New York oversize and overweight rules
The short answer
Last checked
Without a permit, a load in New York can be up to 8 ft 6 in wide on designated truck routes or 8 ft wide on roads off the designated routes, 13 ft 6 in high and 80,000 lb gross, with the conditions in the legal limits table. The first pilot car is required for loads over 12 ft wide or 80 ft or more long, and a height pole car for loads 14 ft or more high, with the conditions in the pilot car table. It treats a load as a superload when it is over 16 ft wide, 16 ft or more high, over 160 ft long or 200,000 lb or more gross.
Jump to a section
Legal limits without a permit
| Limit | Up to | Roads | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 8 ft 6 inSafety devices are not counted. Also applies on access highways to the qualifying highways. | Designated truck routes | N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385(1)(a)(i) |
| Width | 8 ft 6 inApplies only where travel lanes are designed at least 10 feet wide, and not in New York City. Safety devices are not counted. | Roads off the designated routes | N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385(1)(a)(i) |
| Width | 8 ftSafety devices are not counted. Outside New York City, roads with travel lanes designed 10 feet wide or more allow 102 inches. | Roads off the designated routes | N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385(1)(a)(i) |
| Height | 13 ft 6 in | All roads | N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385(2) |
| Length, single truck | 40 ft | All roads | N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385(3)(a) |
| Length, semitrailer | 48 ftIn a double, each trailer may be at most 28 feet 6 inches. | Roads off the designated routes | N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385(3)(b) |
| Length, semitrailer | 53 ftAlso on designated access highways. Not in New York City, except on named stretches of I-95, I-295 and I-495. The kingpin may be at most 43 feet from the rear axle centerline and a rear underride guard is required; otherwise 48 feet applies. | Designated truck routes | N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385(3)(e) |
| Length, whole combination | 65 ftOn qualifying and access highways, § 385(4)(b) removes this overall limit. Vehicles hauling poles, girders, columns and similar long objects are also exempt. | Roads off the designated routes | N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385(4)(a) |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbA vehicle fueled mainly by natural gas may weigh up to 82,000 pounds. | All roads | N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385(10) |
Source: N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385(1) to (4), N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385(1)(a)(i)
Axle weight limits
| Axle or group | Without a permit | With a permit | Roads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any single axle | 22,400 lb | Not set | Roads other than interstates |
| 2 axles in a group, spread over 3 ft 4 in to 7 ft 11 in | 36,000 lbAxles less than 46 inches apart count as one axle, held to 22,400 pounds, not as this pair. | Not set | Roads other than interstates |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbA vehicle fueled mainly by natural gas may weigh up to 82,000 pounds. | Not set | All roads |
| Per inch of tire width | 800 lb an inch | Not set | All roads |
The bridge formula applies to axle groups on all roads (N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385(10)(b)). “With a permit” lists the state’s permit figures; read each row’s condition, since some are review thresholds rather than limits.
Source: N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385
Pilot cars and escorts
Each row is one rule. A load can meet several; the permit lists the escorts for your move.
