Do Illinois and Iowa require pilot cars at the same width?

Iowa requires a pilot car from 12 ft 0 in wide; Illinois waits until 14 ft 6 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in Iowa only.

Is the legal truck height the same in Illinois and Iowa?

Both states use the same legal height, 13 ft 6 in.

Do I need a separate permit for each state between Illinois and Iowa?

Yes. Oversize and overweight permits are issued by each state, so a move through both needs a permit from IDOT Bureau of Operations, Permit Office and one from Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division, Oversize/Overweight Permits, each with its own route, hours and escort conditions.

Which travel hours apply in Illinois and Iowa?

Illinois: Legal-size overweight: 24/7. Up to 12 ft wide, 13'6" high, 200 ft long: 24/7 (extra civilian escort at night). Up to 14'6" wide, 15 ft high, 200 ft long: 1/2 hr before sunrise to 1/2 hr after sunset, 7 days. Up to 16 ft wide, 17 ft high: sunrise-sunset Mon-Fri and until noon Saturday. Wider/taller than 16/17 ft: 9 am to 3 pm Mon-Fri. Iowa: 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset. Night movement allowed (1/2 hr after sunset to 1/2 hr before sunrise) for loads up to 12 ft wide, 14'6" high, 100 ft long with legal axle weights and extra lighting/escort conditions. The conditions printed on the permit control.

Illinois vs Iowa Oversize Load Rules

What changes for an oversize load between Illinois and Iowa: legal height, pilot car triggers, height poles and travel hours.

I-80, reviewed October 2026

What changes at the Illinois and Iowa border

Legal height: Both states use the same legal height, 13 ft 6 in.
First pilot car: Iowa requires a pilot car from 12 ft 0 in wide; Illinois waits until 14 ft 6 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in Iowa only.
Height pole: Iowa sets a height-pole trigger at 14 ft 6 in; Illinois does not publish one, so check the permit.

Check one load against both states

Load width (ft)

Load height (ft)

Illinois

Oversize permit required
No width escort

Iowa

Oversize permit required
No width escort

11 ft 0 in wide, 14 ft 0 in tall. Length is not checked here.

Side by side

Illinois and Iowa oversize load rules compared
Rule	Illinois	Iowa
Legal width	8 ft 6 in	8 ft 6 in
Legal height	13 ft 6 in	13 ft 6 in
Legal length	Semitrailer 53 ft on Class I/II designated highways; single truck 42 ft; tractor-semitrailer overall 65 ft on non-designated highways (no overall limit on Class I/II); doubles 28.5 ft per trailer on Class I/II (IDOT OPER 753).	Single vehicle 45 ft; trailer or semitrailer 53 ft (57 ft lowboy for construction equipment); see Iowa Code 321.457 for combination limits.
Gross weight	80,000 lbs	80,000 lbs
First pilot car at	14 ft 6 in	12 ft 0 in
Second pilot car at	Not confirmed	Not confirmed
Height pole at	Not confirmed	14 ft 6 in
Length escort at	110 ft 0 in	120 ft 0 in
Travel hours	Legal-size overweight: 24/7. Up to 12 ft wide, 13'6" high, 200 ft long: 24/7 (extra civilian escort at night). Up to 14'6" wide, 15 ft high, 200 ft long: 1/2 hr before sunrise to 1/2 hr after sunset, 7 days. Up to 16 ft wide, 17 ft high: sunrise-sunset Mon-Fri and until noon Saturday. Wider/taller than 16/17 ft: 9 am to 3 pm Mon-Fri.	1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset. Night movement allowed (1/2 hr after sunset to 1/2 hr before sunrise) for loads up to 12 ft wide, 14'6" high, 100 ft long with legal axle weights and extra lighting/escort conditions.
Weekends	Loads up to 14'6" wide/15 ft high move 7 days a week in daylight; up to 16 ft wide/17 ft high Saturday until noon only; loads over 200 ft long or over 16 ft wide/17 ft high have no Saturday or Sunday movement unless the permit says otherwise.	No general weekend ban; daylight movement 7 days a week except holiday weekends. Holiday weekend means the holiday falls on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
Trip permit	Fee not confirmed	$10.00
Permit office	(217) 785-1477 (IDOT Bureau of Operations, Permit Office)	515-237-3264 (Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division, Oversize/Overweight Permits)

Go deeper

Pilot car detail: Illinois, Iowa
Full guides: Illinois, Iowa
Running through both without local plates? Estimate the trip permit cost
Moving over a holiday? Check holiday restrictions

Illinois and Iowa FAQs

Do Illinois and Iowa require pilot cars at the same width?: Iowa requires a pilot car from 12 ft 0 in wide; Illinois waits until 14 ft 6 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in Iowa only.
Is the legal truck height the same in Illinois and Iowa?: Both states use the same legal height, 13 ft 6 in.
Do I need a separate permit for each state between Illinois and Iowa?: Yes. Oversize and overweight permits are issued by each state, so a move through both needs a permit from IDOT Bureau of Operations, Permit Office and one from Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division, Oversize/Overweight Permits, each with its own route, hours and escort conditions.
Which travel hours apply in Illinois and Iowa?: Illinois: Legal-size overweight: 24/7. Up to 12 ft wide, 13'6" high, 200 ft long: 24/7 (extra civilian escort at night). Up to 14'6" wide, 15 ft high, 200 ft long: 1/2 hr before sunrise to 1/2 hr after sunset, 7 days. Up to 16 ft wide, 17 ft high: sunrise-sunset Mon-Fri and until noon Saturday. Wider/taller than 16/17 ft: 9 am to 3 pm Mon-Fri. Iowa: 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset. Night movement allowed (1/2 hr after sunset to 1/2 hr before sunrise) for loads up to 12 ft wide, 14'6" high, 100 ft long with legal axle weights and extra lighting/escort conditions. The conditions printed on the permit control.

Compiled from each state's published permit rules, reviewed October 2026. Not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control.