New Jersey Oversize Permits

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

⚠ 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: 13.5ft (162in)
Max semitrailer length: 53ft on designated routes · 48ft elsewhere
Max single-unit vehicle length: 40ft
Max kingpin to rear axle: 41ft
Gross Weight: 80,000 lbs
Single Axle: 22,400 lbs
Tandem Axle: 36,000 lbs

N.J.S.A. 39:3-84: the maximum height of any vehicle or combination, including load or contents, shall not exceed 13 ft 6 in (162 in) except as otherwise provided in that subsection.

Official source for this height limit →

53 ft on the National Network and the NJ Access Network; 48 ft on all other routes. There is NO overall length limit for a truck tractor-semitrailer in New Jersey (CVG 2024 p.19). ⚠️ Two traps in NJDOT's own guidebook: (1) the summary table's "62 ft" for combinations applies only when the POWER UNIT CARRIES CARGO — N.J.S.A. 39:3-84 a(3) excludes vehicles not capable of carrying cargo, and a truck-tractor cannot, so neither the 40 ft nor the 62 ft touches a normal tractor-semitrailer; (2) the summary table says "Truck — 50 feet" while the body text and statute both say 40 ft, with 50 ft only for non-divisible poles/pilings. The statute controls. Kingpin-to-rear-axle 41 ft (NOT 43), rear overhang 35% of wheelbase, kingpin setback 3.5 ft.

Kingpin-to-rear-axle 41 ft or less. New Jersey additionally caps rear overhang at 35% of wheelbase and kingpin setback at 3.5 ft. Note NJ's 41 ft is stricter than the 43 ft used by neighbouring NY and CT — they are commonly conflated.

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: 14ft wide
Rear escort required over: 14ft wide
Both escorts required over: 16ft wide
Height escort required over: 14ft tall

N.J.A.C. 13:18-1.12: ONE escort when width incl. load exceeds 14 ft (168 in) OR length exceeds 100 ft. TWO escorts when width exceeds 16 ft (192 in) OR length exceeds 120 ft. NJ does NOT assign escorts front/rear by width threshold — a single required escort PRECEDES on highways with fewer than 4 lanes and FOLLOWS on 4+ lanes; with two, one leads and one trails; with three, one leads, one trails, one alongside on 3+ lane roads. If a night-travel waiver is granted, ONE ADDITIONAL escort is required sunset to sunrise. When height incl. load exceeds 14 ft (168 in), N.J.S.A. 39:4-28 applies (advance notification to authorities/utilities — a notification duty, not a standard pilot car). No state-police-escort width/weight threshold specified in the regulation or the January 2024 Commercial Vehicle Guidebook.

Travel Restrictions

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

Oversize permits are daylight-only: no movement sunset to sunrise, none when daytime visibility under 500 ft, none in hazardous conditions (13:18-1.11(c)). Oversize loads unable to safely do 40 mph may not travel when lighted lamps are required. A written nighttime-restriction waiver may be granted by the Chief Administrator and adds one escort. Overweight-ONLY vehicles capable of 40 mph are not confined to daylight. No Saturday/Sunday-specific ban and no metro peak-hour curfew appears in the regulation or 2024 Guidebook. Movement on the NJ Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic City Expressway requires separate approval from the respective toll authority.

Holiday blackouts: Oversize movement prohibited on New Year's Day; Memorial Day and the Friday before; Independence Day; Labor Day and the Friday before; Thanksgiving Day and the Wednesday before; and Christmas Day. If a holiday falls on a Sunday the ban extends to the following Monday; if on a Saturday, to the preceding Friday (13:18-1.11(b)).

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Extreme-Load Escalation Triggers

This jurisdiction does not define a "superload" class. The figures below are triggers for other escalations — read the note beneath them before planning against these numbers.

Width over: 16ft
Length over: 120ft

New Jersey does not define a 'superload' size/weight classification in N.J.A.C. 13:18 or the January 2024 Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Guidebook. 'Superload' is only the brand name of NJDOT's online permitting system (nj.gotpermits.com), not a load category. Overdimensional/overweight moves are handled as single-trip permits regardless of magnitude.

Estimated Permit Cost Current

$10–$20 base + $5 per ton over 80,000 lbs + $1 per ft over dims + $12 transaction + 5% service fee

Typical processing: 24/7 online (SUPERLOAD system)

Source: NJDOT SUPERLOAD fee schedule.

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://nj.gotpermits.com
Phone: 609-963-2085

NJ Turnpike and GSP have specific permits and restrictions. Very dense urban network — routing critical.

Planning a move through New Jersey?

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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