New York 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 NYSDOT Central Permit Office.
NY, reviewed October 2026
Check your load for New York
Oversize permit required in New York
- Width 10 ft 0 in exceeds the 8 ft 6 in legal limit.
Plan for 1 pilot car at 10 ft 0 in wide (front; exact positions are set by your permit).
New York Truck Legal Width, Height & Length
A truck and load at or under these dimensions can travel New York 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 trailer 48 ft on state highways, 53 ft on qualifying/access highways; combination 65 ft on state highways, unlimited on qualifying highways; single vehicle 40 ft; twin trailers 28.5 ft each (VTL 385, per NYSDOT PERM 30). |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs |
New York Oversize Load Travel Hours
- Daily movement window
- Monday to Friday, daylight only (one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset); no night travel unless specified on the permit. Loads 14 ft+ wide/high or 90 ft+ long are barred from business districts 7-9 am and 4-6 pm; loads 16 ft wide, 15 ft high or 100 ft long are barred statewide 7-9 am and 4-6 pm.
- Weekend movement
- No movement on Sundays. No movement on Saturdays, except loads within 12 ft wide, 85 ft long and legal height that maintain normal highway speed may be permitted from one-half hour before sunrise until 12 noon Saturday.
- Holiday restrictions
- No movement on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, or after 12 noon the preceding normal working day for Memorial, Independence, Labor, Thanksgiving and Christmas (no noon cutoff listed for New Year's). With Saturday/Sunday also barred, Monday/Friday holidays effectively close the whole weekend. Resume time after the holiday not stated (next permissible hauling day). See this year's holiday dates for all states.
New York Pilot Car Requirements
Certified escort at 12 ft 1 in width (leading on two-lane roads, following on multilane); front and rear at 16 ft; height pole lead escort at 14 ft; escort at 80 ft length, front and rear at 100 ft.
| First pilot car (width) | 12 ft 1 in wide and over |
|---|---|
| Two pilot cars (width) | 16 ft 0 in wide and over |
| Height-pole escort | 14 ft 0 in tall and over |
| Length escort | 80 ft 0 in long and over |
New York pilot car requirements by load width and height. Crossing a border? Compare with Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania.
How to order a New York oversize permit
NYSDOT Central Permit Office
Overweight as well? Check axle limits with the bridge formula calculator.
Crossing New York without New York apportioned plates? Estimate the temporary trip permit cost with the trip permit cost estimator.
New York Oversize Load FAQs
- What are the oversize load travel hours in New York?
- Monday to Friday, daylight only (one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset); no night travel unless specified on the permit. Loads 14 ft+ wide/high or 90 ft+ long are barred from business districts 7-9 am and 4-6 pm; loads 16 ft wide, 15 ft high or 100 ft long are barred statewide 7-9 am and 4-6 pm. Weekends: No movement on Sundays. No movement on Saturdays, except loads within 12 ft wide, 85 ft long and legal height that maintain normal highway speed may be permitted from one-half hour before sunrise until 12 noon Saturday.
- When is a pilot car required in New York?
- Certified escort at 12 ft 1 in width (leading on two-lane roads, following on multilane); front and rear at 16 ft; height pole lead escort at 14 ft; escort at 80 ft length, front and rear at 100 ft. Height: 14 ft 0 in and taller (height-pole escort).
- What is the legal truck width in New York?
- The standard legal width in New York 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 New York without a permit?
- The legal height limit in New York 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 New York?
- No movement on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, or after 12 noon the preceding normal working day for Memorial, Independence, Labor, Thanksgiving and Christmas (no noon cutoff listed for New Year's). With Saturday/Sunday also barred, Monday/Friday holidays effectively close the whole weekend. Resume time after the holiday not stated (next permissible hauling day).
- How do I get an oversize or overweight permit in New York?
- Apply through NYSDOT Central Permit Office (888-783-1685) 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 New York rules as reviewed October 2026 and is not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control. Note: PERM 87 (3/15) guidelines state actual permit requirements may differ based on engineering judgment. Police escort required when width >16 ft, length >160 ft, height 16 ft+, weight 200,000 lbs+, and all night moves (except NYSDOT Regions 10 and 8). 14 ft+ height also needs route survey. 12 ft wide threshold: one escort leads on two-lane, follows on more-than-two-lane highways; over 16 ft two lead escorts on two-lane and (18 ft+) also on four-lane. Overweight-only moves within 125% of legal weight have no time/day restrictions. Rear overhang >10 ft requires following escort.