Ohio 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 ODOT Special Hauling Permits Office.
OH, reviewed October 2026
Check your load for Ohio
Oversize permit required in Ohio
- Width 10 ft 0 in exceeds the 8 ft 6 in legal limit.
No width-based pilot car at 10 ft 0 in wide.
Ohio Truck Legal Width, Height & Length
A truck and load at or under these dimensions can travel Ohio 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 | Semitrailer in a tractor-semitrailer combination 53 ft (ORC 5577.05); combination length limits not captured here. |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs |
Ohio Oversize Load Travel Hours
- Daily movement window
- Daylight only, one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Loads over 12 ft wide are barred 6:30-9:00 am and 4:30-6:00 pm Monday to Friday in 22 listed counties (including Franklin, Cuyahoga, Hamilton, Summit, Montgomery, Lucas).
- Weekend movement
- Loads over 12 ft wide: no movement Saturday 3 pm to one-half hour before sunrise Sunday, Sunday 3 pm to one-half hour before sunrise Monday, and Friday 3 pm to one-half hour before sunrise Saturday (April 1 to November 30). Narrower loads may move Sunday through Saturday in daylight.
- Holiday restrictions
- Overdimensional and over-dimension/overweight loads may not move on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas or the holiday weekend; prohibition runs from 12:00 noon the day preceding until one-half hour before sunrise the day after the holiday or holiday weekend (OAC 5501:2-1-09; ODOT 2026 holiday list). Overweight-only loads may move. See this year's holiday dates for all states.
Ohio Pilot Car Requirements
One lead escort (rear on multilane highways) for width over 13 ft; lead and rear over 14 ft 6 in wide or over 14 ft 10 in high; lead escort with height sensing device over 14 ft 6 in high; one rear escort over 90 ft long.
| First pilot car (width) | 13 ft 0 in wide and over |
|---|---|
| Two pilot cars (width) | 14 ft 6 in wide and over |
| Height-pole escort | 14 ft 6 in tall and over |
| Length escort | 90 ft 0 in long and over |
Ohio pilot car requirements by load width and height. Crossing a border? Compare with Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania.
How to order a Ohio oversize permit
ODOT Special Hauling Permits Office
Overweight as well? Check axle limits with the bridge formula calculator.
Crossing Ohio without Ohio apportioned plates? Estimate the temporary trip permit cost with the trip permit cost estimator.
Ohio Oversize Load FAQs
- What are the oversize load travel hours in Ohio?
- Daylight only, one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. Loads over 12 ft wide are barred 6:30-9:00 am and 4:30-6:00 pm Monday to Friday in 22 listed counties (including Franklin, Cuyahoga, Hamilton, Summit, Montgomery, Lucas). Weekends: Loads over 12 ft wide: no movement Saturday 3 pm to one-half hour before sunrise Sunday, Sunday 3 pm to one-half hour before sunrise Monday, and Friday 3 pm to one-half hour before sunrise Saturday (April 1 to November 30). Narrower loads may move Sunday through Saturday in daylight.
- When is a pilot car required in Ohio?
- One lead escort (rear on multilane highways) for width over 13 ft; lead and rear over 14 ft 6 in wide or over 14 ft 10 in high; lead escort with height sensing device over 14 ft 6 in high; one rear escort over 90 ft long. Height: 14 ft 6 in and taller (height-pole escort).
- What is the legal truck width in Ohio?
- The standard legal width in Ohio 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 Ohio without a permit?
- The legal height limit in Ohio 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 Ohio?
- Overdimensional and over-dimension/overweight loads may not move on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas or the holiday weekend; prohibition runs from 12:00 noon the day preceding until one-half hour before sunrise the day after the holiday or holiday weekend (OAC 5501:2-1-09; ODOT 2026 holiday list). Overweight-only loads may move.
- How do I get an oversize or overweight permit in Ohio?
- Apply through ODOT Special Hauling Permits Office (614-351-2300) 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 Ohio rules as reviewed October 2026 and is not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control. Note: Escort and time rules are from ODOT Form OS-1A (Rev. 01/18); the ODOT 'Limitations & Provisions' page hides the current text behind accordions so it could not be compared. 2026 holiday dates fetched from ODOT. Where a load meets several escort conditions, a lead and rear are required. Ohio Turnpike and local roads require separate permits. Legal width 8 ft 6 in; total combination length and legal-height statute text only partially verified (13 ft 6 in per ORC 5577.05(D)).