| Load | Roads | Front | Rear | Height pole | Police | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 ft or more wideSet by NYSDOT’s PERM 87 guidelines, not by the regulation or the Escort Manual; your permit’s requirements control.Width requirements | All roads | 1 in front, 1 behind | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 100 ft or more longSet by NYSDOT’s PERM 87 guidelines, not by the regulation or the Escort Manual; your permit’s requirements control.Length requirements, 100’ or greater tier | All roads | 1 in front, 1 behind | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 160 ft or more longWhen the approved route is Interstate only, one front and one rear escort are enough. A police escort is also needed over 160 feet.Part V(A) item 15(e) | All roads | 2 in front, 1 behind | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 ft or more highThe height pole is set 3 inches above the load, or 6 inches if the load is over 12 feet wide. NYSDOT also requires a route survey.section 154-1.12 | All roads | 1 height pole car | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 ft or more highThe front escort with a height pole still goes along. The rules don’t state how many police vehicles.Part V(A) item 18(d) | All roads | police escort | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| over 16 ft wideIn addition to the certified escorts for the width. The rules don’t state how many police vehicles.Part V(A) item 18(b) | All roads | police escort | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| over 160 ft longOn Thruway roads the police threshold is over 200 feet. In addition to the certified escorts for the length; the rules don’t state how many police vehicles.Part V(A) item 18(a) | All roads | police escort | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 200,000 lb or more grossPERM 87 includes exactly 200,000 pounds, while the Escort Manual says over it. The rules don’t state how many police vehicles.Police escort requirements, item F | All roads | police escort | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| over 12 ft wideCovers roads other than four-lane or divided highways. The escort must be New York certified.section 154-1.8(b) | Two-lane roads | 1 in front | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| over 16 ft wideTwo escorts lead and one follows. A police escort is also needed above 16 feet wide.Part V(A) item 15(e) | Two-lane roads | 2 in front, 1 behind | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 80 ft or more longApplies at exactly 80 feet too, as the Escort Manual and PERM 87 read it, though one section of the regulation says over 80 feet. The escort must be New York certified.Part V(A) item 15(b) | Two-lane roads | 1 in front | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 100 ft or more longPart V(A) item 15(e) | Two-lane roads | 2 in front, 1 behind | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| over 12 ft wideCovers four-lane or divided highways. The escort must be New York certified.section 154-1.8(b) | Two or more lanes in your direction | 1 behind | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 ft or more wideTwo escorts lead and one follows. A police escort is also needed above 16 feet wide.Part V(A) item 15(e) | Two or more lanes in your direction | 2 in front, 1 behind | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 80 ft or more longCovers any road of more than two lanes, three-lane roads included. The escort must be New York certified.Part V(A) item 15(c) | Two or more lanes in your direction | 1 behind | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
- The lead pilot car is the one that carries the height pole.
Superloads
New York treats a load as a superload when it is any one of these:
- over 16 ft wide
- 16 ft or more high
- over 160 ft long
- 200,000 lb or more gross
Source: 17 NYCRR sections 154-1.8(b) and (c), 154-1.12; section 154-1.2(y) incorporates the Certified Escort Manual, PERM 87 (3/15), width, length, height and police escort tables, Certified Escort Manual 2025, Part V(A) items 15 (Escort Vehicle Regulations) and 18 (Police Escorts); incorporated by reference in 17 NYCRR section 154-1.2(y), NYSDOT NYPermits, Superload Permits
When you can travel
Holidays
Special hauling (nondivisible load) permits
No movement on the holiday, and from noon the preceding working day for Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. New Year’s Day has no noon pre-window. 2026: Thanksgiving noon Wed Nov 25 to Thu Nov 26; Christmas noon Thu Dec 24 to Fri Dec 25; New Year 2027 Fri Jan 1. Overweight-only moves within 125 percent of legal weight are not limited.
17 NYCRR 154-1.2(a)Dates computed
Weekends
Special hauling permits
No movement Saturday or Sunday. Loads up to 12 ft wide and 85 ft long that keep traffic speed may move until noon Saturday, unless that Saturday is a listed holiday or the day before one. Overweight-only moves within 125 percent of legal weight have no day or time limit.
Albany area corridors (mobile homes and modular units over 14 ft wide)
Mobile homes and modular units over 14 ft wide on listed Albany-area corridors
On I-81, I-87, I-390, I-88, parts of I-90, NY 17, US 20, NY 155, Washington Ave Ext and Fuller Rd: travel only Mon to Thu 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Fri 9 a.m. to noon. Not in periods barred by the general special hauling rule, and not on any Monday that is a New York holiday.
Night
Special hauling permits
Permit does not allow movement from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise unless stated on the permit. A police escort is required for night moves except in NYSDOT Regions 10 and 8. Overweight-only moves within 125 percent of legal weight at traffic speed are excepted.
Cities and rush hour
No state rush-hour curfew for named cities found in the permit rules. An Albany-area corridor rule limits mobile-home moves, and New York City streets are city-permitted (not covered here).
Every state on one page: holiday, weekend, night and city restrictions by state. For this year’s holiday, see Thanksgiving 2026 restrictions.
Single trip permit fees
Within each kind of fee the largest that fits your load applies, and the kinds add up.
| Fee | When it applies | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Permit feeTrip Permits table, Single Trip row | Every single trip permit | $40 |
Source: NYSDOT Special Hauling Permit Fees page, Trip Permits table
Where to apply
New York issues permits through NYPermits. Start from the agency’s permit page, which leads to it.
