RouteAllIllinois Oversize Load Permits: ITAP, Escorts, Curfews
Last verified November 3, 2026 against the Illinois statutes, rules and IDOT documents linked below.
An Illinois load needs an IDOT permit once it is wider than 8 feet 6 inches, taller than 13 feet 6 inches, or over the length and 80,000-pound limits. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) issues permits through ITAP, its online system. A legal-weight oversize trip permit costs $12 to $125 by size and distance.
On This Page
A load up to 12 feet wide may run at night with an extra escort. This page covers that and the rest, each linked to the rule.
What are the Illinois legal size limits?
Illinois allows 8 feet 6 inches wide, 13 feet 6 inches high and 80,000 pounds gross without a permit. A single vehicle may be 42 feet long. On Class I highways a tractor-semitrailer has no overall length limit, but the semitrailer itself stops at 53 feet.
The table lists each limit with the statute it comes from.
| Dimension | Legal limit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 8 feet 6 inches on every highway class | 15-102 |
| Height | 13 feet 6 inches, load included | 15-103 |
| Single vehicle | 42 feet long | 15-107(a) |
| Semitrailer | 53 feet; kingpin to rear axle 45 feet 6 inches when over 48 feet | 15-107(d) |
| Weight | 80,000 pounds gross; 20,000 single axle; 34,000 tandem | 15-111(a) |
IDOT's form OPER 753 charts the same limits by highway class, including non-designated roads.
How do you get an Illinois oversize permit?
Apply in ITAP, the Illinois Transportation Automated Permit system, which IDOT keeps open around the clock. Most permits issue immediately, and a single trip permit is valid 5 working days. A legal-weight oversize trip permit costs $12 to $125 by size and miles. The Permit Office answers at (217) 785-1477.
IDOT may permit only a load that cannot reasonably be dismantled (15-301(a)). The 5-working-day term comes from 554.201.
Gather these before you order, per IDOT's apply page:
- Load: on a trailer, towed on its own wheels or driven under its own power, plus what it is.
- Dimensions: overall width, length and height of the loaded truck and trailer.
- Weights: gross, each axle and each axle spacing, if the load is overweight.
- Route ends: an address, or one of five border states and the road you cross on.
Card payments carry a 2.25% convenience fee with a $1 minimum. An e-check costs $0.75, and IDOT also offers escrow accounts.
Fees step up with each size category in IDOT's Table 1.
| Size category | 0 to 90 miles | Over 270 miles | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| a: up to 10 feet wide, 14 feet 6 inches high, 70 feet long | $12 | $21 | Table 1 |
| b: up to 12 feet wide, 14 feet 6 inches high, 85 feet long | $15 | $30 | Table 1 |
| c: up to 14 feet wide, 15 feet high, 100 feet long | $25 | $40 | Table 1 |
| d: up to 18 feet wide, 16 feet high, 120 feet long | $30 | $60 | Table 1 |
| e: larger than category d | $50 | $125 | Table 1 |
Overweight loads pay by axles, gross weight and distance on IDOT's Table 2, from $10 to $280. A load 12 feet 7 inches to 14 feet 6 inches wide adds $15.
Carry OPER 993 with the permit, on paper or on a screen (IDOT compliance page). Starting the move counts as accepting the permit, so read it first. The Illinois permit reading guide explains how the two documents fit together.
IDOT also issues round-trip and limited continuous operation permits. Annual vs single-trip oversize permits compares the choices.
What roads does an IDOT permit not cover?
An IDOT permit covers state highways only. The Illinois Tollway, Chicago city streets, Cook County roads and every township or municipal road need their own permission before you move. The permit is also void on any road or bridge posted below your gross weight, and on any closed highway.
"If a vehicle and load are found to be off the route or routes prescribed by any permit authorizing movement, the vehicle and load are operating without a permit." — 625 ILCS 5/15-301(h). Verified November 3, 2026.
- Tollway: permits come from the Illinois Toll Authority at iltolltruckpermit.com, not from IDOT.
- Chicago: city streets other than expressways need the City of Chicago Permit Office.
- Cook County expressways are closed to loads over 12 feet wide, 13 feet 6 inches high or 120,000 pounds. OPER 993 lists four exceptions.
