Applicable regulations depend on your trailer's status as a personal or commercial vehicle. If your vehicle, trailer and load reach 10,000 combined pounds for interstate travel or 26,000 pounds for intrastate travel, or you tow any weight for profit, you may be required to comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, in addition to North Carolina state law.
For loads exceeding 4,000 pounds and house trailers over 1,000 pounds, North Carolina requires an auxiliary brake system, which directly stops the trailer, taking stress off your tow vehicle's system.
The North Carolina DOT's Publication L-14 contains a detailed chart with axle weight limitations. Commercial single axle weight may not exceed 20,000 pounds; tandem axle weight can't exceed 38,000 pounds. The state designates certain roads as "light traffic," and vehicles traveling on those roads become subject to additional weight limits.
