Ohio permits
Ohio Oversize Permit Rules
Legal limits, escorts, height poles, overhead clearances, travel times and holiday rules for oversize and overweight loads in Ohio, each checked against ODOT.
Last checked: Oct 1, 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.
- Legal size
- 8'6"W, 13'6"H, 80,000 lbs
- Two escorts
- Over 14'6"W or over 14'10"H
- Hours
- Daylight only for oversize loads
Hauling through other states? Use our permit map and route planner
Open the route plannerODOT permits
How Ohio sizes up a heavy load
ODOT issues special hauling permits for Ohio state highways. Our home base is in Dayton, so Ohio is where a lot of our loads start or finish. These are the numbers we plan every Ohio 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 Ohio rules and every other state on your route, each with its official source.
Ohio limits
Ohio legal limits and permit thresholds
Over any legal limit, the load needs a ODOT permit.
Ohio legal size, weight and permits
Official sources linked| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Legal width | 8'6"W (ODOT form OS 8, legal dimension and weight limits, Ohio Revised Code 5577.05) |
| Legal height | 13'6"H (ODOT form OS 8, legal dimension and weight limits, Ohio Revised Code 5577.05) |
| Legal length | 53' semitrailer (ODOT form OS 8, legal dimension and weight limits, Ohio Revised Code 5577.05) |
| Legal weight | 80,000 lbs gross (ODOT form OS 8, legal dimension and weight limits) |
| Permit needed | Over any legal width, height, length or weight: an ODOT special hauling permit (ODOT form OS 8, legal dimension and weight limits, ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions) |
Escorts
Ohio escort requirements
Escort counts by width, height and length, and when police escorts come in.
Ohio escorts by load size
Official sources linked| Load | Escorts |
|---|---|
| Over 90'L | 1 rear escort (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions) |
| Over 13'W | 1 lead escort (rear escort on multi lane highways) (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions) |
| Over 14'6"W | 1 lead and 1 rear escort (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions) |
| Over 14'6"H | 1 lead escort with a height sensing device (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions) |
| Over 14'10"H | 1 lead and 1 rear escort (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions) |
| More than one of the length, width and height conditions | 1 lead and 1 rear escort (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions) |
| Police escorts | ODOT may require them at its discretion; when it does, the permit says so (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions, Ohio Administrative Code rule 5501:2 1 04) |
Ohio does not set a fixed width or height for police escorts in its permit provisions. ODOT decides case by case and writes it on the permit.
Height and routes
Height poles and route surveys
What ODOT asks of tall and wide loads.
Height sensing device
Over 14'6"H, the lead escort carries a height sensing device. (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions)
Overhead clearance
Over 14'10"H, the move must be coordinated with the owners of overhead signs, signals and utilities on the route. (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions)
Route survey
ODOT's permit provisions set no fixed route survey height. Over 14'10"H, the overhead clearance rule above applies. (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions)
Travel times
Travel hours, nights, weekends and holidays
When a permitted load may move in Ohio.
Hours
Oversize loads move in daylight only, one half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset, Sunday through Saturday. Overweight only loads within legal size have no hour or day limits if they don't hold up traffic. (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions, Ohio Administrative Code rule 5501:2 1 04)
Nights
No night moves for oversize loads unless ODOT allows it on the permit. (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions, Ohio Administrative Code rule 5501:2 1 04)
Weekends
Over 12'W: stop at 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and at 3 p.m. on Friday from April 1 through November 30, until one half hour before sunrise the next day. (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions)
Rush hours
Over 12'W: no movement 6:30 to 9:00 a.m. or 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, in Butler, Clermont, Cuyahoga, Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Geauga, Hamilton, Lake, Licking, Lorain, Lucas, Madison, Mahoning, Medina, Montgomery, Pickaway, Stark, Summit, Union, Warren and Wood counties. (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions)
Holidays
No movement from noon the day before until one half hour before sunrise the day after New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, or the holiday weekend. Overweight only loads within legal size are exempt. (ODOT form OS 1A, permit limitations and provisions, Ohio Administrative Code rule 5501:2 1 04)
Superloads
Ohio superload
ODOT's superload definition sits on an ODOT web page that would not load when we checked on Oct 1, 2026, so we don't list a threshold here. Call us or check with ODOT before planning an Ohio superload. (ODOT Special Hauling Permits system)
See how we plan the biggest loads on our Superload Transport page.
Our moves
Heavy loads we have moved
150,000 lb transformer
A 150,000 lb transformer from Pocatello, ID to Akron, OH.
Read the move →160,000 lb power transformer
A 160,000 lb power transformer delivered to Obetz, OH.
Read the move →Moving a load in Ohio?
Send the dimensions and weight. We file the ODOT permit and plan the escorts.
Request a quote →See every move on our Moves page.
Sources
Official Ohio sources
Every rule on this page is taken from the ODOT pages and rule text below and confirmed by a second source. Rules change, and the permit itself always decides. Last checked: Oct 1, 2026.
Questions
Ohio permit questions
What are the legal size and weight limits in Ohio?
8'6"W, 13'6"H, a 53' semitrailer and 80,000 lbs gross. Anything bigger or heavier needs an ODOT special hauling permit.
When does Ohio require escorts?
Over 90'L: 1 rear escort. Over 13'W: 1 lead escort, or a rear escort on multi lane highways. Over 14'6"H: 1 lead escort with a height sensing device. Over 14'6"W or over 14'10"H: 1 lead and 1 rear. A load over more than one of the length, width and height limits also needs 1 lead and 1 rear.
When are police escorts required in Ohio?
ODOT decides at its discretion and writes any police escort requirement on the permit. Ohio's permit provisions do not set a fixed width or height for it.
Does Ohio require a height pole?
Yes. Over 14'6"H the lead escort carries a height sensing device, and over 14'10"H the move must be coordinated with the owners of overhead signs, signals and utilities.
Can oversize loads move at night in Ohio?
No. Oversize loads move from one half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset unless the permit says otherwise. Overweight only loads within legal size have no hour limits.
Can oversize loads move on weekends in Ohio?
Yes, in daylight. Over 12'W, loads stop at 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and at 3 p.m. on Friday from April 1 through November 30.
What are the Ohio rush hour restrictions?
Over 12'W, no movement 6:30 to 9:00 a.m. or 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, in 22 counties, including Montgomery, Hamilton, Franklin and Cuyahoga.
Are there holiday restrictions for oversize loads in Ohio?
Yes. No movement from noon the day before until one half hour before sunrise the day after New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, or the holiday weekend.
Keep planning
More for your Ohio 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 Ohio 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.