Federal & State Regulations | Oversize and overweight movements - Ohio

General requirements

Reducible expectations	Permits will not be valid for built-up loads that are divisible into legal loads or loads that have not been loaded to the least overdimension. Nondivisible means a load cannot be reduced in size or weight, or which is impractical to divide, or which cannot be so adjusted as to be within the size and weight limitations.
Permit timing	Providing everything is in proper order, applications for routine permits received by mail may require five business days for processing. Other application methods are faster.
Method of application	Permits can be obtained in person, by mail, by telephone, the Ohio Hauling Permit Automated System, or through J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc., Trip Permits, at (800) 231-5266.
Payments accepted	Payment can be made by cash or by check or money order made payable to “Treasurer of State, c/o O.D.O.T.,” or debiting an established advance payment account.
Electronic permits	The permit must be in the possession of the driver at all times during the progress of transportation and shall be shown on demand to any law enforcement officer, employee of the Ohio State Highway Patrol or to any employee of ODOT. The driver is responsible to identify and present the precise copy of the permit covering the movement of the load being transported. The permit must be clearly legible, free of any markings, writing, symbol, logo, letterhead, characters or inscriptions that are not part of the permit as transmitted by ODOT (a facsimile header is allowed).
Route surveys	The routine analysis of an application may reveal potential damage to highways or highway structures, or an unusual safety hazard. In such cases, a special engineering analysis must be made, including visual inspection, measurements and strength analysis of pavement and bridges. Such applications should be submitted well in advance of the proposed movement.

Insurance requirements

Liability	The financial responsibility requirements to be met before a permit may be processed and issued to allow the highway movement of a vehicle or vehicle and load, with weights and/or dimensions in excess of the statutory limits. This financial responsibility requirement, which states that permit holders will be responsible for damage done to the roadway or road structures caused by their negligence during a permitted move, may be met by the filing of an insurance policy endorsement or in the form of a surety bond.
Coverage	The minimum liability insurance endorsed or surety bond amount is $500,000.00, and may be increased in cases where an increased risk is determined.

Available permits and fees

Overdimension
Permit Period	Conditions	Fee
All	Basic processing charge	$20
Trip	Overall width up to 14' and/or overall height up to 14' 6"	$55
Return		$35
Continuing		$240
Continuing Return		$125
Annual		$960
Annual return		$200
Trip	Overall width over 14' and/or overall height over 14' 6"	$125
Return	Overall width over 14' and/or overall height over 14' 6"	$65
Trip	Multi-state overall width up to 14' and/or overall height up to 14' 6"	$55
Overweight
Permit Period	Conditions	Fee
All	Basic processing charge	$20
Trip	Overweight up to 120,000 lbs GVW	$125
Return		$65
Continuing		$490
Continuing Return		$250
Annual		$1,960
Annual return		$1,000
Excess weight	Overweight exceeding 120,000 lbs GVW - ADD per ton per mile charge to above trip fees	$125 plus $0.04 per
Excess weight return	Overweight exceeding 120,000 lbs GVW - ADD per ton per mile charge to above trip fees	$65 plus $0.04 per
Trip or return	Permit revision (in addition to basic revision fee)	$40
Trip	Multi-state permit, overweight up to 120,000 lbs GVW	$125
Trip	Steel or aluminum coil single	$55
Continuing		$115
Annual		$460
45-day	Sealed containers	$250
90-day	Sealed containers	$500
Michigan legal weight continuing permit
Continuing	For vehicles up to 120,000 lbs	$125
Annual	For vehicles up to 120,000 lbs	$460
Continuing	For vehicles exceeding 120,000 lbs	$165
Annual	For vehicles exceeding 120,000 lbs	$620
Overdimension and/or Overweight
Permit Period	Conditions	Fee
All	Basic processing charge (all permits)	$20
Trip or return	Overweight and overwidth and/or overheight	Basic processing fee plus overweight fees
Trip	Emergency	$240
Return	Emergency	$115
Continuing	Construction equipment, farm equipment, marina permits, boat permits	$100
Continuing	Manufactured building permit	$100
Regional Heavy Haul Permits
Regional steel or aluminum coil permit
Trip	legal size, up to 120,000 lbs GVW	$65
90-day	legal size, up to 120,000 lbs GVW	$125
Plus	Each additional destination (up to 4)	$65 per
Regional overdimension
Trip	Overall width up to 14' and/or overall height up to 14' 6"	$125
90-day	Overall width up to 14' and/or overall height up to 14' 6"	$240
Plus	Plus each additional destination (up to 4)	$65 per
Regional overdimension and overweight
Trip	Oversize/overweight (overweight up to 120,000 lbs GVW, width up to 14' and/or overall height up to 14' 6")	$125
Trip	Plus each additional destination (up to 4)	$135 per
90-day	Oversize/overweight (overweight up to 120,000 lbs GVW, width up to 14' and/or overall height up to 14' 6")	$490
90-day	Plus each additional destination (up to 4)	$135 per
Regional excess weight or size
Trip	Overweight exceeding 120,000 lbs GVW - ADD per ton per mile charge to above trip fees	$125 plus $0.04 per
Trip	Size over 14' and/or overall height over 14' 6"	$125 plus $5 per destination
Special fees
Permit Period	Conditions	Fee
Any	Permit revision - basic	$10
Any	Permit revision - excess weight or size	$40

