Weights and weighbridges

The Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA) maintains a network of eight dynamic axle weighing machines situated throughout Northern Ireland. These are used by DVA enforcement officers to make sure that vehicles meet legal weight limits.

Weighbridges

Weighbridges work on a dynamic axle principle, which means that axle weights are measured automatically as you drive a vehicle very slowly over a ground mounted sensor plate.

The weight of each axle is then captured by computer and displayed to you on an external digital display. After this has been carried out the equipment electronically totals this information, to give the vehicle an overall vehicle weight.

Weighbridges located at Belfast, Larne, Loughbrickland, Nutts Corner, Sprucefield and Toome offer free self weigh facilities that allows you to voluntarily check the weights of your vehicles at any time.

Weighbridges located at Ballymena and Coleraine are situated in DVA vehicle test centres. To use these weighbridges, you should make arrangements with the relevant test centre manager ahead of time.

By law, DVA's enforcement officers need to regularly carry out weight checks.

This work contributes to improving road safety by stopping the continued movement of dangerously overloaded vehicles on Northern Ireland's roads, regulating fair competition within the haulage industry and reducing damage to bridge and road networks.

Location of weighbridges

Weighbridge location	Address / telephone number	Details
Belfast	Garmoyle Street Belfast BT15 1DY	Self weigh
Ballymena	Pennybridge Ind. Estate Larne Road Ballycraigy Ballymena BT42 3ER 028 2565 6801	No
Coleraine	2 Loughan Hill Ind. Estate Gateside Road Loughan Hill Coleraine BT52 2NJ 028 7034 3819	No
Larne	Redlands Coastguard Road Larne BT40 1AX	Self weigh
Lisburn	Hillsborough Road Sprucefield County Antrim BT27 5UJ	Self weigh
Loughbrickland	A1 Dual Carriageway Loughbrickland BT32 3NQ	Self weigh
Nutts Corner	Moira Road Nutts Corner BT29 4TQ	Self weigh
Toome	Roguery Road Toome BT41 3TG	Self weigh

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Weights and weighbridges

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Carer's Allowance

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Weights and weighbridges

Weighbridges

Location of weighbridges

More useful links

Help improve this page - send your feedback

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What to do next

Carer's Allowance

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Disability Living Allowance

Employment and Support Allowance

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Personal Independence Payment