State taxes

The Five States That Charge by the Mile

Updated September 2026

IFTA covers fuel tax. Five states also charge a separate fee on the miles you run inside them, with their own registration and their own returns - and all five want a return even for a period with no miles. Four are the classic weight-distance taxes; the fifth, Connecticut, added a per-mile Highway Use Fee in 2023 that most guides still leave out.

Kentucky (KYU)

Trucks with a combined license weight over 59,999 lbs pay $0.0285 per Kentucky mile, filed quarterly by the last day of the month after the quarter. Zero-mile returns are required; skip them and the license is revoked with a $500 reinstatement fee. A temporary permit exists for one-off trips.

New Mexico (weight-distance tax)

Trucks over 26,000 lbs need a New Mexico weight-distance electronic permit for each vehicle, renewed every year, and file quarterly returns due April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31 - even if the truck never touched a New Mexico road that quarter.

New York (highway use tax)

Trucks over 18,000 lbs need a HUT certificate of registration and decal, $1.50 per vehicle. Most new carriers file quarterly, by the last day of the month after the period, even when no tax is due. Late returns cost 10% plus 1% a month (capped at 30%); running without the certificate is a $500 to $2,000 fine the first time. A $25 trip certificate covers a one-off, up to ten a year.

Oregon (weight-mile tax)

Trucks over 26,000 lbs pay by the mile - $0.2512 per mile at 78,001 to 80,000 lbs - and report monthly, postmarked by the last day of the month for the previous month, unless the state approves quarterly filing. A bond is required to enroll. If you rarely go, a temporary pass costs $9 plus the mileage tax.

Connecticut (Highway Use Fee)

Since January 1, 2023 any truck of 26,000 lbs or more (FHWA Class 8 through 13) that runs Connecticut highways owes a per-mile fee, whether or not the carrier is based there: 2.5 cents a mile at 26,000-28,000 lbs, stepping up by weight to 17.5 cents a mile at 80,001 lbs and over. You register in myconneCT before the first Connecticut mile and file quarterly (since the October 2023 period), by the last day of the month after the quarter - the same four dates as IFTA - and the return is required even for a quarter with no Connecticut miles. A late or short return costs 10% of the fee or $50, whichever is greater, plus interest.

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