Colorado Oversize & Overweight Permit Rules
What a load can be in Colorado without a permit, where the permit and escort tiers start on non-interstate and interstate, when it can move, and who to call. Every figure is the JaloPermit Atlas entry for Colorado, shown as the app shows it.
Rules as of Jul 31, 2026 · Links checked Jul 13, 2026
Read this before you trust a number. Rules change. The issued permit, posted signs and the state permit office always win over this page. JaloPermit is a reading aid, not a permit-filing service. Guests get 3 free decodes a day with no account and no card, logged-in users get 10 a day, and extra decodes are $3.50 each with no subscription.
What moves in Colorado without a permit
Legal limits are the dimensions and gross weight a vehicle may run at without an oversize or overweight permit. Colorado publishes its length limit as semitrailer, so compare it against that measurement on your permit, not the overall rig.
Where the permit and escort tiers start
| Dimension | Legal without permit | Permit tier starts | First escort on non-interstate | First escort on interstate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 8'6" | 8'7" | 11'1" · Front escort | 13'1" · Rear escort |
| Height | 14'6" | 13'1" | 16'1" · Front + Rear + High pole | 16'1" · Front + Rear + High pole |
| Length | 57'4"semitrailer | 57'5" | 85'1" · Front escort | 115'1" · Rear escort |
| Weight | 80,000 lbs | 80,001 lbs | 200,001 lbs · Front + Rear | 200,001 lbs · Front + Rear |
"Permit tier starts" is the lowest size in the Atlas ladder that needs a permit. "First escort" is the lowest size that adds a private or police escort on that road class; the full ladder with each tier's rule and source is below.
Colorado escort ladder, tier by tier
Open a tier to read the rule behind it, quoted with its source. Amber tiers add a police escort or a superload review; grey tiers are permit-only with conditions.
On non-interstate
Escorts begin at 11'1" wide
Width
Permit required8'7" – 11'
Baseline zero: Green-designated highways (about 5,944 of roughly 8,100 non-Interstate miles) impose nothing below 13 ft (sec. 408.2.4.1) and Yellow-designated (about 1,650 mi) nothing at or below 11 ft (sec. 408.2.3.1). CONDITIONS, both mandatory where they apply - on a Blue-designated State Highway, 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 408.2.2.1: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load that exceeds 8 feet 6 inches but does not exceed 11 feet in Width requires one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front.' On a Red-designated State Highway (about 335 mi), sec. 408.2.1: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load that exceeds 8 feet 6 inches in Width requires a Chapter 6 Special permit', which under sec. 603 requires at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front and at least one in the rear. Verify the segment's color on CDOT's Pilot Escort and Oversize Restriction Map before assuming no escort. Hours of Darkness: one flashing yellow light front, two to three on the extreme rear (sec. 408.3.1).
Front escort11'1" – 13'
Yellow-designated highways, 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 408.2.3.1: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load that exceeds 11 feet but does not exceed 13 feet in Width requires one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front.' CDOT's map layer puts about 1,650 mi of the non-Interstate system in Yellow. On Green-designated highways (the majority of the system) no width escort applies below 13 ft (sec. 408.2.4.1). More restrictive designations: Blue requires one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front AND one in the rear at 11-13 ft (sec. 408.2.2.2); Red requires a Chapter 6 Special permit above 8 ft 6 in (sec. 408.2.1) with at least one front and one rear escort (sec. 603). During Hours of Darkness, over 12 ft to 14 ft wide requires one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front on all two-lane Highways (sec. 408.3.2), plus flashing yellow lights (sec. 408.3.1).
Front + Rear13'1" – 15'
Yellow-designated highways, 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 408.2.3.2: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load that exceeds 13 feet but does not exceed 15 feet in Width requires one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front and either one Pilot Escort Vehicle or one Flashing Yellow Light in the rear.' Blue-designated: a Chapter 6 Special permit is required above 13 ft (sec. 408.2.2.3), carrying at least one front and one rear escort (sec. 603). Lower where designated Green: sec. 408.2.4.1 requires only 'one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front on a two lane highway', and sec. 408.2.4.2 only 'one Pilot Escort Vehicle or one Flashing Yellow Light in the rear on the four-lane Highway.' A Flashing Yellow Light (sec. 216) may substitute for the rear pilot vehicle wherever the rule offers the choice. 13 ft or more must travel only in the farthest right-hand lane (sec. 408.1). Over 14 ft wide is prohibited during Hours of Darkness (sec. 408.3.3); at 12-14 ft at night one front Pilot Escort Vehicle is required on two-lane (sec. 408.3.2).
