Oversize Holiday Movement Restrictions by State
Six federal holidays are no-move days in virtually every state. Several states add a seventh, eighth, or more state-specific blackout date. Here's the per-state breakdown, the standard noon-before to sunrise-after window, and the unusual outliers.
The six universal blackout holidays
Nearly every state in the US prohibits oversize movement on these six federal holidays:
- New Year's Day (January 1)
- Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
- Independence Day (July 4)
- Labor Day (first Monday in September)
- Thanksgiving Day (fourth Thursday in November)
- Christmas Day (December 25)
The standard blackout window
Most states use one of two blackout windows. Read the permit carefully — your specific permit may differ:
- Noon-to-sunrise. Travel prohibited from noon the business day before the holiday through 1/2 hour before sunrise the business day after. Used by AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, OK, UT, WY, WA, and others.
- Noon-to-noon. Travel prohibited from noon the day before to noon the day after. Used by MA. Most restrictive.
- Memorial Day / Labor Day extended. Several states (NJ is one) extend the Memorial Day and Labor Day blackouts to start the preceding Friday — effectively a 4-day weekend.
If the holiday falls on a weekend, the blackout shifts to the observed date (Monday for Saturday/Sunday holidays).
Per-state holiday matrix
No movement (oversize loads)
Partial restriction (size-dependent)
Movement allowed (subject to permit)
| State | New Year | MLK | Presidents' | Good Friday | Memorial | Juneteenth | July 4 | Labor | Columbus | Veterans | Thanksgiving | Fri after | Christmas | State-specific |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| AZ | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| AR | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| CO | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| CT | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| DE | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | — |
| FL | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | — |
| GA | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| ID | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| IL | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| KY | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| LA | ✕ | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | Mardi Gras areas |
| MA | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| MI | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| MO | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| MS | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| MT | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| NC | · | · | · | · | · | · | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | over-112k lb noon–noon only |
| NJ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | Memorial/Labor Fri+Mon extended |
| NV | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | ✕ | Nevada Day (last Fri Oct), Family Day (4th Fri Nov) |
| NY | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | Sunday travel banned for over-12'W or over-72'L |
| OH | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| OK | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| OR | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | Sat PM + Sun for over-105' May–Sep |
| PA | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| RI | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | · | ✕ | Victory Day (2nd Mon Aug) |
| SC | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| TN | · | · | · | · | noon-end | · | noon-end | noon-end | · | · | noon-end | · | noon-end | — escorted-only |
| UT | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | trigger: over-10'W |
| VA | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
| WA | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | — |
| WV | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | over-14'W: Mon–Fri only (no weekend/holiday rule called out separately) |
| WY | ✕ | · | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | ✕ | · | · | ✕ | · | ✕ | — |
States not shown apply the universal six-holiday blackout. The table above lists states with explicit holiday restrictions captured in the permit guide — verify with the issuing state DOT for the specific permit you're moving on.
Honorable mentions for unusual restrictions
- Nevada has the longest holiday list — 12 total — including Nevada Day (last Friday in October), Family Day (4th Friday in November), Juneteenth, MLK, Presidents' Day, and Veterans Day, on top of the 6 federal holidays.
- Rhode Island includes Victory Day (2nd Monday in August), Columbus Day, and Veterans Day in addition to the federal six.
- Massachusetts uses a noon-to-noon blackout (most restrictive nationwide).
- Tennessee applies holiday restrictions only to ESCORTED loads — non-escort permitted loads may move on the holiday subject to the standard daylight rule.
- North Carolina only enforces holiday restrictions on loads over 112,000 lb — lighter permitted loads may move.
- Louisiana has Mardi Gras corridor restrictions specific to New Orleans and surrounding areas, in addition to the standard holidays.
Planning around the blackouts
For a multi-state move that straddles a holiday window:
- Confirm the blackout window per state on your route. Some states (MA) blackout earlier in the day-before; others (most) start at noon. The earliest blackout on your route is the binding constraint.
- Plan for the resume time on the latest blackout end. The latest "sunrise after" on your route determines when you can be moving again.
- Stage the load. If you can't deliver before the blackout, stage at a truck stop or yard inside the destination state — many permits will be revalidated on the resume day for the same load.
- Watch the Memorial Day / Labor Day "extended weekend" states. In NJ, the blackout starts the preceding Friday. Plan delivery for Thursday or stage through Tuesday.
Stop checking blackout calendars by hand.
OverSizeTMS encodes every state's holiday restrictions and applies them to your load automatically. The platform flags dispatches that conflict with blackout windows before you commit to a customer.
See how it works →Related guides
- Oversize / overweight permit requirements by state
- Bridge Formula B calculator
- Pilot car certification reciprocity by state
Last updated: 2026-06-05. Holiday restrictions verified against state admin code citations. Spot something stale? Email [email protected].