CHAPTER 4. GENERAL WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS
IC 9-20-4
Chapter 4. General Weight Restrictions
IC 9-20-4-1
Maximum weight restrictions; enforcement of limits
Sec. 1. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b) and (c), a person
may not operate or cause to be operated upon an Indiana highway a
vehicle or combination of vehicles having weight in excess of one (1)
or more of the following limitations:
(1) The total gross weight, with load, in pounds of any vehicle
or combination of vehicles may not exceed an overall gross
weight on a group of two (2) or more consecutive axles
produced by application of the following formula:
W = 500 { [(LN) . (N-1)] + 12N + 36 }
where W equals the overall gross weight on any group of two
(2) or more consecutive axles to the nearest five hundred (500)
pounds, L equals the distance in feet between the extreme of
any group of two (2) or more consecutive axles, and N equals
the number of axles in the group under consideration, except
that two (2) consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross
load of thirty-four thousand (34,000) pounds each, providing
the overall distance between the first and last axles of the
consecutive sets of tandem axles is thirty-six (36) feet or more.
The overall gross weight limit, calculated under this
subdivision, may not exceed eighty thousand (80,000) pounds.
(2) The weight concentrated on the roadway surface from any
tandem axle group may not exceed the following:
(A) Thirty-four thousand (34,000) pounds total weight.
(B) Twenty thousand (20,000) pounds on an individual axle
in a tandem group.
(3) A vehicle may not have a maximum wheel weight, unladen
or with load, in excess of eight hundred (800) pounds per inch
width of tire, measured between the flanges of the rim or an
axle weight in excess of twenty thousand (20,000) pounds.
(b) The enforcement of weight limits under this section is subject
to the following:
(1) It is lawful to operate within the scope of a permit, under
weight limitations established by the Indiana department of
transportation and in effect on July 1, 1956, as provided in
IC 9-20-6.
(2) It is lawful to operate or cause to be operated a vehicle or
combination of vehicles on a heavy duty highway or an extra
heavy duty highway designated by the Indiana department of
transportation if operated within the imposed limitations.
(3) Subsection (a) does not apply to any highway, road, street,
or bridge for which a lesser weight limit is imposed by local
authorities under IC 9-20-1-4 or IC 9-20-7-2. However, the local
authority may by appropriate action establish and designate a
county or city highway, road, or street or part of a highway,
road, or street as a heavy duty highway subject to the weight
limitations established under IC 9-20-5.
(4) Vehicles operated on toll road facilities are subject to rules
of weight adopted for toll road facilities by the Indiana
department of transportation under IC 8-15-2 and are not
subject to subsection (a) when operated on a toll road facility.
(5) For purposes of a heavy duty vehicle that is equipped with
an auxiliary power unit, the weight limitations provided in
subsection (a) are increased by four hundred (400) pounds.
(c) The greater of the weight limits imposed under subsection (a)
or this subsection applies to vehicles operated upon an Indiana
highway. The weight limits in effect on January 4, 1975, for any
highway that is not designated as a heavy duty highway under
IC 9-20-5 are the following:
(1) The total gross weight, with load, in pounds of a vehicle or
combination of vehicles may not exceed seventy-three thousand
two hundred eighty (73,280) pounds.
(2) The total weight concentrated on the roadway surface from
a tandem axle group may not exceed sixteen thousand (16,000)
pounds for each axle of a tandem assembly.
(3) A vehicle may not have a maximum wheel weight, unladen
or with load, in excess of eight hundred (800) pounds per inch
width of tire, measured between the flanges of the rim, or an
axle weight greater than eighteen thousand (18,000) pounds.
As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.65-2010, SEC.3.
IC 9-20-4-2
Farm commodities; transportation from place of production to
first point of delivery; limited exemption
Sec. 2. (a) Section 1 of this chapter relating to vehicle weight,
IC 9-30 assessing a penalty for transporting a load in excess of the
registered limit of the load for the transporting vehicle, and IC 9-30
prohibiting a person from moving a transported vehicle with an
excess load until a penalty is paid do not apply to a vehicle or
combination of vehicles that transports farm commodities from the
place of production to the first point of delivery where the
commodities are weighed and title to the commodities is transferred
if the weight of the vehicle with load or combination of vehicles with
load does not exceed the gross weight limit by more than ten percent
(10%).
(b) The exemption in subsection (a) does not apply to the
following:
(1) Weight limits imposed for bridges or sections of highways
under IC 9-20-1-4.
(2) A vehicle operated on any part of an interstate highway.
(c) For purposes of this section, "farm commodities" includes
logs, wood chips, bark, sawdust, and bulk milk. The exemptions that
apply to vehicles that transport farm commodities under subsection
(a) apply to the transportation of wood chips, bark, and sawdust at all
times if the weight of the vehicle with load does not exceed either the
gross weight limit or the axle weight limit by more than ten percent
(10%).
As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.100-1991, SEC.2.
IC 9-20-4-3
Violation of load limitations; registered weight of vehicle;
assessment of penalty; Class C infraction
Sec. 3. (a) The gross weight declared by an applicant in an
application for registration under this title determines and fixes the
limit of the load, including the unladen weight of the vehicle or
combination of vehicles fully equipped for service, that may be
transported by a vehicle or combination of vehicles on the highways
for the period for which the registration or license is granted. Except
as provided in subsection (b), the transportation of a load on a
registered and licensed vehicle or combination of vehicles in excess
of the limit fixed in the application for registration subjects the
person violating a provision of this title to the penalty provisions in
this title or to the revocation of the license for the vehicle, or both.
(b) Because of the various types of scales used and the variance
in scale weights, a penalty may not be assessed if the actual scale
weight of a vehicle or combination of vehicles with load does not
exceed one and one-half percent (1 1/2%) of the registered weight of
the vehicle or combination of vehicles, including load.
(c) A person who violates this section commits a Class C
infraction. In addition, the person shall pay the difference between
the fee paid for registration of the vehicle and the fee for the
registration of the vehicle plus a maximum load of a weight equal to
the excess load being transported. Until the fee is paid, the person
transporting the excess load is not permitted to move the transporting
vehicle.
As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.8.
IC 9-20-4-4
Administration by department of state revenue
Sec. 4. The department of state revenue shall administer this
chapter.
As added by P.L.61-1996, SEC.22.