Nebraska Oversize Permits

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

⚠ 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 ↗

Legal Maximum Dimensions (no permit required)

Width: 8.5ft (102in)
Height: 14.5ft (174in)
Max semitrailer length: 53ft
Gross Weight: 80,000 lbs
Single Axle: 20,000 lbs
Tandem Axle: 34,000 lbs

Neb. Rev. St. 60-6,289(1): no vehicle unladen or with load shall exceed 14 ft 6 in (174 in), subject to enumerated exceptions (baled livestock forage may reach 15 ft 6 in). ⚠️ Separately, 60-6,289 provides that NO ONE is required to raise or reconstruct any underpass, bridge, wire or other structure for a vehicle over 12 ft 6 in — above that height the operator ASSUMES THE RISK OF LOSS and is liable for damage to overhead obstructions. Legal to travel, but entirely at your own risk.

Official source for this height limit →

Nebraska sets NO overall length cap on a truck-tractor single semitrailer. Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-6,290(1)(b) caps combinations at 65 ft "except: ... (ii) A truck-tractor single semitrailer combination" — item (ii) is unqualified, no length attached. ⚠️ NDOT's own one-pager prints a flat "Maximum overall length, combination of vehicles — 65 feet" with no exception shown, conflicting with the statute for the most common configuration on the road. The statute controls; a 53 ft dry van does NOT need a length permit in Nebraska. Nebraska length is NOT road-class dependent — its road-class split is on WEIGHT (80,000 lb Interstate vs 94,000 lb US/State). 59 ft 6 in allowed hauling baled livestock forage; semitrailers lawfully operating on 1 Dec 1982 are grandfathered above 53 ft.

Official source for these length limits →

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

These escort figures are route-dependent — they can change with road classification, lane width, two-lane vs multilane, and time of day. Confirm with the permit office before dispatching.

Front escort required over: 12ft wide
Rear escort required over: 12ft wide
Both escorts required over: 16ft wide
Height escort required over: 14.5ft tall

Per Title 408 NAC Ch. 3 (003.19): escort MAY be required when a load exceeds 8'6" width, 90' length, or 14'6" height. One escort is REQUIRED for 12-16' width (144-192 in) or 125-150' length. Two escorts (one front, one rear) are REQUIRED for greater than 16' width (over 192 in) or greater than 150' length. Escort position: front on all undivided highways, rear on divided highways (rear escort may be waived on freeways/expressways/rural divided if the trailer has rear-facing amber strobe visible 800'). Escorts stay within 300'. POLE CAR (front height-pole escort) may be required over 14'6" high; over 16' high requires a written pre-run route survey AND a front pole car.

Travel Restrictions

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

Title 408 NAC Ch. 3 (003.14-003.15): overdimensional permit movement limited to 30 min before sunrise to 30 min after sunset; overweight-ONLY loads may move 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. Peak-hour restriction (003.13): no overdimensional travel Mon-Fri 7:00-9:00 am and 4:00-6:00 pm in the City of Lincoln (Hwys 2, 6, 34, 77 within city limits, excl. I-80) and the Omaha urban area (incl. I-80 Iowa border to MP 432 Gretna). Overdimensional travel prohibited on Holidays and Long Holidays.

Holiday blackouts: Overdimensional travel prohibited on Holidays and Long Holidays as defined and dated on the NDOT website; specific holiday dates and restricted hours are shown on each permit. Exact holiday list not enumerated in the regulation text.

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Superload Thresholds

Width over: 16ft
Height over: 15.9ft
Length over: 150ft
Weight over: 160,000 lbs

Title 408 NAC 001.29: a SUPERLOAD is a non-divisible load exceeding ANY of: 16' width (over 192 in), 15'11" height (over 191 in), 150' length, and/or gross weight over 160,000 lbs. Superload permit applications require review/approval by the Lincoln Permit Office and may require Bridge Division and/or District Engineer approval; review can take up to 10 business days. Statutory legal length: single vehicle 40', combination 65'.

Estimated Permit Cost Verify before relying

$15 dimensions-only / $20 weight-only / $25 both

Typical processing: 10-day validity

Source: 415 Neb. Admin. Code ch. 3 §009.04 — 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://dot.nebraska.gov
Phone: 1-402-479-4512

Planning a move through Nebraska?

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