California weights, dimensions and permits

(a) (a) The total outside width of any vehicle or its load shall not exceed 102 inches, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.

(b) (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, safety devices which the Secretary of Transportation determines to be necessary for the safe and efficient operation of motor vehicles shall not be included in the calculation of width as specified in subdivision (a).

(c) (c) Any city or county may, by ordinance, prohibit a combination of vehicles of a total width in excess of 96 inches upon highways under its jurisdiction. The ordinance shall not be effective until appropriate signs are erected indicating the streets affected.

Uses a fixed source edition; check the original and statutory history for operative dates and exceptions.

No vehicle or load shall exceed a height of 14 feet measured from the surface upon which the vehicle stands, except that a double-deck bus may not exceed a height of 14 feet, 3 inches. Any vehicle or load which exceeds a height of 13 feet, 6 inches, shall only be operated on those highways where deemed to be safe by the owner of the vehicle or the entity operating the bus.

Uses a fixed source edition; check the original and statutory history for operative dates and exceptions.

(a) (a) A combination of vehicles consisting of a truck tractor and semitrailer, or of a truck tractor, semitrailer, and trailer, is not subject to the limitations of Sections 35400 and 35401, when operating on the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways or when using those portions of federal-aid primary system highways that have been qualified by the United States Secretary of Transportation for that use, or when using routes appropriately identified by the Department of Transportation or local authorities as provided in subdivision (c) or (d), if all of the following conditions are met:

(a)(1) (1) The length of the semitrailer in exclusive combination with a truck tractor does not exceed 48 feet. A semitrailer not more than 53 feet in length shall satisfy this requirement when configured with two or more rear axles, the rearmost of which is located 40 feet or less from the kingpin or when configured with a single axle which is located 38 feet or less from the kingpin. For purposes of this paragraph, a motortruck used in combination with a semitrailer, when that combination of vehicles is engaged solely in the transportation of motor vehicles, camper units, or boats, is considered to be a truck tractor.

(a)(2) (2) Neither the length of the semitrailer nor the length of the trailer when simultaneously in combination with a truck tractor exceeds 28 feet 6 inches.

(c) (c) Combinations of vehicles operated pursuant to subdivision (a) may also use highways not specified in subdivision (a) that provide reasonable access to terminals and facilities for purposes limited to fuel, food, lodging, and repair when that access is consistent with the safe operation of the combinations of vehicles and when the facility is within one road mile of identified points of ingress and egress to or from highways specified in subdivision (a) for use by those combinations of vehicles.

Uses a fixed source edition; check the original and statutory history for operative dates and exceptions.

(a) (a) The gross weight imposed upon the highway by the wheels on any one axle of a vehicle shall not exceed 20,000 pounds and the gross weight upon any one wheel, or wheels, supporting one end of an axle, and resting upon the roadway, shall not exceed 10,500 pounds.

(b) (b) The gross weight limit provided for weight bearing upon any one wheel, or wheels, supporting one end of an axle shall not apply to vehicles the loads of which consist of livestock.

(c) (c) The maximum wheel load is the lesser of the following:

(c)(1) (1) The load limit established by the tire manufacturer, as molded on at least one sidewall of the tire.

(c)(2) (2) A load of 620 pounds per lateral inch of tire width, as determined by the manufacturer’s rated tire width as molded on at least one sidewall of the tire for all axles except the steering axle, in which case paragraph (1) applies.

Uses a fixed source edition; check the original and statutory history for operative dates and exceptions.

(a) (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section or Section 35551.5, the total gross weight in pounds imposed on the highway by any group of two or more consecutive axles shall not exceed that given for the respective distance in the following table:

