Minnesota vs South Dakota Oversize Load Rules
What changes for an oversize load between Minnesota and South Dakota: legal height, pilot car triggers, height poles and travel hours.
I-90, reviewed October 2026
What changes at the Minnesota and South Dakota border
- Legal height
- South Dakota allows 14 ft 0 in without a permit; Minnesota stops at 13 ft 6 in. A load between the two is legal in South Dakota and needs a permit in Minnesota.
- First pilot car
- Minnesota requires a pilot car from 15 ft 0 in wide; South Dakota waits until 16 ft 0 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in Minnesota only.
Check one load against both states
Minnesota
- Oversize permit required
- No width escort
South Dakota
- 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 | Minnesota | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|
| Legal width | 8 ft 6 in | 8 ft 6 in |
| Legal height | 13 ft 6 in | 14 ft 0 in |
| Legal length | Single vehicle 45 ft; combination vehicles 75 ft; mobile cranes 48 ft (MnDOT permit-need table). | Length limits are in SD Motor Carrier Handbook Table 7 (values not retrievable); load or retractable-extension overhang max 4 ft rear and 3 ft front. |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs | 80,000 lbs |
| First pilot car at | 15 ft 0 in | 16 ft 0 in |
| Second pilot car at | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Height pole at | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Length escort at | 110 ft 0 in | Not confirmed |
| Travel hours | 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. | Oversize movement is generally daylight only. Night movement is allowed only on Interstates and only if no escort is required, width is 10 ft or less, height is 14 ft 6 in or less, a single unit is 45 ft or less, and a combination is 110 ft or less (other unit-length limits apply). |
| Weekends | 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. | No weekend restrictions; SD Truck Info states South Dakota has no weekend or holiday restrictions (daylight limits still apply). |
| Trip permit | Fee not confirmed | $15.00 |
| Permit office | MnDOT Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations (OSOW Permits) | South Dakota Highway Patrol Permit Center / SDDOT (SD Truck Info) |
Go deeper
- Pilot car detail: Minnesota, South Dakota
- Full guides: Minnesota, South Dakota
- Running through both without local plates? Estimate the trip permit cost
- Moving over a holiday? Check holiday restrictions
Minnesota and South Dakota FAQs
- Do Minnesota and South Dakota require pilot cars at the same width?
- Minnesota requires a pilot car from 15 ft 0 in wide; South Dakota waits until 16 ft 0 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in Minnesota only.
- Is the legal truck height the same in Minnesota and South Dakota?
- South Dakota allows 14 ft 0 in without a permit; Minnesota stops at 13 ft 6 in. A load between the two is legal in South Dakota and needs a permit in Minnesota.
- Do I need a separate permit for each state between Minnesota and South Dakota?
- Yes. Oversize and overweight permits are issued by each state, so a move through both needs a permit from MnDOT Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations (OSOW Permits) and one from South Dakota Highway Patrol Permit Center / SDDOT (SD Truck Info), each with its own route, hours and escort conditions.
- Which travel hours apply in Minnesota and South Dakota?
- 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. South Dakota: Oversize movement is generally daylight only. Night movement is allowed only on Interstates and only if no escort is required, width is 10 ft or less, height is 14 ft 6 in or less, a single unit is 45 ft or less, and a combination is 110 ft or less (other unit-length limits apply). 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.