The ones that fall on the same day every year.
| When | What | Detail | Rule or publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | UCR registration year begins | Registration must be completed before the year starts. The 2026 year opened 1 October 2025. $46.00 for fleets of 0 to 2 trucks | UCR Plan |
| January 31 | IFTA return, fourth quarter | Covers October through December. Filed even if no travel and no tax due | Texas Comptroller |
| April 30 | IFTA return, first quarter | Covers January through March | Texas Comptroller |
| June 30 | IRP mileage reporting period closes | The July 1 to June 30 period that sets your next apportioned registration | TxDMV |
| July 1 | Form 2290 tax period begins | The annual heavy highway use tax period runs July 1 to June 30 | IRS |
| July 31 | IFTA return, second quarter | Covers April through June | Texas Comptroller |
| August 31 | Form 2290 due for July first use | For vehicles in use during July, which is most fleets. Tax is $100 to $550 per vehicle by weight category | IRS Form 2290 |
| October 1 | UCR registration opens for the next year | Early registration avoids the January enforcement window | UCR Plan |
| October 31 | IFTA return, third quarter | Covers July through September | Texas Comptroller |
| December 31 | IFTA license and decals expire | Prior year credentials may be displayed through the end of February, but only if the renewal for the new year has already been filed | IFTA, Inc. |
Dates that fall on a weekend or federal holiday generally move to the next business day. Verify against the agency before relying on a date. Retrieved 25 August 2026.
These are different for every carrier.
MCS-150 biennial update
Due every 24 months. The last digit of your USDOT number sets the month, and you file by the last day of that month. The next to last digit sets the year: odd files in odd numbered years, even in even numbered years.
Rule and schedule at 49 CFR 390.19T. Deactivation of the USDOT number is the consequence carriers underestimate.
Form 2290, if first use is not July
The return is due the last day of the month following the month of first use, and the tax is prorated for the remaining months of the period. Buying a truck in November means a December filing, not an August one.
Per the IRS instructions for Form 2290. Vehicles under 55,000 pounds gross weight are outside the tax. Suspended low mileage vehicles still require a return.
Driver dates
Medical certification at 49 CFR 391.45, annual MVR review at 391.25, Clearinghouse queries at 382.701. A certificate valid for less than 24 months is common where a condition requires monitoring.
Equipment dates
Annual inspection at 49 CFR 396.17, retention at 396.21. No proof of annual inspection produced 586,580 citations from CY2022 to CY2026, making it one of the most cited violations in the country (FMCSA A and I).
Not dates. Conditions that have to be true every day.
Coverage minimum at 49 CFR 387.9, the 35 day cancellation notice at 387.7, 2026 random testing rates from DOT ODAPC, records of duty status at 395.8. Higher coverage minimums apply to hazardous materials and to passenger carriers.
The penalty schedule, in the same place as the calendar.
Amounts are the 2025 adjusted levels, effective 30 December 2024 and still operative, because the 2026 annual inflation adjustment was not issued. Assessed penalties depend on the case and are often settled below the maximum. Not legal advice.
How to use this page. Copy the fixed dates into whatever calendar you already keep, then work out your own MCS-150 month and Form 2290 month, because those two are the ones nobody reminds you about. If you would rather hand the whole calendar to somebody with a name and a phone number, that is what the back office is.