The International Registration Plan (IRP) is a registration
reciprocity agreement between the
contiguous United States and
Canadian provinces, which provides apportioned payments of registration fees, based on the total distance operated in participating
jurisdiction
Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels.
J ...
s, to them. IRP's fundamental principle is to promote and encourage the fullest possible use of the highway system.
The benefit of this plan is that a carrier may be registered in only their home state, yet legally engage in interstate/interprovincial commerce. Each carrier vehicle only needs one specially marked "Apportioned", "APP", or "PRP"
license plate
A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British English), license plate (American English), or licence plate (Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identificatio ...
, and a cab card which lists each jurisdiction the vehicle is valid to do business in and how much weight it is registered to carry.
Two major transportation companies under IRP are
U-Haul
U-Haul is an American moving truck, trailer, and self-storage rental company, based in Phoenix, Arizona, that has been in operation since 1945. The company was founded by Leonard Shoen in Ridgefield, Washington, who began it in the garage ...
and
Greyhound Lines.
''Apportionable Vehicles:'' any vehicle intended for use of transporting a person for hire or property, within the contiguous United States and/or Canadian provinces, that drives on:
*two
axles
An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearin ...
having a
gross vehicle weight
Vehicle weight is a measurement of wheeled motor vehicles; either an actual measured weight of the vehicle under defined conditions or a gross weight rating for its weight carrying capacity.
Curb or kerb weight
Curb weight (U.S. English) or kerb ...
, a registered gross vehicle weight or a
gross combination weight in excess of
*three or more axles
''Exceptions:'' recreational vehicles, vehicles displaying restricted plates, buses used in the transportation of chartered parties, government-owned vehicles
[http://www.irponline.org/?page=EDUFAQ]
References
{{Trucking industry in the United States
Canadian transport law
United States transportation law