IFR flight plans may be closed at any time with either ARTCC, approach control, tower, or if unable, with FSS. When landing at an airport with a functioning control tower, IFR flight plans are automatically canceled. If landing at a non-towered aircraft, ensure the flight plan is closed by contacting FSS.

At a controlled airport (one with an operating control tower), an IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) flight plan is automatically closed by Air Traffic Control (ATC) upon landing. As a pilot, you do not need to take any specific action to "close" the plan because the tower controller visually observes your arrival and confirms you have safely exited the runway. The tower then communicates this to the Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) to terminate the flight's tracking and alerting services. This is a key difference from flying to an uncontrolled airport, where the pilot is legally responsible for manually closing the flight plan via radio with Flight Service or by phone after landing to prevent an unnecessary search and rescue activation. While you don't have to "close" it at a tower-controlled field, you are still responsible for following taxi instructions until you reach your parking spot. If you decide to cancel IFR while still in the air (to proceed VFR), you must explicitly tell the controller: "Cancel my IFR flight plan."