Federal & State Regulations | Oversize and overweight movements - New Jersey

General requirements

Reducible expectations	In order to obtain an OS/OW hauling permit, the vehicle, or load being carried must be “non-divisible”. A “non-divisible” load is a load that cannot be dismembered, dismantled or divided in such a manner, so that the weight and dimensional limitations
Permit timing	Permits may be applied for online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Method of application	Carriers may apply for permits online by visiting NJDOT’s OS/OW permit web site or through J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc., Trip Permits, at (800) 231-5266.
Payments accepted	NS
Electronic permits	The permit must be in the possession of the operator of the vehicle for which the permit was issued.
Route surveys	A route survey is required when the overall width exceeds 16' or height exceeds 14' 6".

Insurance requirements

Liability	Any person driving any vehicle subject to and in excess of statutory weight limitations and permit requirements upon any highway or highway structure, whether temporary or permanent, shall be liable for all damage which the highway or highway structure may sustain as a result of any such operation. Damage may be recovered in a civil action brought by the authorities in control of such highway or highway structure. The fact that the vehicle causing the damage was being operated within the authorized size and weight limitations or permitted by a special permit shall not be accepted as a defense.
Coverage	An application for a permit shall not be accepted unless the applicant provides proof of coverage by insurance in the following minimum limits: $100,000 for bodily injury or death to any one person in any one occurrence, $300,000 for bodily injury or death to two or more persons in any one occurrence, and $100,000 for damage to or destruction of property in any one occurrence.

Available permits and fees

Overdimension
Permit Period	Conditions	Fee
Single trip	Overdimensional	$10 base fee, plus: • Excess dimension fees + • Transaction fee + • Service charge
Single trip	Over Dimensional fees (per foot) • In excess of 14 feet in width • Non-House related load: Trailer/Load Length > 63 feet • Trips with a House related load: Overall Length > 70 feet	$1
Life of trailer	Code 23 Overdimensional trailer permit: Used for the movement of oversize Code 23 trailers. Valid for life of the trailer as long as the Code 23 registration remains valid. Permit cost includes a transaction and service fees • 8'-10' wide • 55'-70' long	$12.60
Overweight
Permit Period	Conditions	Fee
Single trip	Overweight	$10 base fee, plus: • Excess weight fees + • Transaction fee + • Service charge
Single trip	Excess weight fees (per ton or fraction of ton) • Over 80,000 lbs GVW • Over 22,400 lbs. on a single axle • Over 34,000 lbs on a tandem axle • 5% leeway is given on axle weights	$5.00
Annual	Ocean borne container permits - for movement of containers statewide.	$100 base fee plus • Transaction fee + • Service charge
Overdimension and/or Overweight
Permit Period	Conditions	Fee
Single trip	Overdimensional and overweight	$20 base fee, plus: • Excess dimension fees + • Excess weight fees + • Transaction fee + • Service charge
30-day	Code 23 permit - overweight/overdimension route permit. For moving heavy equipment or machinery over 80,000 lbs. There is no base permit fee or excess weight fee, however, the over-dimensional fees described above apply	$12.60 plus • registration fee + • Excess dimension fees
Special fees
Permit Period	Conditions	Fee
Any	Transaction fee	$12
Any	Credit card service charge	5%

Permit limitations

Permit limitations
Width	Limitation
Private	Private utility or house-type trailer or semitrailer more than 14' wide must be transported on a commercial-type low-bed trailer, semitrailer or properly registered dolly wheels
Weight	Limitations
Tire	800 lbs per inch in width of tires on all wheels
Configuration	Limitations
Ocean borne container	• 90,000 lbs maximum GVW • 38,000 lbs on any one tandem axle trailer (34,000 lbs on second tandem) • 56,400 lbs. on a tri-axle trailer • Legal dimensions
Manufactured housing	• Width: Up to 16' for a house-type trailer or semitrailer • Width: Greater than 16' must be transported on a commercial-type low-bed trailer, semitrailer, or properly registered dolly wheels

Signs

General sign requirement	Warning signs must be displayed on the front and rear of oversize vehicle combinations.
Escort sign requirement	When two escort vehicles are required, a warning sign must be displayed on the front of the preceding escort vehicle and on the rear of the following escort vehicle.
	Type	Size	Lettering	Background
General signs	OVERSIZE LOAD/WIDE LOAD	6' x 12"	10" black lettering	Yellow
Escort signs	OVERSIZE LOAD/WIDE LOAD	6' x 12"	10" black lettering	Yellow

