Bill
HB 4735
Imposes quarterly weight-distance fees on vehicles over 59,999 lb operating in Michigan, charging per mile and requiring SOS-approved mileage reports starting 2027.
Status and timeline
- Introduced: March 13, 2025 (Rep. Phil Skaggs). House actions show the bill was passed by the House (3rd reading) on May 8, 2025. The bill text was electronically reproduced July 15, 2025 and referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on that date.
- Effective (compliance) date in bill: January 1, 2027.
Purpose
- To create a new quarterly weight-distance reporting and fee requirement for very heavy motor vehicles operating on Michigan public highways by adding section 801l to the Michigan Vehicle Code (1949 PA 300, MCL 257.1–257.923).
Key provisions
- Scope: Applies to any operator, owner, or owner-operator who drives a motor vehicle with a combined weight of 59,999 pounds or more on Michigan public highways.
- Quarterly reporting: Beginning Jan 1, 2027, affected operators must report miles driven in Michigan each quarter on a Secretary of State (SOS) approved form; miles are rounded to the nearest whole mile.
- Fee: A quarterly weight-distance fee of $0.0285 per reported mile must be paid with the report.
- Example: 10,000 miles in a quarter = $285.00 fee.
- Temporary exemption: SOS may issue a 10‑day unlimited-mile pass (SOS form) that exempts the vehicle from reporting and fees for that 10‑day period; cost is $40 per pass.
- Penalties and interest:
- Failure to file the quarterly report: fine = greater of (2% of SOS-estimated fee) or $100, plus the fee owed.
- Intentional misrepresentation of miles: additional fine = 50% of the fee owed.
- Late or incomplete payment: 2% of the fee owed for every 30 days late, up to a maximum 20% of the total amount due (minimum $10); Secretary may waive fines for delays due to accident or reasonable cause.
- Refusal to pay with payment more than 60 days late: 2% per 30 days (no cap stated).
- All fines accrue interest every 30 days at the “adjusted prime rate” (term defined by statute).
- Administration: Reporting, fee collection, enforcement, fines, and interest are administered by the Secretary of State.
Who is affected
- Trucking companies, owner-operators, and any motor vehicle owners/operators operating vehicles with a combined weight of 59,999 pounds or more in Michigan—primarily heavy commercial trucks and similar vehicles.
Potential impacts
- Increased operating costs for heavy-vehicle operators proportional to miles driven in Michigan.
- Administrative compliance burden (quarterly reporting; potential use of temporary passes).
- New revenue stream for state government (bill does not specify dedicated use of fee revenue).
- Enforcement and collections administered by the Secretary of State; fines and interest provisions create additional liabilities for late/noncompliant filers.
Notes
- The bill text uses “combined weight of 59,999 pounds or more” (threshold as written). The legislation does not specify how “combined weight” is to be measured (e.g., GVW/GCW), so implementing rules or SOS guidance may clarify measurement and reporting mechanics.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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