Legal Weight Limits
Alabama adheres to the federal standard of 80,000 lbs gross vehicle weight (GVW) (5 axles) and 20,000 lbs per single axle (34,000 lbs per tandem). Notably, Alabama law allows a 10% enforcement tolerance above the weights prescribed for non-Interstate highways – effectively permitting up to ~88,000 lbs GVW (and ~22,000 lbs on an axle) on those roads before a violation is recorded. On the Interstate Highway System, however, the 20,000 lb single axle, 34,000 lb tandem and 80,000 lb gross limits already include the allowable tolerance, so there is no additional 10% margin there. This tolerance is meant to account for load variances (e.g. fuel burn-off or scale differences). Despite the tolerance, exceeding the applicable limit will trigger overweight status.
Fine Structure
Overweight fines in Alabama are relatively modest. The state statute, rather than each county, sets the penalty range for weight violations. Under Ala. Code § 32-9-5, operating a truck in violation of the weight law or the terms of a permit is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500. In practice, a first-time overweight ticket in Alabama therefore carries a flat fine in the low hundreds of dollars. The statute does not scale the fine by how many pounds the truck is over – the $10, $30, $60 and $100 figures sometimes quoted for Alabama are actually the single-trip overweight permit fees in § 32-9-29, not fines. Alabama’s fines do not increase per pound in a steep tiered fashion as in many states; they remain within a set range, but the court may also impose 30 to 60 days of imprisonment or hard labor for the county, and repeat offenses could draw higher court-imposed penalties within that range. Overall, Alabama’s fine structure is on the lower end nationally, reflecting its policy of tolerance for small overweight deviations.
Enforcement Methods
Alabama primarily enforces truck weights through roving state troopers with portable scales rather than numerous fixed weigh stations. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit conducts roadside weight checks using portable scales. Alabama law was amended in 2025 (Act 2025-272, from SB110) to set rules for portable enforcement, including a cap of five trucks pulled over at one time at a roadside weight check and a right for the driver to have the truck reweighed at a certified platform scale within 100 miles, indicating the prevalence of this method. Weigh station facilities are few; instead, troopers pull over trucks at highway pull-offs or exits to weigh them. Alabama allows trucks to shift loads if axle weights are uneven, and with the 10% tolerance on non-Interstate routes, many slight overweight instances are not cited. However, blatant violations (well above the tolerance) will be ticketed. Enforcement focus is on safety and bridge protection, and any cited truck must offload excess weight or redistribute the load before continuing.