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Massachusetts · Oversize & Overweight

Massachusetts Oversize & Overweight Permits filed with MassDOT for you, 24/7

In Massachusetts, a load over 8 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft 6 in high or 80,000 lbs needs a permit. MassDOT Highway Division issues it for state highways; a road under another authority needs that authority's permit. On the Turnpike and Metropolitan Highway System, an irreducible-load permit covers one trip in one direction. Send us the load and route: our permit desk quotes the price and files every permit the trip needs.

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What will an oversize permit in Massachusetts 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
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Massachusetts rules

Massachusetts legal limits and permit rules

The size and weight Massachusetts allows without a permit, the pilot cars the Turnpike and tunnels ask for, and the hours a permitted load may move.

Legal limits without a permit

Width
8 ft 6 in
Height
13 ft 6 in
Gross weight
80,000 lbs
Per axle
22,400 lbs
Axles under 6 ft apart
18,000 lbs each

Escorts on the Turnpike and Metropolitan Highway System

Over 12 ft up to 13 ft 6 in wide
One rear pilot car
Over 90 ft up to 100 ft long
One rear pilot car on the Turnpike; 80–95 ft on the MHS
Over 13 ft 6 in up to 16 ft wide
Front and rear pilot cars
Over 100 ft up to 135 ft long
Front and rear pilot cars
Over 16 ft wide or 135 ft long
Two Massachusetts State Police vehicles

When you can move

State highways
Monday 12:01 a.m. to Saturday noon; Sunday 12:01 a.m. to noon
Holidays
No moves on New Year's, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas
New Year's, July 4, Christmas
No moves from noon the day before to noon the day after
Turnpike, Westborough (11A) to Boston (24)
No irreducible-load permits eastbound 7–10 a.m. or westbound 3–7 p.m.
Tunnels away from Logan
Sumner and Ted Williams closed to permit loads 7–10 a.m.
Tunnels toward Logan
Callahan and Ted Williams closed to permit loads 3–7 p.m.

Source: M.G.L. c.90 §19 and §19A, c.85 §30; 700 CMR 7 (Turnpike and Metropolitan Highway System) and 700 CMR 8; MassDOT commercial truck permits. Your permit's own conditions always apply.

Which permit you need

Massachusetts permits for oversize and overweight loads

  1. State highways

    MassDOT oversize/overweight permit

    Issued by MassDOT Highway Division's permit office in Weston for state highways. Ways under another authority need that authority's own permit.

  2. Divisible loads on five or more axles

    Annual reducible-load permit

    A year-long permit for reducible loads up to 99,000 lbs gross on five or more axles.

  3. Turnpike and Metropolitan Highway System

    Irreducible-load trip permit

    One trip in one direction, through one tunnel or between specified Turnpike interchanges.

  4. Over 13 ft 6 in high

    Special permit for height

    13 ft 6 in is the legal height and a special permit may allow more. Tunnel clearances still cap the route: Callahan and Sumner take 12 ft 6 in.

Routes and road rules

Where Massachusetts routes add their own rules

The Turnpike's Boston end and the tunnels under the city set hours, heights and cargo rules of their own.

  1. Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90)

    An irreducible-load permit covers one direction between specified interchanges. Under the Turnpike weight table, vehicles with five or more axles run up to 99,000 lbs.

    Rush hours:No irreducible-load permits between Westborough (11A) and Boston (24) eastbound 7–10 a.m. or westbound 3–7 p.m.

  2. Callahan and Sumner tunnels

    Both clear 12 ft 6 in. Sumner, heading away from Logan Airport, is closed to permit loads 7–10 a.m.; Callahan, toward Logan, 3–7 p.m.

    One tunnel per permit:A Metropolitan Highway System permit covers one trip through one tunnel.

  3. Ted Williams, O'Neill, Prudential and City Square

    These tunnels clear 13 ft 6 in. Ted Williams closes to permit loads 7–10 a.m. away from Logan and 3–7 p.m. toward it.

    Not allowed:Tandem units and double or triple saddlemounts.

  4. Hazardous materials around Boston

    A vehicle carrying any hazardous material may not use the tunnels, and through hazardous cargo is restricted from downtown Boston 6 a.m.–8 p.m.

    Plan:Route hazmat loads around the tunnels and downtown.

Massachusetts roads

Massachusetts permits by who owns the road

Who issues the permit depends on whose road the load is on: MassDOT, the Turnpike and tunnels, or a local authority.

  1. State highways

    MassDOT permits

    MassDOT Highway Division issues permits for state highways from its Weston permit office.

  2. Turnpike freight

    Interchange-to-interchange trips

    Irreducible loads get a Turnpike permit between specified interchanges, one direction per permit.

  3. Boston deliveries

    Tunnel trips

    Each Metropolitan Highway System permit covers one trip through one tunnel, with clearances of 12 ft 6 in to 13 ft 6 in.

  4. Town and city streets

    Local authority permits

    On ways not under MassDOT, the authority in charge of the road issues the permit.

How it works

Your Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts rules for your load and files with MassDOT.

  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 Massachusetts

  1. One permit per tunnel, per direction

    A Metropolitan Highway System permit covers a single trip through one tunnel. A return trip or a second tunnel means another permit, and we file each one.

  2. Holiday bans run noon to noon

    Around New Year's, July 4 and Christmas, no moves from noon the day before to noon the day after. We check your delivery dates against it before filing.

  3. Who owns the last mile

    MassDOT's permit covers state highways. If the delivery sits on a road under another authority, we flag the extra permit before you dispatch.

FAQ

Massachusetts oversize permit questions

Can a five-axle truck run over 80,000 lbs in Massachusetts?

Yes, with an annual permit for reducible loads: up to 99,000 lbs gross on five or more axles. Without a permit the limit is 80,000 lbs, with 22,400 lbs per axle.

How much does a Massachusetts oversize permit cost?

It depends on the size, weight, route and the roads' owners. 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.

Can an oversize load go through the Boston tunnels?

With a Metropolitan Highway System permit, one trip through one tunnel. Callahan and Sumner clear 12 ft 6 in; Ted Williams, O'Neill, Prudential and City Square 13 ft 6 in. Tandem units, double or triple saddlemounts and any hazardous material are kept out.

What hours are closed to permit loads on the Turnpike into Boston?

Between Westborough (Interchange 11A) and Boston (Interchange 24), no irreducible-load permits eastbound 7–10 a.m. or westbound 3–7 p.m.

At what size does a Massachusetts Turnpike load need State Police?

Wider than 16 ft or longer than 135 ft: two Massachusetts State Police vehicles. Smaller loads use pilot cars, one rear over 12 ft wide and front and rear over 13 ft 6 in.

Do Massachusetts state highways allow permit moves on Sunday?

Yes, from 12:01 a.m. to noon, as MassDOT states. Weekday moves run from 12:01 a.m. Monday to Saturday noon.

How does Route One GO get my Massachusetts permit?

Send us the truck, trailer, load dimensions, axle weights and route. Our permit desk checks the Massachusetts rules, files with MassDOT and, when the route needs it, for the Turnpike and tunnels, and sends you the permits. Requests are taken 24/7.

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Need a permit in Massachusetts for this load?

Send the details once. We file with MassDOT, plus every other state on your route.

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