Washington Oversize Load Permits: Fees, Escorts, Curfews

What Are Washington’s Legal Size Limits?

“The total outside width of any vehicle or load thereon must not exceed eight and one-half feet”

RCW 46.44.020 sets the height limit at 14 feet. Anything over legal size or weight on a state highway needs a WSDOT special motor vehicle permit.

How Do You Get A Washington Oversize Permit?

WSDOT sells permits online. Self-issued permits are available instantly, 24 hours a day, seven days a week; self-issued permits that need WSDOT approval are processed within three business days. The single-trip oversize/overweight permit covers one route-specific trip over three days for a non-divisible load. Dimensional permits are $10; weight permits vary, starting at $14.

For regular moves of the same load, the monthly non-divisible load permit covers loads up to 14 feet wide, 15 feet high and up to 125 feet long: $10 for 30 days for length, $20 for height or width.

When Does Washington Require An Escort?

WAC 468-38-100 requires a certified pilot/escort operator in cases including these:

• Over 11 feet wide: two escorts, front and rear, on two-lane highways (1)(a).
• Over 14 feet wide: one rear escort on multilane highways (1)(b).
• Trailer over 105 feet including load, or a rear overhang over a third of the trailer length: one rear escort on two-lane highways (1)(d).
• Over 14 feet 6 inches high: one front escort with a height pole on all highways (1)(h).
• Over 12 feet wide on a multilane highway and tall enough to need the front pole car: add a rear escort (1)(i).
• Over 20 feet wide: front and rear on multilane undivided highways (1)(c). Trailer over 125 feet: a rear escort on multilane highways (1)(e).
• Front overhang over 20 feet: a front escort on two-lane highways (1)(f). Rear overhang over 20 feet on a single unit: a rear escort on two-lane highways (1)(g).
• No 200-foot rear view in the mirrors: a rear escort on all highways (1)(j).

Operators with a Washington license need a Washington pilot/escort card: an eight-hour course, an 80 percent written test, renewed every three years. Out-of-state drivers can use a certification from a jurisdiction WSDOT approves. See Washington pilot car qualifications.

When Can An Oversize Load Move In Washington?

Night: a load within 12 feet wide, 14 feet 6 inches high and 105 feet long, overhang included, may move at night. A larger load needs “Night movement approved” on the permit and follows WSDOT’s preferred hours and routes. WSDOT defines night as half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise.

Commuter curfews: Monday through Friday, loads required to display OVERSIZE LOAD signs stay off listed stretches at listed times. On I-5 northbound between SR 512 and SR 599, for example, the curfew is 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. Width-only loads within the table’s width for that stretch are exempt, and overweight alone does not trigger a curfew unless the truck cannot keep up with traffic.

Holidays: permitted loads may be restricted from noon the day before New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, through the holiday, and through the day after Thanksgiving (WAC 468-38-175(1)).

Winter: permit moves are prohibited where traction advisory or chains-required signs are displayed.

What Signs And Lights Does Washington Require?

Night moves outside the envelope need lighting that meets 49 CFR 393.11, and no move may continue when visibility drops to 500 feet or in snow, ice or flooding. Escort cars carry their own signs and lights under WAC 468-38-100(9). The Washington signs guide covers the load signs and flags.

What Is A Superload In Washington?

WSDOT asks for a Request for Approval of Superload Movement (DOT Form 560-022) for loads over 16 feet wide, 16 feet high, 125 feet of load length or 200,000 pounds. Submit it at least 30 days before the move.

Where Does RouteAll Fit?

RouteAll does not issue or approve permits. Once Washington issues yours, upload the PDF and RouteAll lists every road it read, so you can check them against the permit, then warns you if you leave them. One free trip every month covers up to six state permits.

Before You Roll

• Check the curfew table for each city stretch on your route and its width exemption.
• Over the night envelope, confirm “Night movement approved” is printed on the permit.
• On two-lane highways, book two escorts as soon as the load passes 11 feet wide.
• In winter, watch for traction and chain signs: they end a permit move on the spot.

Common Questions

How much is an oversize permit in Washington State?

WSDOT charges $10 for a three-day single-trip dimensional permit. Weight permits vary and start at $14. Many permits self-issue instantly online; those needing approval take up to three business days. Checked November 12, 2026.

When do you need a pilot car in Washington?

On two-lane highways, front and rear escorts over 11 feet wide; on multilane highways, one rear escort over 14 feet wide. Over 14 feet 6 inches high, a front escort with a height pole. A trailer over 105 feet long needs a rear escort on two-lane highways, and over 125 feet on multilane highways.

Can oversize loads travel at night in Washington?

Yes, within 12 feet wide, 14 feet 6 inches high and 105 feet long. Bigger loads need “Night movement approved” printed on the permit. Weekday commuter curfews still apply to loads that carry OVERSIZE LOAD signs.