Missouri oversize permit requirements
Missouri sits where the central corridor crosses itself — I-70 east to west, I-35 and I-44 fanning out from Kansas City and St. Louis — and it has more named restrictions than any of its neighbours. The permit runs seven days and must be in hand before entering the state.
The rule with no equivalent elsewhere is the tourist season. Weekend movement is restricted around the Lake of the Ozarks from the first of June to Labor Day, and around Branson from the first of June to the end of October. Five months of restricted weekends, driven by holiday traffic rather than by commuters. Alongside it sits the holiday rule, which starts earlier than most: the ban runs from noon on the day before a holiday or holiday weekend, not from midnight.
The metros close at peak — St. Louis from six thirty, Kansas City and Springfield from seven — and oversize loads may not use the Mississippi River bridges in St. Louis at all. Loads over fourteen feet wide are barred from weekend travel entirely; an overweight-only load of legal size within a hundred and twelve thousand pounds may run around the clock outside the metro and tourist areas.
Two configuration rules deserve attention because they are about equipment rather than routing. An overheight load requires a drop-deck trailer, and 1-2-2-1 axle combinations are prohibited outright — a tandem trailer running with a booster needs a tridem drive tractor. Routine permits reach a hundred and fifty feet of length, sixteen feet of width and sixteen feet of height, with some routes capped at fifteen feet seven.
Legal dimensions
At or under these figures, no oversize permit is required in Missouri.
- Width
- 8′6″
- Height
- 13′6″
- Gross weight
- 80,000 lb
- Single axle
- 20,000 lb, 22,000 lb on secondary routes
- Tandem
- 34,000 lb, 36,000 lb on secondary routes
- Tridem
- 34,000 lb at 8′ spacing, 42,500 lb at 9′
Routine permit limits
Above legal dimensions and up to these figures, Missouri issues a permit as routine business. Beyond them the load becomes a superload, reviewed case by case.
- Length
- 150′
- Width
- 16′
- Height
- 16′ — 15′7″ on some routes
- 5 axles
- 104,000 lb
- 6 axles
- 120,000 lb
- 7 axles
- 130,000 lb in a 1-3-3 configuration
- Single axle
- 20,000 lb
- Tandem
- 46,000 lb, 40,000 lb on a 10′ spread
- Tridem
- 60,000 lb
- Quad
- 72,000 lb
Escort requirements
A load reaching any of these figures needs an escort in Missouri — the figure is the first size that requires one, so a load measuring exactly this much already needs it.
- Width
- 12′7″
- Height
- 15′0″
- Length
- 125′1″
When the load may move
Permit validity. Permits are valid for seven days and must be obtained before entering the state.
Operating time. Daylight — half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset — including Saturday and Sunday. Loads over 14′ wide may not travel at weekends. An overweight-only load of legal size within 112,000 lb may travel around the clock, outside the metro and tourist areas.
Restricted travel. No travel on major holidays, beginning at noon on the day before. Weekday peak bans: 6:30–9 AM and 3:30–6:30 PM around St. Louis; 7–9 AM and 4–6 PM around Kansas City and Springfield. Weekend restrictions in tourist season around the Lake of the Ozarks (1 June to Labor Day) and Branson (1 June to 31 October). Oversize loads may not use the Mississippi River bridges in St. Louis.
Worth knowing
- Tourist-season weekend restrictions around the Lake of the Ozarks and Branson have no equivalent in the neighbouring states.
- The holiday ban begins at noon on the day before, not at midnight.
- An overheight load requires a drop-deck trailer.
- 1-2-2-1 axle combinations are prohibited; a tandem trailer with a booster requires a tridem drive tractor.
- Legal length is 53′ on the Interstate and designated routes, 60′ more than 10 air miles from the designated system.
- Oversize Load signs are required above 10′6″ of width or 90′ of length.
- A load over 160,000 lb gross, or beyond the routine limits, is a superload.
Missouri permits, answered
When are weekends restricted for oversize loads in Missouri?
Around the Lake of the Ozarks from 1 June to Labor Day, and around Branson from 1 June to 31 October. It is a tourist-traffic rule with no equivalent in the neighbouring states. Separately, loads over 14′ wide may not travel at weekends anywhere in the state.
When does the Missouri holiday ban start?
At noon on the day before the holiday or holiday weekend — not at midnight, which is what most states use. Half a working day disappears earlier than expected.
Can an oversize load cross the Mississippi River at St. Louis?
Not on the St. Louis river bridges — they are closed to oversize movement, so the crossing has to be planned elsewhere.
Do I need a drop-deck trailer in Missouri?
For an overheight load, yes. Missouri requires it, so the equipment decision is made by the permit rather than by preference.
Are any axle configurations banned in Missouri?
Yes — 1-2-2-1 combinations are prohibited. A tandem trailer running with a booster needs a tridem drive tractor.
Crossing more than Missouri?
A permit is per state. If the route leaves Missouri, these are the states it most likely enters.
Get a permit quote for Missouri
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 Missouri →Compiled from published state DOT sources. Regulations change — confirm the current rules before dispatch. Last reviewed 2026-07-30.