Permit fees and payment options in Washington

Dec. 10, 2025, 12:41 p.m.
How permit fees and payment options work for trucking (oversize/overweight and special-haul) permits in Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) / Washington — key fee schedules, permit types, and how to pay.
Permit fees in Washington

Permit Fees in Washington

According to  published permit types and fees: 

Common permit types and their fees/tariffs:

  • Single-trip oversize/overweight permit (non-divisible load):

    • Dimensional-only (oversize, no overweight): US$ 98 per trip. 

    • If overweight (i.e. weight over the legal limit) — fee depends on how much over the limit and miles traveled (see below).  

  • Overweight fee schedule (for loads exceeding legal capacity): 

    • Minimum fee for any overweight permit: US$ 94.00.  

    • For excess weight over legal capacity, fee is charged per mile on state highways, varying by how many pounds over: e.g. for 1–9,999 lbs over → $0.57/mi; for 50,000–54,999 lbs over → $3.14/mi; and for loads over 100,000 lbs over capacity → $7.25/mi plus $0.90 per 5,000-lb increment beyond that.  

  • Short-term temporary permits (for licensing/tonnage increase):

    • Trip permit (3-day commercial vehicle license/tonnage permit): US$ 95.  

    • Fuel-use permit when entering WA (if not under IFTA fuel-tax agreement) for diesel/propane commercial vehicles over certain weights: cost  US $95 (3-day). 

  • Monthly / Annual Permits (for recurring/divisible loads, trailers, repeated oversize loads, etc.):  

    • e.g. Single-trailer (divisible load) permit up to 56 ft: US$ 100 per 30-days, or US$ 500 per year.  

    • Double-trailer up to 68 ft: same US$ 100 monthly / US$ 500 annually.  

    • Fixed-load heavy units (3-axle or 4-axle) requiring overweight permit: US$ 270 per 30 days (3-axle) or US$ 390 per 30 days (4-axle).  

    • Other special permits (farm-implement, etc.) — fees vary depending on type, usage, and duration.

Payment Methods & Permit Issuance Options

How you obtain and pay for permits in Washington depends on the type of permit and whether you self-issue. 

Ways to Get a Permit

Payment Options

  • When self-issuing, you pay the standard permit fee (i.e. same as if issued by WSDOT). There are no extra charges just because you self-issued.  

  • For overweight permits, the fee depends on the calculated excess weight and mileage — you input those details when you request the permit, and the system computes the cost via the published fee schedule.  

 What to Watch Out For / Best Practices

  • Some heavy/oversize/sub-legal-dimension loads — especially “non-divisible” or “superloads” — cannot be self-issued and require formal application + review by WSDOT engineers. 

  • For overweight loads, because fee is per mile, longer travel distances + heavier loads = more expensive permits — wise to carefully calculate planned load and route ahead of time using WSDOT’s calculator.  

  • Temporary trip or fuel permits are limited (e.g. 3-day duration), sometimes with restrictions (e.g. number of times per month), so ensure timing and route compliance.  

  • If using third-party agents, factor in their service fee on top of the base permit cost.