Massachusetts oversize permit requirements
Massachusetts splits its loads into two groups and treats them very differently. A load under twelve feet wide and under fourteen feet high may travel from one minute past midnight on Monday straight through to noon on Saturday, and again from midnight to noon on Sunday — effectively continuous running for five and a half days. Very few states in the north-east offer anything like it.
Cross either threshold and the picture reverses. A load between twelve and fourteen feet wide, over thirteen feet eleven high, or over eighty feet long — to a ceiling of a hundred and fourteen feet — is confined to sunrise to sunset Monday to Friday, with the peaks blacked out from seven to nine in the morning and half past three to seven in the evening. That evening blackout runs three and a half hours, longer than most states, and it turns a working day into a short one.
Boston narrows further: I-95 and I-93 in the metro are open to oversize movement only between half past nine in the morning and half past three in the afternoon. Routine permits reach a hundred and fifteen feet of length with fourteen feet eleven of width and height, and a height survey is triggered as low as thirteen feet eight. The financial cliff is at a hundred and thirty thousand pounds: above it the state requires a structural engineering survey that runs to several thousand dollars, which belongs in the quote rather than in a later conversation. The legal tridem allowance is thirty-six thousand pounds, one of the lowest in the region.
Legal dimensions
At or under these figures, no oversize permit is required in Massachusetts.
- Width
- 8′6″
- Height
- 13′6″
- Gross weight
- 80,000 lb
- Single axle
- 24,000 lb on designated highways, 22,400 lb elsewhere
- Tandem
- 34,000 lb
- Tridem
- 36,000 lb
Routine permit limits
Above legal dimensions and up to these figures, Massachusetts issues a permit as routine business. Beyond them the load becomes a superload, reviewed case by case.
- Length
- 115′
- Width
- 14′11″
- Height
- 14′11″ — a height survey is required above 13′8″
- Gross
- 130,000 lb; above this a structural engineering survey is required
Escort requirements
A load reaching any of these figures needs an escort in Massachusetts — the figure is the first size that requires one, so a load measuring exactly this much already needs it.
- Width
- 12′1″
- Height
- 13′8″
- Length
- 90′1″
When the load may move
Permit validity. Permits are valid for five travel days and must be obtained before entering the state.
Operating time. A load under 12′ wide and under 14′ high may travel from 12:01 AM Monday until noon Saturday, and from 12:01 AM until noon on Sunday. A load 12′ to 14′ wide, over 13′11″ high or over 80′ long — to a maximum of 114′ — runs sunrise to sunset, Monday to Friday, with no movement 7–9 AM or 3:30–7 PM.
Restricted travel. No travel on major holidays and some holiday weekends. I-95 and I-93 in the Boston area are open to oversize movement only between 9:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
Worth knowing
- A load under 12′ wide and 14′ high runs almost continuously — 12:01 AM Monday to noon Saturday — which is unusual for the north-east.
- The evening blackout for larger loads runs 3:30 to 7 PM, three and a half hours, longer than most states.
- I-95 and I-93 in Boston are open only between 9:30 AM and 3:30 PM.
- Above 130,000 lb the required structural engineering survey costs several thousand dollars — quote it up front.
- The legal tridem allowance of 36,000 lb is one of the lowest in the region.
- Superload width is capped at 16′.
Massachusetts permits, answered
Can an oversize load travel at night in Massachusetts?
Under 12′ wide and 14′ high, yes — from 12:01 AM Monday straight through to noon Saturday, and again Sunday morning. Above either threshold it is sunrise to sunset, weekdays only.
When can a wide load use I-93 or I-95 in Boston?
Between 9:30 AM and 3:30 PM. Outside that window the Boston Interstates are closed to oversize movement.
What happens above 130,000 pounds in Massachusetts?
A structural engineering survey is required, and it costs several thousand dollars. It belongs in the quote rather than in a conversation after the fact.
When does Massachusetts require a height survey?
Above 13′8″ — barely two inches over the national legal height, and lower than almost any neighbouring state.
How long can a load be on a Massachusetts permit?
115′ on a routine permit. Loads over 80′ also fall into the restricted travel group, to a ceiling of 114′ under the weekday rules.
Crossing more than Massachusetts?
A permit is per state. If the route leaves Massachusetts, these are the states it most likely enters.
Get a permit quote for Massachusetts
Enter the load once and the estimator prices every state on the route, flags where an escort is required, and turns the quote into an order.
Price a permit for Massachusetts →Compiled from published state DOT sources. Regulations change — confirm the current rules before dispatch. Last reviewed 2026-07-30.