North Carolina Trip Permit for Trucks
The North Carolina temporary trip permit: what it costs, how long it lasts and how it compares with neighboring states.
NC, reviewed October 2026
The short answer for North Carolina
In North Carolina, the IRP trip permit costs $15 and is valid for 10 days.
Buy it from the issuing agency: official North Carolina trip permit page. Running more than one state? Add North Carolina to the trip permit cost estimator.
North Carolina against its neighbors
The states a truck crosses next to North Carolina on the main freight corridors, with the same figures for each. A state without a confirmed figure says so.
| State | Permit | Trip fee | Fuel permit | Valid for | Rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina (this page) | IRP trip permit | $15 | Not confirmed | 10 days | Oversize rules |
| Tennessee | 72-Hour Trip Permit / Trip and Fuel Use Permit | $30 | Not confirmed | 3 days | Compare |
| South Carolina | IFTA / IRP Trip Permit (SCDMV) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Compare |
| Virginia | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Compare |
Where North Carolina sits among 24 states
Ranked against the 24 states on this site with a confirmed trip permit fee and validity. States with the same value share a position.
| Measure | North Carolina | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Trip permit fee | $15 | 3 of 24, lowest first |
| Validity | 10 days | 2 of 24, longest first |
North Carolina at a glance
A trip permit covers registration and fuel tax for a short run. It does not authorize an oversize or overweight load; that is a separate permit with its own conditions.
| Legal height | 14 ft 0 in |
|---|---|
| Legal length | Single vehicle 40 ft; vehicle combination 60 ft; tractor with 53-ft semi-trailer has no overall length limit on all roads (NCDOT Permit Handbook). |
| Legal gross weight | 80,000 lbs |
| Oversize travel hours | Sunrise to sunset, Monday through Sunday, for general commodities. Loads over 12 ft wide are barred 7-9 am and 4-6 pm within 10 miles of the city limits of Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. Continuous 24/7 travel only for permits up to 112,000 lbs with no overdimension. |
| Weekend travel | Weekend travel permitted (Monday through Sunday, sunrise to sunset) apart from holiday restrictions. |
Plan the rest of the trip
- Not sure a trip permit is the right fit? Read trip permits versus IRP and IFTA.
- Hauling oversize or overweight? See the full North Carolina oversize guide and the North Carolina pilot car requirements.
- Check holiday travel restrictions before you plan a run around a holiday weekend.
Fees and validity for North Carolina, reviewed October 2026. Fees change and this is not legal advice; the agency's own page controls.