How to Read a California Oversize Permit: Field-by-Field Guide

A California oversize or overweight permit is a Caltrans transportation permit. Under CVC 35780, the Department of Transportation and local authorities may, at their discretion and if good cause appears, issue a special permit for a vehicle or load bigger or heavier than the Vehicle Code allows on highways under their jurisdiction. For the State Highway System, the Caltrans Transportation Permits page says the permits come from the Caltrans Office of Commercial Vehicle Operations, and most applications now run through the Caltrans Transportation Permit System (CTPS).

A few California rules surprise drivers from other states. Pilot car counts depend on the route color (yellow, green, blue, brown or red) as well as your width. Loads over 10 feet wide are kept out of weekday rush hours in the Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento areas. Holiday bans start at 4 p.m. the day before and apply to loads that need a pilot car. And the permit is not valid without the accompaniments listed on its face. This guide walks through what a California permit holds and the published rule behind each part. Caltrans posts the application layout and its box-by-box instructions, but not a filled-in sample of an issued permit. Where a detail depends on your own move, read the face of the permit and every accompaniment listed on it, and ask Caltrans Transportation Permits.

MI 01

Who issues California oversize permits

TPM Chapter 1, General Provisions (updated Jan. 14, 2026, PDF) says Caltrans has discretionary authority under CVC 35780 to issue special permits for oversize and overweight vehicles on the State Highway System, through the Division of Traffic Operations, Office of Commercial Vehicle Operations, Transportation Permits Office. A Caltrans permit covers state highways only. City streets and county roads need a permit from the local authority, which CVC 35780 also allows. The permit shows where that applies (see the route section below).

The Transportation Permits Office is at 1120 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. It is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and closed on weekends and state holidays. Call (916) 322-1297 during office hours (Caltrans Transportation Permits page). Walk-ins are by appointment only, and TPM Chapter 1 says in-person visits are for annual permits only. After-hours emergencies go to the Caltrans Headquarters Communication Center at (916) 653-3442 or hq.comm.center@dot.ca.gov. TPM Chapter 1 adds that “failure to apply for a permit in a timely manner does not constitute an emergency.”

Apply online through Caltrans Transportation Permit System (CTPS), which replaced STARS2. Caltrans How To Apply page splits single trips into Single Trip I (applications with a rider form, needing resident-engineer approval, or with no route provided, so Caltrans builds the route; these take longer) and Single Trip II (all other single trips). CTPS lets you build a route with the CalRoute Route Clearing Database, which checks it for height and weight conflicts before you submit. Credit cards accepted online are Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover (Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ). For variance permits call (916) 323-2893. For loads that cannot be permitted at all, call (916) 654-5741 (Caltrans How To Apply page).

Who qualifies? TPM Chapter 1 and Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ say permits are issued only when there is good cause and the load or vehicle is reasonably non-divisible, meaning that breaking it down would make it unable to do its job or destroy its value. Permits cannot be used to get around the Vehicle Code or to move a vehicle placed out of service for size or weight. Caltrans How To Apply page warns that if your combination or load is not eligible, “you cannot travel in California legally” until it is reduced to legal size and weight.

MI 02

The top of the permit: type, dates and fees

Caltrans single-trip permits use Form DOTTR-0015, Transportation Permit Application (revised 2/2024), with Rider forms DOTTR-0016 and DOTTR-0017 (Caltrans Application Forms and Accompaniments page). The Caltrans Single Trip Permit Application Instructions number every box on that form, and the issued permit is the same form completed and signed by the state. Boxes 1–32 are the applicant’s. Boxes 33–39 are filled in only by Caltrans. Find the permit number (box 39, shown here only as a placeholder, CA-XXXXXXX; we never show real ones), the name of the responsible company (box 1; permits cannot be transferred or consigned), and then check:

