Tennessee Trip Permit

When Do You Need a Tennessee Trip Permit?

Tennessee State Department of Revenue and state law enforcement mandate temporary apportionment for commercial vehicles without permanent apportionment. In general, you will have to apply for Tennessee trip permits when your commercial vehicle is used for intrastate or interstate commerce and fulfills any of the following conditions:

• Gross Vehicle Weight: The gross vehicle weight (GVW) of your power unit or your combination of the power unit and trailer is more than 26,000 lbs.
• Axle Count: Your vehicle comes with three or more axles (which include the steer axle but do not include the trailer).
• IRP Exemption: You have a vehicle that is based in another jurisdiction and is not registered with the IRP for traveling within Tennessee.

Tip for Compliance: The permit for travel only relates to temporary registration of your vehicle. In case your commercial vehicle does not have an IFTA license for Tennessee in effect, then you will need to acquire a Tennessee 7-Day Temporary Fuel Use Permit.

Permit Validity and Key Requirements

Planning for logistics helps to avoid conflicts with state troopers and scale house inspectors on important southeast freight lines such as Interstate 40, Interstate 24, Interstate 65, or Interstate 81. Take note of the following operational factors:

• Duration: Normal Tennessee IRP trip permits are granted for a period of 72 hours (3 days) whereas temporary fuel use permits remain valid for up to 7 days.
• Carriage of Permit: It is always necessary that you keep the copy of your permit, whether in digital form or print-out, inside the cab since inspection of permit is mandatory for enforcement officers when they conduct routine inspection of your load.
• Pre-Entry Permit: It is advisable that you purchase and have an active permit before you enter the state of Tennessee since hefty fines can result otherwise.

How to Obtain Your Tennessee Permits

Fast processing of temporary permits reduces downtime. Carriers may file for permits using authorized third-party permit agencies and wire services (e.g., Comdata, JJ Keller, or specialized permit contractors) for fast electronic permit processing.

Information Required to Apply:

In order to prevent any inconsistencies between clerical entries while in transit, it is essential that you have the following information prior to submission:

• Interstate USDOT Number
• Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
• Make and Year of Manufacture
• License Plate Number
• Issuing Base State
• Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW)

Important Operational Factors in Tennessee

Over-Size and Over-Weight Loads: An ordinary trip permit will not apply to loads that are over standard legal dimensions or weight (including, but not limited to, 80,000 lbs. gross vehicle weight limit, 8.5 ft. width, 13.5 ft. height, and 53 ft. long). Should your combination fall outside statutory maximums, over-size and over-weight permits will be required directly from TDOT.