The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has closed the Twin Falls commercial registration and permitting office due to staffing changes.
ITD is working to reestablish commercial registration and permitting at the Hollister Port of Entry. In the meantime, Magic Valley commercial vehicle customers can still conduct business in several ways.
E-mail – All e-mails must be sent to cvs@itd.idaho.gov. Please reference your Motor Carrier Account Number on the subject line of your message. Documents must be in PDF format and inserted into your message as an attachment.
Boise Headquarters (drop box only, no in-person services) – 11331 West Chinden, Building 8 (do not mail or express mail to this location).
Mail – Motor Carrier Services, PO Box 7129, Boise ID 83707 or Express mail – 3311 W State Street, Boise, Idaho 83703.
Appointment – To schedule an in-person or phone appointment, go to idaho.gov/poe.
Huetter Port of Entry, 2 miles west of Coeur d’Alene on I-90. Phone 208-769-1551
Lewiston Port of Entry, 1 mile east of Lewiston on US-12/US-95. Phone 208-799-4824
Declo Port of Entry, MP 218.7 on I-84. Phone 208-878-6995
Inkom Port of Entry, 8 miles south of Pocatello on I-15. Phone 208-775-3311
Marsing Port of Entry, 6 miles south of State Highway 55/US 95. Phone 208-896-4814
East Boise Port of Entry, 11 miles east of Boise on I-84. Phone 208-334-3272
Sage Junction Port of Entry, 8 miles north of Roberts on I-15. Phone 208-228-3636
County DMV Office – County offices can register non-commercial vehicles; commercial-use power units through 26,000 pounds; farm-use power units through 60,000 pounds; annual renewal trailers; and permanent trailers.
All locations can process titles for private sale new purchases. Titles for dealer sales will be handled by the dealer.
Here are some tips for your pre-clearance devices that may help you legally bypass the port.
Using your license plate for pre-clearance
Idaho weigh-in-motion stations are equipped with License Plate Readers (LPR) that read a vehicles plate number to then determine compliance based on all credentials and safety data that is linked to that plate number. This technology allows Commercial vehicles to be screened without the need of a transponder.
The information listed below will help ensure that your license plate is read correctly when going through one of the locations.
Mount the plate in accordance of Idaho statue 49-428:
Every license plate shall at all times be securely fastened to the vehicle to which it is assigned to prevent the plate from swinging, be at a height not less than twelve (12) inches from the ground, measuring from the bottom of the plate, be in a place and position to be clearly visible, and shall be maintained free from foreign materials and in a condition to be clearly legible, and all registration stickers shall be securely attached to the license plates and shall be displayed as provided in section 49-443(4), Idaho Code.
Ensure front-end safety equipment and license plate holders are not obscuring your license plate.
Bent and or distorted plates should be straightened out or replaced.
LPR camera cannot read a partially covered plate.
Using your transponder for pre-clearance
Your transponder should be placed in the top, center of your windshield where a rear-view mirror would be in a car, below any metal visors that could block the signal.
If you update your registration or any other vehicle information, you need to contact your transponder provider to keep your information up to date.
Washington administers the transponder program and database. Contact the Washington Service Center at (888) 877-8567 or visit the Washington DOT website.
If you are still having trouble gaining pre-clearance with your transponder, come into the port office to have one of our inspectors run a report to find out exactly WHY you are being pulled in.
You can file your Form 2290 Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax (HVUT) online!
Although you cannot file your Form 2290 with the Idaho Transportation Department, all of the information that is needed to file with the IRS can be found below.
You must know the taxable gross weight of your vehicle(s). If you do not know, you can figure your taxable gross weight by using the instructions provided by the IRS.
Your name on your Form 2290 must be the same as the name on your EIN.
You must have a complete vehicle identification number (VIN).
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is seeking feedback on the just-released draft Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP). The ITIP outlines the state’s transportation priorities and guides investment decisions for the next seven years through 2031. ITD encourages everyone to review the draft and provide comments July 1-31.
Transportation projects included in the draft ITIP range from large-scale interstate improvements to smaller projects like the installation of new guardrail. Projects are located throughout Idaho’s 44 counties and involve all modes of transportation. Project selection is determined through technical data, as well as input from local officials and residents.
This draft ITIP shows plans for $6.9 billion in funding, including $200 million dedicated to pavements and $100 million dedicated to bridges each year.
Chief Deputy Director Dan McElhinney confirmed, “With the growth of traffic accelerating the need for improvements and the impacts of inflating costs since 2020, the added annual investment in highway pavement and bridge repairs proposed in this draft ITIP plan will provide the Idaho Transportation Board effective options to consider looking ahead for Idaho.”
Paper copies of the ITIP will be available at regional offices and provided upon request by contacting the Idaho Transportation Department at 208-334-4455.
All comments will be reviewed and incorporated into the ITIP where appropriate. Responses will be sent by September.
After approval by the Idaho Transportation Board in September, the ITIP will then be submitted to the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency in October.
Public input is crucial in ensuring that the ITIP includes the prioritized needs of Idaho’s communities.
Several changes are coming to the Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) on July 1 as new legislation takes effect. These changes will improve customer service and offer more options to Idahoans.
Driver’s License and ID Cards
Customers who are eligible to renew their driver’s license online will get a $5 discount for completing the transaction online.
The requirements for getting a free identification card (ID) for voting have been reduced. Legislation has removed the rule that applicants must not have had a valid driver’s license for 6 months before applying for the free ID.
Commercial Drivers and Vehicles
Commercial drivers will now be able to get a commercial driver’s license (CDL) for eight years. The previous limit for CDLs was four years. CDLs will also be checked against the National Drug and Alcohol Clearing House.
