Cart

Kentucky · Oversize & Overweight

Kentucky Oversize & Overweight Permits filed with KYTC for you, 24/7

In Kentucky, a load over 8 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft 6 in high or 80,000 lbs on interstates and designated highways needs a KYTC permit, and off that network the limits drop to 8 ft wide and road-class weights. Permitted loads run 24/7, with no holiday restrictions. Send us the load and route: our permit desk quotes the price and files it for you.

Request a permit

What will an oversize permit in Kentucky cost?

Enter your pickup and delivery locations, choose your permit type, and compare estimated permit costs across route options.

  1. Oversize and overweight permits across the lower 48 and DC
  2. State-by-state fee breakdown for each route option
  3. Order your permit or talk to a specialist
Calculate permit cost

Kentucky rules

Kentucky legal limits and permit rules

The size and weight Kentucky allows without a permit, on and off the designated network, when escorts are required and when a permitted load may run.

Legal limits without a permit

Width, designated network
8 ft 6 in
Width, other state roads
8 ft
Height
13 ft 6 in
Semitrailer
53 ft
Single unit / combination, other roads
45 / 65 ft
Single / tandem axle
20,000 / 34,000 lbs
Gross weight
80,000 lbs
Gross on A / AA / AAA roads
44,000 / 62,000 / 80,000 lbs

Escorts

Two-lane, over 75 ft long
Front escort
Two-lane, over 85 ft long or 12 ft wide
Front and rear escorts
Two-lane, over 14 ft 11 in high
Height pole
Four-lane, over 12 ft wide or 110 ft long
Rear escort
Four-lane, over 14 ft wide
Front and rear escorts
Four-lane, over 16 ft wide
Two front, two rear
Four-lane, over 120 ft long
One front, two rear, plus a pivot or steerable dolly
Overhang over 10 ft
Rear escort
Spacing
300 ft from the load on open highways

When you can move

Permitted loads
24 hours, seven days, unless the permit says otherwise
Holidays
No holiday restrictions
Rush hour
No moves 7–9 a.m. and 4–6 p.m. weekdays in Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Fayette and Jefferson counties
Leaving Fayette County
Exempt on I-64 and I-75 for up to 3 miles
Over 12 ft wide
Parked under a National Weather Service wind advisory
Mobile homes
Daylight, Monday to Saturday
House moves
12–5 a.m., off interstates and parkways

Source: KYTC Division of Motor Carriers — OW/OD legal dimensions, permits, escort requirements, travel provisions, FAQ and maps; 601 KAR 1:018; KRS 177.9771. Your permit's own conditions always apply.

Which permit you need

Kentucky permits for oversize and overweight loads

  1. One move

    Single-trip permit

    One move, valid 10 days. Permitted gross runs up to 96,000 lbs on 5 axles, 120,000 lbs on 6 and 160,000 lbs on 7.

  2. Unlimited moves for a year

    Annual permit

    365 days, up to 16 ft wide, in two bands: non-divisible loads under 14 ft and from 14 to 16 ft. Over 12 ft wide, the load stays on four-lane highways and the shortest, best two-lane route.

  3. Steel, aluminum and other metals

    Metal commodities permit

    Up to 120,000 lbs, annual or single trip, on KYTC's Metal Commodities Hauling Network. Scrap is not covered.

  4. Over 15 ft 6 in high

    Route survey

    A tall load needs a route survey before KYTC issues the permit, and over 14 ft 11 in on two-lane roads it runs behind a height pole.

Routes and road rules

Where Kentucky routes add their own rules

Rush-hour bans around Cincinnati, Louisville and Lexington, lower limits off the designated network, and heavier trucks on coal haul roads.

  1. Northern Kentucky (Boone, Kenton, Campbell)

    Across the river from Cincinnati, oversize loads stay off the road from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

    Plan:Cross the Cincinnati area midday or at night.

  2. Louisville, Lexington and Owensboro

    The same weekday hours apply in Jefferson and Fayette counties and on the KY 2155 bridge in Owensboro.

    Exempt:Loads leaving Fayette County, on I-64 and I-75 for up to 3 miles.