Front + Rear15'1" – 17'
Green-designated two-lane highways, 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 408.2.4.3: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load that exceed 15 feet but does not exceed 17 feet in Width requires one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front and either one Pilot Escort Vehicle or one Flashing Yellow Light in the rear on a two-lane Highway.' Yellow-designated highways require a Chapter 6 Special permit above 15 ft (sec. 408.2.3.3), which carries at least one front and one rear Pilot Escort Vehicle (sec. 603). Lower on four-lane non-Interstate mileage: Green sec. 408.2.4.4 and White sec. 408.2.5.1 each require only one Pilot Escort Vehicle or one Flashing Yellow Light in the rear. A load over 15 ft wide 'will be deemed to occupy two Lanes' (sec. 609.1). Prohibited during Hours of Darkness (sec. 408.3.3). Must travel in the farthest right-hand lane (sec. 408.1).
Front + Rear17'1"+
17 ft is the Maximum Limit for Width (2 CCR 601-4 sec. 304.2.3). Above it Green sec. 408.2.4.5 and White sec. 408.2.5.2 require a Chapter 6 Special permit, and sec. 608 makes it categorical: 'An extra-legal vehicle or load that exceeds any of the Maximum limits established for Annual permits in Chapter 3 is prohibited from travel unless authorized by a Chapter 6 Special or Super Load permit.' Sec. 603: such a permit 'shall have at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front and shall have at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the rear, except when expressly designated otherwise by the Department.' CDOT may additionally require a Colorado State Patrol escort or additional Pilot Escort Vehicles and flagpersons (sec. 603) and a bond for State Patrol costs (sec. 606.4). Deemed to occupy two lanes (sec. 609.1). Prohibited during Hours of Darkness (sec. 408.3.3).
Height
Permit required13'1" – 16'
Permit required; no escort and no height pole is required at or below 16 ft. Floor carried over from the previous data set unchanged so that nothing is dropped, but it should be read with care: Colorado's statutory height limit is 14 ft 6 in statewide (C.R.S. 42-4-504(1)), and no Colorado authority publishes a 13 ft general limit. The nearest real 13-ft-class figure is 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 403.2, which bars anything over 13 ft 11 in through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels on I-70. 16 ft is the Maximum Limit for Height (sec. 304.2.1), subject to the Height Restriction Map. Sec. 409.1: 'The Permittee is responsible to check all overhead structures and utilities on the route to be traveled to ensure that the Extra-legal Vehicle or Load has adequate clearance of all overheight restrictions.'
Front + Rear + High pole16'1" – 17'
2 CCR 601-4 sec. 409.2: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load more than sixteen feet in Height is prohibited from travel unless a Pilot Escort Vehicle is positioned in front with a height pole.' Over 16 ft also exceeds the Maximum Limit for Height (sec. 304.2.1), so sec. 608 requires a Chapter 6 Special or Super Load permit and sec. 603 sets that permit's floor at 'at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front and ... at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the rear, except when expressly designated otherwise by the Department.' A Pilot Escort Vehicle operating with an over-height height pole is itself exempt from permit requirements (sec. 703).
Front + Rear + High pole17'1" – 17'6"
All of the 16 ft-plus requirements apply (sec. 409.2 front Pilot Escort Vehicle with height pole; sec. 304.2.1 + 608 Chapter 6 Special; sec. 603 at least one front and one rear Pilot Escort Vehicle). Added above 17 ft - 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 409.4: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load more than 17 feet in Height must be accompanied by a licensed signal contractor through all intersections controlled by an overhead traffic signal.' The signal contractor is a mandatory additional accompaniment, not a substitute for either pilot escort.
