New Hampshire Oversize & Overweight Permit Rules
What a load can be in New Hampshire without a permit, where the permit and escort tiers start on undivided roads and divided roads, when it can move, and who to call. Every figure is the JaloPermit Atlas entry for New Hampshire, 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 New Hampshire without a permit
Legal limits are the dimensions and gross weight a vehicle may run at without an oversize or overweight permit. New Hampshire 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 undivided roads | First escort on divided roads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 8'6" | 8'7" | 12' · Front escort | 12' · Rear escort |
| Height | 13'6" | 13'7" | 14'1" · Front escort | 14'1" · Rear escort |
| Length | 53'0"semitrailer | 48'1" | 90' · Front escort | 90' · Rear escort |
| Weight | 80,000 lbs | Check the state permit office. | — | — |
"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.
New Hampshire 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 undivided roads
Escorts begin at 12' wide
Width
Permit required8'7" – 11'11"
Permit required, no escort by default. Tra 304.17(b) grants the no-escort exemption only when ALL THREE conditions hold: width under 12'0", overall length under 90'0", and rear overhang under 15'0". CONDITION THIS ROW CANNOT SHOW: a front or rear overhang of 15'0" or more requires one escort vehicle on its own under Tra 304.17(c)(4), at any width - check overhang and the length row before relying on this row. Load marking flags under Tra 304.15 are still required.
Front escort12' – 14'
Tra 304.17(c)(1): one escort vehicle furnished by the applicant - a civilian pilot car, NOT a State Trooper - at 12'0" or more and less than 14'0". Position from Tra 304.17(k)(3): a single escort PRECEDES the load on undivided highways. APPROXIMATION: NH's real split is divided vs undivided, not interstate vs non-interstate, so a divided non-interstate such as NH-101 or the divided sections of US-3 and NH-16 takes a REAR escort instead. Tra 304.17(d) adds a SECOND civilian escort if rear overhang is also 15'0" or more, and Tra 304.17(c)(4) requires one on overhang alone. Exactly 14'0" is a gap in the rule - (c)(1) stops below 14'0" and (f) starts above it - so the one-escort requirement is carried through 14'0" as the conservative reading. Manufactured housing runs off Tra 304.13(g), which sets the same one-escort trigger at 12'0".
Police escort14'1" – 14'11"
Tra 304.17(f): width exceeding 14'0" requires a total of 2 NH State Police escorts. Per Tra 304.17(g) any civilian escort triggered by length, height or overhang is IN ADDITION to these 2. Positions from Tra 304.17(k)(4): one precedes the load, one follows. MANUFACTURED HOUSING, modular buildings and building components run off Tra 304.13(g) instead, where width of 12'0" or more adds one civilian escort on top of the 2 State Police - 3 vehicles in this range. NH's rules set no notice period; the 48-hour State Police notice carried in the previous data is trade practice only - confirm with the NHDOT permit office. Tra 304.17(k)(6): on a 2-way highway with a bridge 24'0" wide or less, the police escort stops all traffic while the load is on the bridge. Two police escort vehicles are required over 14 ft wide; no private escort is required for this alone. Source: N.H. Admin. Code Tra 304.17 Escort Vehicles (Cornell LII copy.
Police escort15' – 17'11"
Same 2 NH State Police escorts as the tier below (Tra 304.17(f)); civilian escorts required by (c) or (d) are additive per (g). MANUFACTURED HOUSING runs off Tra 304.13(g): width of 12'0" or more adds one civilian escort on top of the 2 State Police - 3 vehicles. Width over 15'0" also makes this a SUPERMOVE under Tra 304.12(c), which NHDOT schedules and routes individually - Tra 304.17(i) lets the permit office add escorts beyond this floor, and Tra 304.17(h) requires 3 State Police if the move closes a highway or any portion of one. Retained as its own tier because the previous ladder published one here. Two police escort vehicles are required over 14 ft wide; no private escort is required for this alone. Source: N.H. Admin. Code Tra 304.17 Escort Vehicles (Cornell LII copy.
Police escort18'+
CORRECTED COUNT: the previous data claimed a third vehicle here (1 escort + 2 State Police). No NH source supports it for a general load. Tra 304.17(f) fixes State Police at 'a total of 2' for ANY width over 14'0", and Tra 304.17(g) sources civilian escorts only from (c) and (d) - width alone above 14'0" triggers neither, because (c)(1) stops at 'less than 14 feet 0 inches'. Tier retained with the corrected count. MANUFACTURED HOUSING is the exception: Tra 304.13(g) adds one civilian escort at 12'0"+ wide, so those loads do need 3 vehicles. Supermove under Tra 304.12(c); expect the permit office to add escorts under Tra 304.17(i), and 3 State Police under (h) if any highway closure is required. Range opened upward because loads over 20' previously matched no band at all.
