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Nebraska trucking rules

Fees, CDL costs, weight and size limits, chain laws and new bills for truckers and trucking companies in Nebraska. Updated 2026-10-23.

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

Must-know rules

Nebraska has no separate truck speed limit that I could confirm. The 2025 law LB561 added a permit for overweight raw-milk trucks, with a bridge-avoidance map and per-axle caps, and the state's weight and permit rules are otherwise typical Plains-state rules (80,000 lbs on Interstates, 95,000 lbs on state highways). I could not confirm chain or traction rules, idling limits, hazmat routing or tunnels, or a weight-distance tax from official sources in this session, so those topics are left out.

Researched by our AI agent from the linked sources on 2026-10-23. Always confirm with the source.

• Must knowLB561 – overweight raw-milk vehicle permits (new 2025 law)

  LB561 lets the state Department of Transportation issue a permit to run overweight vehicles carrying raw milk from a dairy farm to a processing facility. The department could previously issue these permits only on a temporary basis. Permitted vehicles can load up to 15% over the legal maximum, with no more than 20,000 lbs on any single axle. The bill carried an emergency clause. I did not confirm how NDOT is issuing these permits as of Oct 2026, so check with NDOT before hauling.

  Overweight raw-milk truck measure passed (Nebraska Legislature news)
• Must knowLB561 – bridge map and Interstate limits (as amended)

  NDOT must publish a map of bridges that overweight raw-milk vehicles may not use, update it at least yearly, and these vehicles must carry a copy. At the committee-amendment stage, the gross weight cap was 107,500 lbs, per-axle limits followed a federal bridge formula, and Interstate use needed NDOT authorization. I did not verify these details against the final enacted text, so read the final bill before relying on them.

  Overweight raw-milk truck measure amended, advanced (Nebraska Legislature news)

Weight limits, oversize permits and chain laws

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

Fees and DOT requirements

Nebraska CDLs cost the same for Class A and Class B ($60 for 5 years). Heavy-truck registration is a weight-based fee set by statute, and the annual fee at 80,000 lb is several hundred dollars. For general-freight trucks, I found no state operating-authority requirement. The state PSC regulates only intrastate passenger and household-goods carriers. I could not confirm the exact registration dollar amounts at 26,001 lb or 80,000 lb from an official table, so those fields are null.

Class B CDL

$60 for 5 years (about $12 a year)
The $60 total is a $55 fee plus a $5 security surcharge. A change of class, endorsement or restriction costs $15 total ($10 plus $5). Licenses issued to people 21 or older expire on the birthday in the fifth year after issuance. Licenses issued to people under 21 expire on their 21st birthday. A lic Source

Class A CDL

$60 for 5 years (about $12 a year)
The DMV's CDL fee table is not split by class, so Class A pays the same as Class B: $55 plus a $5 security surcharge for a 5-year license, and $15 to change class or add an endorsement. Shorter terms are prorated, for example $49 for more than 3 and up to 4 years. The age-21 and hazmat expiration ru Source

How registration is figured

Gross vehicle weight in tons. DMV says the registration fee for commercial trucks and truck-tractors is based on the vehicle's gross vehicle weight. For a truck-tractor, the weight used is the tractor plus any trailer or combination it operates with. The statutory schedule is $18 up to 3 tons, $25 u
I set both amounts to null because I did not find an official published dollar figure for these two weights. Using the statutory formula ($85 plus $25 per ton over 7), 13 tons would be $235 and 14 tons would be $260. 26,001 lb is just over 13 tons, and I could not confirm whether the fractional-ton or tolerance rule puts it in the 13-ton or 14-ton bracket. 80,000 lb is 40 tons. The formula as writ Source

Intrastate operating authority

Not required for intrastate carriers.
The PSC's Transportation Department regulates intrastate for-hire transportation by motor carriers of passengers and household goods. I found no PSC authority requirement for intrastate for-hire general freight. That conclusion rests on the scope of the PSC's own description, not on an explicit statement that freight carriers are exempt. Exceptions: anyone providing for-hire transportation of pass Source

State DOT requirements

• Must knowIntrastate DOT number

  A motor carrier subject to the regulations must obtain a DOT number before beginning operations. Nebraska has its own intrastate DOT number application through the State Patrol. An older State Patrol guide says intrastate DOT numbers and markings do not apply to Nebraska farm-plated trucks that operate solely within the state. Both guides are older (2005-06 and 2014-15), so confirm current rules with State Patrol Carrier Enforcement.

  Nebraska Truck Information Guide - Nebraska State Patrol Carrier Enforcement

See all 6 DOT requirements with full access

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

New Nebraska trucking bills

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

• Enacted NE LB561: Provide restrictions and change provisions related to operation of vehicles carrying raw milk Approved by Governor on May 15, 2025 · 2025-05-15

Bill data from LegiScan (CC BY 4.0).