CHAPTER 4. GENERAL WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS - Indiana Statutes

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.