Lights

General light requirements	Low beam headlamps and red tail lamps must be illuminated on the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle. At night, red lamps replace flags.
Escort light requirements	Low beam headlamps and red tail lamps shall be illuminated on all escort vehicles.
	Type	Placement
General light type and placement	Low beam headlamps	NS
Escort light type and placement	Low beam headlamps	NS

Flags

	Type	Size	Placement
General Flags	Red or orange fluorescent	18" square	Warning flags must be placed at the 4-corners of an oversize vehicle. If the load projects beyond the sides of the vehicle, the warning flags must be placed at the 4-corners of the load rather than the vehicle. If a load projects only beyond the rear of the vehicle, 2 flags need to be placed on the 2 rear corners of the load. If the projecting load is round or some other shape without distinguishable corners, a warning flag must be placed at the outermost extremity of the load on each side and/or to the rear of the vehicle.
Escort Flags	Red flags	18" square	Warning flags must be displayed on staffs at the two front corners of the preceding escort vehicle or on the two rear corners of the following escort vehicle.

Escort vehicle markings

Size	Placement	Content
NS	NS	NS

Escort and flagperson requirements

Escorts are required as follows:

Dimension exceeded	Escort requirements
Width	One escort vehicle is required when the width, including load, exceeds 14 feet. Two escort vehicles are required when the width, including load, exceeds 16 feet.
Length	One escort vehicle shall be required when the length exceeds 100 feet. Two escort vehicles shall be required when the length exceeds 120 feet.
Height	Escorts are not required; however, if the height exceeds 14 feet, and will be operated along or across a public road or highway in which overhead wires of a street railway, traction company, or electric light or power company are located, then an employee of the street railway, traction company, or electric light or power company must be present and prepared to superintend the necessary movement or change in the wires, or be prepared to make immediate repairs of the wires in case of injury or damage to the wires.

In addition to the above, an additional escort vehicle is required if the oversize vehicle or combination has been granted a waiver and is traveling during the nighttime hours of sunset to sunrise.

When one escort vehicle is required, it must precede the escorted vehicles on highways having less than four traffic lanes and must follow the escorted vehicles on highways having four or more traffic lanes. When two escort vehicles are required, one must precede the escorted vehicles and one must follow the escorted vehicles.

When three escort vehicles are required, one must precede the escorted vehicles, one must follow the escorted vehicles, and one must travel in the adjacent lane alongside the escorted vehicles on all highways having three or more lanes. When three or more highway lanes are not available, the third escort vehicle must also follow the escorted vehicles.

A preceding escort vehicle must maintain a distance of from 200 feet minimum to 500 feet maximum from the lead vehicle of the escorted combination of vehicles. A following escort vehicle must maintain a distance of from 100 feet minimum to 250 feet maximum from the rearmost vehicle of the escorted combination of vehicles.

Escort car/company requirements

Low beam headlamps and red tail lamps shall be illuminated on all escort vehicles.

Warning flags must be displayed on the two front corners of a preceding escort vehicle and on the two rear corners of a following escort vehicle.

When two escort vehicles are required, a warning sign must be displayed on the front of the preceding escort vehicle and on the rear of the following escort vehicle. When only one escort is required, a warning sign must be displayed on the rear of the rearmost vehicle in the escorted combination and on the front of the escort vehicle if it is preceding, or on the front of the lead vehicle of the escorted combination and on the rear of the escort vehicle if it is following.

Travel restrictions

Daytime	Operation under an oversize permit is limited to the daytime hours of sunrise to sunset on any highway where clear space available for use by passing traffic is less than 10’.
Weekend	NS
Holidays	If the holiday falls on a Sunday, operation is not permitted the following Monday. If the holiday falls on a Saturday, operation is not permitted on the preceding Friday. An oversize vehicle may not operate on the following holidays: • New Year’s Day • Memorial Day (and the Friday before Memorial Day) • Independence Day • Labor Day (and the Friday before Labor Day) • Thanksgiving Day (and the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day) • Christmas Day
Visibility	Operation is prohibited when visibility is a less than 500’, and hazardous road conditions are present.

['Size and Weight Limits']

['Oversize and Overweight Movements']

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Oversize and overweight movements - New Jersey