By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Sep 28, 2026
Arizona splits oversize and overweight permitting in two. The Enforcement and Compliance Division's Commercial Vehicle Permits office (Goodyear, and online through ADOT ePRO) sells Class A permits for non-reducible loads up to 14 feet wide, 16 feet high, 120 feet long, and 250,000 pounds on state routes, plus envelope permits; anything larger is a Class C permit from ADOT Maintenance Permits Services in Phoenix, with bridge engineering analysis above the R17-6-411 tables. Class A fees are set in A.R.S. 28-1105 ($15 oversize single trip, $75 overweight single trip, $360 and $600 annual) and envelope fees in 28-1143 ($150 to $1,500). Legal height is 13 feet 6 inches by statute and 14 feet on the designated system ADOT uses as its permit threshold; legal width is 102 inches on interstate, federal-aid, and designated state highways. Loads over 10 feet wide or 14 feet 6 inches high move daylight only unless eligible for 3 a.m. night and weekend transport, stop for six holidays, and observe weekday rush-hour curfews in metropolitan Phoenix, Tucson, and Yuma.
Arizona legal limits (no permit needed at or under these)
- Width
- 8.5 ftA.R.S. 28-1093 sets a base limit of 8 feet, and allows 102 inches (8 feet 6 inches) exclusive of safety equipment on the interstate system, other qualifying federal-aid highways, state highways designated by the director, locally designated streets, and reasonable-access highways to terminals and food, fuel, repair, lodging, or emergency facilities. R17-6 Table 1 uses 8 feet 6 inches as the permit threshold on the State Highway System, 8 feet where Table 4 restricts a route.
- Height
- 13.5 ftA.R.S. 28-1094(A) caps height at 13 feet 6 inches without a permit; 28-1094(B) has ADOT and local authorities designate highways where 14 feet is allowed without a permit, and R17-6 Table 1 uses 14 feet as the State Highway System threshold (13 feet 6 inches where Table 4 restricts a route). A one-year special permit to run at up to 14 feet on designated routes is $45 per vehicle (28-1094(C)); a permit above 14 feet on designated routes is $15 per vehicle (28-1094(D)).
- Gross weight
- 80,000 lbA.R.S. 28-1100(A): 20,000 pounds on any one axle and 34,000 pounds on a tandem, including enforcement tolerances; 80,000 pounds on a combination of five or more axles; and the bridge formula W = 500 (LN/(N-1) + 12N + 36) on any group of two or more consecutive axles, with two consecutive tandems allowed 34,000 pounds each if 36 or more feet apart. R17-6 Table 1 adds that legal weight is the listed limit or the manufacturer's weight rating, whichever is less. Natural gas, battery electric, or hydrogen vehicles may exceed the limits up to 82,000 pounds by the fuel-system weight difference (28-1100(I)), and idle reduction technology adds up to 550 pounds (28-1100(H)).
- Length: Note
- R17-6 Table 1 (Supp. 22-2): straight truck 40 feet; non-articulated bus or recreational vehicle 45 feet; conveyor-bed fiber and forage module mover 48 feet; truck tractor-semitrailer 57 feet 6 inches of semitrailer on the National Network, and on other State Highway System routes a 53-foot semitrailer or 65 feet overall if the semitrailer is longer; doubles (including B-trains) 28 feet 6 inches per trailer or 65 feet overall; truck-trailer, truck-forklift, and truck-semitrailer combinations 28 feet 6 inches trailer or 65 feet overall; articulated bus 60 feet; pole trailer with non-reducible load 80 feet of cargo carrying length; stinger-steered vehicle or boat transporter 80 feet (excluding ramps and 4 feet front and 6 feet rear overhang); towaway trailer transporter 82 feet; driveaway saddlemount with up to three saddlemounted vehicles 97 feet; overhang 3 feet front and 6 feet rear. The statute (28-1095) sets the same 40-foot single-vehicle, 57 feet 6 inches semitrailer, 28 feet 6 inches double-trailer, and 65-foot truck-semitrailer figures, and a vehicle transporter of 80 feet with 4 feet front and 6 feet rear overhang.