Front + Rear + High pole17'7"+
All lower requirements apply. Added above 17 ft 6 in - 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 409.3: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load that exceeds 17 feet 6 inches in Height must submit a route survey for the route of travel', repeated at sec. 303.16. Still mandatory: front Pilot Escort Vehicle with a height pole (sec. 409.2); licensed signal contractor through all signalized intersections (sec. 409.4); Chapter 6 Special or Super Load permit with at least one front and one rear Pilot Escort Vehicle (sec. 304.2.1, 608, 603). Sec. 607 also requires the applicant to identify and resolve every overhead-line, structure and railroad-crossing conflict with the owners before the move, and travel is prohibited until they are resolved.
Length
Permit required57'5" – 85'
Permit required; no escort and no pilot car is required by length below 85 ft. Colorado publishes a 57 ft 4 in semitrailer figure rather than a general overall-combination cap for a tractor-semitrailer (C.R.S. 42-4-504(4)); the floor here is carried over unchanged. 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 410 states the complete length ladder and its lowest trigger is 85 ft. Loads over legal length or with an overhang must carry one flashing yellow light on the front plus one to three cluster lights on the overhang during Hours of Darkness - red at the rear, yellow at the front (sec. 408.3.4).
Front escort85'1" – 110'
2 CCR 601-4 sec. 410.1: 'More than eighty-five feet when traveling on Mountainous two-lane Highways, the Pilot Escort Vehicle must be positioned one in the front.' Mountainous Routes are 'those routes designated by hash marks on the Pilot Escort and Oversize Restriction Map' (sec. 235); CDOT's map layer marks 69 of its 373 highway segments with the 85-ft rule. On non-Mountainous two-lane Highways no length escort is required until 110 ft (sec. 410.2), and on four-lane Highways not until 115 ft (sec. 410.3) - verify the hash marks for the specific route before assuming the escort is or is not needed. 110 ft is the Maximum Limit for Length on Mountainous two-lane Highways (sec. 304.2.6).
Front + Rear110'1" – 120'
2 CCR 601-4 sec. 410.2: 'More than one hundred ten feet when traveling on all non-Mountainous two-lane Highways, the Pilot Escort Vehicle must be positioned in the front.' On Mountainous (hash-marked) two-lane Highways 110 ft is the Maximum Limit for Length (sec. 304.2.6), so above 110 ft there sec. 608 requires a Chapter 6 Special or Super Load permit, which under sec. 603 'shall have at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front and shall have at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the rear, except when expressly designated otherwise by the Department.' The second escort therefore attaches on every Mountainous route in this band; on non-Mountainous two-lane the rule as written requires the front escort only. On four-lane Highways one rear Pilot Escort Vehicle is required over 115 ft (sec. 410.3).
Front + Rear120'1"+
120 ft is the Maximum Limit for Length for all non-Mountainous two-lane Highways (2 CCR 601-4 sec. 304.2.5) and 110 ft for all Mountainous two-lane Highways (sec. 304.2.6), so every two-lane move in this band exceeds a Maximum Limit. Sec. 608: 'An extra-legal vehicle or load that exceeds any of the Maximum limits established for Annual permits in Chapter 3 is prohibited from travel unless authorized by a Chapter 6 Special or Super Load permit.' Sec. 603: that permit 'shall have at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front and shall have at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the rear, except when expressly designated otherwise by the Department.' A Route Survey is required for all vehicles or loads that exceed 130 ft in length (sec. 303.17). CDOT may additionally require a Colorado State Patrol escort or additional Pilot Escort Vehicles and flagpersons (sec. 603). Convoy spacing of at least one-half mile applies (sec. 405.8).
Weight
Permit required80,001 lbs – 200,000 lbs
Colorado's transport-permit rules impose no pilot escort by weight alone up to 200,000 lb, the Maximum Limit for Gross Vehicle Weight (2 CCR 601-4 sec. 304.2.2). CONDITION - an axle configuration exceeding the Maximum Limits for Axle weight on the Bridge Weight Limit Map is prohibited unless authorized by a Chapter 6 Special permit (sec. 407.2), which requires at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front and at least one in the rear (sec. 603); a load can be well under 200,000 lb gross and still need two escorts on a posted bridge route. Curfew relief: overweight vehicles 'not in excess of 110,000 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight, not in excess of any other legal limit and capable of maintaining a minimum speed of 40 mph on a flat grade, 30 mph on a grade or the minimum posted speed limit (if lower)' are exempt from the hours of restriction (sec. 400.1). Overweight-only vehicles may chain up and proceed under chain law up to 200,000 lb gross (sec. 405.6). Overweight-only loads are exempt from the OVERSIZE/WIDE/LONG sign requirement (sec. 405.7, sec. 706).