• Permit type and validity. Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ and TPM Chapter 2, Types of Permits (June 1, 2022, PDF) say a single trip permit ($16) is valid for seven consecutive days, from a single origin to a single destination. The start date is the issue date unless you asked for a delayed start, and Caltrans will not issue a single trip more than three calendar days before the first travel day. A “travel day” is any day, whole or in part, including weekends and holidays, when travel is authorized. An annual permit ($90) runs one year for set envelope loads on specified highways. A repetitive permit ($90) runs up to 90 days for the same load over the same route and may be renewed for up to six months (TPM Chapter 2). Box 38 (“Permit Valid”) is where Caltrans writes the dates. If no start date was requested, the permit is valid from the time and date stamped when it was processed (single-trip instructions). Two Caltrans sources word direction differently: Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ says a single trip runs “in one direction of travel,” while TPM Chapter 2 section 201 says it covers a load “moving one way and returning unladen or with the same type of load, if requested, within the specified time limits.” Read what your own permit authorizes.
• Fees. TPM Chapter 1 section 109 sets $16 for a single trip permit or a rider changing any permit, and $90 for an annual or repetitive permit. Caltrans will not refund permit fees for any reason. The only free replacement is for a mistake made by a Caltrans employee. Direct crossing permits under CVC 4006 are free. CVC 35795 lets Caltrans charge fees set by regulation, and TPM Chapter 2 points to Title 21, Division 2, Chapter 7 of the California Code of Regulations for repetitive permit costs. Box 29 (“Fee”) is filled in by the state.
• Changes. Any change after the permit writer stamps and signs it goes on a Transportation Permit Rider or a new permit (TPM Chapter 1 sections 103 and 106.1). Each rider is another $16.
• Signature and authenticity. Box 33 holds the name or signature of the authorized state agent, and the single-trip instructions say the permit is not valid unless signed. TPM Chapter 1 says every completed permit must show a unique identifier and the approving state representative’s name or signature.

Carry it right. CVC 35783 says every permit must be carried in the vehicle it refers to and be open to inspection by any peace officer, traffic officer or Caltrans agent. TPM Chapter 1 (section 106.2.4) lets drivers carry single trip and variance permits and all accompaniments either printed or electronically, legible and unaltered, on a device law enforcement accepts. It also says drivers must carry the original hard copy of annual and repetitive permits, and TPM Chapter 2 section 203 says the same for repetitive permits. The Transportation Permit Conditions (revised December 2025, PDF) (condition 2) say “this permit” may be carried in physical (paper) or electronic format, without that annual/repetitive exception. Until Caltrans aligns the two, keep the original paper copy of any annual or repetitive permit in the cab.

MI 03

Accompaniments: the pages that make the permit valid

This is the part most worth slowing down for. Box 37 on the permit is titled “This Permit is Not Valid Without the Following Accompaniments,” and Caltrans marks which ones apply (Caltrans Single Trip Permit Application Instructions). Under the Transportation Permit Conditions (revised December 2025, PDF) (condition 3f), a permit is null and void if presented without the accompaniments named on its face, and they must be within the driver’s reach when seat-belted. The single-trip instructions say all permits must carry the Transportation Permit Conditions and the 24/7 Travel special conditions. The rest depend on the load and route:

The general Transportation Permit Conditions (revised December 2025, PDF) that drivers most often need:

• Void permits (condition 3). The permit is void if any part is illegible or altered, if it is used before or after the dates and times shown, if it is used for a load or vehicle not described on its face or by a company not named on it, if it is missing its listed accompaniments, or if any permitted dimension or weight does not match the field check.
• Verification (condition 5). Using the permit is prima facie evidence that the driver checked the load and vehicle against the permit limits and verified the routing.
• Overhead clearance (condition 6). When the load is over legal height, the permittee must check every underpass, overcrossing, bridge, wire and structure on the route before travel.
• Damage and crashes (conditions 8–9). Report damage to state highway facilities in writing within 72 hours. Crashes that need a DMV report under CVC 16000 must also be reported to Caltrans, with copies of the permit and crash report mailed within 30 days.
• Reducible loads (condition 10). The permit is automatically canceled if the load could be brought to legal size or weight by repositioning or practical removal of a part. Other items may ride along only within the dimensions of the vehicle or permitted item and at legal axle and gross weights.
• Weather (condition 11). No movement in snow, fog, rain or wind when visibility is under 1,000 feet, when road surfaces are hazardous from rain, ice, snow or frost, or when tire chains are mandatory. A crash caused by wind or weather is treated as a prima facie violation. Check conditions at 1-800-427-7623 (1-800-GAS-ROAD).
• Lane use, scales and convoys (conditions 12–14). Keep to the far-right lane when practical. Stop at all operational scales and inspection facilities. No convoys unless the permit allows it.
• Tires (condition 16). Permitted axle or group weights may not exceed the rated capacity on the tire sidewall.