Axle weight limits
Gross weight is one ceiling; each axle group carries its own limit, and a load can be legal on gross weight yet overweight on an axle. Exceeding any of these needs an overweight permit.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Permit fees
- Single trip
- $15 (A Class A oversize single-trip permit is $15 and a Class A overweight (or oversize and overweight) single-trip permit is $75 under A.R.S. 28-1105(A); ADOT's Oversize/Overweight Permits page prints the same fees. Single-trip permits run 96 hours or until the vehicle exits the state, whichever is first (ADOT permit fee FAQ). Class C permits for larger loads carry their own $30 to $100 fees plus any engineering analysis.)
- Annual eligibility
- The $360 Class A annual oversize permit (and the $600 annual overweight permit) covers a specifically described non-reducible load up to 14 feet wide, 16 feet high, 120 feet long, and 250,000 pounds, on state routes only, with side projections limited to 3 feet (load 12 inches or more deep) or 2 feet (under 12 inches); the vehicle must be registered for 80,000 pounds and the permit may not be used to routinely haul legal loads on over-width trailers. For non-specific loads the envelope permit covers the same outer dimensions for $750 (oversize) or $1,500 (oversize and overweight) a year.
Single-trip permit fee schedule
A single-trip permit stacks a base fee with a weight-tiered maintenance fee, and the heaviest loads add a supervision fee.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
To price a specific load, try the oversize permit cost estimator, or compare every state on the national oversize permit table.
To see how these fees combine on real loads, walk through Arizona oversize permit cost worked examples.
Escort thresholds
What the escort itself has to be
Hitting the threshold is only half of it. The escort vehicle, its equipment, its driver's certification and where it rides are all regulated, and the carrier is the one holding the permit when they are not met.
- Rule scope
- Arizona has no single statewide daylight escort table. R17-6-305(A) has the department decide whether escorts must accompany a permitted load from roadway dynamics (surface, grade, width, and height limits), the load's overall dimensions, the need for frequent stops, public safety, and time of transport, and route-specific escort conditions are carried in R17-6-412 Table 4 and printed on the permit. The first rows above are the fixed thresholds the rule text states: night and weekend transport (R17-6-402(D)), overhangs over 20 feet (R17-6-307(C)), and the metropolitan curfew segments (R17-6-404(C)). The rows cited to R17-6-412, Table 4 summarize the route table itself.
- Multiple loads
- Two or more oversize or overweight permitted vehicles traveling together must have at least one escort vehicle per load (R17-6-305(A)(3)).
- Police escort
- ADOT may require a uniformed certified law enforcement escort under R17-6-412 Table 4 or for public safety; the permittee must contact the Arizona Department of Public Safety at least 12 hours before transport, and may use other certified officers if DPS cannot supply them as long as one is certified to enforce the FMCSRs (R17-6-306). DPS escort requests go to 602.223.2855 (Class C holders are pointed to the DPS escort scheduler at 602.679.5561 or 602.679.5991); DPS bills escort costs plus a $4.00 administrative fee per transaction to the carrier's ServiceArizona EZ Pay account.
- Pilot certification
- A.R.S. 28-1110: every escort vehicle operator (other than law enforcement) must complete training and certification meeting the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance escort operator standard, or an equivalent program, repeat it at least every four years, be at least 18, hold a valid driver license, and carry a legible certificate; a certificate issued by another state satisfies the requirement but does not by itself authorize traffic control.
- Escort vehicle standards
- An escort vehicle is a registered passenger car or two-axle truck operating as a single unit, meeting insurance requirements; it carries the fire extinguisher, warning devices, and staff-mounted warning flags required for trucks, displays a roof-mounted OVERSIZE LOAD sign with a flag on each side (concealed when not in use), keeps headlights and overhead warning lights on, and holds two-way radio contact of at least one-half mile, generally leading or following within 1,500 feet on an open highway or 250 feet in an urban setting (R17-6-305(B) and (C)).
