Weight limitNepal
Traffic rules
Nepal
1. Weight limit
A weight limit prohibits vehicles or vehicle combinations whose mass exceeds the value shown from entering or passing a road section, bridge, tunnel or other structure. Depending on local law, the restriction may concern the vehicle’s actual loaded mass, maximum authorised mass or load on an individual axle.
Drivers must know which type of mass the sign refers to and must include the vehicle, passengers, cargo and any trailer where required. A vehicle that exceeds the limit must use another suitable route.
Does every weight-limit sign measure the same kind of vehicle weight in Nepal?
No. Nepal’s 1997 Traffic Signs Manual distinguishes gross-weight limits (A12) from axle-weight limits (A13). Check which measurement the actual sign uses; an axle limit and a whole-vehicle limit are different controls.
Vehicles heavier than indicated prohibited.
English • Traffic sign A12 • Maximum gross weight: 17 tonnes. Vehicles whose actual total weight, including their load, exceeds 17 tonnes may not enter.
नेपाली • A12 • अधिकतम कुल तौल १७ टन। सवारी र मालसहितको वास्तविक कुल तौल १७ टनभन्दा बढी भए प्रवेश निषेध छ।
Sources
🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Dor.gov.np • सडक विभाग • Traffic Signs Manual, 1997 • A12 • PDF पृष्ठ 59
SVG source: Nepali Department of Roads • Public domain • Original revision 2025-06-27. Wikimedia original unmodified.
Vehicles exceeding the axle-load limit prohibited.
English • Traffic sign A13 • Maximum axle load: 4 tonnes. Vehicles with a load exceeding 4 tonnes on any axle may not enter.
नेपाली • A13 • अधिकतम एक्सल तौल ४ टन। कुनै एक्सलमा पर्ने तौल ४ टनभन्दा बढी भए प्रवेश निषेध छ।
Sources
🔗 Commons.wikimedia.org
🔗 Dor.gov.np • सडक विभाग • Traffic Signs Manual, 1997 • A13 • PDF पृष्ठ 60
SVG source: Commons.wikimedia.org • Original SVG
Nepali Department of Roads • Public domain • Original revision 2025-06-27. Wikimedia original unmodified.
Artwork reviewed against the Department of Roads Traffic Signs Manual 2018, Volume 2: Dor.gov.np • PDF page 17. Catalogue-equivalent illustration; intentional update from the previous PNG. The earlier manual is retained as supporting evidence.
Do cargo and trailers matter for a posted weight restriction in Nepal?
Yes. Check the loaded vehicle or vehicle-and-trailer combination against the actual restriction, including the load on its axles. Nepal’s 1997 sign manual distinguishes a gross-weight limit from a separate axle-weight limit; the vehicle’s empty weight alone does not settle whether it complies.
What should you do if your vehicle exceeds a bridge weight limit in Nepal?
Do not drive onto the bridge. Follow the signed alternative route and check the vehicle’s gross and axle loads as applicable. A general heavy-vehicle permit does not automatically authorise crossing every restricted bridge.
🔗 dor.gov.np • Department of Roads — 2018 Volume 2 drawings, edition visually checked