MI 04

Vehicle, load, dimensions and weights

Boxes 6–22 on DOTTR-0015 describe the load and the truck: haul, drive or tow; a full load description with model or serial numbers; load dimensions; the hauling equipment; vehicle width; kingpin to last axle (an entry of “Legal” is not accepted); semitrailer length; combination length; tires per axle, axle spacings, axle width at the sidewall and allowable axle-group weight (for extralegal weight only); loaded height (“Legal” if 14 feet or less); loaded width; loaded overall length; loaded overhang; and weight class (Caltrans Single Trip Permit Application Instructions). The single-trip instructions add that enforcement on axle spacing is to the nearest inch, so spacings must be accurate. When minimum spacings are entered, combination length and kingpin dimensions must be written as maximums.

What makes a load extralegal in the first place? The Vehicle Code caps width at 102 inches (CVC 35100) and height at 14 feet (CVC 35250; over 13 feet 6 inches may only run where the owner deems it safe). A single vehicle may not exceed 40 feet, and a semitrailer’s kingpin-to-rearmost-axle distance is held to 40 feet for two or more axles (CVC 35400). The axle-group table in CVC 35551 tops out at 80,000 pounds. The Caltrans Transportation Permits page lists single trip permits for loads over 8 feet 6 inches wide, 14 feet high or 80,000 pounds.

The ceilings for an ordinary single trip are in TPM Chapter 2, Types of Permits (June 1, 2022, PDF) section 201: a maximum width of 14 feet, an overall length of 135 feet, rear overhang of 35 feet from the last point of support, front overhang of 30 feet, a height that leaves at least 3 inches below the lowest structure on the route, and up to Purple Chart weight. Some loads have their own lower caps (for example, 16-foot manufactured homes and 12-foot roof trusses). Variance permits cover anything bigger. Caltrans states the variance trigger three slightly different ways, so follow your permit and ask if you are close to a line:

• The Caltrans Transportation Permits page and the Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ say greater than (over) 15 feet wide, 17 feet high or 135 feet long, or special hauling equipment beyond Caltrans’ standard weight classification.
• Caltrans How To Apply page says over 15 feet wide, “17 feet or more in height”, or over 135 feet long.
• TPM Chapter 2 sets the standard single-trip width at 14 feet. TPM Chapter 1 section 104 allows denial of anything over the Chapter 2 width “unless approved by Caltrans Transportation Permits Managers.” That leaves loads between 14 and 15 feet wide to manager approval rather than variance processing.

Variance requests are due at least 30 days before the move to variance.permit.app@dot.ca.gov, with inspection reports, engineering justification and drawings. Heights over 17 feet need a written route survey (Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ).

Bridge ratings drive the weight on your permit. TPM Chapter 5, Routing and Safety Requirements (June 25, 2024, PDF) assigns each state bridge a five-letter code for 5-, 7-, 9-, 11- and 13-axle combinations. X means no permit weight, O (orange) means up to 42,800 pounds per axle group, G (green) 52,000 pounds and P (purple) 60,000 pounds. In general, Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ lists 20,000 pounds on a single axle (never over 30,000), up to 60,000 pounds on a tandem with at least 5 feet 9 inches spacing, 10-foot width and 8 tires per axle, and up to 52,500 pounds on a tridem with 10-foot spacing. Lift axles do not qualify for extralegal weight. Some equipment needs a Caltrans vehicle inspection report before you can apply, including four-axle power units for extralegal weight, cranes and other fixed loads, and heavy-haul combinations routed as 9 axles or more. Inspection reports are valid for the life of the vehicle. Allow about two weeks for one through permitvehicleinspectors@dot.ca.gov (Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ).

MI 05

The route section, route colors and clearances

Box 35, Authorized State Highways, is the legal route, filled in by Caltrans in order of travel (Caltrans Single Trip Permit Application Instructions). TPM Chapter 1 section 106.3.3 explains how to read it:

• Consecutive state highways are separated by a hyphen, and each has a direction letter: 5N – 99N. Where two junctions look alike, a location is added, such as “(North Jct).”
• An asterisk (*) means a permit from another agency (city, county, U.S. Forest Service and so on) may be required. Routes typically start and end with one, for example *from MAPLE ST W/B ON RAMP… or …72N to JOB SITE AT ORA-PM 42.3*.
• Crossing a state highway also needs a state permit, and the permit writes it as OAK BLVD ACROSS 132, OVER 173 or UNDER 580.
• “DETOUR VIA RAMPS” means you exit at the off-ramp and get right back on at the on-ramp to go around a low or weak structure.
• Exits are written with the exit name or number and street name with direction, and job sites by county and postmile.