- Escort insurance
- Escort operators who perform traffic control must carry commercial liability insurance at the level the ADOT director prescribes, not less than $500,000 (A.R.S. 28-1110(D)).
- Route table
- R17-6-412 Table 4 lists state highway segments by milepost, each with the rules it is subject to (R17-6-402 night and weekend, R17-6-403 holiday, R17-6-404 curfew, R17-6-407 route-specific weekend limits) and, for height, length, width and weight, a posted clearance, a restriction, or an escort code (F front, R rear, F/R front and rear, LE law enforcement). Width codes run only to 16 feet, the top of the Table 4 escort bands. Every listed interstate segment requires a rear escort for a load over 14 to 16 feet wide, except I-17 from Anthem Road to Rock Springs Road (front and rear) and I-15 (front and rear plus 2 LE). U.S. and state routes carry front and rear escorts from 14 feet on most segments, from 12 feet on many others, and from 10 or 11 feet on the tightest (among them parts of US 60, US 89A, SR 73, SR 83, SR 89A, SR 96, SR 186 and SR 386), with 2 LE added above 14 feet on many of those. Some segments bar the load outright: US 60 from MP 252.06 (Junction US 70) to MP 318.14 (Junction SR 73) prohibits loads over 14 feet wide, and parts of SR 88, SR 261, SR 288, SR 366, US 191, UX 191 and US 89A require a Class C permit for anything over 8 feet 6 inches wide. City-maintained segments (for example SR 87 in Chandler and Mesa) are marked Local Requirements. R17-6-412(E) says that when more than two escorts would be required on a Table 4 route, only two law enforcement escorts are required unless a Class C permit says otherwise. Table 4 is updated between rulemakings, so check the current list and the permit before each move.
Escort rules beyond the thresholds
Knowing when you need an escort is half of it. These are the Arizona rules on who may run one, what the vehicle has to carry, and how the move is conducted.
- Rule scope
- Arizona has no single statewide daylight escort table. R17-6-305(A) has the department decide whether escorts must accompany a permitted load from roadway dynamics (surface, grade, width, and height limits), the load's overall dimensions, the need for frequent stops, public safety, and time of transport, and route-specific escort conditions are carried in R17-6-412 Table 4 and printed on the permit. The first rows above are the fixed thresholds the rule text states: night and weekend transport (R17-6-402(D)), overhangs over 20 feet (R17-6-307(C)), and the metropolitan curfew segments (R17-6-404(C)). The rows cited to R17-6-412, Table 4 summarize the route table itself.
- Multiple loads
- Two or more oversize or overweight permitted vehicles traveling together must have at least one escort vehicle per load (R17-6-305(A)(3)).
- Police escort
- ADOT may require a uniformed certified law enforcement escort under R17-6-412 Table 4 or for public safety; the permittee must contact the Arizona Department of Public Safety at least 12 hours before transport, and may use other certified officers if DPS cannot supply them as long as one is certified to enforce the FMCSRs (R17-6-306). DPS escort requests go to 602.223.2855 (Class C holders are pointed to the DPS escort scheduler at 602.679.5561 or 602.679.5991); DPS bills escort costs plus a $4.00 administrative fee per transaction to the carrier's ServiceArizona EZ Pay account.
- Pilot certification
- A.R.S. 28-1110: every escort vehicle operator (other than law enforcement) must complete training and certification meeting the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance escort operator standard, or an equivalent program, repeat it at least every four years, be at least 18, hold a valid driver license, and carry a legible certificate; a certificate issued by another state satisfies the requirement but does not by itself authorize traffic control.
- Escort vehicle standards
- An escort vehicle is a registered passenger car or two-axle truck operating as a single unit, meeting insurance requirements; it carries the fire extinguisher, warning devices, and staff-mounted warning flags required for trucks, displays a roof-mounted OVERSIZE LOAD sign with a flag on each side (concealed when not in use), keeps headlights and overhead warning lights on, and holds two-way radio contact of at least one-half mile, generally leading or following within 1,500 feet on an open highway or 250 feet in an urban setting (R17-6-305(B) and (C)).
