1. Agriculture Outreach
Office of Motor Vehicle Enforcement
Iowa Department of Transportation

2. DISCLAIMER
This slide module is intended to summarize commercial Vehicle rules
and regulations and is not intended to be used for legal guidance or as
a substitute for applicable local, state, and federal statutes.
While every attempt has been made to ensure the completeness and
accuracy of the information contained in this presentation, it is not a
detailed explanation of all applicable local, state and federal statutes.
The module is part of a larger presentation and as such is only part of a
summary of regulations that may or may not apply to you.
By use of this resource, the user agrees the Iowa Department of
Transportation assumes no liability or responsibility for the user’s
understanding and compliance to the rules and regulations

3. Commercial Vehicle (CV)
What Do I Need?

4. CMVs 10,001 lbs or more
Requirements
1. USDOT numbers and markings (for-
hire intrastate and interstate carriers)
2. Driver qualification – medical / age
3. Hours of service log books - 49 CFR 395
4. Driver licensing – C, D, or C-CDL
5. Equipment standards – 49 CFR 393
6. Vehicle inspection and maintenance
7. Cargo securement – 49 CFR 393

5. CMVs 26,001 lbs or more
All previous categories, plus:
 Commercial driver’s license
 Drug and alcohol testing
 Apportioned registration
 Fuel tax permits

6. Vehicle markings
The Iowa DOT’s Office of Motor Vehicle
Enforcement is not requesting or
requiring intrastate private carriers to
obtain a USDOT number.
Warnings or citations will not be issued
for intrastate private carriers not
displaying a USDOT number.

7. Vehicle markings
Must have USDOT numbers displayed

8. Vehicle markings
Legal or single trade name
For-hire motor carriers must display their
operating name and USDOT number.
As reported on the MCS-150 report to the Federal
Motor Carrier Services Administration (FMCSA).

9. Vehicle markings
How to mark your vehicle.
Mark both sides of the power unit.
Use a sharply
contrasting
color.
The markings must be legible during
daylight, from 50 feet, when vehicle is
stationary.

10. Vehicle markings
To obtain a USDOT number,
visit FMCSA’s website
www.fmcsa.dot.gov
or call them at
800-832-5660

11. Unified carrier registration (UCR)
UCR – who needs to file?
UCR applies to the following
operating interstate.
 Motor carriers
 Private motor carriers
 Freight forwarders
 Brokers
 Leasing companies

12. Unified carrier registration (UCR)
To obtain a UCR:
Complete and submit an application
form, which is available at the:
• Iowa DOT’s Office of Motor
Carrier Services website at
www.iamvd.com/omcs.
• National UCR website, which is
operated by the State of Indiana
at www.ucr.in.gov.

13. Registration and fuel permits
Interstate travel –
registration/fuel reciprocity
Registered vehicles with two axles and
weighs 26,000 or less traveling in and
out or through other states are granted
reciprocity from apportioned registration
and fuel permits.

14. Registration and fuel permits
Interstate travel – apportioned
registration/fuel reciprocity
Registered more than
IA IL ND NE 26,000 lbs
MN MO SD
Weighs more than
26,000 lbs Three-axle power unit

15. Registration and fuel permits
Permanent IFTA permit
or
single-trip fuel permit
for adjoining state(s)
plus an Iowa single-trip
fuel permit for re-entry
into Iowa

16. Registration and fuel permits
Fuel permit agreements with
border states include:
 Minnesota and Wisconsin – no
permit needed within 30 miles
of the Iowa border.
 Nebraska – no permit needed
in Omaha, Bellevue, Dakota City,
South Sioux City and
Nebraska City.

17. Registration and fuel permits
Truck registration
 Special farm
 Regular
 IRP/Apportioned
 Business trade

18. Farm special license plates
 Iowa farm special
registration is valid
in other IRP states.
 Other states may honor the plate,
but only at the licensed weight, not
including the 25 percent tolerance.

19. Business-trade trucks (BTT)
2010 trucks under 10,000 lbs
now weight/list
 Beginning with model year 2010
trucks, the annual registration fee
for trucks weighing 10,000 lbs or
less is based on the same
weight/value formula that applies
to cars and multipurpose vehicles.

20. Business-trade trucks (BTT)
2010 or newer model year truck weighing
10,000 lbs or less that is:
 Owned by a corporation, LLC, partnership or a
person who files a schedule C or F form with
the IRS that is eligible for depreciation under
the IRS Code.
 Leased BTT – truck is a BTT only if the lessee
is a corporation, LLC or partnership and it is
used primarily for business purposes or the
lessee is a person who files a schedule C or F
form with IRS and the truck is used primarily
for purposes of the person's own business or
farming operation.

21. Business-trade trucks (BTT)
 Registered by tonnage like other trucks
 Penalties, up to $2,250, apply for falsely
registering a vehicle as a BTT
 25 percent of penalty is retained by
county treasurer
 Owner must certify on title application
to claim business-trade usage

22. License tonnage tolerance
 Iowa law allows for a tolerance on
the registered weight or tonnage
 5 percent for all processed products
 25 percent for all raw ag-products
The license weight tolerance does
not mean a truck can be overloaded.

23. Contact information
Motor Vehicle Enforcement
Information Line
800-925-64691
E-mail: omve@dot.iowa.gov
www.iamvd.com