Colorado Oversize Load Permit Requirements
Legal truck dimensions, oversize load travel hours, pilot car and escort requirements, and how to order an oversize/overweight permit from CDOT Office of Freight Mobility and Safety (Permits); port of entry operated by Colorado State Patrol.
CO, reviewed October 2026
Check your load for Colorado
Oversize permit required in Colorado
- Width 10 ft 0 in exceeds the 8 ft 6 in legal limit.
Colorado's width-escort thresholds are set in the permit conditions. Confirm with CDOT Office of Freight Mobility and Safety (Permits); port of entry operated by Colorado State Patrol.
Colorado Truck Legal Width, Height & Length
A truck and load at or under these dimensions can travel Colorado highways without an oversize permit. Exceed any one of them and you need a permit before you move.
| Legal width | 8 ft 6 in |
|---|---|
| Legal height | 14 ft 6 in |
| Legal length | Tractor-semitrailer: no overall limit if trailer does not exceed 57 ft 4 in; self-propelled unit 45 ft; combination of up to 4 units limited to 70 ft; front overhang 4 ft, rear overhang 10 ft. |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs |
Colorado Oversize Load Travel Hours
- Daily movement window
- Daylight (sunrise to sunset) is the baseline. At night, loads up to 12 ft wide need a front flashing yellow light and 2-3 rear flashing yellow lights; over 12 to 14 ft wide need one front pilot on two-lane or one rear pilot on four-lane highways; over 14 ft wide may not move at night without a Chapter 6 special permit. Metro curfews (Mon-Fri): Denver area 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.; Colorado Springs and Pueblo 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m.; Aspen-Carbondale (SH 82) 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m.; Central City area only 3-11 a.m.; Clear Creek Canyon (US 6) closed at all times.
- Weekend movement
- No general weekend ban. I-70 West corridor (Morrison to West Vail) has seasonal weekend restrictions: Dec 1-Mar 31 westbound Fri 3-8 p.m. and Sat/Sun 7 a.m.-noon, eastbound Sat/Sun 3-9 p.m.; May 15-Sep 15 westbound Fri from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sat 8 a.m.-noon, eastbound Sun 3-9 p.m.
- Holiday restrictions
- Rule 404.3: extra-legal vehicles/loads (other than LVCs) may not travel 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day, and may not travel from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m. on the Friday before Memorial Day and Labor Day. If July 4 falls on Saturday, the previous Friday noon-9 p.m. is also barred; if on Sunday, the following Monday noon-9 p.m. LVCs (longer vehicle combinations) are barred all day on those three holidays and, when New Year's, Thanksgiving or Christmas fall on Sat/Sun, the adjacent Fri/Mon. Cripple Creek area has extra Fri-Sun 3-7 p.m. holiday-weekend restrictions on CO 24 and CO 67. See this year's holiday dates for all states.
Colorado Pilot Car Requirements
Daytime width escorts depend on the CDOT Pilot Escort and Oversize Restriction Map color; loads over 16 ft high need a front escort with height pole; over 115 ft long on four-lane highways need a rear escort.
| First pilot car (width) | Not confirmed: check your permit conditions |
|---|---|
| Two pilot cars (width) | Not confirmed: check your permit conditions |
| Height-pole escort | 16 ft 0 in tall and over |
| Length escort | 115 ft 0 in long and over |
How to order a Colorado oversize permit
CDOT Office of Freight Mobility and Safety (Permits); port of entry operated by Colorado State Patrol
Overweight as well? Check axle limits with the bridge formula calculator.
Crossing Colorado without Colorado apportioned plates? Estimate the temporary trip permit cost with the trip permit cost estimator.
Colorado Oversize Load FAQs
- What are the oversize load travel hours in Colorado?
- Daylight (sunrise to sunset) is the baseline. At night, loads up to 12 ft wide need a front flashing yellow light and 2-3 rear flashing yellow lights; over 12 to 14 ft wide need one front pilot on two-lane or one rear pilot on four-lane highways; over 14 ft wide may not move at night without a Chapter 6 special permit. Metro curfews (Mon-Fri): Denver area 6-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m.; Colorado Springs and Pueblo 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m.; Aspen-Carbondale (SH 82) 7-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m.; Central City area only 3-11 a.m.; Clear Creek Canyon (US 6) closed at all times. Weekends: No general weekend ban. I-70 West corridor (Morrison to West Vail) has seasonal weekend restrictions: Dec 1-Mar 31 westbound Fri 3-8 p.m. and Sat/Sun 7 a.m.-noon, eastbound Sat/Sun 3-9 p.m.; May 15-Sep 15 westbound Fri from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sat 8 a.m.-noon, eastbound Sun 3-9 p.m.
- When is a pilot car required in Colorado?
- Daytime width escorts depend on the CDOT Pilot Escort and Oversize Restriction Map color; loads over 16 ft high need a front escort with height pole; over 115 ft long on four-lane highways need a rear escort. Height: 16 ft 0 in and taller (height-pole escort).
- What is the legal truck width in Colorado?
- The standard legal width in Colorado is 8 ft 6 in (102 inches), the federal minimum width allowed on the National Network of highways. A load wider than that needs an oversize permit.
- How tall can a truck be in Colorado without a permit?
- The legal height limit in Colorado is 14 ft 6 in, measured from the road surface to the highest point of the vehicle or load. Taller loads need an oversize permit and a surveyed route for bridge and wire clearances.
- Can oversize loads move on holidays in Colorado?
- Rule 404.3: extra-legal vehicles/loads (other than LVCs) may not travel 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day, and may not travel from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m. on the Friday before Memorial Day and Labor Day. If July 4 falls on Saturday, the previous Friday noon-9 p.m. is also barred; if on Sunday, the following Monday noon-9 p.m. LVCs (longer vehicle combinations) are barred all day on those three holidays and, when New Year's, Thanksgiving or Christmas fall on Sat/Sun, the adjacent Fri/Mon. Cripple Creek area has extra Fri-Sun 3-7 p.m. holiday-weekend restrictions on CO 24 and CO 67.
- How do I get an oversize or overweight permit in Colorado?
- Apply through CDOT Office of Freight Mobility and Safety (Permits); port of entry operated by Colorado State Patrol (303-757-9539) or its online permit portal. Have your USDOT number, vehicle and load dimensions, axle weights and route ready. Permit expediting agents can file on your behalf if you need the permit the same day.
Regulations change. This page summarises published Colorado rules as reviewed October 2026 and is not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control. Note: Colorado escort rules (2 CCR 601-4 Sec. 408.2) depend on a color-coded Pilot Escort and Oversize Restriction Map (red/blue/yellow/green highways), so no single statewide first-escort width exists; the map was not available to confirm which color the interstates are. Examples by color: blue = 1 front escort over 8.5 ft and front+rear over 11 ft; yellow = 1 front over 11 ft, front+rear over 13 ft; green = front escort (2-lane) or rear escort/flashing light (4-lane) over 13 ft, front+rear over 15 ft. Length escort 115 ft applies to four-lane highways (110 ft front on non-mountainous two-lane, 85 ft on mountainous two-lane). Overhang escorts: front over 15 ft, rear over 25 ft. Legal height is 14 ft 6 in per CDOT. The 57 ft 4 in trailer figure is quoted as printed on the CDOT page. Holiday text paraphrased from CDOT rules page quoting Section 404.