- Escort insurance
- Escort operators who perform traffic control must carry commercial liability insurance at the level the ADOT director prescribes, not less than $500,000 (A.R.S. 28-1110(D)).
- Route table
- R17-6-412 Table 4 lists state highway segments by milepost, each with the rules it is subject to (R17-6-402 night and weekend, R17-6-403 holiday, R17-6-404 curfew, R17-6-407 route-specific weekend limits) and, for height, length, width and weight, a posted clearance, a restriction, or an escort code (F front, R rear, F/R front and rear, LE law enforcement). Width codes run only to 16 feet, the top of the Table 4 escort bands. Every listed interstate segment requires a rear escort for a load over 14 to 16 feet wide, except I-17 from Anthem Road to Rock Springs Road (front and rear) and I-15 (front and rear plus 2 LE). U.S. and state routes carry front and rear escorts from 14 feet on most segments, from 12 feet on many others, and from 10 or 11 feet on the tightest (among them parts of US 60, US 89A, SR 73, SR 83, SR 89A, SR 96, SR 186 and SR 386), with 2 LE added above 14 feet on many of those. Some segments bar the load outright: US 60 from MP 252.06 (Junction US 70) to MP 318.14 (Junction SR 73) prohibits loads over 14 feet wide, and parts of SR 88, SR 261, SR 288, SR 366, US 191, UX 191 and US 89A require a Class C permit for anything over 8 feet 6 inches wide. City-maintained segments (for example SR 87 in Chandler and Mesa) are marked Local Requirements. R17-6-412(E) says that when more than two escorts would be required on a Table 4 route, only two law enforcement escorts are required unless a Class C permit says otherwise. Table 4 is updated between rulemakings, so check the current list and the permit before each move.
Conditions attached to every permit
The standing conditions Arizona writes into the permit itself, which apply whether or not they are printed on your copy.
- Route scope
- Class A and Class C permits are valid only on state routes (Class C on state and interstate highways); travel on city streets and county roads needs a permit from the local authority, such as the City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department. When both ADOT and a local authority require a permit, the fee is paid only to ADOT (28-1105(C)); when only local authorities require one, only the authority where the move originates is paid (28-1105(D)).
- Divisible load rule
- The load must be non-reducible and specifically described, and the Class A permit may not be used to routinely carry legal loads on over-width trailers. The director may issue a special excess-width permit for a reducible load only up to 10 feet wide (28-1103(D)).
- Route check
- Before each trip the permittee or driver must review current highway-specific conditions, closures, and restrictions tied to R17-6-412 Table 4 on ADOT's electronic permitting site (R17-6-401); ADOT ePRO's trip evaluation checks a route before travel, and AZ511 carries road conditions and closures.
- Operating rules
- Operate in the rightmost lane of a multi-lane highway if the permit says so, keep at least 2,000 feet from any other permitted load traveling the same direction except when passing, and do not exceed the lower of the permit speed limit and any posted vehicle-specific limit (R17-6-401).
- Envelope permit rules
- Envelope permits (A.R.S. 28-1141 to 28-1151) are for non-specific, non-reducible loads within 250,000 pounds, 14 feet wide, 16 feet high, and 120 feet long on a vehicle with at least three axles (ADOT's page says four unless otherwise approved); a two-axle vehicle may hold one within the statutory gross weight limits. The original permit must be in the driver's possession and a photocopy or fax is not valid, only power units listed on the permit may run under it, and envelope permits are not issued for mobile or modular homes (28-1144).
- Purchase methods
- Online through ADOT ePRO, through a national permit service, by mail, in person at ports of entry, or in person at the Central Commercial Vehicle Permit Office; applications are not accepted over the phone. Carriers with vehicles registered only in Mexico must buy permits through the ServiceArizona Secure Access Gateway.
