Colorado oversize load permits
Colorado is one of only two states — with Nebraska — that allow 14'6" unpermitted. Almost everywhere else the same load needs a permit.
Colorado permit requirements
The same seven sections for every state, so two states can be compared without re-learning the layout.
Permit required above
Exceed any one of these in Colorado and the load needs a permit. No overall cap on a normal tractor-semitrailer — a trailer of 57'4" or less is exempt from the 70' limit, so the 57'4" trailer row is the trigger. The statute caps a laden semi at 75' overall, but CDOT applies the exemption to laden rigs too. Permigo files it for a flat $20, with the state's own fee billed at cost.
Front and rear overhang are capped separately, not combined. Exceed either and Colorado requires a permit.
Filed from Houston, TX. A permit agent answers +1 (786) 494-6912, 7am–7pm CT, 7 days; no card needed for a quote.
Axle limits
Escorts by road type
Police escort at the state’s discretion.
Superload above
Allow about 5 business days for review.
Movement windows
| Load | Window |
|---|---|
| Night by width | ≤12': flashing lights front+rear · >12'–14': night pilot · >14': darkness prohibited without Chapter 6 |
| Metro curfews | Denver 6–9 a.m./3–6 p.m. · Colo. Springs & Pueblo 7–9/4–6 M–F · SH 82 · Central City 3–11 a.m. only — OW-only ≤110k exempt |
| I-70 Morrison–West Vail | seasonal directional windows (winter WB Fri 3–8 p.m. + Sat/Sun 7–noon; EB Sat/Sun 3–9 p.m.; summer variants) |
| Eisenhower–Johnson Tunnels | >11' wide: stop for tunnel-superintendent clearance; >13'11" high prohibited |
| 3 summer holidays | Memorial/Independence/Labor Day: no travel 6 a.m.–9 p.m. + preceding Friday noon–9 p.m.; New Year's/Thanksgiving/Christmas not restricted (LVCs only) |
| Weather | oversize holds under 1,000' visibility; OW-only ≤200k may chain and continue |
Travel restrictions
Other published tables
CDOT map colors — width escort thresholds
| Map color | 1 pilot | 2 escorts (pilot + pilot/light) | Chapter 6 required |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red | no oversize travel — over 8'6" takes a Chapter 6 Special permit | ||
| Blue | >8'6" (front) | >11' (front + rear) | >13' |
| Yellow | >11' (front) | >13' (front + rear pilot or flashing yellow light) | >15' |
| Green — 2-lane | >13' (front) | >15' (front + rear pilot or flashing yellow light) | >17' |
| Green — 4-lane | >13' (rear pilot or flashing yellow light) | >17' | |
| White | >15' (rear pilot or flashing yellow light) | >17' |
Primary source: Colorado Freight — permitting information ↗
Every figure on this page was checked against it on August 4, 2026.
Get Colorado priced and filed
Send the route and a permit agent calls you back with Colorado’s fee, any other state on the way, and one total. Filed from Houston, TX; we answer +1 (786) 494-6912, 7am–7pm CT, 7 days.
Already know the load? Start an order in FleetLynk, the filing app behind Permigo — or send the form and we set it up for you.
States that border Colorado
Limits change at the line. One order covers every state on your route.
Colorado oversize permits, answered
Do I need an oversize permit in Colorado?
You need a permit in Colorado once the load exceeds any one of these: 8'6" wide, 14'6" high, or 80,000 lb gross. There is no overall length cap on a normal tractor-semitrailer — the trailer itself is capped at 57'4" instead. Axle limits apply too — 20,000 lb on a single axle and 36,000 lb on a tandem.
When does Colorado require an escort?
Colorado requires no escort below 12' wide. Above that the requirement depends on the road type as well as the dimension, which is why the same load can need a front escort on a two-lane and a rear escort on a multilane.
Can I move an oversize load at night in Colorado?
Daylight only above 14' wide. There is no general weekend blackout. Holiday movement is restricted.
What counts as a superload in Colorado?
A load over 500,000 lb is handled as a superload in Colorado. Allow about 5 business days for review.
How much does a Colorado oversize permit cost?
Permigo charges a flat $20 service fee per state permit. Colorado's own permit fee is billed at cost on the same invoice, itemised, with nothing added. Call +1 (786) 494-6912 and we will price your exact route.
What happens if I move without a Colorado permit?
Moving above Colorado's limits without a permit is a violation, not a paperwork gap. The load can be stopped at a scale or by a trooper and held until a permit is issued, the fine is set by Colorado and the citing officer, and a pattern of violations follows the carrier's safety record. If you are not sure the load needs one, when you need an oversize permit walks through the triggers.
Which kind of Colorado permit do I need?
Most moves take a single-trip permit: one load, one route, a set number of days. Many states also sell annual or blanket permits for loads that stay within routine dimensions; whether Colorado does, and for which loads, is on the state's own permit page. A superload is permitted separately and reviewed by the state — the thresholds are in the answer above. Permigo files whichever kind the load needs at the same $20 flat fee; what Colorado itself charges is on the cost guide.
Is a Colorado oversize permit the same as a Colorado truck permit?
No. A "truck permit" usually means the paperwork a truck needs to cross Colorado at all — a trip permit, a fuel permit (IFTA) or IRP plates — which the state's motor-carrier office issues. An oversize or overweight permit covers one load that exceeds Colorado's legal size or weight, and that is what Permigo files.
Also useful: when you need a permit, pilot car requirements by state, and the interactive map of all 48 states.
Moving through Colorado?
$20 flat per state permit, the state's fee at cost. A permit agent answers, 7am–7pm CT.