Tennessee Trip Permit for Trucks
The Tennessee temporary trip permit: what it costs, how long it lasts and how it compares with neighboring states.
TN, reviewed October 2026
The short answer for Tennessee
In Tennessee, the 72-Hour Trip Permit / Trip and Fuel Use Permit costs $30 and is valid for 3 days.
Buy it from the issuing agency: official Tennessee trip permit page. Running more than one state? Add Tennessee to the trip permit cost estimator.
What to know before you buy
TN Dept of Revenue: Trip and Fuel Use Permit is $30 per permit plus wire service fees, sold through authorized contractors; it is a combined trip plus fuel permit (fuel not priced separately). 72-hour validity per TDOT FAQ and Revenue IRP-15 article.
Tennessee against its neighbors
The states a truck crosses next to Tennessee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee (this page) | 72-Hour Trip Permit / Trip and Fuel Use Permit | $30 | Not confirmed | 3 days | Oversize rules |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Trip Permit (IRP/IFTA 72-hour) | $33 | Not confirmed | 3 days | Compare |
| North Carolina | IRP trip permit | $15 | Not confirmed | 10 days | Compare |
| Georgia | 72-hour IRP Trip Permit | $30 | $16 | 3 days | Compare |
| Kentucky | One-time temporary KYU permit (per truck) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Compare |
Where Tennessee 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 | Tennessee | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Trip permit fee | $30 | 16 of 24, lowest first |
| Validity | 3 days | 9 of 24, longest first |
Tennessee 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 | 13 ft 6 in |
|---|---|
| Legal length | Straight truck 45 ft; straight truck with trailer 65 ft; tractor-semitrailer 50 ft kingpin to rear of trailer (52 ft autos/livestock); twin trailers 28.5 ft each; no overall tractor-trailer cap listed. |
| Legal gross weight | 80,000 lbs |
| Oversize travel hours | Loads not requiring escorts: continuous (24/7) travel. Escorted loads must observe rush-hour county curfews, Mon-Fri 7-9 am and 4-6 pm in Davidson, Rutherford, Knox, Shelby and Hamilton counties. Superloads, houseboats and mobile homes: daylight only; site-built houses daylight only unless local authorities stipulate night. |
| Weekend travel | No general weekend restriction; non-escorted loads travel continuously. Escorted travel is restricted around holiday weekends (see holiday). |
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 Tennessee oversize guide and the Tennessee pilot car requirements.
- Check holiday travel restrictions before you plan a run around a holiday weekend.
Sources
- https://revenue.support.tn.gov/hc/en-us/articles/360060527652-MC-IFTA-13-How-to-Obtain-a-Tennessee-Trip-and-Fuel-Use-Permit
- https://www.tn.gov/tdot/traffic-operations-division/oversize---overweight-permits.html
- https://www.tn.gov/tdot/traffic-operations-division/oversize---overweight-permits/frequently-asked-questions.html
- https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/tdot/traffic-operations/os-ow/holiday-restrictions/2026%20TDOT%20OS%20OW%20Holiday%20Travel%20Restrictions.doc.pdf
- https://revenue.support.tn.gov/hc/en-us/articles/360060950111-MC-IRP-15-72-Hour-Trip-Permit
Fees and validity for Tennessee, reviewed October 2026. Fees change and this is not legal advice; the agency's own page controls.