Pennsylvania Weigh Stations & Ag Inspection

When Pennsylvania makes you pull in

Pennsylvania scales run by sign and officer, not a fixed weight cap. When a State Police officer or a qualified PennDOT weigh crew directs you in, you stop and submit to weighing and measurement (75 Pa.C.S. 4981). Fixed scales sit on I-81 at Grantville, plus I-80, I-78, I-79, I-83, I-95, and the Turnpike, with WIM pre-screening and lit OPEN signs. Skipping an open scale is a summary offense, and overweight fines climb steeply by the pound.

Stations, bypass, and inspection

• Who must stop: Only when a sign directs
• Where the stations are: Fixed scales sit on I-81 (Grantville), I-80, I-78, I-79, I-83, I-95, and the PA Turnpike, most with WIM pre-screening. Hours vary behind lit OPEN signs. State Police and PennDOT weigh crews also run portable and roving enforcement between stations.
• Bypass: Both PrePass and Drivewyze are widely available. Drivewyze added sites at Grantville (I-81), Newberry on I-83, and Hadley on I-79; PrePass covers fixed scales statewide, including the Turnpike. Green bypasses, red or no signal means enter.
• Ag / border inspection: No agricultural or border produce inspection stations. The PA Department of Agriculture inspects off-road, not at mandatory highway checkpoints.
• Fine for passing an open station: Skipping an open scale or disobeying a lawful weigh order is a summary offense; overweight convictions start around a few hundred dollars and climb steeply per 500 lb over (75 Pa.C.S. 4981 and Chapter 49 penalties). Exact failure-to-stop fines vary by citation.

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