Kansas Pilot Car Requirements
When Kansas requires a pilot car, how many, and when a height pole car is needed. Set by Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Central Permit Office via K-TRIPS.
KS, reviewed October 2026
The short answer for Kansas
Loads wider than 14 ft 0 in need a pilot car in Kansas, and wider than 14 ft 0 in need two.
Kansas asks for a first pilot car at 14 ft 0 in wide. 6 of the 45 states that publish a width wait until a wider load, and 29 start earlier; 9 more match it.
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.
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 escort thresholds
| First pilot car | 14 ft 0 in wide and over |
|---|---|
| Second pilot car | 14 ft 0 in wide and over |
| Height-pole escort | Not confirmed: check your permit conditions |
| Length escort | Not confirmed: check your permit conditions |
Pilot cars by load width in Kansas
Escorts to plan for at each width, from the thresholds above. The permit sets front and rear positions.
| Load width | Pilot cars |
|---|---|
| 8 ft 6 in (legal width) | None required for width |
| 9 ft 0 in | None required for width |
| 10 ft 0 in | None required for width |
| 11 ft 0 in | None required for width |
| 12 ft 0 in | None required for width |
| 13 ft 0 in | None required for width |
| 14 ft 0 in | 2 pilot cars |
| 15 ft 0 in | 2 pilot cars |
| 16 ft 0 in | 2 pilot cars |
Before you book an escort
- Read the escort conditions on your Kansas permit. They control over any summary, including this one.
- Ask about certification and insurance rules for escort drivers at Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Central Permit Office via K-TRIPS (785-368-6501).
- See the full Kansas oversize guide for legal dimensions, travel hours and holiday limits. New to the terms? The glossary covers pilot car and height pole.
Crossing a border? Compare Kansas with a neighbor: Missouri, Oklahoma.
Sources
- https://kansashighwaypatrol.gov/faq_category/mcsap-oversize-load-permits-and-restrictions/
- https://kansashighwaypatrol.gov/faq-items/are-there-certain-times-or-conditions-when-an-oversize-load-may-not-operate/
- https://kansashighwaypatrol.gov/faq-items/does-the-kansas-highway-patrol-offer-escort-vehicles-for-oversize-loads/
- https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/kansas/K-A-R-36-1-36
- https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch08/008_019_0011.html
- https://www.ksrevisor.gov/statutes/chapters/ch08/008_019_0004.html
- https://www.ksrevenue.gov/faqs-motorfuel.html
- https://www.ksrevenue.gov/dovirpfaq.html
Kansas Pilot Car FAQs
- How wide can a load be in Kansas before it needs a pilot car?
- Kansas requires the first pilot car at 14 ft 0 in wide and a second at 14 ft 0 in wide. Loads up to the 8 ft 6 in legal width travel without a width escort.
- When does Kansas require a height pole car?
- Kansas does not publish a single height at which a pole car is required in the sources we reviewed. Confirm it with Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Central Permit Office via K-TRIPS; permit conditions often set it per route.
- Do I need Kansas pilot car certification?
- Escort driver certification and reciprocity rules differ by state and change often. The permit conditions from Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Central Permit Office via K-TRIPS state who may escort a load, so confirm certification and insurance requirements there before you book an escort.
- Where do the pilot car numbers on this page come from?
- They are taken from Kansas's published permit rules and statutes, reviewed in October 2026, with the source links listed on this page. Where a figure could not be confirmed it is marked as not confirmed rather than estimated.
Summary of first pilot car at 14 ft 0 in wide, two at 14 ft 0 in, reviewed October 2026. Regulations change and this is not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control.