Ohio Oversize / Overweight Permit Requirements
Legal-without-permit dimension limits, escort and pilot car thresholds, height pole rules, daylight-only windows, and holiday restrictions for Ohio oversize moves.
Legal limits without a permit
In Ohio, 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 Ohio. Thresholds are conservative — your specific permit conditions may impose tighter limits depending on the route.
| Trigger | Dimension | Threshold | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rear pilot car | Length | 90'0" | Length over 90': 1 rear escort. If combined with over 13' width, 2 escorts (front + rear) required. |
| Rear pilot car | Height | 14'10" | Height over 14'10": front + rear escorts required. |
| Height pole | Height | 14'10" | Height over 14'10": 1 front + 1 rear with height-sensing pole required. |
| Front pilot car | Width | 14'6" | Width over 14'6": 1 front + 1 rear escort required. |
| Rear pilot car | Width | 14'6" | Width over 14'6": 1 front + 1 rear escort required. |
| Height pole | Height | 14'6" | Height over 14'6" (14'10" or less): 1 front escort with height-sensing pole required. |
| Front pilot car | Width | 13'0" | Width over 13' (14'6" or less): 1 front escort on 2-lane; 1 rear escort on multi-lane. |
| Weekend / holiday restriction | Width | 12'0" | Over 12' wide: prohibited Sat 3pm–1/2hr before sunrise Sun; Sun 3pm–1/2hr before sunrise Mon; Fri 3pm–1/2hr before sunrise Sat (Apr 1–Nov 30). Urban curfews 6:30–9am and 4:30–6pm major metro counties. Holiday blackout: noon before through sunrise after (OAC § 5501:2-1-09(A)). |
| Daylight-only movement | Width | 8'6" | Overdimensional loads: 1/2 hr before sunrise to 1/2 hr after sunset, Sun–Sat. Overweight-only loads may travel 24/7. |
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.