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Missouri trucking rules

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

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

Must-know rules

Missouri's main trucking rules are an 80,000-lb gross limit with 20,000-lb single-axle and 34,000-lb tandem limits, and a MoDOT permit system that since 3/31/2025 allows more night and weekend moves. All commercial vehicles licensed above 18,000 lb must stop at open weigh stations. I could not confirm from official sources Missouri's rules on truck-specific speed limits, winter chain/traction requirements, idling limits, hazmat routing or tunnels, or any weight-distance tax, so those topics are

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

• Must knowHandheld phone and texting (CDL/commercial drivers)

  No one may drive a commercial motor vehicle while using a hand-held mobile phone or while sending, reading or writing a text or electronic message. Exceptions cover reporting illegal activity, summoning emergency help, and preventing injury. Relaying information to a dispatcher is allowed only if the device is permanently affixed to the vehicle.

  Missouri Revisor of Statutes - RSMo Section 304.820
• Must knowLegal weight limits (no permit)

  Statute caps a single axle at 20,000 lb and a tandem axle at 34,000 lb. Gross weight may not exceed 80,000 lb, with a few listed exceptions. Off the interstate system, an older version of the statute allows axle and gross limits to be exceeded by up to 2,000 lb. The Highway Patrol brochure gives 85,500 lb for livestock haulers off the interstate.

  Missouri Revisor of Statutes - RSMo Section 304.180

Weight limits, oversize permits and chain laws

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

Fees and DOT requirements

Missouri sets truck registration fees by gross weight from a statutory table, and the heaviest non-local tier (78,001 to 80,000 lb) costs about $1,719.50 a year, versus $350.50 for a 'local' truck that stays within 50 miles of home. Intrastate for-hire carriers need MoDOT operating authority, which is cheap ($10 per power unit per year when UCR doesn't apply) but requires a USDOT number and continuous insurance filings. I found no official source on a weight-distance tax, so that item is unverif

Class B CDL

$58 for 6 years (about $9.67 a year)
The DOR August 2026 Driver Guide lists $58 for a license valid 0-6 years and $29 for 0-3 years. Ages 21-69 get the 6-year term; ages 18-20 and 70+ get 3 years (the 3-year/70+ detail is from secondary sources, dmv.org and legalclarity.org). Office processing fees are extra: dmv.org lists $18 for a 6- Source

Class A CDL

$58 for 6 years (about $9.67 a year)
Same DOR fee schedule as Class B: one fee applies to all of Class A, B and C. It is $58 for up to 6 years or $29 for up to 3 years, plus office processing fees. The CLP is $44 and the skills test is $25. A CLP and CDL knowledge tests are required before the skills test. No separate official per-endo Source

Registration, 26,001 lb straight truck

$180 a year Source

Registration, 80,000 lb combination

$1,719.50 a year Source

How registration is figured

Annual fee by declared gross weight (RSMo 301.057 table). The truck's gross weight includes any trailer or load it hauls. 'Local' trucks (within 50 miles of home) pay a much lower table under RSMo 301.058. Fees are pro-rated quarterly for new registrations.
Amounts are the statutory non-local rates: $180.00 for 26,001-30,000 lb and $1,719.50 for 78,001-80,000 lb. Local rates under 301.058 are $45.50 (26,001-30,000 lb) and $350.50 (72,001-80,000 lb). The statute page shows an effective date of 2001. On DOR's fee page the lower-tier fees are 25 cents higher than the statute ($63.25 vs $63.00 at 18,000 lb), so actual charges may differ slightly, and I c Source

Intrastate operating authority

Missouri Intrastate Operating Authority (MoDOT Motor Carrier Services; certificate for common carriers, permit for contr. $10, annual.
All for-hire carriers of property or passengers wholly within Missouri must apply. You need a USDOT number, an online application through MoDOT Carrier Express (form MO-1) and proof of insurance filed by your insurer. MoDOT says the $10 annual license fee per power unit applies if the carrier is not required to participate in UCR. A MoDOT procedure sheet says the authority itself is permanent unti Source Non-government source

State DOT requirements

• Must knowIntrastate driver age

  Qualified, licensed drivers may operate a CMV intrastate at 18 or older, but anyone hauling hazardous materials must be at least 21. This differs from the federal 21-year minimum. The 18-20 exception does not waive the federal physical qualification rules.

  RSMo 307.400 (Missouri Revisor of Statutes)

See all 9 DOT requirements with full access

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

New Missouri trucking bills

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