Utah Oversize & Overweight Permit Rules
What a load can be in Utah without a permit, where the permit and escort tiers start on other highways and freeways, when it can move, and who to call. Every figure is the JaloPermit Atlas entry for Utah, 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 Utah without a permit
Legal limits are the dimensions and gross weight a vehicle may run at without an oversize or overweight permit. Utah 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 other highways | First escort on freeways |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 8'6" | 8'7" | 12'1" · Front escort | 14'1" · Rear escort |
| Height | 14'0" | 14'1" | 16'1" · Front + Rear + High pole | 16'1" · Front + Rear + High pole |
| Length | 53'0"semitrailer | 65'1" | 105'1" · Front escort | 120'1" · 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.
Utah 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 other highways
Escorts begin at 12'1" wide
Width
Permit required8'7" – 12'
Permit required, no escort in daylight. Any load up to 12' wide needs 1 pilot escort at night.
Front escort12'1" – 14'
Over 12' on a secondary highway: 1 pilot escort. Not authorized at night.
Front + Rear14'1" – 17'
Over 14' wide on a secondary highway: 2 pilot escorts. Daylight only.
Front + Rear + Police17'1"+
Over 17' wide on two-lane routes: 2 pilot escorts plus at least 2 police escorts. Advance division authorization required. Two police escort vehicles are required over 17 ft wide, in addition to the private escorts. Source: Utah Admin. Code R909-2-14(1) and Table 3.
Height
Permit required14'1" – 16'
Permit required, no escort. Over 14'6" is not authorized during non-daylight hours.
Front + Rear + High pole16'1" – 17'6"
Over 16' high: 2 pilot escorts. Non-conductive height-measuring pole required over 16'.
Front + Rear + High pole + Police17'7"+
Over 17'6": 2 pilot escorts plus at least 2 police escorts. Height pole, advance division authorization and utility clearances required. Two police escort vehicles are required over 17 ft 6 in high, in addition to the private escorts. Source: Utah Admin. Code R909-2-14(1) and Table 3.
Length
Permit required65'1" – 105'
Permit required, no escort. No overall limit applies to a tractor with a semitrailer of 53' or less.
Front escort105'1" – 120'
Over 105' overall on a secondary highway: 1 pilot escort. Not authorized at night.
Front + Rear120'1" – 175'
Over 120' overall on a secondary highway: 2 pilot escorts. Daylight only.
Front + Rear + Police175'1"+
Over 175' overall: 2 pilot escorts plus at least 2 police escorts. Two police escort vehicles are required over 175 ft long, in addition to the private escorts. Source: Utah Admin. Code R909-2-14(1) and Table 3.
On freeways
Escorts begin at 14'1" wide
Width
Permit required8'7" – 11'11"
Permit required, no escort. No pilot escort required at night below 12' on a freeway.
Permit required12' – 14'
No escort in daylight, but 1 pilot escort is required during non-daylight hours at 12' to 14' wide.
Rear escort14'1" – 16'
Over 14' on a freeway: 1 pilot escort. Not authorized at night. Rule does not fix the position.
Front + Rear16'1" – 20'
Over 16' wide: 2 pilot escorts. Daylight only.
Front + Rear + Police20'1"+
Over 20' wide on interstates: 2 pilot escorts plus at least 2 police escorts. Advance division authorization and route approval required. Two police escort vehicles are required over 20 ft wide, in addition to the private escorts. Source: Utah Admin. Code R909-2-14(1) and Table 3.
Height
Permit required14'1" – 16'
Permit required, no escort. Over 14'6" is not authorized during non-daylight hours.
Front + Rear + High pole16'1" – 17'6"
Over 16' high: 2 pilot escorts. Non-conductive height-measuring pole required over 16'.
Front + Rear + High pole + Police17'7"+
Over 17'6": 2 pilot escorts plus at least 2 police escorts. Height pole, advance division authorization and utility clearances required. Two police escort vehicles are required over 17 ft 6 in high, in addition to the private escorts. Source: Utah Admin. Code R909-2-14(1) and Table 3.
