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Kansas trucking rules

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

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

Must-know rules

Kansas has no separate truck speed limit in the statute I found, and it bans texting but not handheld calls. Its main trucking quirks are 85,500 lb non-interstate weights (with matching registration), 28.5 ft doubles off the Turnpike versus 53 ft doubles on it, and permits sold only through K-TRIPS, not at scales. I could not confirm Kansas rules on winter chains, idling, a weight-distance tax, or hazmat tunnel restrictions, so I left them out. I also could not retrieve the text of SB 42 (2025,

Researched by our AI agent from the linked sources on 2026-10-22. Always confirm with the source.

• Must knowSpeed limits (trucks vs cars)

  The statute sets one maximum for any 'vehicle': 75 mph on separated multilane highways posted by KDOT, 65 mph on other highways, 55 mph on county/township roads, and 30 mph in urban districts. I found no lower truck-specific limit in the statute. Posted signs and work-zone limits can be lower.

  K.S.A. 8-1558 - Maximum speed limits
• Must knowDoubles and triples

  Doubles may run anywhere if each trailer is 28.5 ft or less. Double 53-ft trailers are legal only on the Kansas Turnpike. Triples are allowed only on the Turnpike with an annual Special Vehicle Combination permit.

  Kansas Highway Patrol - Commercial Vehicle FAQs

Weight limits, oversize permits and chain laws

Kansas allows 85,500 lb on non-interstate highways without a permit, but only 80,000 lb on interstates. A standard single-trip oversize/overweight permit is $40 through KDOT. Kansas has no chain-carry law. Oversize loads are daylight-only and are barred when roads have ice or snow pack.

Weight limits

85,500 lb gross, 20,000 lb single axle, 34,000 lb tandem
The maximum gross weight is 80,000 lb on interstate highways and 85,500 lb on other highways. Group-axle weights are also limited by the bridge formula. The Highway Patrol lists a single-axle limit of 20,000 lb, or 22,000 lb on the Kansas Turnpike. KDOT may issue an annual overweight divisible-load permit for 85,500-90,000 lb on a tractor-semitrailer (or tractor-semitrailer-trailer) with six or mo
KDOT may issue a special permit for an oversize or overweight vehicle. The application must describe the vehicle, the load and the route, and say whether it is for a single trip or annual operation. The permit is valid only if the power unit's registration equals or exceeds the vehicle's gross weight; if gross weight exceeds the highest available registration, the maximum registration must be purc Source

Legal size without a permit

8 ft 6 in wide, 14 ft high, 59 ft 6 in semitrailer
Single-trip oversize permit: $40 from Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) issues the permits; the sources I found say they are requested through the online K-TRIPS system. I did not find an o
The legal width is generally 8.5 feet (102 inches). Height is capped at 14 feet; hay bales may reach 14.5 feet. A semitrailer in a tractor-trailer combination may not exceed 59.5 feet. There is no overall length limit for a truck-tractor with one semitrailer. Time-of-day: a permitted vehicle that exceeds length or width limits may not operate from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunri Source

Chain law

No chain law for trucks
Kansas statute only permits tire chains of reasonable proportions when needed for safety in snow, ice or similar conditions. I found no Kansas requirement to carry or use chains, no season dates and no designated chain routes. A 2026-27 trucker guide says drivers are not required to carry or use chains under the general tire-equipment law. That guide is a secondary source; the statute text is from Source

• Must knowNo oversize/overweight movement on ice or snow, or in low visibility

  Overwidth or overlength vehicles may not operate when visibility is under 1/2 mile or when highway surfaces have ice, snow pack or drifting snow. The ice/snow bar also applies to overweight-only vehicles. The Highway Patrol FAQ (citing K.A.R. 36-1-36) also lists moderate to heavy rain, sleet, snow, fog or smoke, and slippery surfaces from ice, packed snow or rain.

  Kansas Highway Patrol - Commercial Vehicle FAQs (K.S.A. 8-1911; K.A.R. 36-1-36)

Fees and DOT requirements

Kansas CDL fees are low, at $26 for a renewal. The base annual fee for an 80,000-lb tractor is $1,870. Intrastate for-hire carriers need Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) authority and a free intrastate USDOT number. I found no Kansas weight-distance tax in these searches, but I did not confirm that none exists.

Class B CDL

$26 for 5 years (about $5.20 a year)
The state fee chart shows $26 for a CDL renewal in any class: $18 issuance plus $8 photo. A new CDL with testing is $41, which includes a $15 testing fee. Each endorsement costs $10, and a commercial learner's permit is $13. The chart shows no separate skills-test fee. I did not find an official fig Source

Class A CDL

$26 for 5 years (about $5.20 a year)
The fee chart lists the same $26 for any CDL class: $18 issuance plus $8 photo. There is no separate Class A price. A new CDL with testing is $41. Endorsements are $10 each. Validity is 5 years under K.S.A. 8-247 (statute: https://ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch08/008_002_0047.html). Some seconda Source

Registration, 26,001 lb straight truck

$412 a year Source

Registration, 80,000 lb combination

$1,870 a year Source

How registration is figured

The fee is based on the declared maximum gross weight of the truck or truck tractor, which can't exceed the legal limits. The statute lists weight brackets with a flat annual fee for each. On top of that, trucks registered over 10,000 lb that operate as commercial vehicles pay an annual commercial v
The 26,001-lb figure comes from the more-than-26,000 to 30,000 lb bracket, which the statute lists at $412. I found the same $412 figure for the 24,000–26,000 lb bracket in a bill draft, so the exact bracket line is somewhat unclear. The 74,001–80,000 lb bracket is $1,870. The 8-143m commercial vehicle fee comes on top. It is $300 for the 26,000 and 30,000 lb groups. It is $400 for the 80,000 lb g Source

Intrastate operating authority

KCC motor common carrier certificate or authority (intrastate for-hire); intrastate private carriers get a separate regi. $250, annual.
The statute sets the application fee for a motor common carrier certificate, license or authority at no more than $250. The carrier registration statute applies to intrastate public carriers of property. Annual renewal is $10 per vehicle, and a late fee equal to the initial application cost applies if renewal is missed. Registration fees are due January 1 and must be paid by January 15. For-hire c Source

State DOT requirements

• Must knowIntrastate USDOT number

  Vehicles of 10,001 lb or more may be subject to state safety and operating-authority rules, including a USDOT number and markings, for both intrastate and interstate carriers. The intrastate USDOT number application is free. A common exception is a private carrier operating wholly within Kansas at 10,001–26,000 lb with Kansas registration on the power unit.

  Kansas Highway Patrol FAQ – USDOT number exceptions for intrastate commerce

See all 7 DOT requirements with full access

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

New Kansas trucking bills

Enacted signed into law · Pending still moving through the legislature · Did not pass

• Enacted KS SB42: Providing for the establishment of a web-based online insurance verification system for the verification of evidence of motor vehicle liability insurance, eliminating the requirement that the commissioner of insurance submit certain reports to the governor and requiring certain reports be available on the insurance department's website, removing certain entities from the definition of person for the purpose of enforcing insurance law, requiring that third party administrators maintain s Senate Approved by Governor on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 · 2025-04-10

Bill data from LegiScan (CC BY 4.0).