Maine oversize load permits
Maine allows 14'0" unpermitted, which 20 states do. The other 26 cap at 13'6" — so a 14-foot load legal here needs a permit the moment it crosses into most of them.
Maine 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 Maine and the load needs a permit. No overall cap on the National Network — the Interstates plus the US-DOT-designated US and state routes — as long as the semitrailer is 53' or under. Off the network §2390 caps the combination by trailer: 74' with a 48–53' semitrailer, 69' with a 45–48' trailer, 65' for any other combination, and 45' for a single vehicle. Tree-length logs also get 74'. Permigo files it for a flat $20, with the state's own fee billed at cost.
Maine publishes no separate overhang cap, and no statute leaves an end projection unregulated the way overall length is uncapped on the National Network — so the escort ladder’s first rung is where a permit becomes required: 5' at the rear.
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
| Axles | Gross weight |
|---|---|
| 2 axles | 34,000 lb |
| 3 axles | 54,000 lb |
| 4 axles | 69,000 lb |
| 5 axles | 80,000 lb |
Escorts by road type
Police escort required at the thresholds marked above.
Superload above
No separate superload class published — the permit thresholds above govern.
Movement windows
| Load / period | Window |
|---|---|
| Any overdimensional load | daylight: ½ hr before sunrise → ½ hr after sunset |
| Overweight-only (legal dims, keeps traffic speed) | Any time, any day |
| Apr 22 – Nov 18 | Mon–Fri daylight + Saturday until 12 PM |
| Jun 3 – Aug 26 (tourist season) | Saturdays end 9 AM on I-95 (noon elsewhere); July/Aug Sundays need MaineDOT pre-clearance |
| Holidays + holiday weekends | blocked — incl. MLK, Presidents', Patriot's Day, Juneteenth, Indigenous Peoples Day, Thanksgiving Friday |
| Night carve-outs | MSP-authorized night moves (police present); timber equipment Mar–Apr; Aroostook lowbeds Nov–May; emergency off-hour |
| Weather | no movement in poor visibility/rain/snow/ice; exit the Interstate when speeds drop to 45 mph; pull off when >7 vehicles trail |
Travel restrictions
Other published tables
No-review weight ceilings
| Configuration | Max without MaineDOT review |
|---|---|
| 2-axle vehicle | 39,100 lb |
| 3-axle vehicle | 62,100 lb |
| 4-axle truck / 4-axle SME / 4-axle TT-semi | 73,000 / 110,000 / 120,000 lb |
| 5-axle TT-semi (crane >130k = presumed extreme) | 130,000 lb |
| 6-axle TT-semi | 140,000 lb |
| 7-axle TT-semi | 159,000–167,000 lb (axle-group splits) |
| 8-axle TT-semi | 177,000 lb |
Primary source: Maine BMV — overlimit permits ↗
Every figure on this page was checked against it on August 4, 2026.
Get Maine priced and filed
Send the route and a permit agent calls you back with Maine’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 Maine
Limits change at the line. One order covers every state on your route.
Maine oversize permits, answered
Do I need an oversize permit in Maine?
You need a permit in Maine once the load exceeds any one of these: 8'6" wide, 14'0" high, or 80,000 lb gross. On the National Network there is no overall length cap so long as the semitrailer is 53' or under; off the network the combination caps at 74'. Axle limits apply too — 22,400 lb on a single axle and 38,000 lb on a tandem.
When does Maine require an escort?
Maine 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 Maine?
Daylight hours only. Weekend restrictions apply. Holiday movement is restricted.
What counts as a superload in Maine?
A load over 16' wide, over 15'0" high, over 125' long, over 160,000 lb is handled as a superload in Maine.
How much does a Maine oversize permit cost?
Permigo charges a flat $20 service fee per state permit. Maine'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 Maine permit?
Moving above Maine'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 Maine 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 Maine 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 Maine 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 Maine itself charges is on the cost guide.
Is a Maine oversize permit the same as a Maine truck permit?
No. A "truck permit" usually means the paperwork a truck needs to cross Maine 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 Maine'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 Maine?
$20 flat per state permit, the state's fee at cost. A permit agent answers, 7am–7pm CT.