Find Court Cases > South Carolina State Highway Dept. v. Barnwell

South Carolina State Highway Dept. v. Barnwell

Case Date: 01/04/1938
Docket No: none

Facts of the Case 

A South Carolina law banned from its state highways trucks which were more than 90 inches wide and weighed over 20,000 pounds.

Question 

Did the law impose an unconstitutional burden on interstate commerce?

Conclusion 

The Court upheld the law. The Court acknowledged that the law posed a burden on interstate commerce. However, regulating state highways is "so peculiarly of local concern." Moreover, Congress had not previously invoked the commerce power to implement national standards on this issue. Hence, South Carolina had the right to act. The law was carefully drawn and applied equally to intrastate and interstate travelers.