Permit limitations

Permit limitations
Width	Width of roadway minus 8' for oncoming traffic yields maximum permittable vehicle and/or load width. Otherwise, escorts may be required • 14' On multiple-lane highways for routine permits
Height	4" less than the least vertical clearance or other obstruction on the designated route
Length	Limit varies by capacity of structure or roadway
Weight	Limitations
Single axle	29,000 lbs
Short tandem	36,000 lbs
Long tandem	Maximum weight = 46,000 + (1000 x (S-4)) • “S” is the spacing between two axles; if 4' 1" to 4' 5", round down to 4'; if 4' 6" to 4' 11", round up to 5'
Short tri-axle or short quad axle	47,000 lbs
Long tri axle or long quad axle	Maximum weight = 53,000 + (700 x (L-8)) • “L” is the spacing between the first and last axle of this group (round to nearest foot)
Internal axle combinations	Group together adjacent axles in all possible combinations (round “L” after axle spacings are added) • For each combination, maximum weight = 55,000 + (1000 x “L”) Maximum weight may not exceed 120,000 lbs
Minimum axle	Every axle except the front axle must have at least 10,000 lbs
Tires	Maximum weight = 800 x number of tires x the tread width of the tire in inches
Configuration	Limitations
Manufactured housing	Manufactured building permits are issued for unlimited number of movements of a manufactured building or manufactured building component. The manufactured building must be part of an overdimensional vehicle with legal weight, length, and height
Steel or aluminum coil	3 or fewer steel or aluminum coils on a vehicle • Total vehicle weight not exceeding 120,000 lbs
Continuing 90-day	The applicant must provide the estimated number of movements
Continuing Annual Permits
Configuration	Limitation
Construction equipment	Issued for repeated movements of the same vehicle, including trailer and/or equipment or machinery • Width: not to exceed 12' • Legal weight, length, and height
Farm equipment	Issued for the unlimited number of movements of farm machinery and equipment to or from a farm or between two farm implement dealers • Width: not to exceed 14' • Legal weight, length, and height
Marina	Allows unlimited number of movements of boats to and from a point of storage, repair, or launch • Width: 14' maximum • Height: 14' 6" maximum • Load length: 65' maximum • Overall length: 75' maximum
Boats	Blanket permits are issued for repeated movements of the same vehicle • Width: not to exceed 12' • Legal weight, length, and height
Michigan legal	Issued for movement between a specified point in Williams, Fulton, or Lucas Counties in Ohio and the Michigan border or prescribed routes • Not to exceed 154,000lbs with sufficient axles
Sealed containerized cargo	Units that are part of international trade and moved on the highways due to exportation to another country • Vehicles must have a minimum of 5 full-time load-bearing axles, an outer bridge length of 51' or more, and an inner bridge length of 36' or more • GVW: 94,000 lbs • Single axle: 29,000 lbs • Tandems: 42,000 lbs • Tridem or quad axle group: 60,000 lbs • Legal width, length, and height

