IFTA Renewal Season: What Every Carrier Must Do Before December 31

Every truck running interstate needs a valid IFTA license and a current set of decals. The license year runs January 1 through December 31, and the renewal window closes fast.

If your account is renewed by December 31, your current decals remain valid through February 28 of the new year — a grace period, not an extension. Miss the December deadline and you are technically running without fuel tax credentials the moment January 1 hits.

Here is what we tell every client: first, confirm your mileage and fuel records are current through Q3. Second, file your renewal application in November, not late December — base jurisdictions get buried. Third, when your new decals arrive, put them on the truck immediately and keep the old cab card until February.

One more trap: a lapsed IFTA license can flag your account during roadside inspections and IRP renewals. It is a small filing with outsized consequences. If you would rather not think about it, that is literally our job — we renew hundreds of IFTA accounts every season.