Oversize Load Holiday Restrictions By State, 2026–2027

Holiday Restrictions In All 50 States

Holiday windows differ in start time, end time and which loads they cover. Thresholds matter: North Dakota restricts only loads over 16 feet wide, while Oregon starts at 8 feet 6 inches. Each row links the state document it was read from. Where we found no published list, the row says check permit.

For the times of day outside holidays, such as rush-hour curfews and night rules, read the travel hours and state curfews guide.

Can You Run Oversize On Thanksgiving Weekend 2026?

Not on Thursday in most states, and often not from noon Wednesday. In the table above, 28 of the 42 states that restrict Thanksgiving start on Wednesday, November 25, and 20 of those start at noon. At least seven keep large loads parked through the weekend, until Monday, November 30.

• Noon Wednesday to Friday morning: Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New York and North Dakota (over 16 feet wide) reopen around sunrise Friday, November 27.
• Through Monday, November 30: Pennsylvania, Oregon (over 8 feet 6 inches wide), Nebraska, Connecticut, Alabama and Maine. Montana bars large loads Thursday through Sunday.
• Thursday only: Texas, New Mexico, Georgia, Arkansas and Oklahoma restrict the holiday itself.
• Wisconsin’s deer season: loads over 12 feet wide get only sunrise to noon on Friday, November 27, before the gun-deer closing ban starts.

Plan the stop before the window closes. The overnight parking guide covers confirming a lot that fits the load.

When Do Christmas And New Year’s Restrictions Start?

Christmas 2026 and New Year’s Day 2027 both fall on a Friday, so many states close the whole weekend. Pennsylvania runs from noon Thursday, December 24, to sunrise Monday, December 28, then from noon Thursday, December 31, to sunrise Monday, January 4, 2027.

• Reopen Saturday, December 26: Illinois, Nebraska, North Dakota (over 16 feet wide) and New York, which adds “if eligible for Saturday travel.”
• Reopen Monday, December 28: Pennsylvania, Oregon, Alabama, Michigan and North Carolina, which reopens at noon.
• Wisconsin starts early: large loads stop at noon Wednesday, December 23, and again on December 30 for New Year’s.
• No New Year’s restriction: North Carolina, Colorado, Iowa and Alaska do not restrict New Year’s Day.

Pennsylvania, Oregon, Nebraska, North Dakota and Wisconsin already print the New Year’s 2027 window on their 2026 notices. Where a notice stops at December, apply the state’s rule wording and confirm with the permit office.

What About Memorial Day, July 4 And Labor Day 2027?

Few states have posted 2027 dates. Pennsylvania has: noon Friday, May 28, to sunrise Tuesday, June 1; noon Friday, July 2, to sunrise Tuesday, July 6; and noon Friday, September 3, to sunrise Tuesday, September 7. New Hampshire’s 2027 memo restricts May 31, July 5 and September 6.

July 4, 2027 falls on a Sunday, and states treat that differently:

• Monday added: Florida and New Jersey also restrict Monday, July 5. Missouri observes a Sunday July 4 on Monday.
• Calendar day: New Mexico restricts the holiday’s calendar day, so Sunday, July 4.
• 84-hour block: Alaska restricts 84 hours from noon Friday, July 2.

Colorado, Iowa and Alaska restrict only these three summer holidays. Colorado’s window is 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the holiday, plus noon to 9 p.m. on the Friday before Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Do Holiday Restrictions Apply To Pilot Cars?

Holiday rules restrict the permitted load, so the escort job stops when the load must stop. None of the state sources in this guide sets a separate holiday rule for a pilot car driving without a load.

In three states the escort requirement decides whether the rule applies at all:

• California: only vehicles “required to be escorted by a pilot car” are held.
• Tennessee: “NO ESCORTED TRAVEL” in the holiday window; loads that need no escort may keep moving.
• Wyoming: “Moves requiring escorts” stop from sunset the evening before.

Escorts should plan the drive home around the load’s stop time, not the holiday itself. Escort counts by width are in the pilot car requirements by state guide.

Does Your Permit List Holiday Restrictions?

Often, but not always in full. Some permits print the holiday window. Others cite the regulation or an attachment and leave the dates to the state’s yearly notice. Read every page before you plan the week.

“See your permit and/or attachment for specific details regarding all travel restrictions.”

ODOT, Oregon Travel Restrictions, retrieved November 12, 2026

• Idaho: other travel-time limits “may be noted on the permit.”
• Alaska: holiday periods apply “unless so allowed on the face of the permit.”
• Minnesota: overweight-only loads are free on holidays “unless noted on the permit.”

When the permit and the state notice disagree, call the permit office before you move. The 50-state permit reading directory shows where each state prints its conditions, for example the Pennsylvania permit reading guide.

Reading Holiday Conditions With RouteAll

RouteAll reads the permit you upload and lists the restrictions printed on it, holiday conditions included, so you can check them against the paper. It reads only what the permit says. It does not know each state’s holiday calendar or decide your legal travel window.

Share the checked route with your escort; viewing a shared route is free and needs no account. Every RouteAll account gets one free trip a month, up to 6 state permits, with no card to start. RouteAll does not issue permits or guarantee compliance; the permit governs.

Common Questions

Can I run oversize on Thanksgiving weekend?

Usually not on Thursday, and in many states not from noon Wednesday. In our table, 20 of the 42 states that restrict Thanksgiving start at noon Wednesday, November 25, 2026. Pennsylvania, Oregon, Nebraska and Connecticut hold loads until Monday, November 30. Check the state’s notice and your permit for your load’s size.

Do holiday restrictions apply to pilot cars?

The rules restrict the permitted load, so the escort job stops when the load must stop. In California, Tennessee and Wyoming, the holiday rule applies only to loads that require escorts. None of the state sources in this guide sets a separate holiday rule for a pilot car driving without a load.

Does my permit list holiday restrictions?

Often, but not always in full. Oregon tells carriers to see the permit and its attachment for travel restrictions, and Idaho says other travel-time limits may be noted on the permit. Some permits only cite the regulation. Read every page and attachment, then compare them with the state’s current holiday notice.

What happens when July 4 falls on a Sunday in 2027?

It depends on the state. Florida and New Jersey also restrict Monday, July 5, and New Hampshire’s 2027 memo lists July 5 as the observed holiday. Pennsylvania’s 2027 notice runs from noon Friday, July 2, to sunrise Tuesday, July 6. Many states have not published 2027 dates yet.

Are overweight-only loads restricted on holidays?

In some states, no. Minnesota and Wisconsin exempt overweight-only loads unless the permit says otherwise, and Indiana exempts its Overweight Commodity and Bulk Milk permits. Washington’s rule covers overweight permits too. Read the exemption wording for your permit type before you plan a holiday move.