Texas Trip Permit for Trucks
The Texas temporary trip permit: what it costs, how long it lasts and how it compares with neighboring states.
TX, reviewed October 2026
The short answer for Texas
In Texas, the 72-Hour Permit / 144-Hour Permit costs $25 and is valid for 3 days. A fuel permit is listed at $50.
Buy it from the issuing agency: official Texas trip permit page. Running more than one state? Add Texas to the trip permit cost estimator.
What to know before you buy
72-hour permit $25, 144-hour permit $50, plus $4.75 non-refundable processing fee per permit; USDOT number required. Fuel: Texas Comptroller Temporary Fuel Trip Permit $50, valid for one entry and 20 days (comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/fuels/trip-permits.php).
Texas against its neighbors
The states a truck crosses next to Texas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas (this page) | 72-Hour Permit / 144-Hour Permit | $25 | $50 | 3 days | Oversize rules |
| New Mexico | Trip tax permit (issued at Ports of Entry / online trip permit) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | 2 days | Compare |
| Louisiana | 48-Hour Trip Permit | $50 | Not confirmed | 2 days | Compare |
| Oklahoma | 72-hour Commercial Vehicle Registration Trip Permit (OCC) | $22 | $35 | 3 days | Compare |
Where Texas 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 | Texas | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Trip permit fee | $25 | 12 of 24, lowest first |
| Validity | 3 days | 9 of 24, longest first |
Texas 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 motor vehicle 45 ft; semitrailer of a two-vehicle combination 59 ft; twin trailers 28.5 ft each; truck-tractor combinations no overall limit; other two-vehicle combos 65 ft; overhang 3 ft front and 4 ft rear. |
| Legal gross weight | 80,000 lbs |
| Oversize travel hours | Daylight only (30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset) unless night criteria are met, e.g. overweight-only loads, or interstate loads up to 10 ft wide and 100 ft long with legal overhangs; emergency night exceptions need front and rear escorts. Source is an older TxDOT Motor Carrier Handbook; verify current. |
| Weekend travel | No general weekend movement restriction found on TxDMV pages; permit office is closed weekends. Holiday restrictions apply. |
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 Texas oversize guide and the Texas pilot car requirements.
- Check holiday travel restrictions before you plan a run around a holiday weekend.
Sources
- https://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/register-your-vehicle/temporary-registration
- https://www.txdmv.gov/motor-carriers/oversize-overweight-permits/escort-and-equipment-requirements
- https://www.txdmv.gov/motor-carriers/oversize-overweight-permits
- https://www.txdmv.gov/motor-carriers/oversize-overweight-permits/holiday-movement-restrictions
- https://www.txdmv.gov/motor-carriers/oversize-overweight-permits/texas-size-weight-limits
- https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/fuels/trip-permits.php
- https://www.tmcec.com/public/files/File/Course%20Materials/FY12/One%20Day%20Clinics/TxDOT%20Motor%20Carrier%20Handbook%20-%20Oversize%20Overweight%20Vehicles%20and%20Loads.pdf
Fees and validity for Texas, reviewed October 2026. Fees change and this is not legal advice; the agency's own page controls.