Height
Permit required13'7" – 14'
No escort on height alone - Tra 304.17(c)(3) triggers only ABOVE 14'0". But Tra 304.07(g) requires the applicant to pay for a physical route survey identifying minimum clearances once 'The height of the vehicle, object, or vehicle and load is greater than 13 feet 6 inches', and Tra 304.12(c) classifies any load over 13'6" high as a supermove. A route survey is not an escort vehicle, so no escort is shown here; this is still not a light-duty move. An escort is still required here if the load is 12'0"+ wide, 90'0"+ long, or has a front or rear overhang of 15'0"+ (Tra 304.17(c)).
Front escort14'1"+
One civilian escort vehicle (a pilot car) when the load is taller than 14'0". A single escort goes ahead of the load on undivided roads and behind it on divided highways, so on a divided road such as NH-101 it follows. No height pole: no New Hampshire rule requires one, and the escort's required equipment is an amber roof light, a 2-way radio and OVERSIZE LOAD signs. Above 13'6" the move also needs a physical route survey and is a supermove. Manufactured housing, modular buildings and building components need an escort only above 14'6" (Tra 304.13(g)). Source: N.H. Admin. R. Tra 304.17(c)(3), (j), (k)(3); Tra 304.07(g); Tra 304.12(c).
Length
Permit required48'1" – 79'11"
Permit required, no escort on length alone. Tra 304.17(b)(2): no escort for 'An overall length of less than 90 feet 0 inches' - but the exemption is conjunctive, so it holds only if width is also under 12'0" and rear overhang under 15'0". CONDITION THIS ROW CANNOT SHOW: a front or rear overhang of 15'0" or more requires one escort vehicle on its own under Tra 304.17(c)(4), at any length. The 48'1" floor is carried over from the previous data as the point at which a non-interstate move needs a permit; Tra 304.17 sets no escort requirement on length anywhere in this range.
Permit required80' – 89'11"
CORRECTED THRESHOLD: the previous ladder started length escorts at 80'0"; no NH rule does. Tra 304.17(b)(2) states verbatim that no escort is required for 'An overall length of less than 90 feet 0 inches', and Tra 304.17(c)(2) opens the one-escort tier at 90'0". This tier is kept as its own row so the correction is visible rather than silently dropped. A load in this range still needs an escort if it is 12'0" or wider, over 14'0" high, or carries a front or rear overhang of 15'0" or more (Tra 304.17(c)).
Front escort90' – 99'11"
Tra 304.17(c)(2): one civilian escort vehicle (not a State Trooper) where 'The overall length is equal to or greater than 90 feet 0 inches'. POSITION CORRECTED from rear to front: Tra 304.17(k)(3) puts a single escort ahead of the load on undivided highways, and the previous data was internally inconsistent (front for non-interstate width, rear for non-interstate length). Same approximation as the width rows - a divided non-interstate takes a rear escort. Tra 304.17(d) adds a second civilian escort if rear overhang is 15'0"+ and width is 12'0"+. Width over 14'0" adds 2 NH State Trooper escorts on top of this one (Tra 304.17(f)+(g)) - see the width rows.
Front escort + Police100'+
Tra 304.17(e): at 100'0" or more, one NH State Police escort is required IN ADDITION to the civilian escort from (c)(2) - 2 vehicles, one preceding and one following per (k)(4). CONDITIONAL RELIEF: the State Police escort applies 'unless the state police determine that weather conditions, visibility, traffic flow, or other conditions do not compromise safe movement'. Over 110'0" the move is a supermove (Tra 304.12(c)) and a route survey is required (Tra 304.07(g)); Tra 304.17(h) requires 3 State Police for any highway closure. The 48-hour State Police notice is trade practice, not a published rule. Range opened upward - loads over 200' previously matched no band.
On divided roads
Escorts begin at 12' wide
Width
Permit required8'7" – 11'11"
Permit required, no escort by default. Tra 304.17(b) grants the no-escort exemption only when ALL THREE conditions hold: width under 12'0", overall length under 90'0", and rear overhang under 15'0". CONDITION THIS ROW CANNOT SHOW: a front or rear overhang of 15'0" or more requires one escort vehicle on its own under Tra 304.17(c)(4), at any width - check overhang and the length row before relying on this row. Load marking flags under Tra 304.15 are still required.
