New Jersey permits
New Jersey Oversize Permit Rules
Route surveys, overhead notices, legal limits, escorts, toll roads, travel hours and holiday rules for oversize and overweight loads in New Jersey, each checked against the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Last checked: Oct 2, 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.
- Route survey
- Over 16'W or 14'6"H
- Overhead notice
- Over 14'H
- Legal size
- 8'6"W, 13'6"H, 80,000 lbs
Hauling through other states? Use our permit map and route planner
Open the route plannerNJDOT permits
How New Jersey sizes up a heavy load
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) issues oversize and overweight permits through its NJ PASS online permit system. These are the numbers we plan every New Jersey 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 New Jersey rules and every other state on your route, each with its official source.
New Jersey limits
New Jersey legal limits and permit thresholds
Over any legal limit, the load needs an NJDOT single trip permit.
New Jersey legal size, weight and permits
Official sources linked| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Route survey | Over 16'W or over 14'6"H, a route survey attached to the permit application (NJDOT NJ PASS permit system, route survey requirements) |
| Overhead notice | Over 14'H, notify every utility, NJDOT and the county and municipal traffic offices that control wires, signals or bridges on the route before the move; without these notices the permit is void (N.J.A.C. 13:18, Subchapter 1 (NJDOT copy), NJDOT Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Guidebook (2024)) |
| Legal width | 8'6"W (N.J.S.A. 39:3 84 (NJDOT copy)) |
| Legal height | 13'6"H (N.J.S.A. 39:3 84 (NJDOT copy)) |
| Legal length | 53' semitrailer (N.J.S.A. 39:3 84 (NJDOT copy)) |
| Legal weight | 80,000 lbs gross (N.J.S.A. 39:3 84 (NJDOT copy)) |
| Permit | A single trip permit for each one way trip, valid for 5 days (N.J.A.C. 13:18, Subchapter 1 (NJDOT copy)) |
Escorts
New Jersey escort requirements
New Jersey sets escorts by width and length, and the lane count decides where a single escort runs.
New Jersey escorts by load size
Official sources linked| Load | Escorts |
|---|---|
| Over 14'W or over 100'L | 1 escort: in front on highways with fewer than 4 lanes, behind on highways with 4 or more lanes (N.J.A.C. 13:18, Subchapter 1 (NJDOT copy), NJDOT Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Guidebook (2024)) |
| Over 16'W or over 120'L | 2 escorts, one in front and one behind (N.J.A.C. 13:18, Subchapter 1 (NJDOT copy), NJDOT Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Guidebook (2024)) |
New Jersey sets no escort by height. Tall loads are handled by the route survey and the overhead notices above. (N.J.A.C. 13:18, Subchapter 1 (NJDOT copy), NJDOT Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Guidebook (2024), NJDOT NJ PASS permit system, route survey requirements)
Height and routes
Route surveys, overhead notices and toll roads
What New Jersey asks of tall, wide and heavy loads.
Route survey
Over 16'W or over 14'6"H, a route survey must be attached to the NJ PASS permit application. (NJDOT NJ PASS permit system, route survey requirements)
Overhead notices
Over 14'H, notify every utility, NJDOT and the county and municipal traffic offices that control overhead wires, signals or bridges on the route before the move. Without these notices the permit is void. (N.J.A.C. 13:18, Subchapter 1 (NJDOT copy), NJDOT Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Guidebook (2024))
Toll roads
The NJDOT permit is not valid on the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway or the Atlantic City Expressway. Those roads, and county and local roads, are permitted by the agencies that run them. (N.J.A.C. 13:18, Subchapter 1 (NJDOT copy), NJDOT Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Guidebook (2024), NJDOT NJ PASS permit system, route survey requirements)
Bridge review
NJDOT checks every single trip route for bridge overstress and rejects an overstressed route until the load or the route changes. (N.J.A.C. 13:18, Subchapter 1 (NJDOT copy), NJDOT Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Guidebook (2024))
Travel times
Travel hours, nights, weekends and holidays
When a permitted load may move in New Jersey.
Hours
Oversize loads move from sunrise to sunset. Night travel needs a written waiver. (N.J.A.C. 13:18, Subchapter 1 (NJDOT copy))
Overweight only
A load within legal size that is only overweight may move 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. (NJDOT Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Guidebook (2024))
Holidays
No oversize travel on New Year's Day, Memorial Day and the Friday before, Independence Day, Labor Day and the Friday before, Thanksgiving and the Wednesday before, and Christmas. A Sunday holiday also closes Monday, and a Saturday holiday also closes Friday. (N.J.A.C. 13:18, Subchapter 1 (NJDOT copy), NJDOT Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Guidebook (2024))
Weather
No oversize travel when visibility is under 500' or road conditions are hazardous. (N.J.A.C. 13:18, Subchapter 1 (NJDOT copy), NJDOT Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Guidebook (2024))
Superloads
New Jersey bridge reviews
New Jersey publishes no superload size or weight. Instead, NJDOT checks every single trip route for bridge overstress and rejects an overstressed route until the load or the route changes. (N.J.A.C. 13:18, Subchapter 1 (NJDOT copy), NJDOT Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Guidebook (2024))
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 →150,000 lb transformer
A 150,000 lb transformer from Pocatello, ID to Akron, OH.
Read the move →Moving a load in New Jersey?
Send the dimensions and weight. We file the New Jersey permit, the route survey and the overhead notices.
Request a quote →See every move on our Moves page.
Sources
Official New Jersey sources
Every rule on this page is taken from the NJDOT pages and 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 2, 2026.
Questions
New Jersey permit questions
When does a New Jersey load need a route survey?
Over 16'W or over 14'6"H. The route survey is attached to the NJ PASS permit application.
What does New Jersey require over 14'H?
Before the move, notify every utility, NJDOT and the county and municipal traffic offices that control overhead wires, signals or bridges on the route. Without these notices the permit is void.
What are the legal size and weight limits in New Jersey?
8'6"W, 13'6"H, a 53' semitrailer and 80,000 lbs gross. Anything bigger or heavier needs an NJDOT permit.
When does New Jersey require escorts?
Over 14'W or 100'L, 1 escort. Over 16'W or 120'L, 2 escorts, one in front and one behind.
Is an NJDOT permit valid on the Turnpike?
No. The New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway and the Atlantic City Expressway are permitted by the agencies that run them.
Which holidays stop oversize loads in New Jersey?
New Year's Day, Memorial Day and the Friday before, Independence Day, Labor Day and the Friday before, Thanksgiving and the Wednesday before, and Christmas.
Keep planning
More for your New Jersey 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 New Jersey 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.