Ohio oversize permit requirements
The Ohio rule that catches out more carriers than any dimension is not a dimension at all. A permitted load may not leave its permitted route — not for fuel, not for food, not for a driver break — without pre-approval. Drivers used to states where the route is a suggestion find that Ohio means it, and a stop at the wrong exit is a violation rather than a detour.
Height is the other place Ohio is stricter than its neighbours. Routine permits stop at fourteen feet six, and above fifteen feet six a move is not permitted at all. Kentucky next door refuses above fifteen six too, but Ohio's routine ceiling sits a full foot lower, so a load that is ordinary business in Indiana needs special handling here.
Hours follow width. Within twelve feet, a load runs the usual daylight window; above twelve feet it must be off the road by three in the afternoon on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and on Fridays throughout the season from the first of April to the end of November. Peak-hour bans apply in specified counties morning and evening, and the holiday ban runs from noon on the weekday before through sunrise on the following weekday — one of the longest holiday closures anywhere. The permit runs five days. Utility poles and steel pipe are exempt from length permits.
Legal dimensions
At or under these figures, no oversize permit is required in Ohio.
- Width
- 8′6″
- Height
- 13′6″
- Gross weight
- 80,000 lb
- Single axle
- 20,000 lb
- Tandem
- 34,000 lb
- Tridem
- 48,000 lb
Routine permit limits
Above legal dimensions and up to these figures, Ohio issues a permit as routine business. Beyond them the load becomes a superload, reviewed case by case.
- Length
- No published maximum
- Width
- 14′
- Height
- 14′6″ — above 15′6″ a move is not permitted at all
- Single axle
- 29,000 lb, at 16′ or more from the adjacent axle
- Tandem
- 46,000–47,000 lb
- Tridem
- 60,000 lb
- Quad
- 80,000 lb
Escort requirements
A load reaching any of these figures needs an escort in Ohio — the figure is the first size that requires one, so a load measuring exactly this much already needs it.
- Width
- 13′1″
- Height
- 14′6″
- Length
- 90′1″
When the load may move
Permit validity. Permits are valid for five days.
Operating time. Daylight — half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset — for loads within 12′ of width. Loads over 12′ wide must be off the road by 3 PM on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and on Fridays from 1 April to 30 November. Overweight-only loads within 53′ may travel continuously where traffic allows.
Restricted travel. Peak-hour bans of 6:30–9 AM and 4:30–6 PM, Monday to Friday, in specified counties. No travel from noon on the weekday before a major holiday until sunrise on the following weekday. No leaving the permitted route — for fuel, food or any other reason — without pre-approval.
Worth knowing
- A permitted load may not leave its route for fuel, food or any other purpose without pre-approval.
- Above 15′6″ of height a move is not permitted — the routine ceiling is 14′6″, a foot below Indiana's.
- Legal length is 53′ for the semitrailer and load, rear overhang included.
- Utility poles and steel pipe are exempt from length permits.
Ohio permits, answered
Can I stop for fuel off my permitted route in Ohio?
Not without pre-approval. Ohio treats the permitted route as binding — leaving it for fuel, food or a break is a violation, not a detour.
How tall can a load be on an Ohio permit?
14′6″ on a routine permit, and nothing above 15′6″ is permitted at all. Ohio's routine ceiling is a foot lower than Indiana's, so a load that is ordinary business next door needs special handling here.
When must wide loads be off the road in Ohio?
By 3 PM on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays if over 12′ wide, and on Fridays from 1 April to 30 November.
How long does the Ohio holiday ban last?
From noon on the weekday before the holiday until sunrise on the following weekday — one of the longest holiday closures anywhere.
Are poles and pipe exempt in Ohio?
From length permits, yes — utility poles and steel pipe are exempt.
Crossing more than Ohio?
A permit is per state. If the route leaves Ohio, these are the states it most likely enters.
Get a permit quote for Ohio
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 Ohio →Compiled from published state DOT sources. Regulations change — confirm the current rules before dispatch. Last reviewed 2026-07-30.