Title TN, Transportation Code

Sec. 621.005. EFFECT OF INCREASED LIMITS BY UNITED STATES. If the United States prescribes or adopts vehicle size or weight limits greater than those prescribed by 23 U.S.C. Section 127 on March 18, 1975, for the national system of interstate and defense highways, the increased l…

Sec. 621.006. RESTRICTED OPERATION ON CERTAIN HOLIDAYS. The commission by rule may impose restrictions on the weight and size of vehicles to be operated on state highways on the following holidays only: (1) New Year's Day; (2) Memorial Day; (3) Independence Day; (4) Labor Day; (5…

Sec. 621.007. EVIDENCE OF VIOLATION. (a) In a proceeding in which a violation of a weight restriction under this subtitle may be an issue, a document is admissible as relevant evidence of the violation if: (1) the document is: (A) a record kept under Section 621.410; or (B) a bil…

Sec. 621.008. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY. The board may adopt rules necessary to implement and enforce this chapter. Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1345 (S.B. 1420), Sec. 58, eff. September 1, 2011. SUBCHAPTER B. WEIGHT LIMITATIONS

Sec. 621.101. MAXIMUM WEIGHT OF VEHICLE OR COMBINATION. (a) A vehicle or combination of vehicles may not be operated over or on a public highway or at a port-of-entry between Texas and the United Mexican States if the vehicle or combination has: (1) a single axle weight heavier t…

Sec. 621.102. AUTHORITY TO SET MAXIMUM WEIGHTS. (a) The executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation may set the maximum single axle weight, tandem axle weight, or gross weight of a vehicle, or maximum single axle weight, tandem axle weight, or gross weight of a c…

Sec. 621.201. MAXIMUM WIDTH. (a) The total width of a vehicle operated on a public highway other than a vehicle to which Subsection (b) applies, including a load on the vehicle but excluding any safety device determined by the United States Department of Transportation or the Tex…

Sec. 621.202. COMMISSION'S AUTHORITY TO SET MAXIMUM WIDTH. (a) To comply with safety and operational requirements of federal law, the commission by order may set the maximum width of a vehicle, including the load on the vehicle, at eight feet for a designated highway or segment o…

Sec. 621.203. MAXIMUM LENGTH OF MOTOR VEHICLE. (a) A motor vehicle, other than a truck-tractor, may not be longer than 45 feet. (b) A motor bus as defined by Section 502.001 that is longer than 35 feet but not longer than 45 feet may be operated on a highway if the motor bus is e…

Sec. 621.204. MAXIMUM LENGTH OF SEMITRAILER OR TRAILER. (a) A semitrailer that is operated in a truck-tractor and semitrailer combination may not be longer than 59 feet, excluding the length of the towing device. (b) A semitrailer or trailer that is operated in a truck-tractor, s…

Sec. 621.205. MAXIMUM LENGTH OF VEHICLE COMBINATIONS. (a) Except as provided by this section, a combination of not more than three vehicles, including a truck and semitrailer, truck and trailer, truck-tractor and semitrailer and trailer, or a truck-tractor and two trailers, may b…

Sec. 621.206. MAXIMUM EXTENDED LENGTH OF LOAD. (a) A vehicle or combination of vehicles may not carry a load that extends more than three feet beyond its front or, except as permitted by other law, more than four feet beyond its rear. (b) Subsection (a) does not apply to vehicles…

Sec. 621.2061. EXCEPTION TO MAXIMUM EXTENDED LENGTH OF LOAD: CERTAIN MOTOR VEHICLES. Notwithstanding Section 621.206, a trailer may carry a load that extends more than four feet beyond the rear of the trailer if the load consists of a motor vehicle that: (1) is designed and inten…

Sec. 621.207. MAXIMUM HEIGHT. (a) A vehicle and its load may not be higher than 14 feet. (b) The operator of a vehicle that is higher than 13 feet 6 inches shall ensure that the vehicle will pass through each vertical clearance of a structure in its path without touching the stru…