Front + Rear200,001 lbs+
200,000 lb is the Maximum Limit for Gross Vehicle Weight (2 CCR 601-4 sec. 304.2.2). Above it sec. 608 requires a Chapter 6 Special or Super Load permit, and sec. 603: that permit 'shall have at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front and shall have at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the rear, except when expressly designated otherwise by the Department.' CDOT may also require a Colorado State Patrol escort or additional Pilot Escort Vehicles and flagpersons (sec. 603) and a bond or escrow covering Department and State Patrol costs (sec. 606.4). Sec. 407.3: a load over 200,000 lb GVW must not exceed 10 mph on bridges specifically restricted by the Department and listed on the permit, must travel in the center of the driving lane when crossing bridges, and must display a rear sign reading 'CAUTION: THIS VEHICLE MAY SLOW TO 10 MPH TO CROSS BRIDGES'. Super Load permits may be issued for a combination vehicle of 500,000 lb or more that occupies two lanes (sec. 609, C.R.S. 42-4-510(1.7)). Where a move closes a highway, two weeks' public notice is required (sec. 605).
On interstate
Escorts begin at 13'1" wide
Width
Permit required8'7" – 12'
Permit required; no escort and no pilot car is required by width at or below 12 ft on any Colorado Interstate segment. Colorado sets daylight width tiers by each segment's color designation on CDOT's statewide segment-color map (2 CCR 601-4 sec. 240, sec. 408.2), not by Interstate status; CDOT's own published map layer shows every Interstate mile is White (tier starts above 15 ft, sec. 408.2.5) or Green (above 13 ft, sec. 408.2.4). Hours of Darkness (sunset to sunrise, sec. 222): over legal width to 12 ft requires one flashing yellow light mounted to the front and at least two but not more than three on the extreme rear (sec. 408.3.1). Over 11 ft wide must stop at the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel approach parking lot on I-70 MP 213-214 and obtain permission from the tunnel superintendent or portal attendant (sec. 403.1).
Permit required12'1" – 13'
Daylight baseline is zero: Green-designated Interstate segments impose nothing below 13 ft (sec. 408.2.4.1/.2) and White-designated below 15 ft (sec. 408.2.5.1). CONDITION - during Hours of Darkness a load over 12 ft but not over 14 ft wide requires one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the rear on all four-lane Highways: 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 408.3.2, 'On all four-lane Highways, one Pilot Escort Vehicle shall be in the rear.' This night rule is what the previous scraped data encoded as an unconditional '1 rear on 4-lane highways' tier; the tier is preserved here as the condition it actually is. Flashing yellow lights per sec. 408.3.1 also apply. Over 11 ft must obtain Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel permission (sec. 403.1).
Rear escort13'1" – 15'
Green-designated Interstate segments, four-lane clause, 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 408.2.4.2: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load that exceeds 13 feet but does not exceed 15 feet in Width requires either one Pilot Escort Vehicle or one Flashing Yellow Light in the rear on the four-lane Highway.' A Flashing Yellow Light (flashing/oscillating/rotating amber visible 500 ft in normal sunlight, sec. 216) may lawfully substitute for the rear pilot vehicle. On Colorado's Interstates the Green designation covers only I-70 MP 116.576-133 (Glenwood Canyon-Dotsero), I-25 routes 025B/025C at Trinidad and Walsenburg, and I-70B/070Z at Grand Junction - about 38 of 980 Interstate miles; the remaining White-designated mileage requires nothing by width below 15 ft (sec. 408.2.5). 13 ft or more in width must travel only in the farthest right-hand lane, as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or painted shoulder line, except when passing or preparing for a left turn (sec. 408.1). Over 14 ft wide is prohibited during Hours of Darkness unless authorized under a Chapter 6 Special permit (sec. 408.3.3); at 12-14 ft at night one rear Pilot Escort Vehicle is required on four-lane (sec. 408.3.2). Lane-count caveat (schema approximation per the four-lane mapping): this band encodes the four-lane clause. On a Green segment that is actually two-lane, sec. 408.2.4.1 instead requires one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front. Colorado's Interstate mainline is four-lane throughout and the only Green mainline is I-70 in Glenwood Canyon (four-lane divided); the rest of the Green Interstate mileage is the I-70B, 070Z, 025B and 025C business routes, so confirm the lane count there.
