Map › All states › Louisiana

Louisiana trucking rules

Fees, CDL costs, weight and size limits, chain laws and new bills for truckers and trucking companies in Louisiana. Updated 2026-10-22.

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

Must-know rules

Louisiana has two tunnels, in Harvey and Houma, that are closed to hazmat and to oversize/overweight permit loads. Its statutory hazmat bans are near-school road segments, and oversize/overweight permits must be in hand before you enter the state. I could not confirm truck-specific speed limits, winter traction rules, idling limits, the handheld-phone law, or a weight-distance tax from official sources, so those topics are left out.

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

• Must knowOversize/overweight permits: when and who

  You must get a permit from the DOTD Truck Permit Office before moving a vehicle or load that exceeds Louisiana's legal size or weight limits, or before entering the state. Permits are generally issued only for indivisible vehicles and loads.

  Louisiana Regulations for Trucks, Vehicles, and Loads (Updated 2026) – DOTD
• Must knowLegal width and load projection

  Maximum legal width is 102 inches, not counting safety devices. A load may not stick out more than 12 inches past the body's width. I could not confirm the full legal axle and gross-weight tables from an official page, so check the DOTD book before loading near the limit.

  Louisiana Regulations for Trucks, Vehicles, and Loads (Updated 2026) – DOTD

Weight limits, oversize permits and chain laws

Our agent is still researching Louisiana's weight, size and chain rules. Check back soon.

Fees and DOT requirements

Louisiana CDLs are cheap and long-lived: the same statutory $61.50 fee for Class A and Class B, valid 6 years. Truck registration is a per-100-lb weight tax that expires every June 30. General-freight carriers working only inside Louisiana appear to need no state operating authority. The Public Service Commission certificates only household-goods, passenger, waste and towing carriers. Several items I could not confirm from official sources (see requirements and confidence).

Class B CDL

$61.50 for 6 years (about $10.25 a year)
$76.50 basic fee if you live in the city of New Orleans. Add a non-refundable $15 application fee per application. Endorsements are $7.50 each under the statute. The state skills-test fee is capped at $60, and the state does not charge it if you passed a third-party skills test. Third-party tester p Source

Class A CDL

$61.50 for 6 years (about $10.25 a year)
Same statutory basic fee as Class B: $76.50 for New Orleans residents. Add the $15 application fee and $7.50 per endorsement. The skills-test fee is capped at $60 and waived if a third party administered the test. Class A requires the skills test in a combination vehicle. Without it, a 'no tractor-t Source

How registration is figured

Weight. Annual tax in dollars per 100 lb of registered gross weight, which for a tractor-trailer is the gross combination weight. The schedule is Class 1 general freight. Other classes (forest products, gravel, city use, farm) have their own cheaper schedules. Rates per 100 lb: 10,001-23,999 lb is $
The statute gives rates per 100 lb, not dollar totals, so both dollar fields are null. Illustration only (my arithmetic, not an official figure): a truck registered at 26,100 lb (the next 100-lb step above 26,001) at $0.60 per 100 lb would be about $156.60 a year. An 80,000-lb combination at $0.63 per 100 lb would be about $504.00 a year. Title, handling, trailer plate and local fees are extra. Th Source

Intrastate operating authority

Not required for intrastate carriers.
General-freight intrastate carriers appear to need no state operating authority. The Louisiana Public Service Commission regulates intrastate for-hire carriers of household goods, passengers, certain wastes and tow trucks. A secondary source says the five certificated classes also include saltwater hauled for oil-well work and non-consensual towing, and that general freight is unregulated. Fee is Source

State DOT requirements

• Must knowIFTA fuel tax license

  Louisiana-based carriers running qualified vehicles in Louisiana and at least one other IFTA jurisdiction can license through the Department of Revenue (LaTAP) and file quarterly returns. A qualified vehicle has 3 or more axles, or is over 26,000 lb. I found no separate state fuel permit for intrastate-only trucks; verify with the Department of Revenue.

  IFTA - Louisiana Department of Revenue

See all 5 DOT requirements with full access

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

New Louisiana trucking bills

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