Vermont Weight Limits on Town Roads

As a reminder, if you have a delivery truck anywhere other than the interstate, state highways, or class 1 Town Highways, you most likely need a permit. Right now this is done by each individual town. Since most town roads are limited to 24,000 pounds, every fuel company should determine which towns they need to apply.

Fuel trucks can get an exemption for $5 (or $10 for an entire fleet) through an annual permit. These permits must be filed before March 31 every year in every town that requires them. If you don’t have a permit, you could be liable for thousands of dollars in fines.

Click here to know where to apply. Click here for a permit template.

Click here for a list of towns that require permitting.

THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL LIST, ALWAYS CONTACT THE TOWN CLERK TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT AN ANNUAL PERMIT IS REQUIRED.

The annual permit is NOT related to ‘mud season’ or special closures of specific roads. However, having a municipal permit in the truck can save thousands of dollars. An 80,000 vehicle on a 24,000 pound road could receive a ticket in excess of $4,300, plus court costs and legal expenses.

There is NO mud season permit. Vermont has nearly twice as many miles of dirt roads than paved roads, and individual towns have the right to temporarily ban trucks over 24,000 pounds. There is NO heating fuel truck exemption in the law. The penalty for violating a road closure is $100, plus whatever it costs to fix the road. The DMV has a website (found here) where you can look up restrictions in towns where you deliver fuel, but it is not always accurate. You might have better luck calling the town clerk or road foreman to see what roads are off limits during Vermont’s fifth season.