Pennsylvania oversize load permits
Pennsylvania 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.
Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania and the load needs a permit. No overall cap on a tractor-semitrailer — the 53' trailer with 41' KPRA is the trigger. A trailer longer than 53' re-activates the state's 75' overall cap. 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 Pennsylvania 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 required at the thresholds marked above.
Superload above
No separate superload class published — the permit thresholds above govern.
Movement windows
| Situation | Window |
|---|---|
| Baseline (any permitted load) | Sunrise → sunset, every day of the week (Act 23 of 2014) |
| ≤10' wide and ≤135,000 lb and legal height/length | 24/7 at prevailing speeds; not in inclement weather |
| Urbanized areas | 7 days, only 3:00–7:30 AM / 9 AM–4 PM / 7 PM–sunset; Fort Pitt, Squirrel Hill & Liberty Tunnels 9 AM–4 PM only; 3 AM–sunrise moves need 1,000-ft lighting + front and rear pilots |
| Holidays: New Year's, Memorial, July 4, Labor, Thanksgiving (+day after), Christmas | Blackout from 12 noon the day before → sunrise the day after (2026 windows published by PennDOT) |
| Inclement weather | No movement: unplowed snow/ice, visibility 6" |
| PSP-escorted superloads | Start slots 9/11 AM/1 PM; ≤3 State escorts per District per day; no Saturday starts; no Sat-afternoon/Sunday/holiday travel |
| PA Turnpike (separate authority) | Memorial–Labor Day: dawn–dusk Mon–Thu, dawn–noon Fri; rest of year: dawn–dusk Mon–Fri, dawn–noon Sat; PTC holiday blackouts wider (incl. Easter) |
Travel restrictions
Other published tables
Permit axle-weight ladder
| Group | Permit max |
|---|---|
| Single axle | 27,000 lb; >27,000/axle only for superloads with bridge shoring + security |
| Tandem | 52,000 lb |
| Tridem | 63,000 lb |
| Quad | 72,000 lb |
| Wheel load | 800 lb per inch of tire width |
| Gross ceiling | 201,000 lb at 4+4 axles (= the superload line); e.g. 3+2 = 116,000/120,000 |
| Legal base | steering 20,000; adjacent axles by spacing (8' = 22.4k/22.4k); combos registered >73,280: single 20k / tandems 34k @36'+ / federal bridge formula |
Pilot cars — PennDOT cheat sheet +
| Trigger | Pilots |
|---|---|
| >90' long or >15' rear overhang | 1 — follows on all highways (may temporarily lead in sharp turns) |
| >13' wide | 1 — follows on multilane; precedes where one lane per direction; follows when police-escorted |
| >13'–14' wide and >90'–120' long | Still 1 (consolidation; position set by the department — APRAS code 3075) |
| >13' wide and >120' long | 2 — one leads, one follows |
| >14' wide and >90' long | 2 — the consolidation does not reach past 14' width |
| >14'6" high (any width) | lead pilot with height pole, 1,000–3,000 ft ahead, all highways; +24-hr utility notice; >13'W + >14'6"H = 2 (pole on lead) |
| Bridge conditions (per permit) | reduced-speed crossing: 1 follows; sole-on-bridge / multi-lane occupancy: precede and follow (two-way bridges) |
| Urbanized darkness (3 AM–sunrise) | front and rear pilots + 1,000-ft lighting |
| <40 mph on limited-access | 1 follows (urban: 9 AM–4 PM window only) |
| Superload (>201k / >160' / >16'W) | +1 Certified Escort Vehicle baseline — in addition to pilots; PSP when >18'W / >260'L / against traffic / one-lane-per-direction highways / buildings >16'W; permittee pays all costs |
Primary source: Pa. Cons. Stat. tit. 75, ch. 49 — size, weight and load ↗
Every figure on this page was checked against it on August 4, 2026.
Get Pennsylvania priced and filed
Send the route and a permit agent calls you back with Pennsylvania’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 Pennsylvania
Limits change at the line. One order covers every state on your route.
Pennsylvania oversize permits, answered
Do I need an oversize permit in Pennsylvania?
You need a permit in Pennsylvania 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. Axle limits apply too — 20,000 lb on a single axle and 34,000 lb on a tandem.
When does Pennsylvania require an escort?
Pennsylvania requires no escort below 13' 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 Pennsylvania?
Daylight only above 10' wide. There is no general weekend blackout. Holiday movement is restricted.
What counts as a superload in Pennsylvania?
A load over 16' wide, over 160' long, over 201,000 lb is handled as a superload in Pennsylvania.
How much does a Pennsylvania oversize permit cost?
Permigo charges a flat $20 service fee per state permit. Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania permit?
Moving above Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania itself charges is on the cost guide.
Is a Pennsylvania oversize permit the same as a Pennsylvania truck permit?
No. A "truck permit" usually means the paperwork a truck needs to cross Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania?
$20 flat per state permit, the state's fee at cost. A permit agent answers, 7am–7pm CT.