New York Oversize Permits

Legal Maximum Dimensions (no permit required)

Width

8.5ft (102in)

Height

13.5ft (162in)

Max semitrailer length

53ft on designated routes · 48ft elsewhere

Max overall combination length

65ft

Max single-unit vehicle length

40ft

Max kingpin to rear axle

43ft

Gross Weight

80,000 lbs

Single Axle

22,400 lbs

Tandem Axle

36,000 lbs

NY Vehicle & Traffic Law 385: height from the underside of tire to the top of the vehicle, inclusive of load, shall be not more than 13 1/2 ft (162 in). ⚠️ Liability bites LOWER than the limit: damage to highways, bridges or highway structures caused by a vehicle over 13 ft, where the excess height is the proximate cause, must be compensated by the owner AND operator.

Official source for this height limit →

Our previous 65 ft figure is the OVERALL COMBINATION limit on ordinary highways, not a trailer limit. Semitrailer: 48 ft on all highways, 53 ft only on qualifying/access highways. On the qualifying/access system VTL 385.4(b)(1) exempts the combination entirely — NYSDOT's own permit drawing captions overall length "NO OVERALL LENGTH LIMIT" — so only trailer length governs there. Off that system the 65 ft genuinely binds, and in practice constrains a 48 ft trailer because a typical tractor plus 48 ft trailer runs past 65 ft overall. Kingpin-to-rear-axle 43 ft. Single vehicle 40 ft. Twin trailers 28.5 ft each.

Kingpin-to-axle 43 ft or less is a condition of the 53 ft trailer allowance.

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

12ft wide

Height escort required over

14ft tall

NYSDOT state-highway certified-escort triggers (17 NYCRR 154-1.12 + 2025 Certified Escort Manual). No escort if under 12 ft wide, under 80 ft long, and under 14 ft high (unless slow-moving, bridge-speed-restricted, or overhang > 10 ft). FRONT escort on two-lane highways when load exceeds 12 ft wide (>144 in), is 80 ft+ long, 14 ft+ high, or overhang > 10 ft. REAR escort on highways of more than two lanes under the same triggers. TWO escorts (front+rear) when both conditions apply. THREE escorts when over 16 ft wide on two-lane, 18 ft+ on four-lane, 100 ft+ on two-lane, or 160 ft+ on four-lane. Overheight: front escort carries height pole set 3 in above load (<=12 ft wide) or 6 in above (if wider), running 3,000 ft ahead. POLICE escort (in addition) required when length exceeds 160 ft (200 ft on NYS Thruway), width exceeds 16 ft, weight exceeds 200,000 lbs or crossing a structure centerline, or height 16 ft or greater. Certified escorts cannot legally stop traffic on the Thruway. NYS Thruway and NYC DOT issue separate permits with differing rules.

Travel Restrictions

Night travel

Generally restricted

Weekend travel

Generally restricted

Sunday travel

Generally restricted

Daylight-only: one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset; night travel may be allowed on request in Lower Hudson Region and Long Island counties. No Saturday/Sunday travel EXCEPT loads within 12 ft wide and 85 ft long able to maintain traffic-flow speed may travel until 12:00 noon Saturday (unless a holiday/half-day-before). Overweight-only loads within 125% of legal weight, all other dimensions legal, able to maintain traffic speed may travel 24/7. Rush-hour (7-9 AM, 4-6 PM): no travel statewide for any load 100 ft+; none in Business Districts for 14 ft+ wide/90 ft+ long/14 ft+ high; none statewide for 16 ft+ wide/100 ft+ long/14 ft+ high. Max permit speed 55 MPH. No travel when visibility under 1,000 ft or road hazardous.

Holiday blackouts: No permit travel on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day; also prohibited from 12:00 noon the working day (Mon-Fri) preceding these holidays. Manufactured/modular homes over 14 ft wide add Monday-holiday blackouts: MLK Day, Lincoln's Birthday, Washington's Birthday, Columbus Day.

See how New York compares to every state ›

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

Height over

16ft

Length over

160ft

Weight over

200,000 lbs

NYSDOT (17 NYCRR Part 154) does NOT define a formal 'superload' category. Values here are NY's de facto top-tier POLICE-escort triggers (2025 Certified Escort Manual): width exceeding 16 ft (192 in), height 16 ft or greater (192 in), length exceeding 160 ft (200 ft on a NYS Thruway-controlled highway), or weight exceeding 200,000 lbs (also whenever crossing a structure centerline). Treat as police-escort/top-tier triggers, not an officially named superload definition.

Estimated Permit Cost Verify before relying

$40 + $10 amendment fee

Source: NYSDOT fee schedule — 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.dot.ny.gov/nypermits/special-hauling-permits

Phone

518-485-2999

NYC five boroughs require separate city permits. Thruway has specific OS/OW permits. Many historic bridges with strict limits.

Planning a move through New York?

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