Travel restrictions
- Daylight only
- No (A permitted load within 10 feet wide, 14 feet 6 inches high, 10 feet of front or rear overhang, 120 feet long, and 250,000 pounds is eligible for continuous travel (R17-6-401(A)). A load exceeding any of those moves from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset (R17-6-401(B)), except that a load up to 16 feet wide and 16 feet high, 120 feet long, and 250,000 pounds may move at night or on a weekend from 3:00 a.m. on routes Table 4 authorizes for night and weekend transport, with the R17-6-402(D) escorts before sunrise. ADOT's FAQ puts it this way: continuous-travel loads may move Saturday, Sunday, and holidays, while sunrise-to-sunset loads move Monday through Friday only.)
- Curfews
- R17-6-404: a permitted load over 10 feet wide (11 feet for self-propelled cranes, drilling rigs, and similar equipment) is subject to weekday metropolitan curfews from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., and during curfew hours may not exceed 16 feet high (14 feet 6 inches for specialty equipment), 10 feet of overhang, 120 feet long, or 250,000 pounds. On listed Phoenix segments (SR 24, SR 202 Loop from SR 101 to I-10 West Phoenix, SR 101 Loop) and Tucson's SR 989, loads over 10 to 12 feet wide need a rear escort and loads over 12 feet may not travel; on I-10 and I-17, SR 51, SR 143, SR 202 Loop between I-10 and SR 101, SR 202 Spur, and US 60 in Phoenix, on I-10, I-19, SR 77, SR 86, and SR 210 in Tucson, and on US 95 and SR 8 (listed as SB 8) in Yuma, loads over 10 to 16 feet wide may not travel during curfew hours.
- Weekend / holiday
- R17-6-403: loads over 10 feet wide (11 feet for specialty equipment), 14 feet 6 inches high, 10 feet of front or rear overhang, 120 feet long, or 250,000 pounds may not move on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas Day. For a Friday or Saturday holiday transport stops at noon Thursday; for a Sunday or Monday holiday it stops at noon Friday and resumes Tuesday; for a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday holiday it stops at noon the day before; movement resumes one-half hour before sunrise (or 3:00 a.m. if night-eligible). Separately, a Class C permitted load on a Table 4 route flagged for route-specific restrictions may not move from noon Friday until 3:00 a.m. Monday (R17-6-407).
- Wind / weather
- R17-6-405: a driver must discontinue transport when visibility falls below 500 feet (blowing dust, falling snow, fog, heavy rain), when the road surface reduces normal traction (snow, ice, flooding), or when a load-destabilizing condition endangers the road surface or traffic (high winds, falling objects), and must comply with official weather-related travel advisories that prohibit oversize or overweight transport.
- Daylight hours rule
- A permitted load within 10 feet wide, 14 feet 6 inches high, 10 feet of front or rear overhang, 120 feet long, and 250,000 pounds is eligible for continuous travel (R17-6-401(A)). A load exceeding any of those moves from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset (R17-6-401(B)), except that a load up to 16 feet wide and 16 feet high, 120 feet long, and 250,000 pounds may move at night or on a weekend from 3:00 a.m. on routes Table 4 authorizes for night and weekend transport, with the R17-6-402(D) escorts before sunrise. ADOT's FAQ puts it this way: continuous-travel loads may move Saturday, Sunday, and holidays, while sunrise-to-sunset loads move Monday through Friday only.
- Weather
- R17-6-405: a driver must discontinue transport when visibility falls below 500 feet (blowing dust, falling snow, fog, heavy rain), when the road surface reduces normal traction (snow, ice, flooding), or when a load-destabilizing condition endangers the road surface or traffic (high winds, falling objects), and must comply with official weather-related travel advisories that prohibit oversize or overweight transport.
Superload and beyond-permit review
Loads past the standard single-trip permit thresholds get individual state review rather than an off-the-shelf permit.
