Vermont Truck Weight Limits
Vermont lets a 6-axle truck gross 99,000 pounds, and unlike most states that weight rides on the Interstate too, because Congress made Vermont's own limit apply on its Interstates (23 USC 127; 23 VSA §1392). You need six-plus axles, 51 feet between the extreme axles, and registration at 80,000 pounds. Everything else is the federal 80,000, single axle 22,400 with a 10% tolerance off the Interstate (23 VSA §1391). Fines run $15 per 1,000 pounds for the first 5,000 over and scale to $150 per 1,000 once you are more than 25,000 pounds over (23 VSA §1391a).
How much a truck can weigh in Vermont
Vermont lets a 6-axle truck gross 99,000 pounds, and unlike most states that weight rides on the Interstate too, because Congress made Vermont's own limit apply on its Interstates (23 USC 127; 23 VSA §1392). You need six-plus axles, 51 feet between the extreme axles, and registration at 80,000 pounds. Everything else is the federal 80,000, single axle 22,400 with a 10% tolerance off the Interstate (23 VSA §1391). Fines run $15 per 1,000 pounds for the first 5,000 over and scale to $150 per 1,000 once you are more than 25,000 pounds over (23 VSA §1391a).
Axles, off-Interstate, and permits
- Off the Interstate: 80,000 lb; 99,000 lb by permit for 6-axle combinations
- Single axle: 22,400 lb with a 10% tolerance off the Interstate; 20,000 lb on the Interstate (no tolerance)
- Tandem axle: 36,000 lb with a 10% tolerance off the Interstate; 34,000 lb on the Interstate (no tolerance)
- With a permit: 99,000 lb / 6-plus axles / 51 ft between extreme axles, registered to 80,000 lb (23 VSA §1392). Special excess-weight and superload permits reach 150,000 lb+ with engineering review.
- Off the Interstate Vermont allows a 10% tolerance on single and tandem axle loads; the Interstate gets the federal 20,000/34,000 with no tolerance. The 99,000-lb 6-axle limit applies on both state highways and the Interstate.
Posted bridge and road limits
Vermont posts bridges and town highways 'WEIGHT LIMIT X TONS' in short tons (8 TONS = 16,000 lb), and many gravel town roads are posted with reduced limits during spring mud season. A posted limit overrides your legal weight, so a legal rig cannot cross a bridge posted below its gross. Running a posted bridge or a posted road over its limit is its own violation, separate from a highway overweight ticket, and you can be liable for structural damage.
What running heavy costs
23 VSA §1391a, graduated per 1,000 lb over: $15 per 1,000 lb for the first 5,000 lb over; $30 per 1,000 lb from 5,001-10,000 over; $45 per 1,000 lb from 10,001-15,000; $60 per 1,000 lb from 15,001-20,000; $90 per 1,000 lb from 20,001-25,000; $150 per 1,000 lb when more than 25,000 lb over. Higher for permit-load violations and repeat convictions within 12 months.
Vermont Truck Weight Limit FAQ
What is the truck weight limit in Vermont?
How much can a truck weigh with a permit in Vermont?
What is the overweight fine in Vermont?
Reference information for planning, not legal advice. Traffic laws change and this can be out of date, so always confirm the current statute and obey posted signs before you rely on it. Last reviewed July 2026. Source: https://law.justia.com/codes/vermont/title-23/chapter-13/section-1392/. See our Terms & Disclaimer.
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