Tennessee Weigh Stations & Ag Inspection

When Tennessee makes you pull in

Over 10,000 lb GVWR, you stop at open Tennessee scales, even empty. Main fixed stations sit on I-40 (Knox east and west), I-24, I-65, I-75, and I-81, most running lit open/closed signs on variable hours. Bypass an open scale without a green PrePass or Drivewyze signal and it's a Class C misdemeanor (Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-7-206); THP parks chase cars past the ramp and runs plate cameras. Overweight also carries a 10-cent-per-pound tax on the excess (§ 55-4-113).

Stations, bypass, and inspection

• Who must stop: Over a weight threshold
• Where the stations are: Fixed scales sit on I-40 (Knoxville east and west), I-24, I-65, I-75, and I-81, most on lit open/closed signs and variable hours. Weigh-in-motion pre-screens some corridors, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol parks chase cars past ramps and runs plate cameras on trucks that skip an open scale.
• Bypass: Widely available. Both PrePass and Drivewyze cover Tennessee's interstate scales; the busiest Drivewyze sites are the Knox County I-40 east and west scales. A green signal keeps you on the highway; red or no signal means enter.
• Ag / border inspection: No agricultural or produce inspection stations. Tennessee stations enforce size, weight, and safety only.
• Fine for passing an open station: Overweight is a Class C misdemeanor (Tenn. Code Ann. § 55-7-206), and excess weight carries a tax of 10 cents per pound over the posted road-and-bridge limit (§ 55-4-113). Bypass an open scale and THP will stop you separately.

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