Maine permits
Maine Oversize Permit Rules
Legal limits, pilot cars, police escorts, travel hours, holidays, the Maine Turnpike limits and extreme loads for oversize and overweight loads in Maine, each checked against the Maine BMV pages and the Maine overlimit rules.
Last checked: Oct 19, 2026
This page is general information only, not legal advice and not a permit. Rules change often and each state's permit and official rules are the final word. Always confirm limits, escorts, routes and travel times with the state permit office before moving a load. Reliable Transport LLC is not responsible for decisions made using this information.
- Pilot cars start
- Over 12'W or 80'L
- Police escort
- 16'W or 125'L
- Turnpike limits
- 14'6"W, 13'6"H
Hauling through other states? Use our permit map and route planner
Open the route plannerMaine BMV permits
How Maine sizes up a heavy load
In Maine, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) issues overlimit permits through MoveMEMaine and its permit office, under 29-A M.R.S. s. 2382 and the Maine overlimit rules in 29-250 CMR ch. 157, with engineering reviews by the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT). These are the numbers we plan every Maine load with. Run your exact load and route through our permit tool to see every state on the trip.
Check your load
Enter your width, height, length and weight in our permit tool to see the rules for every state on your route, each with its official source.
Maine limits
Maine legal limits and permit thresholds
Over any legal limit, the load needs a BMV overlimit permit before it moves.
Maine legal size, weight and permits
Official sources linked| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Legal width | 8'6"W (29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 12, 29-A M.R.S. s. 2380) |
| Legal height | 13'6"H for the vehicle; the load may reach 14'H, but not on the Maine Turnpike (29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 12, Maine BMV 2026 holiday letter) |
| Legal gross weight | 80,000 lbs on a 5 axle combination, 100,000 lbs on a 6 axle combination (29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 12, 29-A M.R.S. s. 2354) |
| Maine Turnpike | 13'6"H and 14'6"W, with a separate Turnpike permit (Maine BMV 2026 holiday letter, Maine Turnpike Authority overlimit permits) |
| Extreme loads | Above the BMV permit weight table, for example over 140,000 lbs on a 6 axle tractor semitrailer; may need a MaineDOT engineering review (29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 12, 29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 8) |
Escorts
Maine escort requirements
Maine sets pilot cars and police escorts by width, length and rear overhang.
Maine escorts by load size
Official sources linked| Load | Escorts |
|---|---|
| Over 12'W | One pilot car (Maine BMV overlimit permits, 29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 16) |
| Over 80'L | One pilot car (Maine BMV overlimit permits, 29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 16) |
| Rear overhang over 5' | Pilot car required (Maine BMV overlimit permits, 29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 16) |
| 16'W or more | At least one police escort plus a pilot car (29-A M.R.S. s. 2382, 29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 16, 29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 17) |
| 125'L or more | At least one police escort plus a pilot car (29-A M.R.S. s. 2382, 29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 16, 29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 17) |
Pilot car rules come from 29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 16, and the police escort rule from 29-A M.R.S. s. 2382. A single pilot car follows on divided highways and leads on undivided highways. The permit lists the pilot cars and escorts for each move and overrides the general table. (29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 16, 29-A M.R.S. s. 2382, Maine BMV overlimit permits)
Height and routes
Route surveys, tall loads and utilities
What Maine asks of the tallest loads.
Legal height
13'6"H for the vehicle; the load may reach 14'H, but not on the Maine Turnpike. (29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 12, Maine BMV 2026 holiday letter)
Maine Turnpike
The Turnpike limits loads to 13'6"H and 14'6"W. (Maine BMV 2026 holiday letter, Maine Turnpike Authority overlimit permits)
Travel times
Travel hours, nights, weekends and holidays
When a permitted load may move in Maine.
Hours
Daylight, from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. (29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 1, Maine BMV overlimit permits)
Days
From April 22 to November 18, Monday through Friday and Saturday until noon. From June 3 to August 26, Saturday travel on I 95 ends at 9 a.m. (29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 8, Maine BMV 2026 holiday letter)
Holidays
No overlimit travel on legal holidays or holiday weekends. (29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 8, Maine BMV 2026 holiday letter, Maine BMV overlimit permits)
Superloads
Maine superloads
Maine calls loads above its permit weight table extreme loads, for example over 140,000 lbs on a 6 axle tractor semitrailer or over 177,000 lbs on an 8 axle tractor semitrailer. They may need a detailed engineering review by MaineDOT, so allow at least two to five business days for it. (29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 12, 29-250 CMR ch. 157, s. 8)
See how we plan the biggest loads on our Superload Transport page.
Our moves
Heavy loads we have moved
207,000 lb dryer drum
A 207,000 lb dryer drum from Louisville, KY to Richmond, VA.
Read the move →110,000 lb switchgear building
A switchgear building of 110,000 lbs, from Houston, TX to Los Angeles, CA.
Read the move →150,000 lb transformer
A 150,000 lb transformer from Pocatello, ID to Akron, OH.
Read the move →Moving a load in Maine?
Send the dimensions and weight. We file the Maine permit and book the escorts.
Request a quote →See every move on our Moves page.
Sources
Official Maine sources
Every rule on this page is taken from the official rule text below and confirmed by a second source. Rules we could not confirm twice are left off this page. Rules change, and the permit itself always decides. Last checked: Oct 19, 2026.
Questions
Maine permit questions
What are the legal size and weight limits in Maine?
8'6"W and 13'6"H, and 80,000 lbs on a 5 axle combination or 100,000 lbs on a 6 axle combination.
When does Maine require pilot cars?
Over 12'W, over 80'L, or with more than 5' of rear overhang.
When is a police escort needed in Maine?
At 16'W or more, or 125'L or more.
When can oversize loads move in Maine?
In daylight, from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. From April 22 to November 18, Monday through Friday and Saturday until noon. No overlimit travel on legal holidays or holiday weekends.
What are the Maine Turnpike limits?
13'6"H and 14'6"W, with a separate Turnpike permit on top of the BMV permit.
Keep planning
More for your Maine move
Permit rules in other states
Hauling through other states? Use our permit map and route planner
Open the route plannerReliable Transport LLC | Reliable Heavy Haul
Ready to move it?
We haul oversize and overweight loads across the USA and Canada from our home base at 7660 W Third St, Dayton, OH 45417. Send your load details and we will plan the Maine permit, route and escorts.
This page is general information only, not legal advice and not a permit. Rules change often and each state's permit and official rules are the final word. Always confirm limits, escorts, routes and travel times with the state permit office before moving a load. Reliable Transport LLC is not responsible for decisions made using this information.