How to Read a North Dakota Oversize Permit: Field-by-Field Guide

In North Dakota, oversize and overweight permits come from the North Dakota Highway Patrol (NDHP), not the transportation department. Permits are ordered in NDHP’s E-Permits system, which the NDHP E-Permits page says checks roadway restrictions in real time, calculates the route and fees automatically, and issues permits that do not need review 24 hours a day. North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) engineers still set the overweight limits and approve the heaviest moves.

The rules behind a North Dakota permit are short but strict on a few points: oversize loads move in daylight unless they are 12 feet wide or less and 120 feet long or less, loads over 16 feet wide stay parked from Saturday noon through Sunday and around six holidays, and pilot cars start over 14'6" wide. This guide walks through what a North Dakota permit holds and the published rule behind each part, mainly NDHP Policy 9-6 and N.D. Admin. Code chapter 38-06-02. NDHP does not publish a sample permit, so where a detail depends on your own permit, the answer is the same: read the permit and ask the NDHP Permit Office.

MI 01

Who issues North Dakota oversize permits

Under N.D.C.C. 39-12-02(1)(a), the highway patrol and local authorities, each on the roads it controls, may issue a special written permit for a vehicle or load larger or heavier than the legal limits, for good cause and on payment of the fee. The permit may designate the route and add any other restrictions or conditions. On state highways, that means NDHP’s Motor Carrier Operations permit office in Bismarck.

N.D. Admin. Code 38-06-02-01 says NDHP may issue annual permits for overwidth or overlength moves and single trip permits for oversize or overweight moves, and that permits will not be issued for loads that can reasonably be made legal. NDHP Policy 9-6 adds that a load must be non-divisible: one that cannot readily or reasonably be taken apart and has been reduced to its minimum practical size and weight.

You can order a single trip permit online in E-Permits. Policy 9-6, part B says you can also get one from the permit office (in person, by phone, by email or through a permit service company) or from a trooper or motor carrier inspector. The permit office phone is 701-328-2621. Cities, counties and townships issue permits for their own roads, and the statute says townships in a county that uses a uniform truck permitting system must use the same system.

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The top of the permit: number, type, dates and fees

Start at the top. Find the permit number (shown here only as a placeholder, ND-XXXXXXXX; we never show real ones), the company it is issued to, the permit type and the start date. NDHP calls the single trip permit a Receipt/Permit (form SFN 3507). Then check:

• Permit type and how long it lasts. Under Policy 9-6(A)(2)(h), a single trip permit is good for one one-way move within five days. For a self-propelled fixed-load vehicle such as a truck crane, it covers either multiple moves within one 24-hour period or a one-way move within five days. A single trip permit covers one vehicle or one vehicle combination only.
• Overdimensional only. The NDHP E-Permits page lists a single trip “Over Dimensional Only” permit for loads over 8'6" wide, 14' high or 53' long with legal axle and bridge weights.
• Annual permits. Policy 9-6 Annex F lets NDHP issue an annual permit for overwidth-only moves up to 14'6" wide. It is not valid when weights, height or length are over legal limits, and it cannot be used for hay, straw, manufactured homes or office trailers. N.D. Admin. Code 38-06-02-07(6) also allows an annual permit for overlength moves in place of single trip permits.
• Fees. N.D.C.C. 39-12-02(3) sets $20 per single trip permit, $25 per trip for special mobile equipment, $25 for engineering and $5 for faxing. Overwidth loads of 14'6" or less and overlength loads of 120' or less are $20 a trip, $50 a month or $150 a year. Policy 9-6(B)(5) adds an $8 service/routing fee per single trip permit and a graduated fee for loads over 150,000 pounds, from $30 (150,001 to 160,000 pounds) up to $70 (190,001 pounds and over). Ton-mile fees apply to heavy loads and to overweight moves on load-restricted highways. E-Permits calculates the total for your permit.
• Registration. Policy 9-6(A)(6)(a) says no overweight permit is issued unless the vehicle is registered for the gross weight it can legally carry without a permit. The NDHP E-Permits page adds that out-of-state vehicles not registered for North Dakota under the IRP may need a $20 72-hour trip permit.
• Breaking the conditions. Violating a single trip permit’s provisions and conditions may invalidate the permit, and NDHP may revoke permits when the holder abuses them (Policy 9-6, N.D.C.C. 39-12-06).

