Kentucky Oversize & Overweight Permit Rules
What a load can be in Kentucky without a permit, where the permit and escort tiers start on 2-lane roads and multi-lane roads, when it can move, and who to call. Every figure is the JaloPermit Atlas entry for Kentucky, 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 Kentucky without a permit
Legal limits are the dimensions and gross weight a vehicle may run at without an oversize or overweight permit. Kentucky 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 2-lane roads | First escort on multi-lane roads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 8'6" | 8'7" | 12'1" · Front + Rear | 12'1" · Rear escort |
| Height | 13'6" | 13'7" | 15' · Front + High pole | 15' · Front + High pole |
| Length | 53'0"semitrailer | 53'1" | 75'1" · Front escort | 110'1" · Rear escort |
| Weight | 80,000 lbs | 80,001 lbs | No escort tier (permit only) | No escort tier (permit only) |
"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.
Kentucky 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 2-lane roads
Escorts begin at 12'1" wide
Width
Permit required8'7" – 10'6"
Permit required, no escort. Non-interstate rows encode KY's stricter 2-lane rule (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14(1)-(2)); many KY non-interstate parkways are 4-lane and follow the multi-lane rule instead. A trail escort is required on 2-lane routes if the load cannot maintain the posted speed limit (Sec. 14(2)(c)).
Permit required10'7" – 12'
Corrected from the scraped 1-front tier: both 601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14(1)(a)/(2)(a) and KYTC's escort page start 2-lane width escorts above 12 ft; no KY source imposes an escort at 10'7"-12'. Conditional: trail escort if unable to maintain the posted speed limit (Sec. 14(2)(c)).
Front + Rear12'1" – 14'
Front + rear on 2-lane routes when width exceeds 12 ft (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14(1)(a) and 14(2)(a); KYTC: '1 - Front and 1 - Rear escort required when the width exceeds 12 feet').
Front + Rear14'1" – 16'
Same 2-lane rule as 12'-14' (any width over 12 ft): front + rear (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14(1)(a), 14(2)(a)). Boundary kept for parity with the 4-lane ladder.
Front + Rear16'1"+
2 front + 2 rear when width exceeds 16 ft (KYTC escort page, two-lane: '2 - Front and 2 - Rear escorts are required when the width exceeds 16 feet'). Additional escorts may be required as special permit provisions (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14(5)).
Height
Permit required13'7" – 14'11"
Single-trip permit required over 13'6" (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 6); no escort at or below 14'11".
Front + High pole15'+
1 front escort with height pole when height exceeds 14'11" (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 13, Sec. 14(1)(c); KYTC). Route survey (TC Form 95-625) required when height exceeds 15'6" (Sec. 6). Maximum permitted height is set per route by the cabinet from underpass/bridge clearances.
Length
Permit required53'1" – 75'
Permit required, no escort at or below 75 ft on 2-lane routes. Conditional: trail escort if the load cannot maintain the posted speed limit (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14(2)(c)).
Front escort75'1" – 85'
1 front (lead) escort on 2-lane routes when length exceeds 75 ft (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14(1)(b); KYTC: '1 - Front escort required when the length exceeds 75 feet'). Conditional: a trail escort is also required if unable to maintain the posted speed limit (Sec. 14(2)(c)).
Front + Rear85'1" – 120'
Front + rear when length exceeds 85 ft (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14(1)(b), 14(2)(b); KYTC: '1 - Front and 1 - Rear escort required when the length exceeds 85 feet'). Replaces the prior unsourced 3-escort count for this range; 3 escorts begin above 120 ft.
Front + Rear120'1"+
1 front + 2 rear when length exceeds 120 ft (KYTC escort page, two-lane: '1 - Front and 2 - Rear escorts required when the length exceeds 120 feet').
Weight
Permit required80,001 lbs – 150,000 lbs
Permit required. Kentucky has no weight-based escort trigger (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14). Annual-permit caps run by axle count: 96,000 lbs (5-axle), 120,000 lbs (6-axle), 160,000 lbs (7-axle).
Permit required150,001 lbs+
No escort is set by weight alone in Kentucky: escorts are triggered by width, length, height, overhang or low speed. The Division of Motor Carriers may require escort vehicles as a special provision printed on the permit. Source: 601 KAR 1:018 Section 14(1)-(5) (eff. 7/7/2017); KYTC OW/OD Escort Requirements page.
On multi-lane roads
Escorts begin at 12'1" wide
Width
Permit required8'7" – 12'
Permit required, no escort. KY law distinguishes 2-lane vs 4-lane routes of travel, not interstate vs non-interstate; interstate rows encode the 4-lane/multi-lane rule (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14(3)-(4)).
Rear escort12'1" – 14'
1 rear (trail) escort on 4-lane routes when width exceeds 12 ft (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14(4)(a); KYTC: '1 - Rear escort required when the width exceeds 12 feet').
