Vermont oversize permit requirements
Vermont is the state that limits how fast a permitted load may travel, not merely when. On state highways, a load over ninety thousand pounds, over ten feet wide, overheight, or seventy-five feet and longer may not exceed forty-five miles an hour. That is a genuine scheduling input rather than a formality — across a state of two-lane mountain roads, forty-five is the number that decides whether a run fits inside one daylight window.
The permit itself runs ten travel days, which is generous. Movement is daylight, and the weekend depends on size: a load over ten feet six wide, over a hundred feet long or over a hundred and eight thousand pounds cannot travel at weekends or on holidays, and may face Friday afternoon restrictions between the first of July and Labor Day. Below those figures the weekend is open. Overweight-only loads that can hold traffic speed have no daylight restriction at all.
The routine ceilings are low by national standards and worth checking early: ninety-nine feet of length, fourteen feet eleven of width and thirteen feet eleven of height — that last one only five inches above the national legal height. Overhang is capped at a third of the load's length. Past the routine limits, or past a hundred and fifty thousand pounds, the move needs an engineering review that can take ten working days.
Legal dimensions
At or under these figures, no oversize permit is required in Vermont.
- Width
- 8′6″
- Height
- 13′6″
- Gross weight
- 80,000 lb
- Single axle
- 20,000 lb on designated highways, 22,400 lb elsewhere
- Tandem
- 34,000 lb on designated highways, 36,000 lb elsewhere
- Tridem
- 34,000 lb at 8′ spacing, 42,500 lb at 9′, by the Federal Bridge Formula
Routine permit limits
Above legal dimensions and up to these figures, Vermont issues a permit as routine business. Beyond them the load becomes a superload, reviewed case by case.
- Length
- 99′
- Overhang
- Not to exceed a third of the load length
- Width
- 14′11″
- Height
- 13′11″
- All groups
- Determined case by case rather than published as fixed figures
Escort requirements
A load reaching any of these figures needs an escort in Vermont — the figure is the first size that requires one, so a load measuring exactly this much already needs it.
- Width
- 12′0″
- Height
- 14′0″
- Length
- 80′0″
When the load may move
Permit validity. Permits are valid for ten travel days.
Operating time. Daylight — half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. Overweight-only loads able to maintain traffic speed have no daylight restriction.
Restricted travel. No weekend or holiday travel for loads over 10′6″ wide, over 100′ long or over 108,000 lb gross. Friday afternoon restrictions may apply between 1 July and Labor Day. On state highways, loads over 90,000 lb, over 10′ wide, overheight or 75′ and longer are limited to 45 mph.
Worth knowing
- A 45 mph speed cap applies on state highways to loads over 90,000 lb, over 10′ wide, overheight or 75′ and longer.
- The routine height ceiling of 13′11″ is only five inches above the national legal height — among the lowest anywhere.
- Past the routine limits, or past 150,000 lb, an engineering review is required and can take ten working days.
- Legal length is 53′ for the semitrailer on the Interstate and designated highways, with 75′ overall, and 48′ elsewhere.
Vermont permits, answered
Is there a speed limit for oversize loads in Vermont?
Yes — 45 mph on state highways for loads over 90,000 lb, over 10′ wide, overheight or 75′ and longer. Across a state of two-lane mountain roads that decides whether a run fits inside one daylight window.
Can an oversize load travel at the weekend in Vermont?
Below 10′6″ wide, 100′ long and 108,000 lb, yes. Above any of those, no weekend or holiday travel, and Friday afternoons may be restricted between 1 July and Labor Day.
How tall can a load be on a Vermont routine permit?
13′11″ — five inches above the national legal height, and among the lowest routine ceilings in the country. Taller loads need review rather than a routine permit.
How long is a Vermont oversize permit valid?
Ten travel days.
What happens above 150,000 pounds in Vermont?
An engineering review is required, and it can take up to ten working days — worth starting well before the load is ready.
Crossing more than Vermont?
A permit is per state. If the route leaves Vermont, these are the states it most likely enters.
Get a permit quote for Vermont
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 Vermont →Compiled from published state DOT sources. Regulations change — confirm the current rules before dispatch. Last reviewed 2026-07-30.