Rear escort12' – 14'
Tra 304.17(c)(1): one escort vehicle furnished by the applicant - a civilian pilot car, NOT a State Trooper - at 12'0" or more and less than 14'0". Position from Tra 304.17(k)(3): a single escort FOLLOWS the load on divided highways; interstate stands in for divided here, so an undivided non-interstate takes a front escort instead. Tra 304.17(d) adds a SECOND civilian escort if rear overhang is also 15'0" or more, and Tra 304.17(c)(4) requires one on overhang alone. Exactly 14'0" is a gap in the rule - (c)(1) stops below 14'0" and (f) starts above it - so the one-escort requirement is carried through 14'0" as the conservative reading. Manufactured housing runs off Tra 304.13(g), which sets the same one-escort trigger at 12'0".
Police escort14'1" – 14'11"
Tra 304.17(f): width exceeding 14'0" requires a total of 2 NH State Police escorts. Per Tra 304.17(g) any civilian escort triggered by length, height or overhang is IN ADDITION to these 2. Positions from Tra 304.17(k)(4): one precedes the load, one follows. MANUFACTURED HOUSING, modular buildings and building components run off Tra 304.13(g) instead, where width of 12'0" or more adds one civilian escort on top of the 2 State Police - 3 vehicles in this range. NH's rules set no notice period; the 48-hour State Police notice carried in the previous data is trade practice only - confirm with the NHDOT permit office. Tra 304.17(k)(6): on a 2-way highway with a bridge 24'0" wide or less, the police escort stops all traffic while the load is on the bridge. Two police escort vehicles are required over 14 ft wide; no private escort is required for this alone. Source: N.H. Admin. Code Tra 304.17 Escort Vehicles (Cornell LII copy.
Police escort15' – 17'11"
Same 2 NH State Police escorts as the tier below (Tra 304.17(f)); civilian escorts required by (c) or (d) are additive per (g). MANUFACTURED HOUSING runs off Tra 304.13(g): width of 12'0" or more adds one civilian escort on top of the 2 State Police - 3 vehicles. Width over 15'0" also makes this a SUPERMOVE under Tra 304.12(c), which NHDOT schedules and routes individually - Tra 304.17(i) lets the permit office add escorts beyond this floor, and Tra 304.17(h) requires 3 State Police if the move closes a highway or any portion of one. Retained as its own tier because the previous ladder published one here. Two police escort vehicles are required over 14 ft wide; no private escort is required for this alone. Source: N.H. Admin. Code Tra 304.17 Escort Vehicles (Cornell LII copy.
Police escort18'+
CORRECTED COUNT: the previous data claimed a third vehicle here (1 escort + 2 State Police). No NH source supports it for a general load. Tra 304.17(f) fixes State Police at 'a total of 2' for ANY width over 14'0", and Tra 304.17(g) sources civilian escorts only from (c) and (d) - width alone above 14'0" triggers neither, because (c)(1) stops at 'less than 14 feet 0 inches'. Tier retained with the corrected count. MANUFACTURED HOUSING is the exception: Tra 304.13(g) adds one civilian escort at 12'0"+ wide, so those loads do need 3 vehicles. Supermove under Tra 304.12(c); expect the permit office to add escorts under Tra 304.17(i), and 3 State Police under (h) if any highway closure is required. Range opened upward because loads over 20' previously matched no band at all.
Height
Permit required13'7" – 14'
No escort on height alone - Tra 304.17(c)(3) triggers only ABOVE 14'0". But Tra 304.07(g) requires the applicant to pay for a physical route survey identifying minimum clearances once 'The height of the vehicle, object, or vehicle and load is greater than 13 feet 6 inches', and Tra 304.12(c) classifies any load over 13'6" high as a supermove. A route survey is not an escort vehicle, so no escort is shown here; this is still not a light-duty move. An escort is still required here if the load is 12'0"+ wide, 90'0"+ long, or has a front or rear overhang of 15'0"+ (Tra 304.17(c)).
Rear escort14'1"+
One civilian escort vehicle (a pilot car) when the load is taller than 14'0". On a divided highway a single escort follows the load; an undivided road takes it in front. No height pole: no New Hampshire rule requires one, and the escort's required equipment is an amber roof light, a 2-way radio and OVERSIZE LOAD signs. Above 13'6" the move also needs a physical route survey and is a supermove. Manufactured housing, modular buildings and building components need an escort only above 14'6" (Tra 304.13(g)). Source: N.H. Admin. R. Tra 304.17(c)(3), (j), (k)(3); Tra 304.07(g); Tra 304.12(c).
Length
Permit required53'1" – 79'11"
Permit required, no escort on length alone. Tra 304.17(b)(2): no escort for 'An overall length of less than 90 feet 0 inches' - but the exemption is conjunctive, so it holds only if width is also under 12'0" and rear overhang under 15'0". CONDITION THIS ROW CANNOT SHOW: a front or rear overhang of 15'0" or more requires one escort vehicle on its own under Tra 304.17(c)(4), at any length.