- Ton-limit structures on IDOT's restriction lists take no permit move of any kind.
- One mile off the route onto another state road is allowed for fuel, food, rest or a scale, if no structure is crossed.
That one-mile allowance shapes your stops. The Illinois truck stop guide checks TA Morris on I-80 against a permit route.
IDOT does not guarantee posted heights; you check rail crossings yourself (OPER 993). Read what happens if you leave your permitted route.
When does Illinois require a pilot car?
Illinois requires one civilian escort over 14 feet 6 inches wide, over 14 feet 6 inches high, or over 110 feet long. Two escorts, front and rear, cover any two of those. Three are needed over 16 feet wide, 18 feet high or 145 feet long. Illinois State Police escort the largest moves.
Each trigger below comes from OPER 993.
| Load | Escorts | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 12 feet wide, moving after dark | One extra civilian escort during darkness | Provision A |
| Over 14 feet 6 inches wide or high, or over 110 feet long | One civilian escort | Provision B |
| Two or more of those three | Two, one in front and one behind | Provision B |
| Over 16 feet wide, 18 feet high or 145 feet long | Three civilian escorts | Provision B |
| Over 18 feet wide, 18 feet high or 200 feet long | Illinois State Police, set up 24 working hours ahead | Provision B |
An escort driver must be 18 or older and properly licensed. The car needs a roof-mounted amber light visible at 500 feet and an OVERSIZE LOAD sign. It also needs radio contact with the truck and $500,000 of insurance (554.408).
The escort leads on two-lane roads and trails on multilane divided roads. In rural areas it runs about 300 feet from the load. Over 14 feet 6 inches high, the lead car carries a height pole.
The 2012 rule, 554.407, lists two escorts over 18 feet high, while OPER 993 lists three. Ask the Permit Office if your load sits in that gap.
Driver credentials are in Illinois pilot car qualifications, and other states in pilot car requirements by state.
When can an oversize load move in Illinois?
Overweight loads of legal size may move 24 hours a day. Oversize loads up to 12 feet wide, 13 feet 6 inches high and 200 feet long may also move around the clock, with an extra civilian escort after dark. Larger loads move in daylight, half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.
The window narrows as the load grows.
| Load | When it may move | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Overweight, legal dimensions | 24 hours, 7 days | OPER 993 |
| Up to 12 feet wide, 13 feet 6 inches high, 200 feet long | 24 hours, 7 days; one extra civilian escort after dark | OPER 993 |
| Up to 14 feet 6 inches wide, 15 feet high, 200 feet long | Daylight, 7 days | OPER 993 |
| Up to 16 feet wide, 17 feet high | Daylight Monday to Friday; Saturday until noon | OPER 993 |
| Over 200 feet long | Daylight Monday to Friday | OPER 993 |
| Over 16 feet wide or 17 feet high | 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday | OPER 993 |
"Moves shall not be made when highway is covered with snow or ice." — IDOT OPER 993, Provision A. Verified November 3, 2026.
- Holidays: every load with an over-legal dimension stops from noon before the holiday to sunrise after it. The 2026 dates left start at noon November 25 and noon December 24 (IDOT holiday list).
- Nine counties: when Provision 9 is on the permit, loads over 14 feet 6 inches up to 16 feet wide move 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. The counties are Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, Madison, McHenry, Monroe, St. Clair and Will.
- Speed: 5 mph under the posted limit unless the permit says otherwise. Legal-weight, legal-height loads up to 10 feet wide may drive the limit.
- Office closings: IDOT's permit office closes on 13 holidays in 2026, more than the travel holidays. IDOT asks for applications two days early around them.
Other states' windows are in oversize load travel restrictions by state.
What signs, flags and lights does Illinois require?
Over 10 feet wide, 14 feet 6 inches high or 75 feet long, Illinois requires OVERSIZE LOAD signs front and rear. Each is about 7 feet by 18 inches, black on yellow, with letters at least 10 inches high. Every permit load shows an amber light visible at 500 feet. Red flags 18 inches square mark the extremities.
