Kansas 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 Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Central Permit Office via K-TRIPS.
KS, reviewed October 2026
Check your load for Kansas
Oversize permit required in Kansas
- Width 10 ft 0 in exceeds the 8 ft 6 in legal limit.
No width-based pilot car at 10 ft 0 in wide.
Kansas Truck Legal Width, Height & Length
A truck and load at or under these dimensions can travel Kansas 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 | 14 ft 0 in |
| Legal length | Single motor vehicle 45 ft; semitrailer behind a truck tractor up to 59.5 ft; other vehicle combinations 65 ft overall (K.S.A. 8-1904). Permit needed for indivisible loads over 85 ft total. |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs |
Kansas Oversize Load Travel Hours
- Daily movement window
- Overdimensional loads: daylight only (K.S.A. 8-1911 bars movement from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise; also not when visibility is under 1/2 mile or roads are icy/snow packed). Overweight-only loads may move at night. Permit may restrict peak hours (7-9 am, 4-6:30 pm) in Kansas City, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Leawood, Lenexa, Olathe, Overland Park, Shawnee, Topeka and Wichita, except for pickups/deliveries in those cities.
- Weekend movement
- No weekend restriction; KAR 36-1-36(m) allows movement every day of the year.
- Holiday restrictions
- KAR 36-1-36(m)(3): carriers transporting oversize or overweight loads may move every day of the year, including holidays. No holiday blackout. See this year's holiday dates for all states.
Kansas Pilot Car Requirements
Loads wider than 14 ft need front and rear escorts on highways of fewer than four lanes (rear may be replaced by a roof warning light, except superloads/large structures); on four-lane-plus highways only superloads and large structures need a rear escort.
| First pilot car (width) | 14 ft 0 in wide and over |
|---|---|
| Two pilot cars (width) | 14 ft 0 in wide and over |
| Height-pole escort | Not confirmed: check your permit conditions |
| Length escort | Not confirmed: check your permit conditions |
Kansas pilot car requirements by load width and height. Crossing a border? Compare with Missouri, Oklahoma.
How to order a Kansas oversize permit
Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Central Permit Office via K-TRIPS
Overweight as well? Check axle limits with the bridge formula calculator.
Crossing Kansas without Kansas apportioned plates? Estimate the temporary trip permit cost with the trip permit cost estimator.
Kansas Oversize Load FAQs
- What are the oversize load travel hours in Kansas?
- Overdimensional loads: daylight only (K.S.A. 8-1911 bars movement from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise; also not when visibility is under 1/2 mile or roads are icy/snow packed). Overweight-only loads may move at night. Permit may restrict peak hours (7-9 am, 4-6:30 pm) in Kansas City, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Leawood, Lenexa, Olathe, Overland Park, Shawnee, Topeka and Wichita, except for pickups/deliveries in those cities. Weekends: No weekend restriction; KAR 36-1-36(m) allows movement every day of the year.
- When is a pilot car required in Kansas?
- Loads wider than 14 ft need front and rear escorts on highways of fewer than four lanes (rear may be replaced by a roof warning light, except superloads/large structures); on four-lane-plus highways only superloads and large structures need a rear escort.
- What is the legal truck width in Kansas?
- The standard legal width in Kansas 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 Kansas without a permit?
- The legal height limit in Kansas is 14 ft 0 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 Kansas?
- KAR 36-1-36(m)(3): carriers transporting oversize or overweight loads may move every day of the year, including holidays. No holiday blackout.
- How do I get an oversize or overweight permit in Kansas?
- Apply through Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Central Permit Office via K-TRIPS (785-368-6501) 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 Kansas rules as reviewed October 2026 and is not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control. Note: KDOT permit pages were blocked (Akamai); rules taken from KAR 36-1-36, K.S.A. 8-1904/8-1911 and KHP FAQs. Escort figures apply to two-lane/non-multilane roads (>14 ft front+rear); on multilane roads no escort except rear for superloads/large structures, so there is no multilane one-escort width. Height poles: only 'height limited by route', no pole threshold found. Legal height 14 ft per K.S.A. 8-1904. Kansas permit fee single trip $40 (K.S.A. 8-1911), annual $200. Registration trip permit fee not verified.