North Carolina oversize permit requirements
North Carolina draws its urban restriction as a circle rather than a boundary. Loads over ten feet wide are barred from a ten-mile radius around Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill between seven and nine in the morning and four and six in the evening. Ten miles reaches well past the city limits, and around the Triangle the circles overlap — so the practical restricted area is considerably larger than a map of the three cities would suggest.
The permit runs ten days. Movement is sunrise to sunset, Monday to Saturday, with no Sunday travel and none on major holidays. Overweight-only loads within a hundred and twelve thousand pounds — or ninety-four thousand five hundred for a sealed ship container, a carve-out that tells you how much port traffic the state handles — may run around the clock on the Interstate if the request is made.
Two rules shape what fits. Structural material is exempt up to eighty-five feet on the Interstate and designated roads, in daylight, but multiple-piece overlength loads are prohibited outright on non-designated highways — so a long load of several pieces has to stay on the main system or be broken up. Routine permits reach a hundred and five feet, extended to a hundred and twenty for beams and girders, with width to fifteen feet. Past a hundred and thirty-two thousand pounds or fifteen feet of width the load is a superload and needs a letter from the shipper. Legal tandem allowance is thirty-eight thousand pounds, above the regional norm.
Legal dimensions
At or under these figures, no oversize permit is required in North Carolina.
- Width
- 8′6″
- Height
- 13′6″
- Gross weight
- 80,000 lb
- Overhang
- 5′ front, 5′ rear
- Steer axle
- 20,000 lb
- Single axle
- 20,000 lb
- Tandem
- 38,000 lb
- Tridem
- Varies with axle spacing
Routine permit limits
Above legal dimensions and up to these figures, North Carolina issues a permit as routine business. Beyond them the load becomes a superload, reviewed case by case.
- Length
- 105′, extended to 120′ for beams and girders
- Width
- 15′
- Height
- Set by the route; above 14′ the application takes extra processing
- 5 axles
- 112,000 lb
- 6 axles
- 120,000 lb
- 7 axles
- 132,000 lb
- Steer axle
- 20,000 lb
- Single axle
- 25,000 lb
- Tandem
- 50,000 lb
- Tridem
- 60,000 lb
- Quad
- 68,000 lb
Escort requirements
A load reaching any of these figures needs an escort in North Carolina — the figure is the first size that requires one, so a load measuring exactly this much already needs it.
- Width
- 12′1″
- Height
- 14′5″
- Length
- 110′1″
When the load may move
Permit validity. Permits are valid for ten days.
Operating time. Sunrise to sunset, Monday to Saturday. No Sunday travel. Overweight-only loads within 112,000 lb — or 94,500 lb for a sealed ship container — may travel around the clock on Interstate routes if specifically requested.
Restricted travel. Loads over 10′ wide may not move within a ten-mile radius of Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham or Chapel Hill between 7–9 AM and 4–6 PM. No travel on Sundays, major holidays or holiday weekends. In the I-40 tunnels near the Tennessee line, loads over 14′ high are subject to speed and escort restrictions.
Worth knowing
- The metro restriction is a ten-mile radius around Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill — around the Triangle the circles overlap.
- Structural material is exempt up to 85′ on Interstate and designated roads, in daylight.
- Multiple-piece overlength loads are prohibited on non-designated highways.
- A load over 132,000 lb or over 15′ wide is a superload and requires a letter from the shipper.
- Sealed ship containers have their own continuous-travel threshold of 94,500 lb.
- Legal length is 53′ on designated highways, 48′ elsewhere, with 60′ overall on non-designated routes.
North Carolina permits, answered
Where are the North Carolina metro restrictions?
Within a ten-mile radius of Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, for loads over 10′ wide, 7–9 AM and 4–6 PM. Ten miles reaches well past the city limits, and around the Triangle the circles overlap.
Do steel beams need a North Carolina permit?
Not up to 85′ on the Interstate and designated roads, in daylight. But a multiple-piece overlength load is prohibited outright on non-designated highways, so it has to stay on the main system.
Can an overweight load run at night in North Carolina?
Within 112,000 lb, yes — around the clock on Interstate routes if requested. A sealed ship container gets its own threshold of 94,500 lb.
What makes a load a superload in North Carolina?
Over 132,000 lb or over 15′ wide. A superload also requires a letter from the shipper, which is a documentary step worth starting early.
Are there height restrictions on I-40 in North Carolina?
In the tunnels near the Tennessee line, loads over 14′ high face speed and escort restrictions.
Crossing more than North Carolina?
A permit is per state. If the route leaves North Carolina, these are the states it most likely enters.
Get a permit quote for North Carolina
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 North Carolina →Compiled from published state DOT sources. Regulations change — confirm the current rules before dispatch. Last reviewed 2026-07-30.