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Arkansas trucking rules

Fees, CDL costs, weight and size limits, chain laws and new bills for truckers and trucking companies in Arkansas. Updated 2026-10-24.

Must-know rules · Weight, oversize & chains · Fees · Bills

Must-know rules

Arkansas lets trucks run slower than cars on rural interstates, with a 70 mph cap for commercial vehicles. Arkansas Highway Police, part of ARDOT, run the weigh stations, issue oversize/overweight permits and enforce commercial vehicle safety. Out-of-state apportioned trucks that aren't registered in Arkansas must buy a $33 trip permit. I could not confirm Arkansas rules on chains or traction devices, idling limits, or state fuel/weight-distance taxes, so those are left out. I also found no tunn

Researched by our AI agent from the linked sources on 2026-10-21. Always confirm with the source.

• Must knowWeigh stations: pull in

  ARDOT says there are eight weigh stations at points of entry to the state. All commercial vehicles, with few exceptions, must enter one when entering Arkansas unless it is closed. Other sources give different station counts, so don't rely on a number.

  Guardians of the Highway: A Look at the Arkansas Highway Police – ARDOT
• Must know72-hour trip permit for unregistered apportioned trucks

  Out-of-state vehicles eligible for apportioned registration but not registered in Arkansas must buy a 72-hour trip permit for $33. You can buy it at the first port of entry. Permits are also sold at state revenue offices and online through MyDMV.

  Frequently Asked Questions – Arkansas Highway Police, ARDOT

Weight limits, oversize permits and chain laws

Arkansas follows the standard 80,000 lb / 20,000 lb single / 34,000 lb tandem limits. The legal height is 14 ft in the statute, but some ARDOT materials still show 13 ft 6 in. The state has no truck chain-carry season. Chains are only allowed when needed for safety. I found no official Arkansas frost-law or seasonal weight-restriction rule in this research.

Weight limits

80,000 lb gross, 20,000 lb single axle, 34,000 lb tandem
Greater gross weights can be authorized by special permit, and lesser weights apply when highways are posted. Five-axle vehicles hauling unprocessed farm or forest products are exempt from the federal bridge formula on non-interstate highways. An older FHWA compilation lists their limits as 36,500 lb tandem and 85,000 lb gross. I could not confirm those figures in the current statute text. Sand, g
Permits go only to cargo that cannot readily be dismantled or reduced in size or weight. ARDOT will not issue one if the load can reasonably be reduced to legal limits. Applications go to the Permit Section in writing, in person, by phone, by fax, or through the online ARPARS system. The fee is $17 per permit, plus a charge for each ton or major fraction over the lawful weight. The per-ton rates a Source

Legal size without a permit

8 ft 6 in wide, 14 ft high, 53 ft 6 in semitrailer
Single-trip oversize permit: $17 from Permit Section, Arkansas Highway Police Division, Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT), 10324 Interstate 30, Little Rock, AR 72209. The Permit Section
Width: the legal width is 8 ft 6 in (8 ft for manufactured homes). Height: the 14 ft limit applies on state highways except by permit from the Permit Section. Semitrailer length: the state may not enforce a semitrailer or trailer length limit below 53 ft 6 in. A permit is not required for a combination with a legal-length trailer, because if the semitrailer or trailer does not exceed 53 ft 6 in, t Source

Chain law

No chain law for trucks
I found no Arkansas chain-control or carry-chains rule for trucks. State law only permits tire chains of reasonable proportions on any vehicle when required for safety. Some trucking guides describe a posted-sign chain requirement and a Nov 1 - Apr 1 carry rule for Arkansas, but those texts match another state's law, so I did not rely on them. Source Non-government source

• Must knowFederal bridge formula applies to the 80,000 lb limit

  The page supports the rule and does not contradict it. It lists 80,000 lb on 5 or more axles and says the vehicle must meet the federal bridge formula for 80,000 lb. It cites § 27-35-203 for a 70,000 lb cap on three-axle vehicles on non-interstate highways and 80,000 lb for four or more axles. The document is a 2021 rule amendment, not the statute text. The 'axle variance' wording is not stated on this page. I did not find the statute itself on an official .gov page.

  Amendment to Permit Rules For the Movement of Oversize and Overweight Vehicles (ARDOT/State Highway Commission document on the Arkansas Legislature site)

Fees and DOT requirements

Arkansas registers heavy trucks by gross loaded weight, with a flat $1,350 for the 73,281–80,000 lb class. It also requires for-hire carriers that run only inside the state to get intrastate authority. The authority fees are small, but the CDL fee is disputed: the state's own notice says $50 for a 5-year license, while several third-party sites say $42.

Class B CDL

$50 for 5 years (about $10 a year)
The DFA notice does not break out Class A and Class B separately. It gives one CDL fee, so I applied it to both classes. Third-party sites (not official) say the CLP/knowledge testing fee is $50, the state skills test is $50 per attempt, and endorsements cost $5–$10 each, but those sources disagree Source

Class A CDL

$50 for 5 years (about $10 a year)
Act 753, effective January 1, 2022, extended the CDL from four to five years and raised the fee from $40 to $50. The notice does not give a separate Class A fee. Test and endorsement fees are the same as for Class B above, and none are stated on an official page. Third-party sources say Class A appl Source

Registration, 80,000 lb combination

$1,350 a year Source Non-government source

How registration is figured

For trucks, trailers and semi-trailers with pneumatic tires, the annual license fee is based on gross loaded weight. That means the weight of the vehicle plus the load to be hauled. A rate per 1,000 lb applies up to 73,280 lb. Class Three (20,001–40,000 lb) is $8.45 per 1,000 lb of gross loaded weig
Vehicles registered under the International Registration Plan (IRP) for interstate commerce in the 73,281–80,000 lb class pay an additional 15% of the flat fee. That is about $202.50 on top of the $1,350, my arithmetic. IRP apportioned plates are for trucks that operate in more than one state. The DFA has an IRP account page, but I did not retrieve its fee details. The $1,350 figure comes from the Source Non-government source

Intrastate operating authority

Arkansas Intrastate Operating Authority (permit issued by ARDOT). $25, annual.
ARDOT says all for-hire carriers moving property or passengers wholly within Arkansas must apply for authority. Private carriers hauling their own freight do not need it. New property carriers pay a $25 processing fee plus a $5 insurance filing fee for each vehicle. The two payments must be separate cashier's checks or money orders. Proof of public liability and property damage insurance is requir Source Non-government source

State DOT requirements

• Must knowUSDOT / state DOT number

  ARDOT's Highway Police FAQ directs carriers to the FMCSA page for whether they need a USDOT number. I found no separate Arkansas-issued DOT number. A non-official guide says intrastate vehicles over 26,001 lb GVWR need a USDOT number, citing Ark. Code § 27-37-102. I could not verify that in the statute text, so confirm with Arkansas Highway Police.

  Frequently Asked Questions - Arkansas Department of Transportation (Highway Police)

See all 7 DOT requirements with full access

Fees change; confirm with the linked state source. Compare all states.

New Arkansas trucking bills

No new trucking bills found here recently. The agent checks every morning.