Sec. 28.1. General

(a) Introduction.

Chapter 755 of the Laws of 1987 authorized the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles to enter into a reciprocal agreement to have this State become a member of the International Registration Plan. The International Registration Plan is a registration reciprocity agreement among states of the United States, the District of Columbia and provinces of Canada providing for a single payment of registration fees on the basis of fleet distance operated in various jurisdictions. It calls for a single license plate or set of plates and a single cab card to be issued by only one jurisdiction for each vehicle in a fleet registered under the plan, and so far as registration is concerned, that vehicle may be operated both interstate and intrastate in the appropriate jurisdictions. Application for entry into the program was made by the commissioner as provided under the plan and this State's entry was approved and endorsed by member jurisdictions on February 5, 1988. The International Registration Plan, hereinafter referred to as IRP is set forth in section 28.11(b) of this Part, and except as may otherwise especially be provided herein, is made a part of these regulations.

(b) Commencement date.

Registrations shall be staggered, effective the first day of the month and expiring the last day of the month, 365 days (366 days in a leap year) later.

(c) Registration of vehicles under IRP.

(1) Vehicles subject to IRP registration. A power unit that is used or intended for use in two or more member jurisdictions and which is used for the transportation of persons for hire, or designed, used or maintained primarily for the transportation of property and:

(i) has two axles and a gross vehicle weight or registered gross vehicle weight in excess of 26,000 pounds; or

(ii) has three or more axles, regardless of the weight; or

(iii) is used in combination, when the gross vehicle weight of such combination exceeds 26,000 pounds.

(2) Other vehicles which may be IRP registered. In addition to vehicles subject to IRP registration, motor vehicles having a maximum gross weight of 26,000 pounds or less which have two axles which are used or intended for use in two or more jurisdictions which are members of IRP may be IRP registered, at the discretion of the commissioner.

(3) Exceptions. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subdivision, recreational vehicles, vehicles displaying restricted plates and government-owned vehicles, are not apportionable vehicles but may be registered under the plan at the option of the registrant. For the purposes of this Part, restricted plates issued by this State shall be agricultural commercial plates, special purpose commercial plates, historical plates and farm plates.

(d) Effect of adoption of IRP.

(1) On registration only. The entry of this State into IRP affects the operation in this State of vehicles registered in other jurisdictions and the operation in other jurisdictions of vehicles registered in this State with respect to registration requirements. IRP does not affect any other requirements for operation such as fuel or truck mileage taxes, Federal heavy vehicle use tax, dimension and weight requirements or operating authority requirements.

(2) General effects.

The following are the general effects that IRP has on the operation of vehicles with respect to registration. For the purposes of this Part, the term intrastate operation means the transportation of a person or property from one point in a jurisdiction to another point in the same jurisdiction for hire or profit.

(i) A vehicle which is IRP registered is entitled to operate both interstate and intrastate in the jurisdiction in which it is registered and in any other jurisdiction in which it it proportionally registered as indicated on the cab card issued for it and usually it may operate interstate, but not intrastate. In jurisdictions which are not members of IRP. Such vehicle is not entitled to operate in any jurisdiction which is a member of IRP but in which it is not proportionately registered as indicated on its cab card unless a trip permit has been obtained from such jurisdiction, in which case it may operate in that jurisdiction only to the extent allowed by the terms of such permit.

(ii) A vehicle not subject to IRP registration, and not IRP registered, is entitled to operate both interstate and intrastate in any jurisdiction in which it is registered and usually to operate interstate, but not intrastate, in any other jurisdiction.

(iii) A vehicle which is subject to IRP registration, but which is not IRP registered, is entitled to operate both interstate and intrastate in any jurisdiction in which it is registered. Such vehicle is not entitled to operate in any manner in any jurisdiction which is a member of IRP unless a trip permit has been obtained from such jurisdiction, in which case it may operate in that jurisdiction only to the extent allowed by the terms of such permit. Such vehicle usually is entitled to operate interstate, but not intrastate, in any jurisdiction which is not a member of IRP.

(3) Special provisions. In addition to the general effects of IRP set forth in paragraph (2) of this subdivision, the following registration provisions affect the operations of vehicles in this State as follows:

(i) Many IRP member jurisdictions issue a document (often called a hunter's permit) which provides for the operation of a vehicle for up to a specified unladen weight for a specified period of time. Such a permit ordinarily is issued only for a vehicle which had been operated by a lessor under an IRP registration issued to a lessee when such lease has expired and is issued for the purpose of permitting the lessor to move his vehicle unladen until a new registration can be secured under another lease or otherwise. A vehicle to which such a permit has been issued may be operated unladen within this State without any number plate or cab card only in accordance with the terms contained on such permit.