A non-reducible load over 250,000 pounds, over 120 feet long, over 16 feet high, or over 14 feet wide needs a Class C permit from ADOT Maintenance Permits Services rather than a Class A permit. An "Easy" C mobile home permit covers homes up to 16 feet wide, 16 feet high, 120 feet overall, and 80,000 pounds within statutory axle group limits without a bridge engineering analysis.
Class C applications go through ADOT ePRO and average 48 hours to issue (excluding evenings, weekends, and state holidays). Loads that do not meet R17-6-411 Tables 3.01 through 3.09 need an engineering analysis at $125 per 50-mile increment, paid before the analysis; loads over 250,000 pounds, over axle weight, or over posted bridge weights are analyzed by ADOT Bridge Preservation Services, which may take up to two weeks and requires certified weights. Class C permits are valid four working days, extendable only for inclement weather or breakdown (R17-6-106), on state and interstate highways only.
More Arizona permit rules
- Single trip fee note
- A Class A oversize single-trip permit is $15 and a Class A overweight (or oversize and overweight) single-trip permit is $75 under A.R.S. 28-1105(A); ADOT's Oversize/Overweight Permits page prints the same fees. Single-trip permits run 96 hours or until the vehicle exits the state, whichever is first (ADOT permit fee FAQ). Class C permits for larger loads carry their own $30 to $100 fees plus any engineering analysis.
- Annual permit eligibility
- The $360 Class A annual oversize permit (and the $600 annual overweight permit) covers a specifically described non-reducible load up to 14 feet wide, 16 feet high, 120 feet long, and 250,000 pounds, on state routes only, with side projections limited to 3 feet (load 12 inches or more deep) or 2 feet (under 12 inches); the vehicle must be registered for 80,000 pounds and the permit may not be used to routinely haul legal loads on over-width trailers. For non-specific loads the envelope permit covers the same outer dimensions for $750 (oversize) or $1,500 (oversize and overweight) a year.
- Annual permit details: validity
- Class A permits run single trip, 30 days, or annually; envelope permits 30 days or annually.
- Annual permit details: note
- Envelope permits (A.R.S. 28-1141 to 28-1151) are for non-specific, non-reducible loads within 250,000 pounds, 14 feet wide, 16 feet high, and 120 feet long on a vehicle with at least three axles (ADOT's page says four unless otherwise approved); a two-axle vehicle may hold one within the statutory gross weight limits. The original permit must be in the driver's possession and a photocopy or fax is not valid, only listed power units may run under it, and it may not be used for mobile or modular homes (28-1144).
- Escort notes: rule scope
- Arizona has no single statewide daylight escort table. R17-6-305(A) has the department decide whether escorts must accompany a permitted load from roadway dynamics (surface, grade, width, and height limits), the load's overall dimensions, the need for frequent stops, public safety, and time of transport, and route-specific escort conditions are carried in R17-6-412 Table 4 and printed on the permit. The first rows above are the fixed thresholds the rule text states: night and weekend transport (R17-6-402(D)), overhangs over 20 feet (R17-6-307(C)), and the metropolitan curfew segments (R17-6-404(C)). The rows cited to R17-6-412, Table 4 summarize the route table itself.
- Escort notes: multiple loads
- Two or more oversize or overweight permitted vehicles traveling together must have at least one escort vehicle per load (R17-6-305(A)(3)).
- Escort notes: police escort
- ADOT may require a uniformed certified law enforcement escort under R17-6-412 Table 4 or for public safety; the permittee must contact the Arizona Department of Public Safety at least 12 hours before transport, and may use other certified officers if DPS cannot supply them as long as one is certified to enforce the FMCSRs (R17-6-306). DPS escort requests go to 602.223.2855 (Class C holders are pointed to the DPS escort scheduler at 602.679.5561 or 602.679.5991); DPS bills escort costs plus a $4.00 administrative fee per transaction to the carrier's ServiceArizona EZ Pay account.
