April 3, 2020
DOR Waives Certain Motor Carrier Requirements Due to COVID-19 
In support of Governor Eric Holcomb’s  Executive Order 20-02  declaring a public health disaster emergency in Indiana due to COVID-19, Indiana Department of Revenue (DOR) Commissioner Bob Grennes has waived several Motor Carrier Services (MCS) requirements until May 22, 2020.
The waivers affect:
  • Out-of-state motor carriers who are delivering COVID-19 supplies do not need to obtain trip permits or register with the International Registration Plan (IRP) or the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) before entering Indiana. Upon request, drivers must be able to prove they are hauling food, goods, medical supplies, other equipment and supplies to address the public health threat posed by COVID-19. This waiver will expire on May 22, 2020.
  • IRP or Base Plate registrations (BPR) expiring on March 31, 2020, or April 30, 2020, will not expire until May 31, 2020. Also, an Indiana-based IRP or BPR registrant may delay a registration renewal and/or payment for registrations effective May 1, 2020, until May 31, 2020.
  • Any delayed IRP renewal registrations and/or payments must have an effective renewed IRP registration submitted to DOR by June 1, 2020.
  • Indiana-based IFTA licensees that file quarterly motor carrier fuel tax returns may delay the first quarter’s return (ordinarily due April 30, 2020) to May 31, 2020. Also, following IFTA’s recommendation, DOR waives the requirements to display or possess IFTA credentials until May 22, 2020.

Although DOR in-person customer service is currently suspended due to the COVID-19 health emergency, our MCS customer service team continues to provide support by phone and email, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., EST.

To find contact information for specific MCS sections, refer to the  contact information listed online .
Temporary Propane Installations for COVID-19 Response
As more states begin to address the impacts of the advancing COVID-19 disease, NPGA has been made aware of temporary facilities being erected to prepare for the increased testing, hospitalization, and quarantine rates that are anticipated. As a result, these temporary facilities are installing propane tanks to fuel space heating and possibly other types of equipment.
 
Please note that from a code perspective, NFPA 58 provides the necessary requirements to safely make these types of installations. The code defines “Temporary Service” as an installation made for not more than 12 consecutive months at a given location. The 2020 edition of NFPA 58 addresses the installation of portable storage containers for temporary use (Section 6.8.5). The code also provides requirements for the temporary use of skid tanks (6.6.2) and porta-pacs (6.6.3).
 
Typical ASME containers are also allowed to be used for temporary installations as long as they comply with the requirements for appropriate separation distances from buildings. Also, the separation requirements for relief valve discharges, fill valves and fixed maximum liquid level gauges from sources of ignition will come into play as well as the requirements for regulator vent discharges.
 
Propane has a role to play in all emergency situations and its safe use will be especially important as communities respond to the COVID-19 outbreak by providing safe, isolated care facilities for people infected by the virus.
 
Please contact  Bruce Swiecicki  with questions or for additional information.
President's Council Members
Indiana Propane Gas Association
317.655.4444