Distance in feet between the extremes of any group of 2 or more consecutive axles 2 axles 3 axles 4 axles 5 axles 6 axles 4 34,000 34,000 34,000 34,000 34,000 5 34,000 34,000 34,000 34,000 34,000 6 34,000 34,000 34,000 34,000 34,000 7 34,000 34,000 34,000 34,000 34,000 8 34,000 34,000 34,000 34,000 34,000 9 39,000 42,500 42,500 42,500 42,500 10 40,000 43,500 43,500 43,500 43,500 11 40,000 44,000 44,000 44,000 44,000 12 40,000 45,000 50,000 50,000 50,000 13 40,000 45,500 50,500 50,500 50,500 14 40,000 46,500 51,500 51,500 51,500 15 40,000 47,000 52,000 52,000 52,000 16 40,000 48,000 52,500 52,500 52,500 17 40,000 48,500 53,500 53,500 53,500 18 40,000 49,500 54,000 54,000 54,000 19 40,000 50,000 54,500 54,500 54,500 20 40,000 51,000 55,500 55,500 55,500 21 40,000 51,500 56,000 56,000 56,000 22 40,000 52,500 56,500 56,500 56,500 23 40,000 53,000 57,500 57,500 57,500 24 40,000 54,000 58,000 58,000 58,000 25 40,000 54,500 58,500 58,500 58,500 26 40,000 55,500 59,500 59,500 59,500 27 40,000 56,000 60,000 60,000 60,000 28 40,000 57,000 60,500 60,500 60,500 29 40,000 57,500 61,500 61,500 61,500 30 40,000 58,500 62,000 62,000 62,000 31 40,000 59,000 62,500 62,500 62,500 32 40,000 60,000 63,500 63,500 63,500 33 40,000 60,000 64,000 64,000 64,000 34 40,000 60,000 64,500 64,500 64,500 35 40,000 60,000 65,500 65,500 65,500 36 40,000 60,000 66,000 66,000 66,000 37 40,000 60,000 66,500 66,500 66,500 38 40,000 60,000 67,500 67,500 67,500 39 40,000 60,000 68,000 68,000 68,000 40 40,000 60,000 68,500 70,000 70,000 41 40,000 60,000 69,500 72,000 72,000 42 40,000 60,000 70,000 73,280 73,280 43 40,000 60,000 70,500 73,280 73,280 44 40,000 60,000 71,500 73,280 73,280 45 40,000 60,000 72,000 76,000 80,000 46 40,000 60,000 72,500 76,500 80,000 47 40,000 60,000 73,500 77,500 80,000 48 40,000 60,000 74,000 78,000 80,000 49 40,000 60,000 74,500 78,500 80,000 50 40,000 60,000 75,500 79,000 80,000 51 40,000 60,000 76,000 80,000 80,000 52 40,000 60,000 76,500 80,000 80,000 53 40,000 60,000 77,500 80,000 80,000 54 40,000 60,000 78,000 80,000 80,000 55 40,000 60,000 78,500 80,000 80,000 56 40,000 60,000 79,500 80,000 80,000 57 40,000 60,000 80,000 80,000 80,000 58 40,000 60,000 80,000 80,000 80,000 59 40,000 60,000 80,000 80,000 80,000 60 40,000 60,000 80,000 80,000 80,000

(b) (b) In addition to the weights specified in subdivision (a), two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross weight of 34,000 pounds each if the overall distance between the first and last axles of the consecutive sets of tandem axles is 36 feet or more. The gross weight of each set of tandem axles shall not exceed 34,000 pounds and the gross weight of the two consecutive sets of tandem axles shall not exceed 68,000 pounds.

(c) (c) The distance between axles shall be measured to the nearest whole foot. When a fraction is exactly six inches, the next larger whole foot shall be used.

(d) (d) This section does not affect the right to prohibit the use of any highway or any bridge or other structure thereon in the manner and to the extent specified in Article 4 (commencing with Section 35700) and Article 5 (commencing with Section 35750) of this chapter.

(e) (e) The gross weight limits expressed by this section and Section 35550 shall include all enforcement tolerances.

Uses a fixed source edition; check the original and statutory history for operative dates and exceptions.

(a) (a) The Department of Transportation or local authorities, with respect to highways under their respective jurisdictions, may, at their discretion upon application and if good cause appears, issue a special permit authorizing the applicant:

(a)(1) (1) To operate or move a vehicle or combination of vehicles or special mobile equipment of a size or weight of vehicle or load exceeding the maximum specified in this code.

(b) (b) Under conditions prescribed by the Department of Transportation or the local authority, the Department of Transportation or local authority may accept applications made by, and issue permits directly to, an applicant or permit service by any of the following processes:

Uses a fixed source edition; check the original and statutory history for operative dates and exceptions.