Sec. 621.301. COUNTY'S AUTHORITY TO SET MAXIMUM WEIGHTS. (a) The commissioners court of a county may establish load limits for any county road or bridge only with the concurrence of the Texas Department of Transportation. A load limit shall be deemed concurred with by the Texas D…

Sec. 621.302. EXCEPTION TO COUNTY'S WEIGHT LIMITATIONS. A maximum weight set under Section 621.301 does not apply to a vehicle delivering groceries or farm products to a destination requiring travel over a road for which the maximum is set. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, …

Sec. 621.303. MUNICIPAL REGULATION OF LOADS AND EQUIPMENT. (a) The governing body of any municipality may regulate the movement and operation on a public road, other than a state highway in the territory of the municipality, of: (1) an overweight, oversize, or overlength commodit…

Sec. 621.304. RESTRICTION ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY TO REGULATE OVERWEIGHT VEHICLES AND LOADS ON STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM. Except as expressly authorized by this subtitle, a county or municipality may not require a permit, bond, fee, or license for the movement of a vehicle or co…

Sec. 621.351. ESCROW ACCOUNT FOR PREPAYMENT OF PERMIT FEES. (a) The department may establish one or more escrow accounts in the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles fund for the prepayment of a fee for a permit issued by the department that authorizes the operation of a vehicle and…

Sec. 621.352. FEES FOR PERMITS ISSUED UNDER RECIPROCAL AGREEMENT. (a) The board by rule may establish fees for the administration of Section 621.003 in an amount that, when added to the other fees collected by the department, does not exceed the amount sufficient to recover the a…

Sec. 621.353. DISTRIBUTION OF FEE FOR PERMIT FOR EXCESS WEIGHT. (a) The comptroller shall send $50 of each base fee collected under Section 623.011 for an excess weight permit to the counties of the state, with each county receiving an amount determined according to the ratio of …

Sec. 621.354. DISPOSITION OF FEES FOR PERMIT FOR MOVEMENT OF CYLINDRICAL HAY BALES. Of each fee collected under Section 623.017, the department shall deposit: (1) 90 percent in the state treasury to the credit of the state highway fund; and (2) 10 percent in the state treasury to…

Sec. 621.355. DISTRIBUTION OF FEES FOR REGISTRATION OF ADDITIONAL WEIGHT. (a) If an operator or owner is required to pay for registration of additional weight under Section 621.406 in a county other than the county in which the owner resides, the assessor-collector of the county …

Sec. 621.356. FORM OF PAYMENT. The board may adopt rules prescribing the method for payment of a fee for a permit issued by the department that authorizes the operation of a vehicle and its load or a combination of vehicles and load exceeding size or weight limitations. The rules…

Sec. 621.401. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "weight enforcement officer" means: (1) a license and weight inspector of the Department of Public Safety; (2) a highway patrol officer; (3) a sheriff or sheriff's deputy; (4) a municipal police officer in a municipality with a popula…

Sec. 621.4015. DESIGNATION BY COMMISSIONERS COURT. (a) A county commissioners court may designate a constable or deputy constable of the county as a weight enforcement officer in a county: (1) that is a county with a population of 1.5 million or more and is within 200 miles of an…

Sec. 621.402. WEIGHING LOADED VEHICLE. (a) A weight enforcement officer who has reason to believe that the single axle weight, tandem axle weight, or gross weight of a loaded motor vehicle is unlawful may: (1) weigh the vehicle using portable or stationary scales furnished or app…

Sec. 621.403. UNLOADING VEHICLE IF GROSS WEIGHT EXCEEDED. (a) If the gross weight of a motor vehicle weighed under Section 621.402 is heavier than the weight equal to the maximum gross weight authorized by law for that vehicle plus a tolerance allowance equal to five percent of t…

Sec. 621.404. UNLOADING VEHICLE IF AXLE WEIGHT EXCEEDED. (a) If the axle weight of a motor vehicle weighed under Section 621.402 is heavier than the maximum axle weight authorized by law for the vehicle plus a tolerance allowance equal to five percent of that maximum weight, the …

Sec. 621.405. UNLOADING EXCEPTIONS. (a) The operator or owner of a vehicle is not required to unload any part of the vehicle's load under Section 621.403 or 621.404 if the vehicle is: (1) a motor vehicle loaded with timber, pulp wood, or agricultural products in their natural sta…

