Kansas Statutes
Article 19 - Uniform Act Regulating Traffic; Size, Weight And Load Of Vehicles
8-1909 Gross weight limits for vehicles; exceptions; safety of certain vehicles for operation.

8-1909. Gross weight limits for vehicles; exceptions; safety of certain vehicles for operation. (a) No vehicle or combination of vehicles shall be moved or operated on any highway when the gross weight on two or more consecutive axles exceeds the limitations prescribed in the following table:
Distance in feet between theextremes of any group of 2 ormore consecutive axles
Maximum load in pounds carriedon any group of 2 or moreconsecutive axles

2 axles
3 axles
4 axles
5 axles
6 axles
7 axles
8 axles
4
34,000

5
34,000

6
34,000

7
34,000

8 and less
34,000
34,000

More than 8
38,000
42,000

9
39,000
42,500

10
40,000
43,500

11
44,000

12
45,000
50,000

13
45,500
50,500

14
46,500
51,500

15
47,000
52,000

16
48,000
52,500
58,000

17
48,500
53,500
58,500

18
49,500
54,000
59,000

19
50,000
54,500
60,000

20
51,000
55,500
60,500
66,000

21
51,500
56,000
61,000
66,500

22
52,500
56,500
61,500
67,000

23
53,000
57,500
62,500
68,000

24
54,000
58,000
63,000
68,500
74,000

25
54,500
58,500
63,500
69,000
74,500

26
55,500
59,500
64,000
69,500
75,000

27
56,000
60,000
65,000
70,000
75,500

28
57,000
60,500
65,500
71,000
76,500
82,000
29
57,500
61,500
66,000
71,500
77,000
82,500
30
58,500
62,000
66,500
72,000
77,500
83,000
31
59,000
62,500
67,500
72,500
78,000
83,500
32
60,000
63,500
68,000
73,000
78,500
84,500
33
64,000
68,500
74,000
79,000
85,000
34
64,500
69,000
74,500
80,000
85,500
35
65,500
70,000
75,000
80,500

36
66,000
70,500
75,500
81,000

37
66,500
71,000
76,000
81,500

38
67,500
72,000
77,000
82,000

39
68,000
72,500
77,500
82,500

40
68,500
73,000
78,000
83,500

41
69,500
73,500
78,500
84,000

42
70,000
74,000
79,000
84,500

43
70,500
75,000
80,000
85,000

44
71,500
75,500
80,500
85,500

45
72,000
76,000
81,000

46
72,500
76,500
81,500

47
73,500
77,500
82,000

48
74,000
78,000
83,000

49
74,500
78,500
83,500

50
75,500
79,000
84,000

51
76,000
80,000
84,500

52
76,500
80,500
85,000

53
77,500
81,000
85,500

54
78,000
81,500

55
78,500
82,500

56
79,500
83,000

57
80,000
83,500

58
84,000

59
85,000

60
85,500

except that two consecutive sets of tandem axles may carry a gross load of 34,000 pounds each if the overall distance between the first and last axles is 36 feet or more.
(1) The gross weight on any one axle of a vehicle shall not exceed the limits prescribed in K.S.A. 8-1908, and amendments thereto.
(2) Except as otherwise provided by subsection (e), for vehicles and combinations of vehicles on the interstate system the table in this section shall not authorize a maximum gross weight of more than 80,000 pounds.
(3) The table in this section shall not apply to truck tractor and dump semitrailer or truck trailer combination when such are used as a combination unit exclusively for the transportation of sand, salt for highway maintenance operations, gravel, slag stone, limestone, crushed stone, cinders, coal, blacktop, dirt or fill material, when such vehicles are used for transportation to a construction site, highway maintenance or construction project or other storage facility, except that such vehicles or combination of vehicles shall not be exempted from any application of the table as may be required to determine applicable axle weights for triple and quad axles as defined in K.S.A. 8-1908, and amendments thereto. As used in this paragraph (3), the term "dump semitrailer" means any semitrailer designed in such a way as to divest itself of the load carried thereon.
(b) Any vehicle registered under the laws of this state which vehicle is designed and used primarily for the transportation of property or for the transportation of 10 or more persons may, at the time of its registration, be subjected by the director of vehicles to investigation or test as may be necessary to enable such director to determine whether such vehicle may safely be operated upon the highways in compliance with all provisions of this act. Every such vehicle shall meet the following requirements:
(1) It shall be equipped with brakes as required in K.S.A. 8-1734, and amendments thereto.
(2) Every motor vehicle to be operated outside of business and residence districts shall have motive power adequate to propel such vehicle and any load thereon or to be drawn thereby, at a speed which will not impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of traffic. Exception to this requirement shall be recognized when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation or when a vehicle or combination of vehicles is necessarily or in compliance with law or police direction proceeding at reduced speed.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate any vehicle or combination of vehicles with a gross weight in excess of the limitations set forth in article 19 of chapter 8 of [the] Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, except as provided in K.S.A. 8-1911, and amendments thereto.
(d) As used in this section, "interstate system" means the national system of interstate and defense highways.
(e) A vehicle, if operated by an engine fueled primarily by natural gas, may exceed any vehicle weight limit under this section, up to a maximum gross vehicle weight of 82,000 pounds, by an amount that is equal to the difference between:
(1) The weight of the vehicle attributable to the natural gas tank and fueling system carried by that vehicle; and
(2) the weight of a comparable diesel tank and fueling system.
History: L. 1974, ch. 33, § 8-1909; L. 1975, ch. 427, § 48; L. 1980, ch. 45, § 1; L. 1981, ch. 46, § 3; L. 1983, ch. 41, § 4; L. 1986, ch. 45, § 2; L. 2016, ch. 44, § 3; April 14.