  3. Off the designated network

    Away from interstates and designated highways, legal width drops to 8 ft and gross weight follows the road class: 44,000 lbs on A roads, 62,000 on AA, 80,000 on AAA.

    Maps:KYTC publishes the NTN/STAA route map that marks the designated network.

  4. Coal haul roads

    With an extended-weight decal on a truck registered for 80,000 lbs, a 5-axle tractor-semitrailer runs up to 120,000 lbs with a 5% tolerance.

    Straight trucks:90,000 lbs on two tandems, 100,000 lbs on a tridem.

Kentucky loads

Kentucky permits for the loads Kentucky hauls

KYTC writes permits around coal, steel, farms and housing, with hauling networks of their own.

  1. Coal

    Extended-weight decal

    Heavier gross weights on coal haul roads for trucks registered for 80,000 lbs, up to 120,000 lbs on a 5-axle tractor-semitrailer.

  2. Steel

    Non-divisible steel and metal commodities

    An annual permit for non-divisible steel, and a metal commodities permit up to 120,000 lbs on its own hauling network.

  3. Farm and feed

    Farm and feed permits

    An annual farm permit, and a feed permit up to 88,000 lbs on the Feed Hauling Network, off the interstates.

  4. Housing

    Manufactured homes and house moves

    Annual permits for manufactured homes, which move in daylight Monday to Saturday. House moves stay off interstates and parkways and run only from midnight to 5 a.m.

How it works

Your Kentucky permit in three steps

  1. Send the load and route

    Truck, trailer, dimensions, weight, origin and destination. Your fleet details are saved for next time.

  2. We check and file

    Our permit desk checks the Kentucky rules for your load and files with KYTC Division of Motor Carriers.

  3. Get your permit

    You get the permit PDF, a written route and an interactive route map to share with the driver.

From our permit desk

What we check before filing in Kentucky

  1. Wind can park a wide load

    Over 12 ft wide, the load does not move while the National Weather Service has a wind advisory out. We flag the forecast for your travel days.

  2. The last miles off the network

    Pickup and delivery can sit on roads with an 8 ft width limit and road-class weights. We check the whole route, including the first and last miles.

  3. Escorts change with the road

    A 13 ft wide load needs front and rear escorts on a two-lane road but one rear escort on a four-lane. We plan escorts for every segment of the route.

FAQ

Kentucky oversize permit questions

Are permitted loads allowed to move on Kentucky holidays?

Yes. Kentucky has no holiday travel restrictions, and permitted loads run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, unless the permit says otherwise. The weekday rush-hour ban and wind advisories still apply.

How much does a Kentucky oversize permit cost?

It depends on the size, weight and route. Put your route into our permit cost calculator for an estimate, or send us the load and our permit desk quotes the exact price before filing.

What gross weight can I get on a Kentucky overweight permit?

Up to 96,000 lbs on 5 axles, 120,000 lbs on 6 axles and 160,000 lbs on 7 axles. Metal commodities run up to 120,000 lbs, and feed loads up to 88,000 lbs off the interstates.

Why are Kentucky's legal limits lower on some state roads?

Off interstates and designated highways, legal width is 8 ft, a single unit 45 ft and a combination 65 ft, and gross weight depends on the road class: 44,000 lbs on A roads, 62,000 on AA and 80,000 on AAA.

How many escorts does a long load need in Kentucky?

On two-lane roads, one in front over 75 ft and front and rear over 85 ft. On four-lane roads, a rear escort over 110 ft, and over 120 ft one front, two rear and a pivot or steerable dolly.

How heavy can a coal truck run in Kentucky?

On coal haul roads, with an extended-weight decal on a truck registered for 80,000 lbs: up to 120,000 lbs with a 5% tolerance for 5-axle tractor-semitrailers, 90,000 lbs for two-tandem trucks and 100,000 lbs for tridem trucks.

How does Route One GO get my Kentucky permit?

Send us the truck, trailer, load dimensions, axle weights and route. Our permit desk checks the Kentucky rules, files with KYTC and sends you the permit with a route map. Requests are taken 24/7.

Keep going

More on truck permits

24/7 permit desk

Need a permit in Kentucky for this load?

Send the details once. We file with KYTC Division of Motor Carriers, plus every other state on your route.

Request a permit