North Dakota Frost Laws & Spring Thaw Limits

How North Dakota handles spring thaw

North Dakota runs tiered spring load orders (N.D.C.C. 39-12-03). NDDOT posts routes as 8-ton, 6-ton, or 5-ton: an 8-ton limit cuts a single axle to 16,000 lb, a 5-ton limit to 10,000 lb, with gross down to 80,000 lb. The order re-sets each spring on a few days' notice, so pull the current NDDOT map before you load. Interstates hold full weight; the cut hits state, county, and township roads, and the posted county sign is the law there.

Window, reduction, and where to check

• Season: Roughly early March through April or May, declared route by route as frost leaves the sub-base. NDDOT can post on as little as a few days' notice, and the dates shift every year.
• Reduction: Tiered axle caps, not one flat percentage. An 8-ton order cuts a single axle from 20,000 to 16,000 lb and a tandem from 34,000 to 32,000 lb; a 5-ton order cuts a single axle to 10,000 lb and a tandem to 20,000 lb, with gross dropped to 80,000 lb on the 6-ton and 5-ton tiers.
• Interstates: Exempt from the seasonal reduction
• Find the current order: Pull NDDOT's current load-restriction order and interactive map at travel.dot.nd.gov (linked from the NDDOT load-restrictions page), subscribe to GovDelivery alerts, or call NDDOT at 701-328-2545 before running a restricted route.
• Overweight penalty: Standard North Dakota overweight penalty, graduated by the pounds you run over the reduced axle or gross limit (NDCC ch. 39-12); you can be held to shed or shift weight before moving on.

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