Sec. 621.406. ADDITIONAL GROSS WEIGHT REGISTRATION. (a) If the gross weight of the motor vehicle is not heavier than the maximum gross weight allowed for the vehicle but is heavier than the registered gross weight for the vehicle, the weight enforcement officer shall require the …

Sec. 621.407. FORMS; ACCOUNTING PROCEDURES. The department shall prescribe all forms and accounting procedures necessary to carry out Sections 621.401 to 621.406. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

Sec. 621.408. POWERS OF WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. (a) Except for the authority granted to a port-of-entry supervisor or inspector by Section 621.409, weight enforcement officers have exclusive authority to enforce this subchapter in any area of this state, including all ports …

Sec. 621.409. WEIGHING OF LOADED VEHICLES BY PORT-OF-ENTRY SUPERVISORS, INSPECTORS, OR WEIGHT ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. (a) A port-of-entry supervisor, an inspector employed by the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, or a weight enforcement officer who has reason to believe that the axle …

Sec. 621.410. WEIGHT RECORD. (a) This section applies only to cargo other than timber or another agricultural product in its natural state transported by a commercial motor vehicle. (b) A person who weighs cargo before or after unloading shall keep a written record, in the form p…

Sec. 621.411. JOINT OPERATION OF CERTAIN FIXED-SITE FACILITIES. A county and the Department of Public Safety may enter into an agreement for the joint operation of a fixed-site facility located within the boundaries of the county. Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 876 (H.B…

Sec. 621.501. FAILURE TO CARRY OR PRESENT VEHICLE LICENSE RECEIPT. (a) A person commits an offense if the person fails in violation of Section 621.002 to carry or present a vehicle registration receipt. (b) An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not t…

Sec. 621.502. PROHIBITIONS ON SIZE AND WEIGHT; RESTRICTIONS ON CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT. (a) A person may not operate or move a vehicle on a highway if: (1) the vehicle's size is larger than the applicable maximum size authorized for that vehicle by this subtitle; (2) the vehic…

Sec. 621.503. PROHIBITION OF LOADING MORE THAN SIZE OR WEIGHT LIMITATION. (a) A person may not load, or cause to be loaded, a vehicle for operation on a public highway of this state that exceeds the height, width, length, or weight limitations for operation of that vehicle provid…

Sec. 621.504. BRIDGE OR UNDERPASS CLEARANCE; OFFENSE. (a) A person commits an offense if the person operates or attempts to operate a vehicle over or on a bridge or through an underpass or similar structure unless the height of the vehicle, including load, is less than the vertic…

Sec. 621.506. OFFENSE OF OPERATING OR LOADING OVERWEIGHT VEHICLE; PENALTY; DEFENSE. (a) A person commits an offense if the person: (1) operates a vehicle or combination of vehicles in violation of Section 621.101, 622.012, 622.031, 622.041, 622.0435, 622.051, 622.061, 622.133, 62…

Sec. 621.507. GENERAL OFFENSE; PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person violates a provision of this subtitle for which an offense is not specified by another section of this subtitle. (b) An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable: (1) by a fine not …

Sec. 621.508. AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE FOR OPERATING VEHICLE OVER MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE WEIGHT. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), it is an affirmative defense to prosecution of, or an action under Subchapter F for, the offense of operating a vehicle with a single axle weight or …

Sec. 621.509. FAILURE TO MAINTAIN WEIGHT RECORD. (a) A person commits an offense if the person fails to keep a weight record in violation of Section 621.410. (b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1227, Sec. 7, eff. Oct. 1, …

Sec. 621.510. PERMIT VOID. A permit issued under this chapter is void on the failure of the owner or the owner's representative to comply with a rule of the board or with a condition placed on the permit by the department. Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1135 (H.B. 2741)…

Sec. 621.511. NAME ON PERMIT; OFFENSE. (a) A person commits an offense if: (1) the person operates or moves on a public highway a vehicle that is issued a permit under this subtitle; and (2) the person operating or moving the vehicle is not the person named on the permit for the …