Carry it before you cross the line. N.D.C.C. 39-12-02(1)(a) says the permit must be carried in the vehicle it refers to, in printed or electronic format, and be open to inspection by a peace officer. Policy 9-6(B)(3) says a legible electronic or paper copy must be in your possession before you enter North Dakota or start the move, and that the driver is responsible for the travel restrictions and safety requirements listed on the permit. The NDHP E-Permits page says mobile home permits need a paper copy.

MI 03

Vehicle, load, dimensions and weights

The load section shows the overall width, height, length and overhang, the gross weight and each axle weight and spacing. Check every number against the loaded truck. The E-Permits application asks for axle spacings (center to center), weight per axle, number of axles, tire width from the sidewall, overhang front and rear, the last 8 of the VIN, the plate and the North Dakota registered gross weight. A track width diagram must be completed when gross weight is over 250,000 pounds, on non-standard trailers (trunnion, side-by-side dollies, dual-lane, double trailers, platform) or when the track width is narrower than 6 feet on two-tire axles or 8 feet on four-tire axles.

Legal limits. Under N.D.C.C. 39-12-04 and the Vehicle Legal Size and Weight Guide (Policy 9-1), legal width is 8'6", legal height is 14', a trailer or semitrailer with its load is limited to 53', and a two-unit combination is limited to 75' (up to 110' on four-lane divided and designated highways).

Overweight rules to read for.

• One piece only. Overweight permits cover hauling one piece of equipment. A dozer with its blade attached is one piece. A detached blade cannot ride on the same load (Policy 9-6(A)(6)(a)).
• Axle weights by tire width. Single and tandem axles may not exceed 600 pounds per inch of tire width, and groups of three or more axles 550 pounds per inch. The policy’s chart tops out at 24,000 pounds on a single axle with four tires, 45,000 on a tandem, 60,000 on a triple and 68,000 on a four-axle group, and no axle in a group of four or more may exceed 19,000 pounds. The NDHP oversize/overweight permit page adds that when gross weight is over 150,000 pounds, a tandem is limited to 40,000 pounds and a single axle to 22,000.
• Heavier loads. Moves from 150,001 to 175,000 pounds need NDDOT district engineer approval unless they stay on pre-approved routes within set weights (Policy 9-6 Annex D). Over 175,000 pounds, blades and rippers, scraper halves and crane counterweights must come off if the engineers cannot approve the route. Over 200,000 pounds, the Heavy Load Permit Policy (Annex E) applies.
• Heat and spring thaw. Overweight permits are not valid on bituminous pavement at 90°F or above, and overweight permits are generally not issued during spring road restrictions except under the Road Restriction Permit Policy (9-17) or a declared emergency (Policy 9-6(A)(6)(c) and (e)).

MI 04

The route section and clearances

A North Dakota permit designates the route to be traveled (Policy 9-6(A)(1)). Under N.D. Admin. Code 38-06-02-04, permit staff may set routes where a road cannot safely carry the width or height, or where NDDOT maps restrict the move. E-Permits builds the route from your dimensions and weights, and the NDHP E-Permits page says drivers with single trip permits get notifications of changing conditions.

Rules to read for in the route section:

• Overweight routing maps. Overweight routes are limited by the Permit Bridge Load Limitations Map (Policy 9-6 Annex A), the Approved Gross Vehicle Weight Map (Annex D), the Weight Limitations Map and the load restriction map. All are on the NDHP permit policies page.
• Construction. Road work can limit overwidth loads to 10 feet or less, or restrict height, on some highways. Check the NDDOT travel information map or call the permit office.
• Low structures. Single trip permits are not issued for loads taller than the clearance under a structure, though the permit may send you around it on a ramp or bypass. NDHP checks the NDDOT bridge vertical clearance list for overheight permits, but the policy says in capital letters that all vertical clearances are the responsibility of the permittee.
• Wires and signals. Loads over 18 feet high must have written authority from utility companies to travel under overhead wires. The policy warns that communication cables may be as low as 15'6", signal lights 16' and flashing signals 17'. The NDHP E-Permits page adds that loads 16 feet or higher on U.S. 85 between Grassy Butte and Williston must contact the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), and loads 18 feet or higher must contact utilities in advance.
• No shoulders, let traffic pass. Permits do not authorize travel on road shoulders, and oversize loads must allow traffic to pass (N.D. Admin. Code 38-06-02-07(5), Policy 9-6(A)(2)).
• Railroad emergencies. Policy 9-6 lists emergency numbers for railroad crossings: BNSF 1-800-832-5452, Red River Valley & Western 1-800-747-4919 and Canadian Pacific 1-800-716-9132.
• City, county and township roads. NDHP permits cover the state system. Get local permits for any roads off it.

Our post on bridge clearance maps for trucks lists free sources for checking low clearances along a route.

MI 05

Pilot cars and escorts

North Dakota publishes its pilot car thresholds in N.D. Admin. Code 38-06-02-03 and Pilot Car Policy 9-15. Each pilot car runs 300 to 700 feet from the load.

NDDOT engineers or NDHP may require pilot cars on other overweight moves or on combinations of these sizes. For loads over 18 feet wide, the moving company contacts the regional commander where the load starts. The NDHP escort fee is $50 per hour and $0.50 per mile per trooper (Policy 9-15(B)).

The pilot car. Under Pilot Car Policy 9-15, a pilot car must be a passenger vehicle or two-axle truck, driven by someone at least 18 with a valid license. It carries an OVERSIZE LOAD sign on its highest part, at least 12 inches high and 60 inches long, black on yellow with 8-inch letters, with flashing amber lights on both ends of the sign or one revolving amber light centered on top. It must have radio contact with the load, cover or remove its signs and lights when not escorting, and buy temporary registration if it is not registered in North Dakota and escorts an intrastate move. The policy we checked does not list a separate escort certification, so ask the permit office if your permit or company requires one. Our pilot car requirements by state guide compares thresholds across states.

Convoys. Vehicles in a convoy must stay at least 1,000 feet apart, and if they do, extra pilot cars are not needed (N.D. Admin. Code 38-06-02-07(7), Pilot Car Policy 9-15).

MI 06

Travel times, weekends, holidays and weather

North Dakota’s time rules come from N.D. Admin. Code 38-06-02-07, N.D.C.C. 39-12-02(5) and the NDHP 2026 oversize travel restrictions calendar.

• Daylight for most oversize loads. Oversize moves run from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset unless the superintendent authorizes otherwise. Over-height or over-length loads may move on any day in those hours.
• Night moves for smaller loads. Loads 12 feet wide or less and 120 feet long or less may move day and night with proper lighting, and the 2026 calendar says overweight-only loads may move any day or night too.
• Over 16 feet wide: weekends. Single trip permits for loads over 16 feet wide do not allow travel after noon Saturday or at any time Sunday.
• Over 16 feet wide: holidays. The same loads may not move on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day, from noon the day before the holiday until sunrise the day after. For the rest of 2026, the NDHP calendar shows no travel from noon November 25 to sunrise November 27 (Thanksgiving), noon December 24 to sunrise December 26 (Christmas) and noon December 31 to sunrise January 2, 2027 (New Year’s). The superintendent may authorize a weekend or holiday permit.
• Other holidays. On Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Good Friday and Veterans Day, the calendar says permitted loads may travel as stipulated, but the permit office is closed.
• Weather. Permits do not authorize travel in inclement weather, on slippery highways or when visibility is half a mile or less.

Curfews. The NDHP policies and rules we checked do not publish city rush-hour curfews. That does not mean none apply: read every time restriction printed on your permit, and ask the NDHP Permit Office, or the city for local streets, if you are unsure. Our guide to checking curfews and travel restrictions shows a quick way to line time windows up with your trip dates.