Length
Permit required65'1" – 120'
Permit required, no escort. No overall limit applies to a tractor with a semitrailer of 53' or less. Over 105' not authorized at night.
Rear escort120'1" – 175'
Over 120' overall on a freeway: 1 pilot escort. Daylight only. Rule does not fix the position.
Front + Rear + Police175'1"+
Over 175' overall: 2 pilot escorts plus at least 2 police escorts. Two police escort vehicles are required over 175 ft long, in addition to the private escorts. Source: Utah Admin. Code R909-2-14(1) and Table 3.
When a permitted load can move
- Standard hours
Daylight means a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset. Oversize non-divisible loads may move at night within the Table 3 caps. Legal-size overweight loads have no daylight-only limit, but curfew, holiday, weather and division restrictions still apply.
- Night travel
Permitted up to 14' wide on freeways and 12' wide on secondary highways, and up to 105' long, 14'6" high and 10' overhang. Freeway loads 12' to 14' wide need 1 pilot escort; on secondary highways any load up to 12' wide needs 1 pilot escort. Marker lighting required.
- Weekend travel
No general weekend restriction. Curfew congestion limits apply Monday through Friday only. Before a Monday holiday, travel is barred from 2 p.m. Friday to midnight, allowed sunrise Saturday through midnight Sunday, then barred again from 12:01 a.m. Monday.
- Holiday restrictions
Loads over 12' wide, 105' long or 14'6" high may not move on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas. The bar runs from 2 p.m. the day before to sunrise the day after; Monday holidays start at 2 p.m. Friday.
- Urban restrictions
Loads over 12' wide, 105' long or 14'6" high are barred Mon-Fri 6-9 a.m. and 3:30-6 p.m. in Weber, Davis and Salt Lake Counties, Utah County north of I-15 Exit 261, all highways south of I-15 Exit 357, SR-68 north of MP 16, I-80 Exits 140-99, and I-84 west of MP 94.
Signage Utah expects
- Oversize load sign
Required over 10' wide, 14'6" high or 105' long. Sign is 7' by 18" with a yellow ground and 10" black letters in a 1-5/8" stroke, front sign on the bumper or cab roof and rear sign at the rearmost point, bottom edge under 5' where possible. Not required on LCVs.
- Flags
Red or orange flags on the extremities when the load exceeds 10' in width or the overhang exceeds 3' to the front or 4' to the rear. Flags must be clean, not torn, faded or worn, and fastened so they wave freely. Flagging is not required on LCVs.
- Beacons
A rotating or flashing beacon visible for 500' and mounted at least 4' above ground is required when front or rear overhang exceeds 20'. Front overhang over 3' needs a steady amber marker light; rear overhang over 4' needs red clearance lights.
Utah 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 Utah without an oversize or overweight permit?
In Utah, the legal limits without an oversize or overweight permit are 8'6" wide, 14'0" high, 53'0" long (semitrailer) and 80,000 lbs gross. Legal overhang is 3'0" front and 6'0" rear. Anything over those figures needs a permit from the Utah permit office before it moves.
When does an oversize load need an escort or pilot car in Utah?
On other highways in Utah, escorts begin at 12'1" wide. On freeways, escorts begin at 14'1" wide. The first escort tier is "Front escort" 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 Utah?
Night travel: Permitted up to 14' wide on freeways and 12' wide on secondary highways, and up to 105' long, 14'6" high and 10' overhang. Freeway loads 12' to 14' wide need 1 pilot escort; on secondary highways any load up to 12' wide needs 1 pilot escort. Marker lighting required. Weekend travel: No general weekend restriction. Curfew congestion limits apply Monday through Friday only. Before a Monday holiday, travel is barred from 2 p.m. Friday to midnight, allowed sunrise Saturday through midnight Sunday, then barred again from 12:01 a.m. Monday. Holidays: Loads over 12' wide, 105' long or 14'6" high may not move on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas. The bar runs from 2 p.m. the day before to sunrise the day after; Monday holidays start at 2 p.m. Friday.