Michigan 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 MDOT Transport Permits Unit.
MI, reviewed October 2026
Check your load for Michigan
Oversize permit required in Michigan
- Width 10 ft 0 in exceeds the 8 ft 6 in legal limit.
Michigan's width-escort thresholds are set in the permit conditions. Confirm with MDOT Transport Permits Unit.
Michigan Truck Legal Width, Height & Length
A truck and load at or under these dimensions can travel Michigan 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 | Tractor-semitrailer: no overall limit; semitrailer 50 ft on non-designated highways, 53 ft on designated highways. Tractor+semitrailer+trailer combos 59 ft non-designated, 65 ft designated (exceptions apply). |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs |
Michigan Oversize Load Travel Hours
- Daily movement window
- Single-trip permits are for daylight only, Monday through Friday; daylight is one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Other time limits may be applied on the permit.
- Weekend movement
- Weekend movement permitted for loads not exceeding 10 ft wide, 14 ft high and 90 ft long: all day Saturday and until 3 p.m. Sunday. Mobile/modular homes not eligible. Wider loads are not moved on weekends.
- Holiday restrictions
- No permit movement from 12:00 noon the day preceding until daylight of the first day after New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. When a holiday falls on a Friday or Monday, no movement from noon before the three-day weekend until daylight of the first day after it. See this year's holiday dates for all states.
Michigan Pilot Car Requirements
Not confirmed — check your permit conditions
| First pilot car (width) | Not confirmed: check your permit conditions |
|---|---|
| Two pilot cars (width) | Not confirmed: check your permit conditions |
| Height-pole escort | Not confirmed: check your permit conditions |
| Length escort | Not confirmed: check your permit conditions |
How to order a Michigan oversize permit
MDOT Transport Permits Unit
Overweight as well? Check axle limits with the bridge formula calculator.
Michigan Oversize Load FAQs
- What are the oversize load travel hours in Michigan?
- Single-trip permits are for daylight only, Monday through Friday; daylight is one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Other time limits may be applied on the permit. Weekends: Weekend movement permitted for loads not exceeding 10 ft wide, 14 ft high and 90 ft long: all day Saturday and until 3 p.m. Sunday. Mobile/modular homes not eligible. Wider loads are not moved on weekends.
- When is a pilot car required in Michigan?
- Michigan lists escort requirements in the permit conditions for each move. Confirm with MDOT Transport Permits Unit.
- What is the legal truck width in Michigan?
- The standard legal width in Michigan 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 Michigan without a permit?
- The legal height limit in Michigan 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 Michigan?
- No permit movement from 12:00 noon the day preceding until daylight of the first day after New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. When a holiday falls on a Friday or Monday, no movement from noon before the three-day weekend until daylight of the first day after it.
- How do I get an oversize or overweight permit in Michigan?
- Apply through MDOT Transport Permits Unit (517-241-8999) 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 Michigan rules as reviewed October 2026 and is not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control. Note: Escort width/height/length thresholds are not published in T-2 (only escort vehicle equipment); permit conditions set them per move, so all escort fields are null. Single-trip permit max width 16 ft; permits over 13 ft 6 in height require route survey. MDOT permits state trunklines only. Legal gross 80,000 lb for typical 5-axle (higher with 11 axles under separate rules).