Rear escort15'1" – 17'
White-designated segments (about 941 of 980 Interstate miles), 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 408.2.5.1: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load that exceeds 15 feet but does not exceed 17 feet in Width requires either one Pilot Escort Vehicle or one Flashing Yellow Light in the rear.' Green four-lane is identical - sec. 408.2.4.4: 'requires either one Pilot Escort Vehicle or one Flashing Yellow Light in the rear on a four-lane Highway.' A Flashing Yellow Light (sec. 216) may substitute for the rear pilot vehicle. A load over 15 ft wide 'will be deemed to occupy two Lanes' (sec. 609.1) and may be issued as a Super Load permit under sec. 42-4-510(1.7) C.R.S. Prohibited during Hours of Darkness (sec. 408.3.3). Must travel in the farthest right-hand lane (sec. 408.1). Over 11 ft wide must obtain Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel permission (sec. 403.1). Lane-count caveat (schema approximation per the four-lane mapping): this band encodes the four-lane clause. On a Green segment that is actually two-lane, sec. 408.2.4.3 requires one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front AND either one Pilot Escort Vehicle or one Flashing Yellow Light in the rear - i.e. two escorts. Colorado's Interstate mainline is four-lane throughout; confirm the lane count on the I-70B, 070Z, 025B and 025C business routes before relying on the single rear escort.
Front + Rear17'1"+
17 ft is the Maximum Limit for Width (2 CCR 601-4 sec. 304.2.3, 'Seventeen feet in Width, subject to the Maximum Limit for Width designated on the Pilot Escort and Oversize Restriction Map'). Above 17 ft, White sec. 408.2.5.2 and Green sec. 408.2.4.5 both require a Chapter 6 Special permit, and sec. 608 makes that categorical: 'An extra-legal vehicle or load that exceeds any of the Maximum limits established for Annual permits in Chapter 3 is prohibited from travel unless authorized by a Chapter 6 Special or Super Load permit.' Sec. 603 then fixes the escort floor: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load under a special or Super Load permit shall have at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front and shall have at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the rear, except when expressly designated otherwise by the Department.' CDOT may additionally require a Colorado State Patrol escort or additional Pilot Escort Vehicles and flagpersons based on highway width, traffic volume, visibility and whether the load blocks more than one lane (sec. 603), and may require a bond covering State Patrol costs (sec. 606.4). Deemed to occupy two lanes (sec. 609.1). Prohibited during Hours of Darkness (sec. 408.3.3).
Height
Permit required14'7" – 16'
Permit required; no escort and no height pole is required at or below 16 ft. Colorado's statutory height limit is 14 ft 6 in statewide - C.R.S. 42-4-504(1): 'A driver shall not drive a vehicle either unladen or with load that exceeds a height of fourteen feet six inches.' 16 ft is the Maximum Limit for Height (2 CCR 601-4 sec. 304.2.1, 'Sixteen feet in Height, subject to the Maximum Limits for Height designated on the Height Restriction Map'). Sec. 409.1 puts clearance on the permittee: 'The Permittee is responsible to check all overhead structures and utilities on the route to be traveled to ensure that the Extra-legal Vehicle or Load has adequate clearance of all overheight restrictions.' Interstate-specific bar: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load greater than thirteen feet eleven inches in Height is prohibited from travel through the tunnels' - the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels on I-70 MP 213-214 (sec. 403.2).