Permit required80' – 89'11"
CORRECTED THRESHOLD: the previous ladder started length escorts at 80'0"; no NH rule does. Tra 304.17(b)(2) states verbatim that no escort is required for 'An overall length of less than 90 feet 0 inches', and Tra 304.17(c)(2) opens the one-escort tier at 90'0". This tier is kept as its own row so the correction is visible rather than silently dropped. A load in this range still needs an escort if it is 12'0" or wider, over 14'0" high, or carries a front or rear overhang of 15'0" or more (Tra 304.17(c)).
Rear escort90' – 99'11"
Tra 304.17(c)(2): one civilian escort vehicle (not a State Trooper) where 'The overall length is equal to or greater than 90 feet 0 inches'. Position from Tra 304.17(k)(3) - a single escort FOLLOWS the load on divided highways; interstate stands in for divided here. Tra 304.17(d) adds a second civilian escort if rear overhang is 15'0"+ and width is 12'0"+. Width over 14'0" adds 2 NH State Trooper escorts on top of this one (Tra 304.17(f)+(g)) - see the width rows.
Rear escort + Police100'+
Tra 304.17(e): at 100'0" or more, one NH State Police escort is required IN ADDITION to the civilian escort from (c)(2) - 2 vehicles, one preceding and one following per (k)(4). CONDITIONAL RELIEF: the State Police escort applies 'unless the state police determine that weather conditions, visibility, traffic flow, or other conditions do not compromise safe movement'. Over 110'0" the move is a supermove (Tra 304.12(c)) and a route survey is required (Tra 304.07(g)); Tra 304.17(h) requires 3 State Police for any highway closure. The 48-hour State Police notice is trade practice, not a published rule. Range opened upward - loads over 200' previously matched no band.
When a permitted load can move
- Standard hours
Oversize loads travel daylight hours only, Monday through Friday. Overweight-only vehicles operated at normal traffic speeds are not restricted as to date or time of day. Confirm the exact daylight window and any time conditions printed on the issued permit.
- Night travel
Not permitted for oversize or oversize-overweight loads; movement stops at the end of daylight hours. Overweight-only vehicles operated at normal traffic speeds are not restricted as to time of day. No movement in inclement weather.
- Weekend travel
Oversize and oversize-overweight permits are not valid on weekend days, so no Saturday and no Sunday movement. Overweight-only vehicles operated at normal traffic speeds are not restricted as to date.
- Holiday restrictions
Permits are not valid on New Year's Day, MLK Jr. Civil Rights Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and the following day, or Christmas Day. Seasonal posted-road limits may also apply.
- Urban restrictions
No statewide urban or peak-hour curfew appears in the NHDOT permit rules. NHDOT sets time and routing conditions on the individual permit, and locally posted roads may be closed to the move.
Signage New Hampshire expects
- Oversize load sign
Yellow OVERSIZE LOAD sign at least 7 feet wide by 18 inches high with 10-inch high black letters, on the front of the hauling unit and on the rear of the vehicle or load, not obstructing the plate. Escort signs are at least 5 feet by 12 inches.
- Flags
Fluorescent red, fluorescent orange, or MUTCD standard flags at least 18 inches square, secured at 2 adjacent corners or on a staff. Overwidth loads carry at least 4 and up to 6 flags at the widest extremity and corners; overlength or overhanging loads at least 4.
- Beacons
An operating top-mounted flashing or strobe amber light visible for 1,000 feet in all directions is required on the hauling unit for oversize movements.
New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire without an oversize or overweight permit?
In New Hampshire, 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 New Hampshire permit office before it moves.
When does an oversize load need an escort or pilot car in New Hampshire?
On undivided roads in New Hampshire, escorts begin at 12' wide. On divided roads, escorts begin at 12' wide. The first escort tier is "Front escort" at 12' – 14' wide. Every tier on this page quotes its rule and source.
Can oversize loads travel at night, on weekends or on holidays in New Hampshire?
Night travel: Not permitted for oversize or oversize-overweight loads; movement stops at the end of daylight hours. Overweight-only vehicles operated at normal traffic speeds are not restricted as to time of day. No movement in inclement weather. Weekend travel: Oversize and oversize-overweight permits are not valid on weekend days, so no Saturday and no Sunday movement. Overweight-only vehicles operated at normal traffic speeds are not restricted as to date. Holidays: Permits are not valid on New Year's Day, MLK Jr. Civil Rights Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and the following day, or Christmas Day. Seasonal posted-road limits may also apply.