- Escort notes: pilot certification
- A.R.S. 28-1110: every escort vehicle operator (other than law enforcement) must complete training and certification meeting the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance escort operator standard, or an equivalent program, repeat it at least every four years, be at least 18, hold a valid driver license, and carry a legible certificate; a certificate issued by another state satisfies the requirement but does not by itself authorize traffic control.
- Escort notes: escort vehicle standards
- An escort vehicle is a registered passenger car or two-axle truck operating as a single unit, meeting insurance requirements; it carries the fire extinguisher, warning devices, and staff-mounted warning flags required for trucks, displays a roof-mounted OVERSIZE LOAD sign with a flag on each side (concealed when not in use), keeps headlights and overhead warning lights on, and holds two-way radio contact of at least one-half mile, generally leading or following within 1,500 feet on an open highway or 250 feet in an urban setting (R17-6-305(B) and (C)).
- Escort notes: escort insurance
- Escort operators who perform traffic control must carry commercial liability insurance at the level the ADOT director prescribes, not less than $500,000 (A.R.S. 28-1110(D)).
- Escort notes: route table
- R17-6-412 Table 4 lists state highway segments by milepost, each with the rules it is subject to (R17-6-402 night and weekend, R17-6-403 holiday, R17-6-404 curfew, R17-6-407 route-specific weekend limits) and, for height, length, width and weight, a posted clearance, a restriction, or an escort code (F front, R rear, F/R front and rear, LE law enforcement). Width codes run only to 16 feet, the top of the Table 4 escort bands. Every listed interstate segment requires a rear escort for a load over 14 to 16 feet wide, except I-17 from Anthem Road to Rock Springs Road (front and rear) and I-15 (front and rear plus 2 LE). U.S. and state routes carry front and rear escorts from 14 feet on most segments, from 12 feet on many others, and from 10 or 11 feet on the tightest (among them parts of US 60, US 89A, SR 73, SR 83, SR 89A, SR 96, SR 186 and SR 386), with 2 LE added above 14 feet on many of those. Some segments bar the load outright: US 60 from MP 252.06 (Junction US 70) to MP 318.14 (Junction SR 73) prohibits loads over 14 feet wide, and parts of SR 88, SR 261, SR 288, SR 366, US 191, UX 191 and US 89A require a Class C permit for anything over 8 feet 6 inches wide. City-maintained segments (for example SR 87 in Chandler and Mesa) are marked Local Requirements. R17-6-412(E) says that when more than two escorts would be required on a Table 4 route, only two law enforcement escorts are required unless a Class C permit says otherwise. Table 4 is updated between rulemakings, so check the current list and the permit before each move.
- Permit conditions: route scope
- Class A and Class C permits are valid only on state routes (Class C on state and interstate highways); travel on city streets and county roads needs a permit from the local authority, such as the City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department. When both ADOT and a local authority require a permit, the fee is paid only to ADOT (28-1105(C)); when only local authorities require one, only the authority where the move originates is paid (28-1105(D)).
- Permit conditions: registration prerequisite
- A Class A vehicle must be currently registered for 80,000 pounds.
- Permit conditions: divisible load rule
- The load must be non-reducible and specifically described, and the Class A permit may not be used to routinely carry legal loads on over-width trailers. The director may issue a special excess-width permit for a reducible load only up to 10 feet wide (28-1103(D)).
- Permit conditions: route check
- Before each trip the permittee or driver must review current highway-specific conditions, closures, and restrictions tied to R17-6-412 Table 4 on ADOT's electronic permitting site (R17-6-401); ADOT ePRO's trip evaluation checks a route before travel, and AZ511 carries road conditions and closures.
- Permit conditions: operating rules
- Operate in the rightmost lane of a multi-lane highway if the permit says so, keep at least 2,000 feet from any other permitted load traveling the same direction except when passing, and do not exceed the lower of the permit speed limit and any posted vehicle-specific limit (R17-6-401).