Front + Rear14'1" – 16'
Front + rear on 4-lane routes: lead required over 14 ft (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14(3)(a)), trail over 12 ft (Sec. 14(4)(a)); KYTC: '1 - Front and 1 - Rear escort required when the width exceeds 14 feet'.
Front + Rear16'1"+
2 front + 2 rear when width exceeds 16 ft (KYTC escort page). Open-ended: 16 ft+ moves are case-by-case and the Division of Motor Carriers may require additional escorts as a special permit provision (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14(5)).
Height
Permit required13'7" – 14'11"
Single-trip permit required over 13'6" (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 6); no escort at or below 14'11".
Front + High pole15'+
1 front escort with height pole when height exceeds 14'11" (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 13, Sec. 14(3)(b); KYTC). Route survey (TC Form 95-625) required when height exceeds 15'6" (Sec. 6). Maximum permitted height is set per route by the cabinet from underpass/bridge clearances.
Length
Permit required53'1" – 110'
Permit required, no escort on 4-lane routes at or below 110 ft (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14(4)(b)).
Rear escort110'1" – 120'
1 rear (trail) escort on 4-lane routes when length exceeds 110 ft (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14(4)(b); KYTC: '1 - Rear escort required when the length exceeds 110 feet').
Front + Rear120'1"+
1 front + 2 rear when length exceeds 120 ft (KYTC escort page: '1 - Front and 2 - Rear escorts required when the length exceeds 120 feet'). The KAR itself requires only the trail escort above 110 ft; the 3-escort tier is KYTC's published requirement.
Weight
Permit required80,001 lbs – 150,000 lbs
Permit required. Kentucky has no weight-based escort trigger (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 14). Annual-permit caps run by axle count: 96,000 lbs (5-axle), 120,000 lbs (6-axle), 160,000 lbs (7-axle).
Permit required150,001 lbs+
No escort is set by weight alone in Kentucky: escorts are triggered by width, length, height, overhang or low speed. The Division of Motor Carriers may require escort vehicles as a special provision printed on the permit. Source: 601 KAR 1:018 Section 14(1)-(5) (eff. 7/7/2017); KYTC OW/OD Escort Requirements page.
When a permitted load can move
- Standard hours
24 hours a day, 7 days a week unless the permit says otherwise. Manufactured and mobile homes are daylight only, Monday through Saturday. House and building moves run 12-5 AM only, off interstates and parkways.
- Night travel
Permitted — no daylight-only rule and no size or weight gate (KRS 189.270(12)(a); 601 KAR 1:018). Manufactured and mobile homes: daylight only, Mon-Sat. House and building moves: 12-5 AM only, never on an interstate or parkway. Hours printed on your permit override this.
- Weekend travel
Permitted seven days a week unless the permit states otherwise. Mobile homes may not move on Sunday.
- Holiday restrictions
Kentucky has no holiday restrictions unless noted on the permit.
- Urban restrictions
No movement 7-9 AM or 4-6 PM Monday-Friday in Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Fayette and Jefferson counties, or at the Owensboro KY 2155 bridge. No load over 12' wide may move under a National Weather Service wind advisory.
Signage Kentucky expects
- Oversize load sign
Required over 12' wide or with front overhang. Two signs 6-8 feet wide, 'OVERSIZE LOAD' in black on yellow, letters at least 18" high (601 KAR 1:018 Sec. 11).
- Flags
Red or orange fluorescent, minimum 18" square. Overwidth loads carry four, one at each corner.
- Beacons
Amber strobe or flashing light on the power unit when front overhang exceeds 10 feet.
Kentucky 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.
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What are the legal limits in Kentucky without an oversize or overweight permit?
In Kentucky, the legal limits without an oversize or overweight permit are 8'6" wide, 13'6" high, 53'0" long (semitrailer) and 80,000 lbs gross. Legal overhang is 3'0" front and 4'0" rear. Anything over those figures needs a permit from the Kentucky permit office before it moves.
When does an oversize load need an escort or pilot car in Kentucky?
On 2-lane roads in Kentucky, escorts begin at 12'1" wide. On multi-lane roads, escorts begin at 12'1" wide. The first escort tier is "Front + Rear" at 12'1" – 14' wide. Every tier on this page quotes its rule and source.
Can oversize loads travel at night, on weekends or on holidays in Kentucky?
Night travel: Permitted — no daylight-only rule and no size or weight gate (KRS 189.270(12)(a); 601 KAR 1:018). Manufactured and mobile homes: daylight only, Mon-Sat. House and building moves: 12-5 AM only, never on an interstate or parkway. Hours printed on your permit override this. Weekend travel: Permitted seven days a week unless the permit states otherwise. Mobile homes may not move on Sunday. Holidays: Kentucky has no holiday restrictions unless noted on the permit.