Drive that route. Under CVC 35784 it is unlawful to violate any term or condition of a special permit. The one statutory exception is in incorporated cities: if following the permit route would break local traffic rules, you may detour on nonresidential streets and return to the route as soon as possible. A conviction for violating permit terms carries a fine of up to $500, up to six months in county jail, or both. Excess weight beyond the permit adds a separate fine under CVC 42030. Box 25 is where the applicant requested a route. Writing “or best available” there tells Caltrans to issue the best route rather than return the application, so the route on your permit may not be the one you asked for (single-trip instructions).

Every state route also has a route color that sets pilot cars and travel hours (TPM Chapter 5 section 501.1):

Clearance is your job too. TPM Chapter 5 requires at least 3 inches between the top of the load and the lowest point over the roadway, including shoulders and connected ramps. Height poles are not a Caltrans requirement, because permits are issued on known bridge clearances. A pilot car may run a measuring device over 14 feet when escorting or surveying for an overheight load under CVC 35252 (TPM Chapter 2 section 201.39). Annual and repetitive permit holders must carry the current weekly short-term restrictions list and check it before each trip. Call (916) 917-3795 with questions (TPM Chapter 5 section 502.11).

MI 06

Pilot cars and CHP escorts

Box 36, Pilot Car, says “No” or “Yes.” If yes, the pilot car special conditions are attached, and Caltrans writes the number of pilot cars and the routes where they are required (Caltrans Single Trip Permit Application Instructions). TPM Chapter 1 says that is “Entire Move” when they are needed from origin to destination, or the exact limits otherwise. The counts come from route color and width, per the single-trip pilot car map legend (June 2021, PDF) on the Single Trip Pilot Car Maps page. That legend is what TPM Chapter 5, Routing and Safety Requirements (June 25, 2024, PDF) section 502.6 points to:

The legend also requires a pilot car for overhang over 25 feet on every route color. The most on yellow is one until width exceeds 15 feet, and the most on yellow, green, blue and brown routes is two. TPM Chapter 5 adds triggers for front overhang or a crane or drill-rig boom over 25 feet, rear load projection over 25 feet, rear overhang of a fixed vehicle or unsupported crane boom over 30 feet, and any load wider than the lane that will encroach into adjacent lanes. The 1990 TPM Appendix 19 pilot car table (Feb. 23, 1990, PDF) still posted on the TPM page uses an older layout and different counts. Follow the June 2021 legend and the number written on your permit.

The same legend has a CHP escort table. The California Highway Patrol escorts loads over 16 feet wide or over 185 feet long on yellow routes; over 15 feet wide or over 185 feet long on green; and over 15 feet wide, over 135 feet long or 17 feet high or more on blue and brown. CHP is also required whenever opposing lanes are used or the load must slow down while crossing structures. If the permit requires CHP, the permittee schedules it with CHP (Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ).

Where pilot cars ride, from the pilot car special conditions (rev. September 2005) and TPM Chapter 5:

• With one pilot car, it leads on two-lane or three-lane conventional roads (brown, blue and green routes) and follows on conventional highways with four or more lanes, divided highways and freeways. A pilot car required for rear overhang over 25 feet always follows.
• With two pilot cars, one leads and one follows. Pilot cars stay right of the centerline at all times, keep two-way radio contact with the load, and go with it over every operational CHP scale and inspection facility.
• A pilot car may not stop, pre-empt or impede opposing traffic, tow another vehicle, or escort more than one load unless the permit says so. It may not display STOP/SLOW paddles from a moving vehicle. Under normal permit conditions, flaggers are not used to stop or control traffic (TPM Chapter 5 section 502.7).
• The permittee must brief pilot car operators before the move, and an operator’s failure to follow the permit counts as a permit violation (TPM Chapter 5).

Pilot car equipment comes from the Vehicle Code, as quoted on the Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ. Signs reading “OVERSIZE” (or “OVERSIZE LOAD,” “WIDE LOAD,” “LONG LOAD”) must be at least 48 inches above the ground, on a bright yellow background of at least 440 square inches, with black letters at least 6 inches high (CVC 27904.5). A red flag at least 16 inches square goes on each side (CVC 28100). Flashing amber warning lights run while escorting (CVC 25270). Signs, flags and lights must be covered or removed when not escorting. For how escort triggers compare across states, see our guide to pilot car requirements by state.

