Iowa vs Nebraska Oversize Load Rules
What changes for an oversize load between Iowa and Nebraska: legal height, pilot car triggers, height poles and travel hours.
I-80, reviewed October 2026
What changes at the Iowa and Nebraska border
- Legal height
- Nebraska allows 14 ft 6 in without a permit; Iowa stops at 13 ft 6 in. A load between the two is legal in Nebraska and needs a permit in Iowa.
- First pilot car
- Both states require the first pilot car at 12 ft 0 in wide.
Check one load against both states
Iowa
- Oversize permit required
- No width escort
Nebraska
- Oversize permit required
- No width escort
11 ft 0 in wide, 14 ft 0 in tall. Length is not checked here.
Side by side
| Rule | Iowa | Nebraska |
|---|---|---|
| Legal width | 8 ft 6 in | 8 ft 6 in |
| Legal height | 13 ft 6 in | 14 ft 6 in |
| Legal length | Single vehicle 45 ft; trailer or semitrailer 53 ft (57 ft lowboy for construction equipment); see Iowa Code 321.457 for combination limits. | Semi-trailer 53 ft; semi plus trailer 65 ft; single vehicle 40 ft; combination overall 65 ft (excluding truck-tractor for trailer limits). |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs | 80,000 lbs |
| First pilot car at | 12 ft 0 in | 12 ft 0 in |
| Second pilot car at | Not confirmed | 16 ft 0 in |
| Height pole at | 14 ft 6 in | 14 ft 6 in |
| Length escort at | 120 ft 0 in | 125 ft 0 in |
| Travel hours | 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. | Over-dimensional moves: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Overweight-only moves may travel 24 hours, 7 days. |
| Weekends | 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. | No general weekend ban found in 408 NAC 3; daylight hours apply. Weekend holiday periods are restricted (see holiday). |
| Trip permit | $10.00 | $25.00 |
| Permit office | 515-237-3264 (Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division, Oversize/Overweight Permits) | 402-471-0034 (Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) Motor Carrier Permit Section) |
Go deeper
- Pilot car detail: Iowa, Nebraska
- Full guides: Iowa, Nebraska
- Running through both without local plates? Estimate the trip permit cost
- Moving over a holiday? Check holiday restrictions
Iowa and Nebraska FAQs
- Do Iowa and Nebraska require pilot cars at the same width?
- Both states require the first pilot car at 12 ft 0 in wide.
- Is the legal truck height the same in Iowa and Nebraska?
- Nebraska allows 14 ft 6 in without a permit; Iowa stops at 13 ft 6 in. A load between the two is legal in Nebraska and needs a permit in Iowa.
- Do I need a separate permit for each state between Iowa and Nebraska?
- 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 Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT) Motor Carrier Permit Section, each with its own route, hours and escort conditions.
- Which travel hours apply in Iowa and Nebraska?
- 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. Nebraska: Over-dimensional moves: 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Overweight-only moves may travel 24 hours, 7 days. 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.