Well, this thread has been quiet for a while, but I thought I'd post my findings on the topic subject.
I'm in NC, and when I got my weighted plates (26000#, max non-CDL, and about as much as I'd ever load the deuce anyway) I was looking at the registration and it says that I need an IFTA fuel sticker if I'm over 26k OR have 3 axles regardless of weight. So I started searching and found this thread...
You can look up the laws on your own, and certainly don't take my comments here as anything resembling legal advice. But essentially, being commercial or not isn't relevant here. RVs are exempt but I don't have an M109, so I can't even attempt that one.
So I started calling the DMV and Excise Tax division of DOR for clarification. After hours on the phone, I can assure you that light, 3 axle vehicles must be confusing. I was transferred to: DMV, DOL, DOR, the head of NC inspection stations, the crimes department, and then started back over again with the DOR...
What I found was that I do need the stickers (3 axles, any weight is pretty plain English). If I get INTRAstate stickers, there is no fee, no quarterly reporting, and little trouble. INTERstate tags, require logs, reporting, fees, audits, and other mess. Since any interstate travel in my deuce will be exceedingly rare, INTRAstate decals will do me well and I can get a trip permit for out of state travel if I really want to go by the book.
So, I went into the DOR today to apply and get stickers. Same drill as on the phone...
"We can't give you stickers unless you increase the weight of your vehicle over 26001." "Then I'll need CDL", "yessir". When I stated (nicely) that I didn't think that was correct, I was sent 2 blocks away to DMV who told me that was all wrong and that I should just get stickers. Happily they called them (DOR) and explained. However as I was leaving, they (DMV) told me that I needed to get a DOT number as well...
So I went back to DOR to wait in line again. This time I bounced through two more people. Fortunately the last one happened to be the same woman I talked to on the phone at the end of my phone saga. She knew what she was talking about.
I DO NOT need a DOT number (and certainly don't need that can of worms for a non-commercial vehicle), I DO need the fuel decals, but intrastate stickers meet my needs well enough. And, best of all, she also gave me a rule book to keep in the vehicle and pointed out all the relevant pages to know.
So, I'd say the moral of the story is, be prepared for confusion in this matter, whether you are dealing with DMV, DOR, or the state trooper that may have just pulled you over...
It's also been my experience that almost everyone I spoke to was certain and adamant about what they were saying, and most were also incorrect.
Hope that's moderately helpful to some..
ciao
lino