West Virginia oversize load permits
West Virginia 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.
West Virginia 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 West Virginia and the load needs a permit. No overall cap on the Interstate or the National Network — the 53' trailer is the trigger, and the tractor rear axle to trailer first axle span cannot exceed 37'. A single unit caps at 40' including bumpers. On US, WV and County routes the combination caps at 70' overall, and Local Service routes cap gross weight at 65,000 lb. 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 West Virginia 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. A pole or extendable trailer may legally carry a load up to 80' long without a permit provided it is not overweight — escorts are encouraged but not required.
Superload above
Allow about 2 business days for review.
Movement windows
| Situation | Window |
|---|---|
| Base (oversize) | Sunrise → sunset ('Oversize loads are not allowed to travel from sunset to sunrise') |
| ≤14' wide | Seven days a week on all routes (weekend travel granted on request — note it on the application; Turnpike separately requested; low-impact loads excluded) |
| Over 14' wide | Monday–Friday only; the escort ladder's M–F bands (length >75' 2-lane, >95' multilane, height >15', overhang >10') carry the same days rule |
| Over 16' wide | Sunday morning until noon only |
| Overweight-only (legal dims) | 24/7 on request up to 110,000 lb Turnpike / 135,000 lb other routes (after dark: multilane; 2-lane case-by-case); above that only when an adjoining state requires night travel; mandates night/weekend/holiday permits on 4+-lane highways |
| Holidays (no travel) | Memorial Day Sat–Mon · July 4 · Labor Day Sat–Mon · Thanksgiving · Christmas · New Year's (High Travel Days list, 2024 edition); plus WVU home-game counties, State Fair US-219, Bridge Day US-19 |
| School-bus curfew | Escorted vehicles: no 2-lane travel M–F 7–9 AM + 2:30–4 PM during the school year |
| Charleston curfew | Escorted vehicles barred 7–9 AM + 4–6 PM (DST; EST = travel 9 AM–4 PM): I-64 Exits 39–85, I-77 Exits 85–106, US-119 Ruth→I-64, + 5 mi around the city |
| Weather / speed | No moves in ice/snow/fog/heavy-rain hazards; mobile homes ≤50 mph |
Travel restrictions
Other published tables
Turnpike & facilities
| Facility | Rule |
|---|---|
| WV Turnpike | State permit covers it; weekend only if ≤95' L + ≤15' total OH + ≤14'6" H + ≤110,000 lb; width 14'1"–18' Mon–Thu / 18'1"–24'6" Sun before noon / >24'7" limited (toll plazas); >16' W must clear 2'9" barriers; OW-only ≤110k 24/7 |
| Yeager Bridge | Max height 15'10" (16' at bridge center) |
| I-70 Wheeling Tunnel | No overdimensional loads; I-70 WB MP 1.23 = 14'2" |
| Low underpasses | US-11 Martinsburg RR 13'0" · US-52 Welch 13'9" · WV-16 Welch 12'11" · WV-28 Ridgeley RR 11'11" · WV-112 Oakvale 10'5" |
| I-79 SB MP 136.64 / 115.33 | Overweight loads use the left lane |
| Posted bridges | ~60 statewide, 12–40 tons (Weight & Clearance Restrictions list) |
| Event bans | WVU home games (Monongalia/Marion/Harrison/Preston) · State Fair · Bridge Day · 3 festivals (High Travel Days) |
| Blanket permits | Valid only on the Selected Routes list |
Route and vehicle classes
| Class | Limit |
|---|---|
| Single unit | 40' including front and rear bumpers |
| Doubles | 28' per trailer; triple trailers are not allowed |
| Pole or extendable trailer | May carry a load up to 80' long without a permit if it is not overweight; escorts encouraged but not required |
| Local Service routes | GVW caps at 65,000 lb (10% tolerance); width drops to 8' where lanes are under 10' wide |
Primary source: WVDOT — hauling permits ↗
Every figure on this page was checked against it on August 4, 2026.
Get West Virginia priced and filed
Send the route and a permit agent calls you back with West Virginia’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 West Virginia
Limits change at the line. One order covers every state on your route.
West Virginia oversize permits, answered
Do I need an oversize permit in West Virginia?
You need a permit in West Virginia 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 West Virginia require an escort?
West Virginia 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 West Virginia?
Daylight hours only. There is no general weekend blackout. Holiday movement is restricted.
What counts as a superload in West Virginia?
A load over 16' wide, over 120,001 lb is handled as a superload in West Virginia. Allow about 2 business days for review.
How much does a West Virginia oversize permit cost?
Permigo charges a flat $20 service fee per state permit. West Virginia'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 West Virginia permit?
Moving above West Virginia'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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia itself charges is on the cost guide.
Is a West Virginia oversize permit the same as a West Virginia truck permit?
No. A "truck permit" usually means the paperwork a truck needs to cross West Virginia 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 West Virginia'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 West Virginia?
$20 flat per state permit, the state's fee at cost. A permit agent answers, 7am–7pm CT.