KENTUCKY WEIGHT DISTANCE · UPDATED JULY 2026
The KYU number: free to get, 2.85¢ a mile, and one expensive habit to avoid
Here's the whole picture up front: Kentucky charges $0 for a KYU number. The KYU is a highway-use license for vehicles with a combined licensed weight of 60,000 pounds or more, and the money is in the tax — 2.85 cents per Kentucky mile, reported every quarter. The trap isn't the cost; it's the filing habit.
Who needs one
- Combined licensed weight of 60,000 lbs or more, and
- You drive Kentucky highways — based there or just passing through.
It's separate from IFTA (fuel tax) and IRP (plates). Kentucky checks for it at weigh stations, and running without it earns citations and back-tax assessments. Check your truck against all four weight-distance states free.
What it costs: $0 to register, 2.85¢ per mile after
The license itself is free from the state. The tax is $0.0285 per mile driven in Kentucky. A truck that runs 1,000 Kentucky miles in a quarter owes $28.50 for that quarter. Rule source: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet — KYU.
Quarterly deadlines (file even at zero miles)
| Quarter | Return due |
|---|---|
| Q1 · January–March | April 30 |
| Q2 · April–June | July 31 |
| Q3 · July–September | October 31 |
| Q4 · October–December | January 31 |
The $500 mistake: a KYU return is due every quarter your number is active — including quarters with zero Kentucky miles. Skip one and you're looking at penalties, interest, and a $500revocation fee. Filing is online-only through Kentucky's Motor Carrier Portal.
How to get a KYU number yourself, free
- Create an account in Kentucky's Motor Carrier Portal at drive.ky.gov.
- Apply for the KYU license with your USDOT number, business details, and vehicle list (VINs and weights).
- Keep the license current by filing the quarterly returns above.
That link goes to the state, not to us. If you'd rather have it handled — correct weight class, account set up, return calendar included — that's what we charge for.
Weight-distance taxes in other states
Four states tax truck miles separately from IFTA. If you run through more than one, each needs its own registration.
KYU questions, straight
▸How much does a KYU number cost?
The license is free — Kentucky charges $0 to issue a KYU number. What you pay is the tax itself: 2.85 cents per mile driven in Kentucky, reported on quarterly returns. Any upfront charge you've been quoted is a service fee. Ours is $79, printed here.
▸Who needs a KYU number?
Any vehicle with a combined licensed weight of 60,000 pounds or more that drives Kentucky highways — including out-of-state carriers just passing through. It applies whether or not you buy fuel in Kentucky, and it's separate from IFTA.
▸Do I file if I had no Kentucky miles this quarter?
Yes — a zero-mile return is still required every quarter while your KYU number is active. Skipping it brings penalties, interest, and a $500 revocation fee. If you've stopped running Kentucky for good, cancel the license instead of ignoring it.
▸When are KYU returns due?
The last day of the month after each quarter ends: April 30, July 31, October 31, and January 31. Since late 2024 Kentucky requires filing and payment online through its Motor Carrier Portal.
▸Is the KYU number the same as IFTA or IRP?
No. IFTA is fuel tax and IRP is apportioned plates — the KYU is Kentucky's separate tax on miles. A truck can be fully IFTA- and IRP-legal and still get cited at a Kentucky scale for missing KYU.