Free tool
Kentucky KYU calculator
Rates verified · By TruePermit · Free, no signup
Enter your Kentucky miles and get the weight-distance tax owed at the official flat rate of $0.0285 per mile — the number that goes on your quarterly KYU return. No signup, no email.
Estimated Kentucky KYU tax
$28.50
1,000 miles × 2.85¢/mile — the official rate for the 60,000 lbs and over bracket.
Estimate for one vehicle, one period, from the state's official published schedule. Filings also depend on exempt miles, method elections, and your assigned filing frequency — verify with the state before you file.
How the calculator works
Kentucky's Weight Distance Tax (KYU) is the simplest of the five state mileage taxes: every vehicle at or over 60,000 lbs combined licensed weight pays a flat $0.0285 per Kentucky mile (KRS 138.660). There are no weight brackets to look up and no exempt highway miles — total Kentucky miles × 2.85¢ is the tax.
The catch isn't the math, it's the license: you need a KYU number before the truck touches Kentucky pavement, and the quarterly return is due even for quarters with zero Kentucky miles. How the license, the temporary-permit alternative, and enforcement work is covered in our Kentucky KYU guide.
Quick reference amounts
| Kentucky miles (quarter) | KYU tax at $0.0285/mile |
|---|---|
| 500 | $14.25 |
| 1,000 | $28.50 |
| 2,500 | $71.25 |
| 5,000 | $142.50 |
| 10,000 | $285.00 |
| 25,000 | $712.50 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Kentucky KYU tax rate?
A flat $0.0285 (2.85 cents) per mile traveled on Kentucky highways, for vehicles with a combined licensed weight of 60,000 pounds or more. Unlike New York or Oregon, the rate does not step up with weight — one rate covers every qualifying truck.
Who needs a KYU number?
Any carrier operating a vehicle with a combined licensed weight of 60,000 pounds or greater on Kentucky highways — interstate or intrastate, loaded or empty, whether you're based in Kentucky or just crossing it once. The KYU license is separate from IFTA and IRP; having those does not cover the weight-distance tax.
How do I calculate my KYU tax?
Multiply your Kentucky miles for the quarter by $0.0285. A truck that runs 2,000 Kentucky miles owes $57.00. All Kentucky miles count — there is no exempt-mileage carve-out like New York's Thruway exclusion.
When are KYU returns due?
Quarterly, by the last day of the month after the quarter ends: April 30, July 31, October 31, and January 31. A return is due every quarter you hold the license — including zero-mile quarters. Skipping a quarter because you didn't run Kentucky is how licenses get revoked.
What happens if I run Kentucky without a KYU number?
Kentucky enforces at weigh stations, and operating without the license draws citations and can lead to revocation; reinstating a revoked KYU license costs $500. If you only cross Kentucky occasionally, the state offers a one-time temporary permit as an alternative to the annual license.
Is KYU the same as IFTA?
No. IFTA settles fuel tax across member jurisdictions on one quarterly return; KYU is Kentucky's own per-mile weight-distance tax, filed separately with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The same Kentucky miles feed both returns — auditors cross-check that they match.
Related
Never reconstruct Kentucky miles again
TruePermit tallies your per-state miles trip by trip and computes KYU, IFTA, NY HUT, NM WDT, Oregon Weight-Mile, and CT HUF on each official schedule — with the zero-mile quarters filed on time too. Free for one truck.
Start freeThis calculator is a planning estimate, not tax advice and not a filing. Your return is filed with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet; verify current rates and license requirements there before filing.