What the rules don’t say
Where the sources are silent or say two things. Ask the state before you rely on these.
Legal limits
- New York City sets its own size limits by city rule; check the city’s rules before routing a load there.
- Confirm with NYSDOT which access highways count with the qualifying highways, and whether any state route is held to 96 inches wide.
Axle weights
- A vehicle under 71,000 pounds may use the alternative gross formula in § 385(10)(a), which can allow more than the federal bridge formula. Confirm the figure for lighter vehicles with NYSDOT.
- Axles less than 46 inches apart count as one axle held to 22,400 pounds, and two axles 8 to 10 feet apart are held to the § 385(10)(b) formula and to 40,000 pounds, whichever is lower (§ 385(9)). Check your spacing.
- Any one wheel may carry at most 11,200 pounds (§ 385(7)).
- On the Interstate, FHWA reads the federal 20,000 pound single axle and 34,000 pound tandem limits as applying; New York’s 22,400 and 36,000 pound figures hold on other roads.
- New York City and the Thruway Authority set their own limits and issue their own permits; check with them for those roads.
- NYSDOT sets axle and gross weights for each special hauling permit after a route and bridge review; its published permit sources don’t state a routine maximum, so ask the permit office.
- Annual divisible load permits have their own limits, such as 102,000 pounds gross, and do not cover nondivisible loads. A superload starts at 200,000 pounds gross.
- Idle reduction equipment (up to 400 pounds), solid tires, fire vehicles and tow trucks have their own exceptions. The statute and NYSDOT’s permit sources don’t state a seasonal limit for state highways; confirm before a spring move.
Pilot cars and superloads
- Confirm the current escort rules with NYSDOT: the regulation’s escort sections carry no adoption date, and the 2025 Certified Escort Manual is the edition read.
- NYSDOT’s PERM 87 table is guidance only. Your permit’s special requirements control, and NYSDOT can require escorts on any permit for safety.
- Front and rear escorts on every route at 16 feet wide or 100 feet long come from PERM 87; the Escort Manual alone would ask only for a rear escort on a four-lane highway. Follow your permit.
- Sources differ on loads of exactly 80 feet long and exactly 200,000 pounds; plan on the escorts at those figures.
- NYSDOT’s escort manual and table don’t state how many police vehicles escort a load; ask NYSDOT before quoting.
- Escorts can also depend on things other than size: overhang over 10 feet, slow moves and bridge crossings, crossing the center line, wrong-way travel, night moves outside Regions 8 and 10, manufactured homes, cranes and farm equipment. Check your permit.
- New York splits roads into two-lane and four-lane or divided; three-lane undivided roads are unclear, so confirm escort placement there.
- The front escort carries the height pole, and with two front escorts only one needs it.
- The permit covers only roads under NYSDOT. The Thruway Authority issues its own permits, with police escorts over 200 feet long, and local roads need their own permits.
- Manufactured homes on tandem-drive units need two escorts only past 105 feet, and homes over 14 through 16 feet wide need front and rear escorts, sometimes a third.
- A superload is over 16 feet wide, 16 feet high or more, over 160 feet long, or 200,000 pounds or more gross. It needs a fuller review, extra documents and a bond.
Permit fees
- Buying the permit at a regional office counter costs $60 in place of the $40, not on top of it. The estimate here uses the $40 price.
- NYSDOT’s fee page carries no date; confirm current fees before quoting.
- Permit service companies add their own charges on top of the state fee.
- Amendments cost $10, and a superload pays the same $40. Some moves need a $10,000 to $50,000 bond and an engineering review at your cost.
- Annual, monthly, 25 mile radius and other blanket permits are priced separately; ask NYSDOT.
Where to apply
- Start from NYSDOT’s special hauling permit page and confirm which online system currently takes applications.
Questions about New York
- When do I need an oversize permit in New York?
- Without a permit, a load in New York can be up to 8 ft 6 in wide on designated truck routes or 8 ft wide on roads off the designated routes, 13 ft 6 in high and 80,000 lb gross, with the conditions in the legal limits table. Loads past these figures generally need a permit from the state; see the legal limits table for the exceptions and for length, which depends on the vehicle.
- How much does a New York oversize permit cost?