- Permit conditions: envelope permit rules
- Envelope permits (A.R.S. 28-1141 to 28-1151) are for non-specific, non-reducible loads within 250,000 pounds, 14 feet wide, 16 feet high, and 120 feet long on a vehicle with at least three axles (ADOT's page says four unless otherwise approved); a two-axle vehicle may hold one within the statutory gross weight limits. The original permit must be in the driver's possession and a photocopy or fax is not valid, only power units listed on the permit may run under it, and envelope permits are not issued for mobile or modular homes (28-1144).
- Permit conditions: purchase methods
- Online through ADOT ePRO, through a national permit service, by mail, in person at ports of entry, or in person at the Central Commercial Vehicle Permit Office; applications are not accepted over the phone. Carriers with vehicles registered only in Mexico must buy permits through the ServiceArizona Secure Access Gateway.
| Name |
|---|
| Fiber and forage module mover special permit (conveyor-bed truck up to 48 feet, exempt from the gross weight restrictions and operated August 1 through January 30 each year unless the director extends the period) |
The Arizona permit office
- Apply or log in (ADOT ePRO (online permitting and route check); permits are also sold at ports of entry, by mail, and through national permit services, but not over the phone)
- adotepro.azdot.gov/adot/login.asp
- Notes
- The phone number is the Commercial Vehicle Permits contact printed on ADOT's Motor Carrier Services page; the office's own contact page lists the address, email, and Tuesday to Thursday hours but no phone. ADOT's MVD Drivers FAQ instead gives the office hours as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday except state holidays, so the two ADOT pages disagree and the contact page's hours are recorded. Class C permits come from a separate office: ADOT Maintenance Permits Services, 206 S. 17th Ave., MD 004R, Phoenix, AZ 85007, 602.712.8280 or 8176, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Legal limits before you need a permit
Arizona's statutory height is lower than its permit threshold. The default legal height comes from statute, ADOT designates a higher-height route system, and the permit rule uses that higher figure on the State Highway System. Width runs wider on the interstate, federal-aid, and designated state highways than on other roads, and weight follows the axle limits and the bridge formula.
Length limits vary by configuration, from straight trucks to saddlemount driveaways. Each configuration's limit is a sourced field below.
Class A single-trip, thirty-day, and annual permits
The Class A permit covers a single described non-reducible load on state routes, and the vehicle must be registered for the full legal gross weight. Statute fixes separate fee lines for oversize alone and for overweight or oversize-and-overweight, each as single trip, thirty days, or annual.
The load must be non-reducible, and a Class A permit cannot be used to routinely carry legal loads on over-width trailers. Review current highway conditions and restrictions before each trip.
Envelope permits for varied loads
An envelope permit covers non-specific non-reducible loads within the Class A limits, for thirty days or a year, and suits a carrier whose loads change from job to job. Statute sets the envelope fees, including the charges to add a power unit or reissue the permit.
Escort requirements
Arizona has no single statewide daylight escort table. ADOT decides escorts for each permitted load from roadway conditions, and the rule sets fixed escort counts for night and weekend transport by width and height, for long overhangs, and for wider loads on certain Phoenix loop segments during curfew hours. Two permitted loads traveling together need at least one escort each.
Escort operators need certification that meets the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance standard, renewed on a set cycle, and operators who direct traffic carry their own liability insurance.
When oversize loads can move
Loads inside the continuous-travel envelope can move around the clock. Larger loads move in daylight, with an early-morning night and weekend window for loads that qualify, and they stop for the listed holidays. Wide loads also stop for weekday morning and evening curfews on listed routes in metro Phoenix, Tucson, and Yuma.
Class C permits for the largest loads
A load past any Class A limit needs a Class C permit, applied for in ePRO and reviewed by ADOT Maintenance Permits Services during business days. A load that falls outside the rule's bridge tables needs engineering analysis, paid before the analysis starts, and ADOT may require a law enforcement escort.
How to read this page
A value reading "Not confirmed" means we could not verify the figure on an official agency page at review time, so it stays open rather than guessed. Superload moves above the standard permit thresholds get individual review by the state; contact the permit office named on this page. For the rest of the Arizona permit stack, see Arizona trucking permits.