North Dakota Weigh Stations & Ag Inspection

When North Dakota makes you pull in

Any vehicle at 10,001 lbs gross or more must pull into an open North Dakota inspection station (NDCC 39-12-07). The scale posts its status on lit signs. Open means enter; dark means stay on the mainline, but portable scales and weigh-in-motion still catch you between sites. Blow past an open scale when directed and it's a Class B misdemeanor (NDCC 39-12-21): up to 30 days and $1,500. PrePass or Drivewyze can flash you a green bypass.

Stations, bypass, and inspection

• Who must stop: Over a weight threshold
• Where the stations are: Fixed scales sit on the interstate freight routes (I-94 east-west, I-29 north-south) plus US-highway sites, backed by portable scales the Highway Patrol can set up anywhere. Many run variable hours on lit signs. A dark station means stay on the mainline, but weigh-in-motion sensors and roving crews still work the corridor.
• Bypass: Both PrePass and Drivewyze operate in North Dakota. Fixed inspection sites and roving patrols read your enrolled transponder or app on approach and flash green to bypass or red/no-signal to pull in. A green light never clears an oversize or overweight load, and an out-of-network temporary site gives no signal, so the default stop rule applies.
• Ag / border inspection: No agricultural or border produce inspection stations. North Dakota enforces size, weight, and safety through Highway Patrol scales and portable teams, not pest-quarantine checkpoints.
• Fine for passing an open station: Refusing to stop and submit to weighing when directed is a Class B misdemeanor (NDCC 39-12-21): up to 30 days in jail and a $1,500 fine, plus CDL points and CSA impact.

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