- On the fee schedule we checked, a single trip permit starts at $40. The estimator on this page adds up the fees for your load.
- When do you need a pilot car in New York?
- The first pilot car is required for loads over 12 ft wide or 80 ft or more long, and a height pole car for loads 14 ft or more high, with the conditions in the pilot car table. How many cars, and whether they lead or follow, depends on the road; the pilot car table lists each rule.
- What is a superload in New York?
- New York treats a load as a superload when it is over 16 ft wide, 16 ft or more high, over 160 ft long or 200,000 lb or more gross. The superloads list on this page gives each threshold with its source.
- When can oversize loads travel in New York?
- At night: Permit does not allow movement from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise unless stated on the permit. A police escort is required for night moves except in NYSDOT Regions 10 and 8. Overweight-only moves within 125 percent of legal weight at traffic speed are excepted. This applies to special hauling permits. On weekends: No movement Saturday or Sunday. Loads up to 12 ft wide and 85 ft long that keep traffic speed may move until noon Saturday, unless that Saturday is a listed holiday or the day before one. Overweight-only moves within 125 percent of legal weight have no day or time limit. This applies to special hauling permits.
- Can oversize loads move on holidays in New York?
- No movement on the holiday, and from noon the preceding working day for Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. New Year’s Day has no noon pre-window. 2026: Thanksgiving noon Wed Nov 25 to Thu Nov 26; Christmas noon Thu Dec 24 to Fri Dec 25; New Year 2027 Fri Jan 1. Overweight-only moves within 125 percent of legal weight are not limited. This applies to special hauling (nondivisible load) permits.
Sources
- New York Vehicle and Traffic Law § 385: Dimensions and weights of vehiclesN.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385New York State Senate, Open Legislation (publishing the Consolidated Laws). Read .
- NYSDOT permit repository copy of Vehicle and Traffic Law § 385N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 385(1)(a)(i)New York State Department of Transportation. Read .
- FHWA, Compilation of Existing State Truck Size and Weight Limit Laws, Appendix A: State Truck Size and Weight Laws (New York)FHWA Compilation of State Truck Size and Weight Limit Laws, Appendix A, New York, Exhibit 45Federal Highway Administration, Office of Freight Management and Operations. Read .
- 17 NYCRR Subpart 154-1, Nondivisible Load Permits, section 154-1.20 Table of fees (PERM 43)17 NYCRR 154-1.20, Table of fees (PERM 43, 9/95), Type 1 Trip rowNew York State Department of Transportation (copy of the regulation published on NYPermits). Read .
- New York State Certified Escort Manual (2025 edition)Certified Escort Manual 2025, Part V(A) items 15 (Escort Vehicle Regulations) and 18 (Police Escorts); incorporated by reference in 17 NYCRR section 154-1.2(y)NYSDOT with NYS DMV, NYS Police and NYS Thruway Authority. Read .
- PERM 87, Guidelines for Special Hauling Permit RequirementsPERM 87 (3/15), width, length, height and police escort tablesNew York State Department of Transportation, Central Permit Office. Read .
- NYSDOT Superloads (NYPermits)NYSDOT NYPermits, Superload PermitsNew York State Department of Transportation, Permit Unit. Read .
- General Information and Requirements for Superload Moves (Permit Type 1S), Perm 12SNYSDOT Perm 12S (02/14)State of New York, Department of Transportation, Central Permit Office. Read .
- NYSDOT Special Hauling Permits, Permit Types and FeesNYSDOT Special Hauling Permit Fees page, Trip Permits tableNew York State Department of Transportation. Read .
- NYSDOT PERM 30, Information Concerning Special Hauling PermitsNYSDOT PERM 30 (11/11), Type 1 trip permit, FeesNew York State Department of Transportation. Read .
- New York State Department of Transportation page naming the permit systemNew York State Department of Transportation, permit system pageNew York State Department of Transportation. Read .
Found something wrong or out of date? Report an error to hello@thirteensix.com.
This page is a dated summary in our own words, not legal advice. The permit the state issues governs your move, and states change their rules; check with New York before you travel.
Bordering states
- Connecticut, coming soon
- Massachusetts, coming soon
- New Jersey, coming soon
- Crossing into Pennsylvania? See Pennsylvania rules
- Vermont, coming soon
More guides: all states and the rules library.
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