MI 07

Travel times, curfews, the Bay Bridge and holidays

Unless the face of the permit says “No Night Travel,” hours come from the Special Conditions for 24/7 Travel (TR-PER-006, rev. 08/2015, PDF). “Darkness” is defined in CVC 280 as half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise (Transportation Permit Conditions (revised December 2025, PDF), condition 20).

Metro curfews. Loads over 10 feet wide may not move Monday through Friday on state highways in the shaded areas of the Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento curfew maps during these hours (TPM Chapter 5 section 502.2; Transportation Permit Conditions (revised December 2025, PDF), condition 18):

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The Special Conditions for Crossing the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (rev. September 2018, PDF) bar permit travel on the bridge from 6:30 to 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. every day and in rain or fog. Loads over 12 feet wide may cross only 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday. Westbound loads use Toll Lane 16. Loads over 14 feet high need a CHP escort westbound through the Yerba Buena Island Tunnel, using the three center lanes. Book that escort with CHP at (707) 648-4180, and allow up to 10 business days. Your permit or a rider can change these times, so read it.

Holidays. The Special Conditions for Holiday Travel (rev. June 2005, PDF) and TPM Chapter 5 section 502.5 apply the holiday ban to vehicles on a transportation permit only when they must be escorted by a pilot car. The Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ lists the same accompaniment for annual and single trip permits “when travel extends through a holiday.” The covered days are New Year’s Day, Presidents Day (the 2005 accompaniment calls it Washington’s Birthday), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. That is a shorter list than the full CalHR state holiday list, though the permit office itself is closed on every state holiday. The rule: no travel from 4:00 p.m. to midnight the day before the holiday, and from noon to midnight on the holiday and each day of the holiday weekend. Travel is allowed from midnight or sunrise to noon on those days, subject to the 24/7 rules. If a holiday falls on a Saturday or Sunday and neither Friday nor Monday is a non-working day, normal 24/7 conditions apply. Caltrans does not publish a dated holiday calendar. Applying its published rule and examples to the coming dates gives:

One Caltrans source is stricter. The holiday item in TPM Chapter 1 section 104 (updated January 14, 2026) repeats the 4 p.m. and noon rule, then adds that when these holidays fall on a Monday or Friday, “permit movement will not be allowed on the holiday nor the immediately preceding or following weekend, unless authorized on the face of the permit,” with holiday hours running “from 12:01 A.M. of the first day to 12:00 P.M. of the last day.” That conflicts with the morning travel the accompaniment allows. Christmas 2026, New Year’s 2027, Presidents Day 2027 and Memorial Day 2027 all fall on a Friday or Monday. Before you plan a morning run on those weekends, check the face of your permit and the holiday accompaniment attached to it, and confirm with Caltrans at (916) 322-1297.

For how curfews and holiday bans read across states, see our guide to checking curfews and travel restrictions on an oversize permit.

MI 08

Signs, flags and lights

The Transportation Permit Conditions (revised December 2025, PDF) (condition 19) and TPM Chapter 5 section 502.9 set the load markings:

• Warning signs. Loads or vehicles over 8 feet 6 inches wide, 80 feet long, or with more than 10 feet of overhang must show signs front and rear, or on the front of the lead vehicle and the rear of the last trailer in a multi-vehicle combination. Use “LONG LOAD” whenever overall length exceeds 100 feet (it takes preference over other oversize features), and “OVERSIZE” otherwise. “WIDE LOAD,” “OVERSIZE LOAD,” “EXCESSIVE FRONT OVERHANG” or “EXCESSIVE REAR OVERHANG” may be substituted when they fit. Letters must be at least 10 inches high with a 1⅝-inch stroke and a 1-inch margin, black on yellow, at least 18 inches above the road, and visible straight ahead or behind and 45 degrees to either side. The Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ version of this rule lists only the width and length triggers. Follow the overhang trigger in the permit conditions too.
• Flags. Under CVC 25104, quoted on the Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ, a vehicle or load needing a permit because it is over legal width displays a solid red or fluorescent orange flag at least 12 inches square at the extreme left front and left rear when not operating in darkness. Under CVC 24604, a load projecting 4 feet or more to the rear needs the same flag at its end by day and two red lights visible at 500 feet in darkness.
• Lights. CVC 25103 requires an amber lamp at the extreme left side of a load that sticks out a foot or more to the left during darkness, visible 300 feet to the front and rear. CVC 25270 requires flashing amber warning lights on pilot cars, and on the permitted vehicle if the permit says so. Caltrans sends lighting and flagging enforcement questions to the CHP at (916) 843-3400 (Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ).
• Removing signs. CVC 35783.5 says signs required by a permit must be removed or covered whenever the vehicle runs without the load that required the permit.

