Weigh Stations Near Sacramento: Where the Scales Are and Who Must Stop

The direct answer: the scales closest to Sacramento are on I-80 at Antelope (Citrus Heights area, eastbound and westbound) and I-80 at Cordelia (Solano County, eastbound and westbound). Further out are US-50 at Camino (westbound, near Placerville) and I-80 at Donner Pass (westbound, near Truckee). California calls them Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facilities. The California Highway Patrol runs them, and every commercial vehicle must stop when the signs say a facility is open (Vehicle Code 2813).

Scales around Sacramento

From the Caltrans weigh station location list. That list was last revised in February 2020; the CHP operates the facilities and their signs show whether a scale is open.

• Antelope — I-80, Sacramento County, eastbound and westbound. Listed as platform scales, Citrus Heights / Antelope area. The one most Sacramento-based trucks cross.
• Cordelia — I-80, Solano County, eastbound and westbound. Listed as inspection facilities, Suisun area, on the run between Sacramento and the Bay Area.
• Camino — US-50, El Dorado County, westbound. Listed as a platform scale near Placerville, for trucks coming down from Lake Tahoe and Echo Summit.
• Donner Pass — I-80, Nevada County, westbound. Listed as an inspection facility near Truckee, for trucks coming over the Sierra from Nevada.

Caltrans also lists smaller mini-sites. For current phone numbers and hours, use the CHP office pages under Valley Division or the Caltrans list — we have not republished phone numbers here because the 2020 list has gone out of date for some facilities.

Who must stop

Vehicle Code 2813 requires every driver of a commercial vehicle to stop and submit the vehicle to an inspection of its size, weight, equipment and smoke emissions where the CHP is conducting inspections and signs require the stop. Failing or refusing to stop is a misdemeanor. A “commercial vehicle” is one used or maintained to carry persons for hire or designed, used or maintained primarily to carry property (Vehicle Code 260).

Caltrans’ summary of who stops:

• Pickups: no, if the truck meets the Vehicle Code 471 pickup definition — GVWR under 11,500 lbs, unladen weight under 8,001 lbs, and an open box-type bed no longer than 9 feet — because the scales are signed “No Pickups”. A pickup over those limits, or with a utility body or flatbed in place of the bed, is a motor truck and must stop.
• Rental and moving trucks: yes. A rental truck is a motor truck, and scales post signs that daily rental and moving trucks must stop when open.
• Cargo vans: technically a motor truck and required to stop; Caltrans says it depends on the load and the use.

Unsure? Caltrans points drivers to the CHP Commercial Vehicle Section, or to the facility itself; both are listed on the Caltrans weigh stations page.

What gets looked at

Size, weight, equipment and smoke, per Vehicle Code 2813. Equipment typically means the things a driver can check on a walk-around: brakes and air leaks, lights and reflectors, tires, wheels and lug nuts, steering and suspension, coupling devices, and leaks. Our DOT inspection prep checklist covers those items with the federal limits behind them, and the air brake adjustment guide covers brakes, which led the vehicle out-of-service findings in CVSA’s 2025 Roadcheck. For trailer length and kingpin limits, see California trailer length and KPRA rules.

Put out of service at the scale

A truck placed out of service cannot be driven until the defect is repaired. Call with the facility name, what the inspector wrote up, and the unit details — some defects can be repaired where the truck sits, others mean a tow. See emergency roadside assistance and mobile repair or a tow?

Common questions

Where is the weigh station on I-80 near Sacramento?

At Antelope, in Sacramento County in the Citrus Heights / Antelope area, with scales in both directions. The next I-80 scales are at Cordelia in Solano County to the west and Donner Pass (westbound) to the east.

Do pickups have to stop at California scales?

Not if the truck meets the Vehicle Code 471 pickup definition — under 11,500 lbs GVWR, under 8,001 lbs unladen, with an open bed no longer than 9 feet. A heavier pickup, or one with a utility body or flatbed, must stop.

Do rental moving trucks have to stop at the scales?

Yes, when the scale is open. Caltrans treats rental trucks as motor trucks, and the facilities are signed accordingly. A rental pickup that meets the pickup definition is the exception.

Who runs the weigh stations in California?

The California Highway Patrol. Caltrans publishes the location list and answers questions about the routes, but the facilities are operated by the CHP.

Summarized from the Caltrans Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facilities page and location list (revised 2020-02-10) and California Vehicle Code sections 260, 410, 471 and 2813, reviewed 2026-10-20. Facility status, hours and phone numbers change — confirm with the CHP.