MI 07

Signs, flags and lights

North Dakota sets these marking rules in N.D. Admin. Code 38-06-02-02 and Policy 9-6(A)(3):

• Flags. Every overdimensional vehicle and load needs red or bright orange flags at least 18 by 18 inches on the traffic side, front and rear.
• OVERSIZE LOAD sign. When the load is overwidth or over 75 feet long, a sign at least 12 by 60 inches goes on the front or roofline of the towing vehicle and on the rear of the vehicle or load, with black letters at least 8 inches high (1-inch brush stroke) on yellow. A LONG LOAD sign of the same size may be used when the load is only over length. Cover or remove the sign when the load is not overdimensional.
• Rear overhang. A load extending 4 feet or more past the rear of the bed needs a 12 by 12 inch red flag at the end by day and a red light visible from 500 feet at night.
• Night lights. Overwidth loads moving between 30 minutes after sunset and 30 minutes before sunrise need SAE Class 1 lights and reflectors, one rotating or two flashing amber lights above the cab visible from 500 feet (with more amber lights at the rear if the cab lights cannot be seen from behind), and clearance lights marking any part wider than 8'6".
• Mirrors and equipment. Two outside mirrors must show a rear view of at least 200 feet, the vehicle must be able to travel at the posted speed unless the permit says otherwise, and commercial oversize vehicles must meet 49 CFR parts 393 and 396. Loads must be secured against shifting or falling, and a backhoe bucket or crane boom must be secured against lifting.
• Doubles. Double trailers are not allowed when overall width is over 18 feet (Policy 9-6(A)(5)(g)).

MI 08

Insurance, liability and contacts

Insurance. N.D. Admin. Code 38-06-02-05 requires the towing vehicle for an oversize mobile home or modular unit to carry at least $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury and $50,000 property damage coverage. For moves over 200,000 pounds, or when NDHP or NDDOT engineers ask, the applicant must provide written proof of liability and property damage insurance, and NDDOT may require an insurance bond for loads of excessive size or weight.

Liability. Policy 9-6(A)(13) says the permittee takes on all responsibility for accidents, injury or damage caused by the permitted move and agrees to hold NDDOT and NDHP harmless.

Who to call.

• NDHP Permit Office: 701-328-2621, 600 E Boulevard Avenue, Dept. 504, Bismarck, ND 58505-0240. The NDHP E-Permits page also offers in-person appointments at the Bismarck office and sign-up for permit and travel alerts.
• Online: E-Permits (linked from the NDHP E-Permits page), the NDHP permit policies page with every policy and routing map, and the NDDOT travel information map for construction and load restrictions.
• Rules: North Dakota Century Code chapter 39-12 and North Dakota Administrative Code chapter 38-06-02, both at the North Dakota Legislative Branch website.

MI 09

A pre-trip checklist, and where JaloPermit fits

Before departure on a North Dakota permit, confirm:

1. A legible paper or electronic copy of the permit is with you before you enter the state, and the start date and five-day window cover the move.
2. Every dimension, overhang, axle weight, spacing and tire width on the permit matches the loaded truck, and the vehicle is registered for its legal gross weight.
3. You will drive the route exactly as listed, you have checked construction limits and low clearances, and you have utility clearance if you are over 18 feet high (or WAPA contact on U.S. 85 at 16 feet).
4. Pilot cars match the permit and the published thresholds, with signs, lights and radio contact, and you have called the regional commander if you are over 18 feet wide.
5. The move fits the time rules: daylight unless you are 12 feet wide or less and 120 feet long or less, and no weekend or holiday travel if you are over 16 feet wide. Weather, visibility and road surface allow travel, and pavement is under 90°F if you are overweight.
6. Flags, the OVERSIZE LOAD or LONG LOAD sign, night lights and mirrors match the rules.

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 North Dakota page in the JaloPermit Atlas. For a general walk-through of any state’s permit, see how to read an oversize load permit. Our Minnesota, Kansas, Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico and Arkansas permit guides cover those states the same way, and 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.

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FAQs