Signs

General sign requirement	All over dimension vehicles, when their overall height exceeds legal maximum, length exceeds legal maximum, and width meets or exceeds 10' must display signs on the front and rear.
Escort sign requirement	Escort vehicles, when required by a permit to accompany an overdimensional or overweight vehicle or vehicle/load, must display a warning sign. Mounted on either the roof or the front (leading escort) and rear (trailing escort) of all vehicles escorting an oversize or overweight load.
	Type	Size	Lettering	Background
General signs	OVERSIZE LOAD	7' x 18"	Black, 10" high with 1.41" wide brushstroke	Yellow
Escort signs	OVERSIZE LOAD	5' x 12"	Black, 8" high	Yellow

Lights

General light requirements	All standard vehicle lighting must be in operating order; the head lights must be on during the movement of any overdimension vehicle or vehicle or load. Clearance and side marker lights, in addition to the standard lights, need not mark the extremities of an oversize load.
Escort light requirements	Warning lights required.
	Type	Placement
General light type and placement	Mix of amber and red lighting	Specific to the vehicle, load, and overhangs
Escort light type and placement	At least 1 amber light or flashing amber light bar	Roof mounted of such intensity as to be clearly seen at a minimum distance of 1,000' in normal daylight

Flags

	Type	Size	Placement
General Flags	Red or orange	18" square	Flags need to be displayed on all four corners of all overwidth vehicles or loads and at the extreme ends of all protrusions, projections, or overhangs.
Escort Flags	NS	NS	NS

Escort vehicle markings

Size	Placement	Content
8" x 12"	Both sides of the escort vehicle	Required for multi-state permits: Company name, or owner, or driver, and telephone number

Escort/Flagperson requirements

Private escorts or police escort vehicles may be required at the discretion of and as prescribed by the director. If the director determines that escort service is necessary, this requirement will be specified in the permit. Permittees may elect to utilize escorts but must advise the director of such election in advance and conform to the escort conditions prescribed by the director and the financial responsibility provisions.

Escorts, when required, must be used as follows:

Condition	Escort Requirement
Overall length exceeds 90 ft	One rear escort vehicle
Overall width exceeds 13 ft	One lead escort vehicle One rear escort on multi-lane highways
Overall height exceeds 14 ft 6 in	One lead escort vehicle with a height sensing device
Overall width exceed 14 ft 6 in. OR height exceeds 14 ft 10 in	One lead and one rear escort
More than one of the conditions set forth in the four conditions above	Two escorts, one lead and one rear (for example, a load exceeding 13 ft in width and 90 ft in length)

Front and rear escort vehicles must maintain a safe operating distance consistent with existing traffic conditions.

Flagpersons

The escort vehicle operator is to act as a flagperson when needed. If the director determines that flags and/or flagpersons are necessary, the requirements will be specified on the permit.

A flagperson must be equipped with a flag and a bright lime green or orange upper outer garment, such as a safety vest. The person must be familiar with proper flagging procedures and be responsible for directing traffic, through proper use of the flag and hand signals as described in the Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, at all locations where traffic may be obstructed, at all danger points such as narrow bridges, or when necessary to encroach upon an oncoming traffic lane due to breakdown, pulling on or off the pavement, or other similar reasons.

Escort car/company requirements

Escort vehicle operators are required to maintain radio communication with the operator of the permitted vehicle

Escort car signs, flags, and lights

The escort vehicle is required to be equipped with a roof mounted amber flashing or rotating light(s).

Escorts, when required by permit, must display a yellow OVERSIZE LOAD warning sign at least five feet long by 12 inches high with eight-inch high black lettering.

Travel restrictions

Daytime	Unless otherwise provided in the permit no movements, except emergency movements, can be made at night (between the hours of sunset to sunrise).
Weekend	Permitted vehicles or loads may move Sunday through Saturday from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset (with some exception).
Holidays	No movements from noon the day preceding until sunrise the day following all national holidays and national holiday weekends: • New Year’s Day • Good Friday/Easter weekends • Memorial Day • Independence Day • Labor Day • Thanksgiving Day • Christmas Day
Visibility	No movements under permits can be made during adverse weather and/or road conditions, such as storms, slippery or snow-covered roads, thick fog or other conditions restricting visibility.

['Size and Weight Limits']

['Oversize and Overweight Movements']

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Oversize and overweight movements - Ohio