Washington permits
Washington Oversize Permit Rules
Route surveys, superloads, height poles, legal limits, escorts, Seattle and Tacoma curfews, travel hours and holidays for oversize and overweight loads in Washington, each checked against WSDOT and the Washington Administrative Code.
Last checked: Oct 5, 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.
- Height pole
- Over 14'6"H
- Escorts start
- Over 11'W or 14'W
- Legal size
- 8'6"W, 14'H
Hauling through other states? Use our permit map and route planner
Open the route plannerWSDOT permits
How Washington sizes up a heavy load
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) issues oversize and overweight permits under WAC chapter 468 38 and RCW 46.44. These are the numbers we plan every Washington 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 Washington rules and every other state on your route, each with its official source.
Washington limits
Washington legal limits and permit thresholds
Over any legal limit, the load needs a WSDOT permit before it moves.
Washington legal size, weight and permits
Official sources linked| Rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| Route survey | WSDOT publishes no size trigger for a route survey. For a superload (over 16'W, over 16'H, a trailing unit plus load over 125'L, or over 200,000 lbs) the applicant proposes a route it knows is adequate, and WSDOT analyzes bridges and pavement (WSDOT Superloads, WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39) |
| Height pole | Over 14'6"H, one front pilot or escort carries a height measuring pole on all highways (WAC chapter 468 38 (WSDOT special permits), WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39) |
| Legal width | 8'6"W (RCW 46.44.010 (width), WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39) |
| Legal height | 14'H (RCW 46.44.020 (height), WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39) |
| Legal length | 53' semitrailer in a tractor semitrailer combination (WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39, WAC chapter 468 38 (WSDOT special permits)) |
| Legal weight | 80,000 lbs on the Interstate; higher by the RCW 46.44.041 axle table on other highways (WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39, WAC chapter 468 38 (WSDOT special permits)) |
Escorts
Washington escort requirements
Washington sets escorts by width, length, height and road type under WAC 468 38.
Washington escorts by load size
Official sources linked| Load | Escorts |
|---|---|
| Over 11'W on a two lane highway | One front and one rear pilot or escort (WAC chapter 468 38 (WSDOT special permits), WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39) |
| Over 14'W on a multilane highway | One rear pilot or escort (WAC chapter 468 38 (WSDOT special permits), WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39) |
| Over 14'6"H | One front pilot or escort with a height pole on all highways (WAC chapter 468 38 (WSDOT special permits), WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39) |
| Over 12'W on a multilane highway with height over 14'6"H | Add one rear pilot or escort (WAC chapter 468 38 (WSDOT special permits), WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39) |
| Trailer length with load over 105' on a two lane highway | One rear pilot or escort (WAC chapter 468 38 (WSDOT special permits), WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39) |
Escort rules come from WAC chapter 468 38 and the WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide. The permit lists the escorts for each load. (WAC chapter 468 38 (WSDOT special permits), WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39)
Height and routes
Route surveys, tall loads and superloads
What Washington asks of the tallest and biggest loads.
Route survey
No published size trigger. Superloads need a proposed route that WSDOT analyzes for bridges and pavement. (WSDOT Superloads, WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39)
Height pole
Over 14'6"H, one front pilot or escort with a height measuring pole. (WAC chapter 468 38 (WSDOT special permits), WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39)
Superloads
Over 16'W, over 16'H, a trailing unit plus load over 125'L, or over 200,000 lbs. Apply 30 days ahead for loads over 200,000 lbs, or 7 days ahead for size only superloads. (WSDOT Superloads, WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39)
Travel times
Travel hours, nights, weekends and holidays
When a permitted load may move in Washington.
Hours
Daylight, from one half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset, unless the permit says night movement approved. (WAC chapter 468 38 (WSDOT special permits), WSDOT Form 560 002, Special Motor Vehicle Permit Regulations and Conditions (rev. 07/2023))
Seattle and Everett
Weekday morning and afternoon closures on listed I 5, I 405, I 90 and SR segments for signed oversize loads. Over width only loads up to 10'W (9'W on some segments) are exempt. (WSDOT Form 560 002, Special Motor Vehicle Permit Regulations and Conditions (rev. 07/2023), WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39)
Tacoma
Weekday closures on listed I 5, SR 16 and SR 512 segments. Over width only loads up to 10'W are exempt. (WSDOT Form 560 002, Special Motor Vehicle Permit Regulations and Conditions (rev. 07/2023), WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39)
Holidays
May be restricted on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and Christmas, starting at noon the day before. (WAC chapter 468 38 (WSDOT special permits), WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39)
Weather
No moves when visibility is 1,000' or less. (WAC chapter 468 38 (WSDOT special permits), WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39)
Superloads
Washington superloads
A Washington superload is a non divisible load over 16'W, over 16'H, a trailing unit plus load over 125'L, or over 200,000 lbs. (WSDOT Superloads, WSDOT Commercial Vehicle Guide M 30 39)
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 →207,000 lb dryer drum
A 207,000 lb dryer drum from Louisville, KY to Richmond, VA.
Read the move →Moving a load in Washington?
Send the dimensions and weight. We file the Washington permit and book the escorts.
Request a quote →See every move on our Moves page.
Sources
Official Washington sources
Every rule on this page is taken from the WSDOT 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 5, 2026.
Questions
Washington permit questions
Does Washington require a route survey?
WSDOT publishes no size trigger for a route survey. For a superload the applicant proposes a route it knows is adequate, and WSDOT analyzes bridges and pavement.
When does a tall Washington load need a height pole?
Over 14'6"H, one front pilot or escort carries a height measuring pole on all highways.
What are the legal size limits in Washington?
8'6"W and 14'H, with a 53' semitrailer in a tractor semitrailer combination.
When does Washington require escorts for width?
Over 11'W on a two lane highway, front and rear. Over 14'W on a multilane highway, one rear.
What is a superload in Washington?
Over 16'W, over 16'H, a trailing unit plus load over 125'L, or over 200,000 lbs.
Which holidays may stop oversize loads in Washington?
New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and Christmas, starting at noon the day before.
Keep planning
More for your Washington 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 Washington 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.