Maryland Oversize / Overweight Permit Requirements
Legal-without-permit dimension limits, escort and pilot car thresholds, height pole rules, daylight-only windows, and holiday restrictions for Maryland oversize moves.
Legal limits without a permit
In Maryland, you can move a load without an OSOW permit up to these dimensions on the Interstate and designated highways. Anything over the limits requires a permit (and may require escorts — see below).
| Dimension | Without a permit | Permit required when |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 8′6″ (federal limit) | Anything wider |
| Height | 13′6″ | Anything taller |
| Combo length | 75′0″ | Anything longer |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lb | Anything heavier |
Escort and pilot car thresholds
When permitted, the following escort or movement-restriction rules apply in Maryland. Thresholds are conservative — your specific permit conditions may impose tighter limits depending on the route.
| Trigger | Dimension | Threshold | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police escort | Weight | 150,000 lb | GVW over 150,000 lb: police escort required (verify against current MDOT SHA table). |
| 1 pilot car (front or rear) | Weight | 120,000 lb | GVW over 120,000 lb (under 150,000 lb): 1 escort required. |
| Front pilot car | Length | 140'0" | Length 140' or greater: 2 escorts required (front + rear). |
| Rear pilot car | Length | 140'0" | Length 140' or greater: 2 escorts required (front + rear). |
| 1 pilot car (front or rear) | Length | 85'0" | Length over 85' (under 140'): 1 escort required (front or rear per road type). |
| Police escort | Width | 16'0" | Width 16' or greater: Maryland State Police escort required. |
| Height pole | Height | 14'6" | Height 14'6" or greater: 1 front escort with height pole required. |
| Front pilot car | Width | 14'0" | Width 14' or greater (under 16'): 2 escorts required (front + rear). |
| Rear pilot car | Width | 14'0" | Width 14' or greater (under 16'): 2 escorts required (front + rear). |
| 1 pilot car (front or rear) | Width | 13'0" | Width over 13' (under 14'): 1 escort required (front or rear per road type). |
| Weekend / holiday restriction | Width | 12'0" | Loads 45 tons or longer or 100' or longer or 12' or wider prohibited on I-495/I-95/I-695 between 9am–3:30pm; 14' or wider prohibited any highway 9am–3:30pm. |
| Daylight-only movement | Width | 8'6" | Travel permitted 1/2 hr after sunrise to 1/2 hr before sunset Mon–Sat. No Sunday travel. No travel on state holidays. |
Stop tracking these rules by hand.
OverSizeTMS encodes the per-state escort and dimension rules for every state plus DC. Enter the load dimensions and route, and the platform tells you which permits, escorts, and time windows apply automatically.
See how it works →Last updated 2026-06-06. Single-source or pending re-verify — confirm with the permit office.