Kentucky oversize load permits
Kentucky caps at 13'6", the federal baseline and the limit in 26 states. 20 states allow 14'0" and two allow 14'6", so a load that ran legally elsewhere can be over-height here.
Kentucky 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 Kentucky and the load needs a permit. No overall cap on the Interstate and designated network — the 53' trailer, measured with the load on it, is the trigger. 65' applies off the network. A trailer longer than 53' re-activates the state's 65' overall cap. Permigo files it for a flat $20, with the state's own fee billed at cost.
Kentucky publishes no general overhang limit — the trailer limit above governs, and it governs the tail as well: 603 KAR 5:070 measures the towed unit including a part of the body and load, so a rear overhang spends the 53' trailer figure. A 48' trailer gets 5'; a 53' trailer gets none, and 1' of tail needs a permit. Marking rules still apply.
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
No separate superload class published — the permit thresholds above govern.
Movement windows
| Load | Window |
|---|---|
| Any permitted load | 24 hours, 7 days — 'unless specified otherwise on the permit' |
| Holidays & weekends | Open — 'There are no holiday travel restrictions in Kentucky' |
| 5 curfew counties + Owensboro KY-2155 | no movement 7–9 a.m. / 4–6 p.m. Mon–Fri (Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Fayette, Jefferson; Fayette-origination exemption on I-64/75) |
| Manufactured / mobile homes | daylight only Mon–Sat; no Sunday travel |
| House moves | midnight–5 a.m. only; barred from interstates/parkways |
| Wind (>12' wide) | no movement under an NWS wind advisory |
Travel restrictions
Other published tables
No additional tables published for this state.
Primary source: KYTC — overweight/over-dimensional permits ↗
Every figure on this page was checked against it on August 4, 2026.
Get Kentucky priced and filed
Send the route and a permit agent calls you back with Kentucky’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 Kentucky
Limits change at the line. One order covers every state on your route.
Kentucky oversize permits, answered
Do I need an oversize permit in Kentucky?
You need a permit in Kentucky once the load exceeds any one of these: 8'6" wide, 13'6" high, or 80,000 lb gross. There is no overall length cap on a normal tractor-semitrailer — the trailer itself is capped at 53' instead, measured with any rear overhang inside it. Axle limits apply too — 20,000 lb on a single axle and 34,000 lb on a tandem.
When does Kentucky require an escort?
Kentucky 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 Kentucky?
Night travel allowed. There is no general weekend blackout. There is no holiday blackout.
What counts as a superload in Kentucky?
A load over 16' wide, over 120' long, over 160,000 lb is handled as a superload in Kentucky.
How much does a Kentucky oversize permit cost?
Permigo charges a flat $20 service fee per state permit. Kentucky'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 Kentucky permit?
Moving above Kentucky'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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky itself charges is on the cost guide.
Is a Kentucky oversize permit the same as a Kentucky truck permit?
No. A "truck permit" usually means the paperwork a truck needs to cross Kentucky 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 Kentucky'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 Kentucky?
$20 flat per state permit, the state's fee at cost. A permit agent answers, 7am–7pm CT.