Michigan Oversize Permits

Legal size/weight limits, escort thresholds, travel restrictions, and permit office contact for Michigan.

⚠ REFERENCE ONLY — NOT A PERMIT. VERIFY WITH THE STATE BEFORE YOU TRAVEL.

These figures are a reference summary of publicly published state rules, not a substitute for a state-issued permit and not legal advice. Rules change — always confirm current limits and requirements directly with the state permit office before you plan or run a move. Last verified: 2026-07-16. Oversize Ops is NOT responsible and CANNOT be held liable for decisions made from this reference. Official source ↗

Data confidence: Medium. We could not fully corroborate every figure on this page against a primary official source. Treat these numbers as a starting point and confirm with the permit office before you plan a move.
Legal dimensions (T-1), travel/weekend/holiday (T-2 + official MDOT FAQ), superload limits (T-2), portal/phone from official MDOT documents. Escort dimension thresholds NULLED because they are NOT in MDOT's official T-1/T-2 (only equipment specs are) - do not publish unofficial numbers as fact; escort_notes carries the caution. NOTE: legal_max_gross_lbs=80000 is the federal/bridge-formula figure; Michigan uniquely allows higher legal gross on state trunklines via axle count (up to ~164,000 lbs on 11 axles). Width 102 designated highways (96 non-designated); length 65 truck+semitrailer designated (semitrailer alone 53).

Legal Maximum Dimensions (no permit required)

Width: 8ft (96in)
Height: 13.5ft (162in)
Max semitrailer length: 53ft on designated routes · 50ft elsewhere
Max single-unit vehicle length: 40ft
Gross Weight: 80,000 lbs
Single Axle: 18,000 lbs
Tandem Axle: 32,000 lbs

MCL 257.717: the total outside width of a vehicle or load shall not exceed 96 in (8 ft). ⚠️ 102 in (8 ft 6 in) applies ONLY on DESIGNATED highways (MDOT T-1) — the figure shown is the one that holds on every Michigan highway. Michigan cannot be expressed as a single width: check the MDOT Truck Operators Map for which highways are designated before planning above 96 in. The same designated/non-designated split governs semitrailer LENGTH here (53 ft designated / 50 ft non-designated).

Official source for this width limit →

MCL 257.722 sets AXLE weight limits, not a gross cap — Michigan gross weight is whatever the axle count, spacing and function allow under the state axle-spacing formula (the "Michigan Bridge Formula"). ⚠️ On non-Interstate state highways this permits a normal legal gross of UP TO 164,000 lb for the 11-axle tractor-semitrailer-trailer configuration Michigan allows (axles have been capped at eleven since 1967) — the highest legal gross in North America, and available WITHOUT an overweight permit. On the INTERSTATE system the federal 80,000 lb limit still applies. The 80,000 lb figure shown is the conservative one that holds everywhere; 164,000 lb requires the full 11-axle configuration and compliance with the spacing formula, so confirm your exact configuration with MDOT before loading above 80,000 lb.

MCL 257.719: a vehicle unloaded or with load shall not exceed a height of 13 ft 6 in (162 in). ⚠️ The owner of a vehicle that collides with a lawfully established bridge or viaduct is liable for ALL damage and injury resulting from a collision caused by the height of the vehicle. (Note: MCL 257.717 is the WIDTH section — a common mix-up.)

Official source for this height limit →

MDOT T-1 (rev. 05/2024): "Length of combination of truck-tractor and semitrailer with or without load ... NO LIMITATION (provided semitrailer lengths do not exceed limits for non-designated and designated highways)." Semitrailer including load: 53 ft on DESIGNATED highways, 50 ft on NON-DESIGNATED. "Length of semitrailers longer than 50 feet shall operate on designated highways only." Any other single vehicle: 40 ft. ⚠️ OUR PREVIOUS 65 FT WAS WRONG IN THE MOST DANGEROUS WAY: 65 ft is the "truck and semitrailer" figure — a STRAIGHT TRUCK pulling a semitrailer — on designated highways only, and is also the 3-unit combination limit. It is neither the semitrailer limit nor the tractor-semitrailer limit. Two failures followed: (1) Michigan sets NO overall limit at all for truck-tractor + semitrailer, so 65 under-reported it; (2) the number that actually governs is the SEMITRAILER, so a carrier trusting 65 could run a 53 ft trailer onto a non-designated highway where 50 ft is the ceiling. Michigan cannot be represented by one number — check the MDOT Truck Operators Map for which highways are designated. Width also differs by class (96 in vs 102 in). Michigan's single-axle limit of 18,000 lb is separately lower than federal.

Official source for these length limits →

Escort / Pilot Car Thresholds (see glossary for terms, certification requirements for the driver)

This jurisdiction does not publish statewide escort thresholds — requirements are set as conditions on each individual permit. The figures below are the best available secondary-source indication, not the regulation. You must confirm with the permit office before dispatching.

Front escort required over: 12ft wide
Rear escort required over: 12ft wide
Both escorts required over: 14ft wide
Height escort required over: 14ft tall

CAUTION - Michigan escort dimension thresholds are NOT published in MDOT's official T-1/T-2 guides (which give only escort-vehicle equipment specs: passenger vehicle, amber light visible 500 ft, 5'x12" OVERSIZE LOAD sign). Verify escort requirements on each permit's special-provisions sheet with the MDOT Transport Permit Office. Widely-reported (unofficial) thresholds for reference only: rear escort ~over 12' wide; front and rear ~over 14' wide; front height-sensing escort ~over 14'6" high; overlength 90-100' one escort, over 100' two.

Travel Restrictions

Night travel: Generally restricted
Weekend travel: Generally allowed
Sunday travel: Generally allowed

Per MDOT T-2 and the MDOT OSOW FAQ: permits are issued for daylight hours only (1/2 hr before sunrise to 1/2 hr after sunset), Monday-Friday. Weekend movement is allowed ONLY for loads not exceeding 10' wide, 14' high, and 90' long - all day Saturday and until 3 p.m. Sunday; mobile/modular homes are NOT eligible for weekend movement. No overweight permits are issued during the spring thaw weight-restriction period, and no permits over 14' wide during spring restrictions.

Holiday blackouts: No movement from noon the day preceding until daylight the first day after: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day. When a holiday falls on Friday or Monday, the blackout covers the whole three-day weekend.

See how Michigan compares to every state ›

Superload Thresholds

Width over: 16ft
Height over: 15ft
Length over: 150ft

Per MDOT T-2: single-trip permits are not issued above 16' wide (192 in), 15' high (180 in), or 150' overall length. Loads exceeding these are handled as superloads requiring special consideration - written justification, MiTRIP application, and Route Survey Certification (Form 2465) submitted to the Lansing Transport Permit Office at least 10 working days ahead. No fixed superload weight; extended-permit gross generally capped at 150,000 lbs.

Estimated Permit Cost Verify before relying

$15 oversize-only / $50 overweight

⚠ Statute includes a CPI-escalation clause — the actual current fee may run above the listed figure.

Source: MCL 257.725 — verify current fee with the permit office before budgeting a move.

Permit fee only — does not include escort/pilot-car service costs (market-rate, arranged separately) or third-party permit-service fees. This is an estimate for planning purposes, not a quote.

Get a Permit

Online portal: https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/business/permits/oversize-overweight
Phone: 517-241-8999

Michigan single axle limit 18,000 lbs (lower than federal). Spring weight restrictions common statewide.

Planning a move through Michigan?

Enter your load's exact size to see whether it needs a permit or escort here, plan a truck-legal route, or find a transporter or escort.

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