The Oklahoma Tax Commission has proposed a new system for estimating first-year mileage that would likely avoid sanctions by the International Registration Plan.

Under IRP rules, new registrants are allowed to estimate mileage for their first year. However, many states have complained that Oklahoma’s lax audit procedures have encouraged out-of-state truckers to register in Oklahoma, using the address of a third party licensing agent, then pack their first-year estimates with high mileage in low-fee states.
Last August, a review team made up of officials from several states found “a pattern of unreasonable estimated distance” in the Oklahoma estimates. (See "Oklahoma Faces IRP Sanctions.") The IRP Board of Directors subsequently voted to invoke sanctions if Oklahoma didn’t provide evidence of compliance by Nov. 5. Those sanctions could include the loss of voting privileges and suspension of fee payments to Oklahoma by other member jurisdictions.
Oklahoma’s proposed new plan, which must be approved by Gov. Frank Keating, will give new registrants two options. They can make their own mileage estimates, but must provide documentation to show how the mileages were determined, or they can use a mileage chart based on data from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Fees vary with vehicle weight and model year, but a 2001 truck weighing 80,000 pounds would pay $1,277 for IRP credentials if the mileage chart is used.