North Carolina trucking permits
Trip, fuel and oversize/overweight permits for North Carolina — what the state requires, how it prices them, and how to get them filed.
How North Carolina prices a permit
In North Carolina, what you pay turns on how heavy the load is and how far over legal it measures. Distance does not enter into it — a four-mile clip of the corner costs the same as running North Carolina end to end.
States do not use a common formula. North Carolina charges on a flat fee by weight band and a flat fee by dimension, depending on the permit and the configuration:
- a flat fee by weight band
- The fee steps up at set weight thresholds and does not change with distance.
- a flat fee by dimension
- Priced on how far over legal the load measures, not on how far it travels.
What North Carolina permits cost
The state's own fee, plus what we charge to prepare and file it. Your total depends on the trip, so the quote is the number that counts — these are the floors we hold on file.
| Permit | North Carolina fee | Our fee |
|---|---|---|
| Trip Permit | from $40 | $29 |
| Fuel Permit | from $77 | $29 |
| Oversize / Overweight | by weight, axles and distance | $39 |
A handling fee applies to each permit line. Nothing is charged until you have seen the total.
Fees and limits on this page were last checked in September 2026. States change fee schedules, legal limits and office hours without notice, and some fees depend on details we only know once you tell us the trip. North Carolina is the authority, not this page — treat these as a guide and the quote as the number.
When you need an oversize permit in North Carolina
Over 102 inches wide or 80,000 lbs gross, a load needs a permit in North Carolina as it would anywhere. Height, trailer length and axle weight are where states differ, and here is where North Carolina sits.
- Height
- 13' 6"
- 13' 6" in the strictest states
- Semi-trailer length
- 53'
- 53' in most states
- Tandem axle
- 38,000 lbs
- A tandem axle may carry 38,000 lbs here, above the 34,000 lbs federal Interstate limit — so a load that is overweight on the axles in a neighbouring state can be legal in North Carolina.
Overhangs, single and tridem axles and the full table are on the North Carolina regulations page.
The North Carolina permit office
Who issues the permit, when they are open, and where they take applications. We deal with them so you do not have to — but if you would rather call them yourself, this is the desk.
Oversize/ Overweight
- Phone
- (888) 221-8166
- Weekday hours
- Mon–Fri 7:00 AM–4:00 PM
- Portal
- State permit portal
*No incoming calls 11am- 2pm (888-221-8166); Single Trip (888) 574-6683
Crossing more than North Carolina?
Most trips need permits in more than one state. Pick another, or price the whole route at once.