Iowa 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 Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division, Oversize/Overweight Permits.
IA, reviewed October 2026
Check your load for Iowa
Oversize permit required in Iowa
- Width 10 ft 0 in exceeds the 8 ft 6 in legal limit.
No width-based pilot car at 10 ft 0 in wide.
Iowa Truck Legal Width, Height & Length
A truck and load at or under these dimensions can travel Iowa 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 | 13 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. |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs |
Iowa Oversize Load Travel Hours
- Daily movement window
- 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.
- Weekend movement
- 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.
- Holiday restrictions
- 761 IAC 511.3(4): no movement on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day, after 12 noon on days preceding these holidays and holiday weekends, or during holiday weekends; no movement until 1/2 hour before sunrise on the day after the holiday or holiday weekend. See this year's holiday dates for all states.
Iowa Pilot Car Requirements
Over 12 ft wide up to 14'6": rear escort on 4-lane, front on 2-lane (amber lights may replace it); over 14'6" wider loads add escort(s); height over 14'6" needs a front escort with height pole; length over 120 ft needs a rear escort.
| First pilot car (width) | 12 ft 0 in wide and over |
|---|---|
| Two pilot cars (width) | Not confirmed: check your permit conditions |
| Height-pole escort | 14 ft 6 in tall and over |
| Length escort | 120 ft 0 in long and over |
Iowa pilot car requirements by load width and height. Crossing a border? Compare with Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska.
How to order a Iowa oversize permit
Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division, Oversize/Overweight Permits
Overweight as well? Check axle limits with the bridge formula calculator.
Crossing Iowa without Iowa apportioned plates? Estimate the temporary trip permit cost with the trip permit cost estimator.
Iowa Oversize Load FAQs
- What are the oversize load travel hours in 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. 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.
- When is a pilot car required in Iowa?
- Over 12 ft wide up to 14'6": rear escort on 4-lane, front on 2-lane (amber lights may replace it); over 14'6" wider loads add escort(s); height over 14'6" needs a front escort with height pole; length over 120 ft needs a rear escort. Height: 14 ft 6 in and taller (height-pole escort).
- What is the legal truck width in Iowa?
- The standard legal width in Iowa 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 Iowa without a permit?
- The legal height limit in Iowa is 13 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 Iowa?
- 761 IAC 511.3(4): no movement on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day, after 12 noon on days preceding these holidays and holiday weekends, or during holiday weekends; no movement until 1/2 hour before sunrise on the day after the holiday or holiday weekend.
- How do I get an oversize or overweight permit in Iowa?
- Apply through Iowa DOT Motor Vehicle Division, Oversize/Overweight Permits (515-237-3264) 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 Iowa rules as reviewed October 2026 and is not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control. Note: The escort table in 761 IAC 511.20(2) extracted with garbled columns for widths over 14'6"; two-escort width left null. Over 8'6" to 12 ft needs flags/signs only; amber lights (not escort) required over 85 ft long. Legal width 8'6". Permits cover state/interstate highways only. Single-trip OS/OW permit $35, valid 5 days.