Front + Rear + High pole16'1" – 17'
2 CCR 601-4 sec. 409.2: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load more than sixteen feet in Height is prohibited from travel unless a Pilot Escort Vehicle is positioned in front with a height pole.' Over 16 ft also exceeds the Maximum Limit for Height (sec. 304.2.1), so sec. 608 requires a Chapter 6 Special or Super Load permit, and sec. 603 sets that permit's floor at 'at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front and ... at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the rear, except when expressly designated otherwise by the Department.' A Pilot Escort Vehicle operating with a height pole that exceeds the legal height limit is itself exempt from permit requirements (sec. 703). I-70 note: over 13 ft 11 in is prohibited through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels (sec. 403.2).
Front + Rear + High pole17'1" – 17'6"
All of the 16 ft-plus requirements apply (sec. 409.2 front Pilot Escort Vehicle with height pole; sec. 304.2.1 + 608 Chapter 6 Special; sec. 603 at least one front and one rear Pilot Escort Vehicle). Added above 17 ft - 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 409.4: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load more than 17 feet in Height must be accompanied by a licensed signal contractor through all intersections controlled by an overhead traffic signal.' That signal contractor is a mandatory additional accompaniment, not a substitute for either pilot escort. Over 13 ft 11 in is prohibited through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels on I-70 (sec. 403.2).
Front + Rear + High pole17'7"+
All lower requirements apply. Added above 17 ft 6 in - 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 409.3: 'An Extra-legal Vehicle or Load that exceeds 17 feet 6 inches in Height must submit a route survey for the route of travel', repeated at sec. 303.16 ('Route Survey for all Vehicles or Loads that exceed 17' 6" in height'). A Route Survey is 'a document detailing the specifics of the route, based on the vehicle' (sec. 244). Still mandatory: front Pilot Escort Vehicle with a height pole (sec. 409.2); licensed signal contractor through all signalized intersections (sec. 409.4); Chapter 6 Special or Super Load permit with at least one front and one rear Pilot Escort Vehicle (sec. 304.2.1, 608, 603). Sec. 607 also requires the applicant to resolve every overhead-line and structure conflict with the utility owners before the move. Over 13 ft 11 in is prohibited through the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels on I-70 (sec. 403.2).
Length
Permit required57'5" – 85'
Permit required; no escort and no pilot car is required by length below 85 ft. Colorado publishes a 57 ft 4 in semitrailer figure rather than a general overall-combination cap for a tractor-semitrailer (C.R.S. 42-4-504(4)); the floor here is carried over unchanged from the previous data. 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 410 states the complete length ladder and its lowest trigger is 85 ft. Loads over legal length or with an overhang must carry one flashing yellow light on the front plus one to three cluster lights on the overhang during Hours of Darkness - red at the rear, yellow at the front (sec. 408.3.4).
Permit required85'1" – 115'
CONDITION - on Mountainous routes a load over 85 ft requires one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front. 2 CCR 601-4 sec. 410.1: 'More than eighty-five feet when traveling on Mountainous two-lane Highways, the Pilot Escort Vehicle must be positioned one in the front.' Mountainous Routes are 'those routes designated by hash marks on the Pilot Escort and Oversize Restriction Map' (sec. 235), and CDOT's own published map layer carries the 85-ft front-escort rule on Interstate mileage: I-70 route 070A, mileposts 116.576 to 130.286 (Glenwood Canyon). Its legend text reads 'One pilot car escort required in front when the vehicle or load is greater than 85 feet in length and traveling on mountainous two lane routes and highways designated with hash marks.' Elsewhere on four-lane Highways no length escort is required until 115 ft (sec. 410.3). 130 ft is the Maximum Limit for Length on four-lane Highways (sec. 304.2.4).
Rear escort115'1" – 130'
2 CCR 601-4 sec. 410.3: 'More than one hundred fifteen feet traveling on four-lane Highways, the Pilot Escort Vehicle must be positioned in the rear.' CDOT's map layer states the same rule: 'One pilot car escort is required in rear when load is greater than 115 feet in length and travelling on all four lane highways.' On hash-marked Mountainous Interstate segments (I-70 MP 116.576-130.286, Glenwood Canyon) a front Pilot Escort Vehicle is required in addition, from 85 ft up (sec. 410.1). 130 ft is the Maximum Limit for Length on all four-lane Highways (sec. 304.2.4).
