Virginia oversize permit requirements
Virginia issues a thirteen-day permit, which is the longest on the eastern seaboard and long enough that most schedule risk disappears. It also allows continuous travel — day and night — for any load within eighty-five feet with rear overhang inside ten feet, and for overweight-only loads. Between the two, a great deal of ordinary heavy freight crosses Virginia without ever meeting a clock.
The catch is where the curfew applies. It is not a metro rule. Movement is barred between seven and nine in the morning and four and six in the evening inside the corporate limits of every city and town in the state, on top of named corridors: the Capital Beltway and I-395 and I-95 in northern Virginia, the I-64 and I-95 corridor at Richmond, I-85 and I-95 at Petersburg, I-581 and Loop 419 at Roanoke, and the whole Tidewater area from Newport News round to Chesapeake. A route that avoids the cities still meets the rule every time it passes through a town.
Tidewater has an additional requirement worth building into a quote: at Newport News, Portsmouth and Norfolk, permits are needed on all non-Interstate routes, and turnaround runs twenty-four to seventy-two hours. Routine permits reach a hundred and fifty feet of length with fifteen feet of width and height, and rear overhang is capped by proportion — no more than a third of the load, with two-thirds resting on the vehicle. Attachments such as a blade, bucket or scoop may stay on up to twelve feet of width, provided they point rearward.
Legal dimensions
At or under these figures, no oversize permit is required in Virginia.
- Width
- 8′6″
- Height
- 13′6″
- Gross weight
- 80,000 lb
- Overhang
- 3′ front, 4′ rear
- Single axle
- 20,000 lb
- Tandem
- 34,000 lb
- Tridem
- 42,500 lb
Routine permit limits
Above legal dimensions and up to these figures, Virginia issues a permit as routine business. Beyond them the load becomes a superload, reviewed case by case.
- Length
- 150′
- Overhang
- Rear capped at a third of the load length, with two-thirds resting on the vehicle
- Width
- 15′
- Height
- 15′
- Single axle
- 24,000 lb
- Tandem
- 44,000 lb
- Tridem
- 60,000 lb on the Interstate, 54,500 lb elsewhere
- Quad
- 63,000–65,000 lb
Escort requirements
A load reaching any of these figures needs an escort in Virginia — 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
- 120′1″
When the load may move
Permit validity. Permits are valid for thirteen consecutive days and must be obtained before entering the state.
Operating time. Sunrise to sunset, Monday to Saturday. Continuous travel is allowed for loads within 85′ with rear overhang inside 10′, and for overweight-only loads.
Restricted travel. No movement 7–9 AM or 4–6 PM within the corporate limits of any city or town, nor on the Capital Beltway, I-395 and I-95 in northern Virginia, the I-64 and I-95 corridor at Richmond, I-85 and I-95 at Petersburg, I-581 and Loop 419 at Roanoke, or in the Tidewater area from Newport News through Hampton, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Portsmouth. No travel on major holidays or holiday weekends.
Worth knowing
- The peak-hour curfew applies inside the corporate limits of every city and town, not only in the metros.
- At Newport News, Portsmouth and Norfolk, permits are required on all non-Interstate routes, with a 24 to 72 hour turnaround.
- A blade, bucket or scoop up to 12′ wide may stay attached if it points rearward.
- Amber flashing lights are required above 12′ of width or 75′ of length, unless the escorts carry them.
- Legal length is 48′ or 53′ for the semitrailer and 65′ on non-designated highways.
- Superloads take five to ten days to process.
Virginia permits, answered
How long is a Virginia oversize permit valid?
Thirteen consecutive days — the longest on the eastern seaboard, and long enough to absorb most schedule risk.
Can a load travel continuously in Virginia?
Yes, within 85′ of length and 10′ of rear overhang, and for overweight-only loads. Otherwise it is sunrise to sunset, Monday to Saturday.
Where do Virginia curfew hours apply?
Inside the corporate limits of every city and town in the state, plus named corridors at northern Virginia, Richmond, Petersburg, Roanoke and Tidewater. Avoiding the metros does not avoid the rule.
Do I need extra permits around Norfolk and Newport News?
Yes — permits are required on all non-Interstate routes there, and turnaround runs 24 to 72 hours. Build it into the quote rather than the dispatch.
Can I leave a dozer blade attached in Virginia?
Up to 12′ of width, yes, provided it points rearward.
Crossing more than Virginia?
A permit is per state. If the route leaves Virginia, these are the states it most likely enters.
Get a permit quote for Virginia
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 Virginia →Compiled from published state DOT sources. Regulations change — confirm the current rules before dispatch. Last reviewed 2026-07-30.