Iowa vs Minnesota Oversize Load Rules

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

I-35, reviewed October 2026

What changes at the Iowa and Minnesota 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; Minnesota waits until 15 ft 0 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; Minnesota does not publish one, so check the permit.

Check one load against both states

Iowa

  • Oversize permit required
  • No width escort

Minnesota

  • Oversize permit required
  • No width escort

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

Side by side

Iowa and Minnesota oversize load rules compared
RuleIowaMinnesota
Legal width8 ft 6 in8 ft 6 in
Legal height13 ft 6 in13 ft 6 in
Legal lengthSingle vehicle 45 ft; trailer or semitrailer 53 ft (57 ft lowboy for construction equipment); see Iowa Code 321.457 for combination limits.Single vehicle 45 ft; combination vehicles 75 ft; mobile cranes 48 ft (MnDOT permit-need table).
Gross weight80,000 lbs80,000 lbs
First pilot car at12 ft 0 in15 ft 0 in
Second pilot car atNot confirmedNot confirmed
Height pole at14 ft 6 inNot confirmed
Length escort at120 ft 0 in110 ft 0 in
Travel hours1/2 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.Generally no restriction unless noted on the permit. Twin Cities/Duluth metro rush hour: no travel weekdays 6:00-8:30 a.m. and 3:30-6:00 p.m. over 14 ft 6 in wide or 110 ft long. Over 16 ft wide in the 7-county Twin Cities metro, travel limited to 12:00-5:00 a.m. Mon-Fri.
WeekendsNo 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.Summer weekends (May 29-Aug 31, 2026): no travel 4-8 p.m. on Fridays and Sundays for loads over 12 ft 6 in wide or 110 ft long. Otherwise no general weekend ban stated.
Trip permit$10.00Fee not confirmed
Permit office515-237-3264 (Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division, Oversize/Overweight Permits)MnDOT Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations (OSOW Permits)

Go deeper

Iowa and Minnesota FAQs

Do Iowa and Minnesota require pilot cars at the same width?
Iowa requires a pilot car from 12 ft 0 in wide; Minnesota waits until 15 ft 0 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in Iowa only.
Is the legal truck height the same in Iowa and Minnesota?
Both states use the same legal height, 13 ft 6 in.
Do I need a separate permit for each state between Iowa and Minnesota?
Yes. Oversize and overweight permits are issued by each state, so a move through both needs a permit from Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division, Oversize/Overweight Permits and one from MnDOT Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations (OSOW Permits), each with its own route, hours and escort conditions.
Which travel hours apply in Iowa and Minnesota?
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. Minnesota: Generally no restriction unless noted on the permit. Twin Cities/Duluth metro rush hour: no travel weekdays 6:00-8:30 a.m. and 3:30-6:00 p.m. over 14 ft 6 in wide or 110 ft long. Over 16 ft wide in the 7-county Twin Cities metro, travel limited to 12:00-5:00 a.m. Mon-Fri. 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.