Front + Rear130'1"+
130 ft is the Maximum Limit for Length for all four-lane Highways (2 CCR 601-4 sec. 304.2.4, 'One hundred thirty feet in Length for all four-lane Highways'). Above it sec. 608 requires a Chapter 6 Special or Super Load permit - 'An extra-legal vehicle or load that exceeds any of the Maximum limits established for Annual permits in Chapter 3 is prohibited from travel unless authorized by a Chapter 6 Special or Super Load permit' - and sec. 603 sets the escort floor: 'shall have at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front and shall have at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the rear, except when expressly designated otherwise by the Department.' A Route Survey is required for all vehicles or loads that exceed 130 ft in length (sec. 303.17). CDOT may additionally require a Colorado State Patrol escort or additional Pilot Escort Vehicles and flagpersons (sec. 603). Convoy spacing of at least one-half mile between extra-legal loads applies (sec. 405.8).
Weight
Permit required80,001 lbs – 200,000 lbs
Colorado's transport-permit rules impose no pilot escort by weight alone up to 200,000 lb, the Maximum Limit for Gross Vehicle Weight (2 CCR 601-4 sec. 304.2.2, 'Two hundred thousand pounds Gross Vehicle Weight, subject to the Maximum Limits for Axle weight designated on the Bridge Weight Limit Map'). CONDITION - an axle configuration exceeding the Maximum Limits for Axle weight on the Bridge Weight Limit Map is prohibited unless authorized by a Chapter 6 Special permit (sec. 407.2), which requires at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front and at least one in the rear (sec. 603); a load can therefore be well under 200,000 lb gross and still need two escorts on a posted bridge route. Interstate-specific: 'A Non-Interstate Divisible Extra-legal Vehicle or Load is prohibited from travel on the interstate highway system' (sec. 407.1). Curfew relief: overweight vehicles 'not in excess of 110,000 pounds Gross Vehicle Weight, not in excess of any other legal limit and capable of maintaining a minimum speed of 40 mph on a flat grade, 30 mph on a grade or the minimum posted speed limit (if lower)' are exempt from the hours of restriction (sec. 400.1). Overweight-only vehicles may chain up and proceed under chain law up to 200,000 lb gross (sec. 405.6). Interstate GVW above 80,000 lb is governed by the sec. 412 bridge formulas, capped at 110,000 lb for an LVC and 85,000 lb for other combinations.
Front + Rear200,001 lbs+
200,000 lb is the Maximum Limit for Gross Vehicle Weight (2 CCR 601-4 sec. 304.2.2). Above it sec. 608 requires a Chapter 6 Special or Super Load permit - 'An extra-legal vehicle or load that exceeds any of the Maximum limits established for Annual permits in Chapter 3 is prohibited from travel unless authorized by a Chapter 6 Special or Super Load permit' - and sec. 603: that permit 'shall have at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the front and shall have at least one Pilot Escort Vehicle in the rear, except when expressly designated otherwise by the Department.' CDOT may also require a Colorado State Patrol escort or additional Pilot Escort Vehicles and flagpersons (sec. 603) and a bond or escrow covering Department and State Patrol costs (sec. 606.4). Sec. 407.3: a load over 200,000 lb GVW must not exceed 10 mph on bridges specifically restricted by the Department and listed on the permit, must travel in the center of the driving lane when crossing bridges, and must display a rear sign reading 'CAUTION: THIS VEHICLE MAY SLOW TO 10 MPH TO CROSS BRIDGES'. Super Load permits may be issued for a combination vehicle of 500,000 lb or more that occupies two lanes (sec. 609, C.R.S. 42-4-510(1.7)); third-party weight documentation is required (sec. 609.2). Where a move closes a highway, two weeks' public notice is required (sec. 605).
When a permitted load can move
- Standard hours
No general daylight-only rule; loads may move during Hours of Darkness (sunset to sunrise) with required lighting. Over 14' wide may not move at night. Overweight-only loads to 110,000 lbs GVW, otherwise legal size and able to hold 40 mph on the flat, are exempt from curfews.
