Does PA Still Require Truck Weight Class Stickers?

Pennsylvania no longer requires PA truck weight class stickers. PennDOT eliminated them in early 2022, calling the decals “an antiquated and unreliable indicator” for law enforcement.¹ If you came looking for how to order or replace one, you don’t need to. The weight class system itself is still in place, though: it sets your registration fee and the maximum load you can legally haul. What you carry in the truck now is your registration card, not a sticker on the cab.

Why the Stickers Are Gone

For decades, trucks and trailers had to display a decal on the left side of the cab showing the vehicle’s weight class. Officers used the sticker during roadside stops to check whether a truck was operating within its registered weight. Stickers faded, peeled, or went out of date when an owner changed weight classes without updating the decal, and PennDOT concluded they were no longer a reliable check.

The weight class printed on your registration card is now the official record of your legal operating capacity, and officers can also pull that information from their electronic databases during a stop.

What You Carry Instead

Your registration card is the sole proof of your truck’s weight class. It shows the registered gross weight, and law enforcement will ask to see it during any stop or inspection. You are still required to keep the registration current and carry the card in the vehicle at all times.²

If the card is lost or becomes illegible, you can print a duplicate online or submit Form MV-50 to request a replacement by mail.³

Registered Gross Weight Still Matters

Registered gross weight is the maximum total weight you register and pay for, based on how you plan to use the vehicle. It accounts for the truck’s empty weight plus the heaviest load you expect to carry. This number differs from the manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR), which is the safety limit stamped on the federal certification label. Your registered gross weight can be lower than the GVWR, but it can never exceed the GVWR or PennDOT’s equivalent weight rating based on axle strength, horsepower, and braking capacity.⁴

The registered figure does two things at once. It sets your annual registration fee, and it fixes the legal ceiling on how much your truck can weigh on the road. Registering low to save on fees while routinely hauling above that number is a violation every time you drive.

Pennsylvania’s 25 Weight Classes and Fees

Pennsylvania divides trucks and truck tractors into 25 classes under 75 Pa. C.S. § 1916. The fee climbs with each class. Current annual rates, reflecting the final phase-in under Act 89 of 2013:

Class 1: 5,000 lbs or less — $62
Class 2: 5,001–7,000 lbs — $86
Class 3: 7,001–9,000 lbs — $164
Class 4A: 9,001–10,000 lbs — $212
Class 4B: 10,001–11,000 lbs — $212
Class 5: 11,001–14,000 lbs — $323
Class 6: 14,001–17,000 lbs — $383
Class 7: 17,001–21,000 lbs — $473
Class 8: 21,001–26,000 lbs — $539
Class 9: 26,001–30,000 lbs — $628
Class 10: 30,001–33,000 lbs — $754
Class 11: 33,001–36,000 lbs — $826
Class 12: 36,001–40,000 lbs — $874
Class 13: 40,001–44,000 lbs — $928
Class 14: 44,001–48,000 lbs — $999
Class 15: 48,001–52,000 lbs — $1,101
Class 16: 52,001–56,000 lbs — $1,173
Class 17: 56,001–60,000 lbs — $1,329
Class 18: 60,001–64,000 lbs — $1,487
Class 19: 64,001–68,000 lbs — $1,550
Class 20: 68,001–73,280 lbs — $1,664
Class 21: 73,281–76,000 lbs — $2,125
Class 22: 76,001–78,000 lbs — $2,173
Class 23: 78,001–78,500 lbs — $2,196
Class 24: 78,501–79,000 lbs — $2,220
Class 25: 79,001–80,000 lbs — $2,244

The jump between Class 20 and Class 21 is sharp, from $1,664 to $2,125, because vehicles above 73,280 pounds cause disproportionately more road damage.⁵ Class 4 splits into 4A and 4B at the same $212 fee. Class 25 tops out at 80,000 pounds, which is also the absolute maximum gross weight Pennsylvania allows on its highways.⁶

Changing Your Registered Weight Class

To move to a higher or lower class, submit Form MV-41 (Application for Correction of Vehicle Record) by mail to PennDOT’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles. There is currently no online option for weight class changes. The mailing address is: PA Department of Transportation, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 68593, Harrisburg, PA 17106-8593.⁷

If you are increasing your registered gross weight, you owe the difference in registration fees between your current class and the new one, paid by check or money order to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If you are decreasing weight, there is no additional fee, but your registration fee will not be refunded for the current period. You do not need to surrender your certificate of title for a weight change unless you have physically altered the vehicle, such as adding or removing axles; in that case you must also complete Form MV-426B.⁷

The form asks for your Vehicle Identification Number, title number, and the specific registered gross weight you want. You sign under penalty of law that the information is accurate; a false statement is a third-degree misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $2,500 and up to one year in jail.⁷ After processing, PennDOT mails an updated registration card, generally within about ten days for mail-submitted changes.³

Penalties for Running Over Your Registered Weight

Operating a truck above its registered gross weight is a summary offense. For the first 3,000 pounds over, the fine is a flat $75. Beyond that, you pay an additional $75 for every 500 pounds (or fraction of 500 pounds) over the 3,000-pound threshold.⁶

At 2,000 pounds over, that’s $75. At 5,000 pounds over, it’s $75 plus four $75 increments for a total of $375 before court costs and surcharges. At 10,000 pounds over, it’s $75 plus $1,050 in increment penalties. If the truck also exceeds the absolute maximum gross weight for its vehicle type under § 4941, the entire fine doubles.⁶

An overweight citation can also mean the truck is held until weight is removed or the load is transferred, and repeat violations draw attention from PennDOT and Pennsylvania State Police commercial vehicle enforcement.

Farm Vehicles Follow a Different System

Farm-plated vehicles are not classified on the 25-class commercial schedule. PennDOT groups them by biennial exemption type: Type A (10,000 lbs or less), Type B (10,001–17,000 lbs), Type C (over 17,000 lbs), and Type D motor carrier vehicles (over 17,000 lbs). Types A, B, and C are exempt from periodic safety inspections; Type D must be inspected annually and display a valid inspection sticker.⁸ Farm vehicles that are fully registered rather than operating under a biennial exemption follow the standard commercial weight class rules. No farm vehicle may operate above its registered gross weight on public roads.⁴

1
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Elimination of Truck Weight Class Stickers FAQs
2
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Elimination of Registration Stickers Frequently Asked Questions
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Titling and Registration Frequently Asked Questions
4
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Size and Weight Limitations
5
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 75 Section 1916 – Trucks and Truck Tractors
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Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code Title 75 Chapter 49 – Size and Weight of Vehicles
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Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Application for Correction of Vehicle Record or Verification of Vehicle Identification Number (MV-41)
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Farm Vehicles