Objects over 80 feet long carry two amber lights: one over the cab and one within 10 feet of the rear (554.418). An escort's sign may shrink to 5 feet by 12 inches with 8-inch letters (554.419).
Mounting details are in the Illinois signs, flags and lights guide.
What is a superload in Illinois?
IDOT's overweight fee table stops at 120,000 pounds on six or more axles, its practical maximum. Superloads, and moves on nonstandard vehicles or axle setups, need a bridge and pavement analysis with extra time and fees (554.605). IDOT's online Superload Fee Calculator estimates the cost before you apply.
Towed overweight loads that miss OPER 993's minimum axle spacings are processed as superloads. The minimums are 8 feet 1 inch from the steer axle to the tractor tandem and 18 feet 6 inches before the first trailer axle. All spacings must total at least 43 feet 6 inches.
An axle spacing 12 inches off the permit is a violation of permit. If it cannot be corrected, the permit is void.
Use This Check In RouteAll
After IDOT issues the permit, use RouteAll’s permit-to-GPS workflow to compare its road list with a reviewable map. RouteAll keeps you on the roads the permit names and never reroutes you off them. One free trip every month covers up to 6 state permits, with no card to start. Keep OPER 993 and your Tollway and local permits with the driver, because RouteAll does not issue permits or amend the authorized roads.
Before you roll
Read the permit and OPER 993 first, because starting the move accepts the permit. Over 12 feet wide, plan a daylight move and book escorts by the Provision B triggers. Get Tollway, Chicago, Cook County and local permits for every road IDOT does not maintain. Stop by noon before a holiday, and park when snow or ice covers the road.
Common questions
How much is an Illinois oversize permit?
A legal-weight oversize trip permit costs $12 to $125 under IDOT's Table 1. The fee rises with size and distance, from $12 for a small load under 90 miles to $125 for the largest over 270 miles. Overweight loads pay from IDOT's Table 2 instead.
Can oversize loads travel at night in Illinois?
Yes, up to 12 feet wide, 13 feet 6 inches high and 200 feet long, with one extra civilian escort during darkness. Overweight loads of legal size may move 24 hours a day. Anything larger moves in daylight only, under OPER 993.
Can oversize loads travel on weekends in Illinois?
Loads up to 14 feet 6 inches wide and 15 feet high may move 7 days a week. Up to 16 feet wide and 17 feet high, Saturday moves end at noon and Sunday is closed. Larger loads, and loads over 200 feet long, move Monday to Friday only.
When do I need a pilot car in Illinois?
One civilian escort is required over 14 feet 6 inches wide, 14 feet 6 inches high or 110 feet long. Two are required when two of those apply, and three over 16 feet wide. Illinois State Police escort loads over 18 feet wide or 200 feet long.
Does an IDOT permit cover the Illinois Tollway?
No. IDOT permits cover state jurisdiction roads only. Tollway moves need a permit from the Illinois Toll Authority, and local streets need the local authority's permission before you move.
What is ITAP?
ITAP is the Illinois Transportation Automated Permit system, IDOT's online portal for oversize and overweight permits. It is open around the clock, and most permits issue immediately. You can pay by card, e-check or escrow account.
Further reading
Sources
- Illinois Vehicle Code, 625 ILCS 5/15-102, 15-103, 15-107, 15-111 and 15-301.
- 92 Ill. Adm. Code 554, Sections 554.201, 554.407, 554.408, 554.418, 554.419 and 554.605.
- IDOT, OPER 993 Special Vehicle Movement Permit Provisions, revised August 7, 2024.
- IDOT, OPER 753 Maximum Legal Dimensions and Weights, revised January 5, 2023.
- IDOT permit fee tables: Table 1, Overdimension, revised January 16, 2024, and Table 2, Overweight.
- IDOT, Holiday Office Closings and Permit Travel Restrictions 2025-2026.
- IDOT Oversize and Overweight Permits, Apply, Permit Type and Compliance and OSOW Resources pages; ITAP.
RouteAll reads the permit you provide. It does not issue permits or guarantee compliance. The driver remains responsible for the load. Illinois rules change, and your permit can be stricter than the rule; verify against the permit and the IDOT Permit Office before every move.