MI 09

Emergencies, violations and where to get help

Emergency moves have their own rules. TPM Chapter 1 quotes CVC 35002(c), which defines an emergency as “a condition which poses an imminent threat of loss of property or a hazard to life,” as determined by the responding public agency, and points to TPM Chapter 6 for details. During office hours call (916) 322-1297. After hours call the Caltrans Headquarters Communication Center at (916) 653-3442.

A disabled permit vehicle, or a legal vehicle bent past legal width or height in a crash, may only be moved at the direction of a peace officer to a point where the highway is safely cleared. Moving it beyond that point needs a city, county or state permit (Transportation Permit Conditions (revised December 2025, PDF), condition 15). If you are caught without a valid permit, TPM Chapter 1 section 112 says Caltrans assigns compliance points under TPM Chapter 7, and you must apply for a permit (and modify or reload the vehicle if needed) before going on. A conviction for violating permit terms under CVC 35784 carries a fine of up to $500, up to six months in county jail, or both.

Key Caltrans contacts from the Caltrans Transportation Permits page, Caltrans How To Apply page and Caltrans Transportation Permits FAQ:

• Transportation Permits, single trip, annual, repetitive and sea container: (916) 322-1297, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday
• Variance permits: (916) 323-2893, variance.permit.app@dot.ca.gov
• Loads that cannot be permitted: (916) 654-5741
• After-hours emergencies: (916) 653-3442
• Weekly short-term restrictions: (916) 917-3795
• Vehicle inspections: permitvehicleinspectors@dot.ca.gov
• CHP Commercial Vehicle Section (lights, flags, signs, hazmat): (916) 843-3400

Caltrans also notes that its Transportation Permits Manual (TPM) is “currently being revised.” Read the dates on each chapter and accompaniment, and lead with the permit in your hand.

MI 10

A pre-trip checklist, and where JaloPermit fits

Before departure on a California permit, confirm:

1. The permit is in the cab (the original paper copy for an annual or repetitive permit), it is signed by the state agent in box 33, the dates in box 38 cover today, and every accompaniment listed in box 37 is in reach from the driver’s seat.
2. Every dimension, axle weight and spacing, and vehicle description on the permit matches the loaded truck. A mismatch at a field check voids the permit. Any change is on a rider.
3. You will drive the box 35 route exactly, you have city or county permits wherever an asterisk appears, and you know where any “DETOUR VIA RAMPS” sits.
4. Pilot cars match box 36: the count for each route color and width, leading or following as required, radios, signs, flags and amber lights. CHP is booked if the permit or legend requires it (up to 10 business days for the Bay Bridge).
5. The move fits the 24/7 rules for your route color, stays out of the LA, San Diego, San Francisco and Sacramento curfew windows if you are over 10 feet wide, and is outside the holiday window if you run with a pilot car. Thanksgiving 2026 starts at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25.
6. Weather is clear of the 1,000-foot visibility limit with no chain controls, overhead clearances leave at least 3 inches, and you will stop at every open scale.

JaloPermit can speed up the reading part. Drop an already-issued, text-based permit PDF into the permit decoder on the JaloPermit homepage and it lays out the route, escorts, time limits, dimensions and limits on one route card, with weigh stations, truck stops and low-bridge alerts. Then compare it with the original. For the state rules at a glance, see the California page in the JaloPermit Atlas. For a general walk-through of any state’s permit, see how to read an oversize load permit, and for escort rules side by side, see pilot car requirements by state. Our Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, North Dakota, Kansas, Texas, Michigan, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico and Arkansas permit guides cover those states the same way. If your trip crosses state lines, read multi-state oversize permit trips.

JaloPermit, which publishes this guide, is a reading aid for issued permit PDFs. It is not a permit-filing service and it does not plan routes or provide navigation. The issued permit always wins.

JaloPermit reads text-based PDFs only, not scans or photos. Guests get three free decodes a day with no account and no card. Logged-in users get 10 free decodes a day. After those free decodes, each one is $3.50. There is no subscription.

Questions about how JaloPermit reads a permit? Email support@jalopermit.org.

MI 11

FAQs