Truck weight limits
California
✓ Sources verifiedEditorial review pending credentialed reviewer7 primary sources
California limits any single axle to 20,000 lb, with gross weight governed by the § 35551 bridge-formula table topping out at 80,000 lb (all figures include enforcement tolerances). Width is 102 inches — though cities and counties may restrict local streets to 96 — and height is 14 feet, with operation above 13 feet 6 inches only on routes the operator has verified.
At a glance
Max gross weight80,000 lb
Max single axle20,000 lb
Max tandem axle—
Permit (width)102 in
Permit (height)14 ft
vs. federal gross0 lb
1 Limits and thresholds
| Property | Value | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Max gross weight | 80,000 lb[2]Table maximum (four or more consecutive axles at ≥57 ft). Includes all enforcement tolerances — § 35551(e). | § 35551(a) |
| Max single axle | 20,000 lb[1]Any one wheel or wheels on one end of an axle: 10,500 lb. | § 35550(a) |
| Oversize permit above (width) | 102 in[3]Cities/counties may restrict local highways to 96 in by ordinance — § 35100(c). | § 35100(a) |
| Oversize permit above (height) | 14 ft[4]Above 13'6" only on highways the operator has determined are safe; double-deck buses 14'3". | § 35250 |
| CDL disqualification — first major | 1 year for a first conviction while operating a CMV or a non-CMV; 3 years if operating a CMV transporting placarded hazardous materials. Applies to alcohol/controlled-substance influence, 0.04+ BAC in a CMV, test refusal, leaving the scene, using the vehicle in a felony, driving while disqualified, and causing a fatality by negligent operation.[5]Federal floor. A state may impose longer periods but may not go below this; verify state law before relying on it. | § 383.51(b), Table 1 |
| CDL disqualification — lifetime | Life for a second conviction of any combination of the Table 1 major offences in a separate incident. A state MAY reinstate after 10 years following an approved rehabilitation programme — § 383.51(a)(6) — but not after a subsequent disqualifying conviction. Felony manufacture/distribution of a controlled substance, and severe forms of human trafficking, draw life with NO 10-year reinstatement.[5]Federal floor. The 10-year reinstatement is permissive — states are not required to offer it. | § 383.51(a)(6), (b) Table 1 items (9)–(10) |
2 Sources
- Cal. Veh. Code § 35550 — Axle and wheel weight limits — California Legislature
- Cal. Veh. Code § 35551 — Gross weight / bridge formula — California Legislature
- Cal. Veh. Code § 35100 — Maximum width — California Legislature
- Cal. Veh. Code § 35250 — Maximum height — California Legislature
- 49 CFR § 383.51 — Disqualification of drivers — U.S. Government Publishing Office
- 13 CCR § 1072 — Tire traction devices: general application — California Highway Patrol
- Cal. Veh. Code § 22406 — Speed limit for designated vehicles — California Legislative Counsel
Review record
Every figure above was transcribed from the primary source cited beside it and carries a pinpoint locator. Editorial review by a credentialed reviewer is pending.