- Night travel
Permitted. Over legal width to 12' wide: one flashing yellow light on the front and two to three on the extreme rear. Over 12' to 14' wide adds one front pilot car on two-lane highways or one rear pilot car on four-lane. Over 14' wide is prohibited during darkness.
- Weekend travel
No statewide weekend ban. I-70 Morrison to West Vail: Dec 1-Mar 31 westbound closed Fri 3-8 p.m. and Sat-Sun 7 a.m. to noon, eastbound Sat-Sun 3-9 p.m. May 15-Sep 15 westbound closed Fri 4-8 p.m. (5 p.m. at Idaho Springs) and Sat 8 a.m. to noon, eastbound Sun 3-9 p.m.
- Holiday restrictions
Prohibited 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day, and noon to 9 p.m. the Friday before Memorial Day and Labor Day. LVCs may not travel at all those three days. Cripple Creek SH 24/SH 67: 3-7 p.m. Fri-Sun of those plus Christmas and New Year's.
- Urban restrictions
Curfews on listed segments: Denver 6-9 a.m./3-6 p.m.; Colorado Springs, Pueblo, SH 82 Carbondale-Aspen 7-9 a.m./4-6 p.m., Mon-Fri. Central City 3-11 a.m. only. US 6 Clear Creek Canyon closed. Tunnels bar over 13'11"; over 11' wide needs permission. Denver city permit may apply.
Signage Colorado expects
- Oversize load sign
OVERSIZE/WIDE/LONG LOAD signs visible front and rear. Either 5 ft wide by 10 in high, 1 in brush stroke, black letters at least 8 in high on yellow, or 7 ft by 18 in, 1.41 in stroke, letters at least 10 in. Not required on overweight-only loads or LVCs.
- Flags
A load extending four feet or more beyond the bed or body must display a red flag or cloth at least 12 inches square at the extreme rear, visible from the rear. From sunset to sunrise or in low visibility, an added red light or lantern visible 500 feet replaces it.
- Beacons
Required during Hours of Darkness. Over legal width: one flashing yellow light on the front, two to three on the extreme rear. Over legal length or with an overhang: one flashing yellow light on the front plus one to three cluster lights, red at rear, yellow at front.
Colorado permit office
The permit office is the authority on every number on this page. Call it, or open the official site, before you rely on a threshold for a load that is close to a line.
Already have your permit?
Decode it into a route card: authorized route, escorts, curfews, weigh stations, truck stops and low-bridge alerts along the way.
3 free decodes a day · no account · no cardBefore you ask dispatch.
What are the legal limits in Colorado without an oversize or overweight permit?
In Colorado, the legal limits without an oversize or overweight permit are 8'6" wide, 14'6" high, 57'4" long (semitrailer) and 80,000 lbs gross. Legal overhang is 4'0" front and 10'0" rear. Anything over those figures needs a permit from the Colorado permit office before it moves.
When does an oversize load need an escort or pilot car in Colorado?
On non-interstate in Colorado, escorts begin at 11'1" wide. On interstate, escorts begin at 13'1" wide. The first escort tier is "Front escort" at 11'1" – 13' wide. Every tier on this page quotes its rule and source.
Can oversize loads travel at night, on weekends or on holidays in Colorado?
Night travel: Permitted. Over legal width to 12' wide: one flashing yellow light on the front and two to three on the extreme rear. Over 12' to 14' wide adds one front pilot car on two-lane highways or one rear pilot car on four-lane. Over 14' wide is prohibited during darkness. Weekend travel: No statewide weekend ban. I-70 Morrison to West Vail: Dec 1-Mar 31 westbound closed Fri 3-8 p.m. and Sat-Sun 7 a.m. to noon, eastbound Sat-Sun 3-9 p.m. May 15-Sep 15 westbound closed Fri 4-8 p.m. (5 p.m. at Idaho Springs) and Sat 8 a.m. to noon, eastbound Sun 3-9 p.m. Holidays: Prohibited 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day, and noon to 9 p.m. the Friday before Memorial Day and Labor Day. LVCs may not travel at all those three days. Cripple Creek SH 24/SH 67: 3-7 p.m. Fri-Sun of those plus Christmas and New Year's.