Minnesota Weigh Stations & Ag Inspection
Minnesota runs it off the signs. When a posted sign or traffic-control device sends you to the nearest scale, or an officer directs you, you stop and submit to weighing (Minn. Stat. 169.85). Blow it off and it's a misdemeanor, up to 90 days and $1,000, and an officer can arrest you within four hours. Scales cluster on I-90, I-94, and I-35. Drivewyze and PrePass both offer a green bypass.
When Minnesota makes you pull in
Minnesota runs it off the signs. When a posted sign or traffic-control device sends you to the nearest scale, or an officer directs you, you stop and submit to weighing (Minn. Stat. 169.85). Blow it off and it's a misdemeanor, up to 90 days and $1,000, and an officer can arrest you within four hours. Scales cluster on I-90, I-94, and I-35. Drivewyze and PrePass both offer a green bypass.
Stations, bypass, and inspection
- Who must stop: Only when a sign directs
- Where the stations are: Fixed scales and inspection sites sit on the interstate freight routes (I-90, I-94, I-35), backed by portable scales, virtual weigh stations, and roving commercial vehicle officers. Signs and traffic-control devices direct trucks to the nearest scale. A closed fixed station does not mean the corridor is unwatched.
- Bypass: Both work in Minnesota. Drivewyze has long been the state's main bypass partner, and PrePass launched here too as part of a 75-plus-site rollout. Green means stay on the mainline; red or no signal means report to the scale. Neither program covers an oversize or overweight load.
- Ag / border inspection: No agricultural or border produce inspection stations. Minnesota enforces size, weight, and safety through State Patrol commercial vehicle officers, virtual weigh stations, and weigh-in-motion, not pest checkpoints.
- Fine for passing an open station: Failing or refusing to stop and submit to weighing, or ignoring a traffic-control device sending you to the scale, is a misdemeanor (Minn. Stat. 169.85): up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. An officer can arrest you within four hours of the violation.
Minnesota Weigh Station FAQ
Do trucks have to stop at weigh stations in Minnesota?
Can I bypass weigh stations in Minnesota?
What is the fine for passing an open weigh station in Minnesota?
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 Traffic laws change and this can be out of date, so always confirm the current statute and obey posted signs before you rely on it.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://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.85. See our Terms & Disclaimer.
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