Massachusetts Oversize / Overweight Permit Requirements
Legal-without-permit dimension limits, escort and pilot car thresholds, height pole rules, daylight-only windows, and holiday restrictions for Massachusetts oversize moves.
Legal limits without a permit
In Massachusetts, 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 | 60′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 Massachusetts. Thresholds are conservative — your specific permit conditions may impose tighter limits depending on the route.
| Trigger | Dimension | Threshold | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police escort | Weight | 130,000 lb | MA State Police escort required for permitted gross weights over 130,000 lbs (730 CMR 7.06(4)(d)). |
| Police escort | Length | 115'0" | MA State Police escort plus 2 civilian pilots required for overall lengths over 115' (730 CMR 7.06(4)(d)). |
| Front pilot car | Length | 95'0" | Front AND rear pilot required for overall lengths over 95' (730 CMR 7.06). |
| Rear pilot car | Length | 95'0" | Front AND rear pilot required for overall lengths over 95' (730 CMR 7.06). |
| Rear pilot car | Length | 80'0" | Rear pilot required for overall lengths 80'–94'11" (730 CMR 7.06). |
| Police escort | Width | 16'0" | MA State Police escort plus 2 civilian pilots required for widths over 16' (730 CMR 7.06(4)(d)). |
| Police escort | Height | 14'11" | MA State Police escort plus 2 civilian pilots required for heights over 14'11" (730 CMR 7.06(4)(d)). |
| Front pilot car | Height | 13'11" | Front AND rear pilot required for heights over 13'11" (730 CMR 7.06). |
| Rear pilot car | Height | 13'11" | Front AND rear pilot required for heights over 13'11" (730 CMR 7.06). |
| Height pole | Height | 13'8" | Height survey and front pilot with height pole required for loads over 13'8" (730 CMR 7.06). |
| Front pilot car | Width | 13'6" | Front AND rear pilot required for widths over 13'6" (730 CMR 7.06). |
| Rear pilot car | Width | 13'6" | Front AND rear pilot required for widths over 13'6" (730 CMR 7.06). |
| Rear pilot car | Width | 12'0" | Rear pilot required for widths 12'1"–13'6" (730 CMR 7.06). |
| Daylight-only movement | Width | 12'0" | Loads 12'–14'W, 80'–115'L, or over 13'11"H: daylight only, no movement 3:30–7:00pm. Over 14'W or 115'L: Tue–Thu 9:30am–3:30pm only (730 CMR 7.06). |
| Weekend / holiday restriction | Width | 8'6" | No movement noon day-before through noon day-after: New Year's, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas (730 CMR 7.06). |
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. Cross-checked against the state admin code.