DMV will now issue two-year weighted registrations for commercial and non-commercial vehicles up to 60,000 lbs. The previous limit was one year.
License Plates
Idaho will offer a Space Force Plate to eligible customers.
All Purple Heart recipients will be able to get a Purple Heart plate for free. Previously the fee exemption only applied to disabled Purple Heart recipients.
Legislation also created a Gadsden Flag “Don’t Tread on Me” plate. Plate sales will help fund educational grants for firearms safety training. While the legislation goes into effect on July 1, per the timeline included in the law, plates will be made available by January 1, 2025.
Driver’s Education
Parents in rural school districts or districts without driver’s education programs will be able to teach the on-the-road portion of driver’s ed. Parents must keep a log of drive time and skills learned. Students will complete the classroom driver’s ed course through the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance (IDLA). More information is available from the Idaho Department of Education.
Other
The definition of “resident” to get a vehicle registration, title, license, or identification card has been changed from 90 days to 30 days. This does not change the definition of resident for voting purposes.
If an owner wants to sell a vehicle that has no active registration, they can get up to two 30-day temporary registrations for the purpose of selling the vehicle.
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and Tyler Idaho are offering commercial fleets a Driver Record Dashboard (DRD) to help companies manage their driver risks. The DRD service allows motor carriers to build a roster of Idaho drivers to monitor changes and receive an alert if any of their drivers’ statuses change.
Benefits:
Driver roster is checked twice a month (early and mid-month) for changes.
Email notification when a driver’s status changes.
Status changes include new conviction/suspension, a class change, expired or cancelled DLR.
Nightly monitoring for medical certification issues and expiration dates.
Flags records, driver’s licenses, and CDL expiration dates are for review and download.
Companies can build a roster one driver at a time or through bulk employee uploading. After building the roster you can purchase driver records individually or in bulk. If there is an issue with a driver’s status, the tracking history is saved each month, to create a compliance record. The record will be a full view of a driver’s history and available for review for 24 months.
Auto dealers, bus companies, school districts, state agencies, and food distribution fleets have used DRD for managing multiple driver records and compliance.
What does DRD Cost?
Monthly DRD service $10.00/month
Twice a month monitoring fee per record $0.16
Automatic record pull following a status change $10.00/Driver’s license record (DLR)
Manual driver’s license record pull $10.00/DLR
Tyler Idaho subscription $95/year
For more information on participating in this program call Tyler Idaho at 208-332-0102 or visit https://www.tyleridaho.com/demo/drd/ to view a demo and sign up.
A tire blowout on a semitruck traveling at highway speeds can be dangerous, even deadly. As part of the Idaho Transportation Department’s (ITD) ongoing commitment to safety, the agency will begin installing Tire Anomaly and Classification (TAC) Systems at Ports of Entry (POE) around the state.
Ports of Entry inspect commercial vehicles and oversee their safe operation on Idaho roads. TAC systems are installed in the road and screen semitruck tires for anomalies and damage. Port employees can use the TAC data to notify truck drivers of damaged or underinflated tires before they cause a safety problem.
Idaho’s first TAC system was installed at the Declo POE in February 2023. Over 1,100 tire anomalies have been detected since the system went live.
“Installing TAC systems is a proactive approach to safety,” explained ITD Commercial Vehicle Services Manager Craig Roberts. “The driving public is much safer when commercial vehicles with tire issues are stopped to correct blowouts, flats, or missing tires.”
The TAC installation schedule is as follows:
East Boise POE in both directions, week of May 28.
Lewiston POE in both directions, week of July 15.
Sage POE in both directions, tentatively late July or early August depending on other road construction in the area.
Huetter POE in both directions, tentatively August depending on other road construction in the area.
Inkom POE will have a phased installation. Southbound is to be completed in June. Northbound is to be completed next year during work on the Inkom interchange.
The cost for all the new TAC systems combined is $1.2 million. In 2022, the economic cost of crashes involving commercial motor vehicles in Idaho was over $627 million.
Do you have what it takes to be a truck driving champion? The Idaho Trucking Association (ITA) is hosting The Idaho Truck Driving Championships (TDC) on May 3 and 4 at the Idaho State Police Training Facility (POST), 700 S. Stratford, Meridian, ID 83642.
Drivers compete for the top positions in Idaho and for the right to compete at the National Truck Driving Championship that will be held in Indianapolis in August.
The TDC is a family-friendly event. The ITA encourages drivers’ families to attend and watch the competition from designated viewing areas.
Is your Commercial Driver Medical Examiner’s Certificate (Form MCSA-5876) coming from an FMCSA-registered medical examiner? As of February, medical examiners are required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Using a medical provider who is not on FMCSA’s national registry could lead to a downgrade of your commercial driver’s license (CDL) if it is not fixed within 45 days.
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has received a few Medical Examiner’s Certificates from providers that have been removed from the registry. Those drivers who didn’t use a registered provider will need to book new appointments with someone on the registry and submit a new Form MCSA-5876 to ITD.
Tires wearing out early on commercial vehicles can be dangerous for the driver and other vehicles on the road. Conventional wisdom is to inflate a truck’s inside and outside tires to the same pressure. However, when the tires have equal pressure, it puts more weight on the inside tire leading to uneven wear and issues with braking, fuel mileage, and handling.
The Idaho Transportation Department’s (ITD) Port of Entry (POE) team has six new split platform portable scales that will be used to demonstrate the weight difference between the inside and outside dual tires. They’ll demonstrate this issue to industry members in ITD’s six districts and to ITD’s teams. This can save companies and the state money on tire replacements, fuel, brakes, and suspension parts. The POE will start reaching out to industry partners in April.
Check out this video for a demonstration of the split scales and the effect of tire pressure on weight distribution.
