for the IFTA license. If your cab card lists Florida and your IFTA decals are current, you need neither; the tables on this page carry each permit's terms with the official source.

When does buying temporary permits stop making sense?

Temporary permits price a single trip. A carrier running Florida lanes on a regular schedule comes out ahead adding the state to its IRP cab card and holding an IFTA license, because permit fees repeat on every trip while the annual credentials do not.

Can I buy these permits after entering the state?

No. Each credential on this page must be in place before the vehicle operates on Florida highways, and enforcement happens at roadside inspections and weigh stations. Buying from the state's own channel before the trip is the cheapest clean path.

Are permit-service prices the state fee?

No. Wire services and permit companies resell state permits with a service markup. The fees on this page are what Florida itself charges on its primary pages; anything above that is the middleman's fee, not the state's.

Haul Handbook publishes educational information about trucking registration and compliance requirements. This is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Rules, fees, and deadlines change; confirm with the agency before you file or pay.