Hawaii Oversize Permit Cost: Worked Examples
Four worked Hawaii moves under HRS 291-36: the statutory single trip, continuous, overweight and oversize fees, and the HDOT fee waiver.
By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Oct 5, 2026 · 8 min read
Hawaii sets its oversize and overweight permit fees in statute, and right now it charges none of them. HRS 291-36(j) lists four flat fees chosen by two lines: 1.35 times the allowable load, and 14 feet of width. On July 8, 2026, the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) announced that all oversize and overweight permit application fees are waived until further notice. HDOT's Trucking page still carried that announcement when we checked it on October 5, 2026. So every example below shows two numbers: the statutory fee you would pay once the waiver ends, and the fee you pay today. Both render with their official source on the Hawaii oversize and overweight permits page. To compare a load against other states, try the oversize permit cost estimator.
How Hawaii builds the number
Start with the legal envelope, which differs from the mainland. Under HRS 291-34, a vehicle and load may be 9 feet wide, half a foot more than the usual mainland limit, and 14 feet high. A single vehicle may be 45 feet long, and a tractor-semitrailer 65 feet overall with a semitrailer no longer than 48 feet, off the interstates. Under HRS 291-35, the gross limit is 80,000 pounds, with 20,000 on a single axle and 34,000 on a tandem.
Past those lines, the permit price comes from one table in HRS 291-36(j):
- Single trip permit: $5.00 for a load under 1.35 times the allowable load or under 14 feet wide.
- Continuous trip permit: $10.00 for the same smaller loads, moved repeatedly.
- Overweight permit: $25.00 for a load past 1.35 times the allowable load.
- Oversize permit: $25.00 for a load wider than 14 feet.
- Fee charged today: $0.00 for every oversize and overweight application, under HDOT's July 8, 2026 waiver.
Distance does not enter the math, and neither does the exact weight inside a tier. The statute does not say whether "allowable load" is measured per axle or on the gross, and it prints "less than 14 feet" for the lower tiers and "in excess of 14 feet" for the oversize tier, which leaves a load of exactly 14 feet between the two. Ask the district permit office which line your load falls under before you quote it.
The permit comes from the HDOT Highways Division district engineer for the island where the move happens: Oahu, Maui County, Hawaii Island or Kauai. Applications go on form DOT 4-005 by email to that district's permit address, per HDOT's Oversized and Overweight Vehicles page. County roads are permitted by the county engineer, not HDOT.
Worked example 1: an 11-foot excavator on Oahu, one trip
A contractor hauls an excavator on a lowboy from a yard in Kapolei to a job site. With the load, the rig is 11 feet wide and under 14 feet high, and the axles stay within legal weight.
The load is over the 9-foot legal width, so it needs a permit. At 11 feet it sits under the 14-foot line, so the statutory fee is the single trip permit, $5.00. Under the current waiver, the fee is $0.00.
At 11 feet, the load stays under the 12-foot line where HAR 19-104-15 requires an escort. That rule also lets the district engineer require one over 10 feet wide on two-lane roads through mountain or winding coastal areas, so the route decides. Under HAR 19-104-8, applications are generally processed within two working days, and permits issue only on weekdays during working hours under HAR 19-104-10.
Worked example 2: a continuous permit on Maui
A paving company moves the same 10-foot-wide roller between its Maui yard and job sites several times a week. The rig and load are 60 feet long, and the weight is legal.
That fits Hawaii's longer-term permit. Under HAR 19-104-4(2), a continuous operation permit covers a specific vehicle or load over a set route or area for up to one year, for loads under 12 feet wide and 70 feet or less overall. The statutory fee is $10.00. Under the current waiver, the fee is $0.00.
At the statutory prices, one continuous permit costs the same as two single trip permits, so it pays off from the third move. HRS 291-36(e) lets the driver carry a copy of an annual permit, with the original kept at the operator's office in the issuing county. A 13-foot load could not use this permit at all, because the 12-foot cap is part of the eligibility rule.
Worked example 3: a 15-foot modular section on Hawaii Island
A builder moves a prefabricated building section 15 feet wide from the Hilo harbor to a lot upcountry.
Past 14 feet wide, the statutory fee is the oversize permit, $25.00. Under the current waiver, the fee is $0.00.
The fee is the small part of this move. At 14 feet or more, HAR 19-104-15(b) requires an escort vehicle, flagman or police with the load, caps speed at 25 mph, and has the mover certify at least 1 foot of clearance on each side along the route. The district engineer may order a police escort whenever traffic or safety calls for it. Under HAR 19-104-10(c), a house or similar object 14 feet or wider needs an investigation before the permit issues, and HDOT warns that excessive loads can take at least three weeks to review. Escort vehicles must meet HAR 19-104-28: an amber rotating or oscillating light on the cab roof, headlights on, and two-way radio contact with the hauling vehicle.
Worked example 4: an overweight transformer on Kauai
A utility contractor hauls a transformer whose axle weights come out well past 1.35 times the legal axle limits.
That makes it an overweight permit, at a statutory fee of $25.00. Under the current waiver, the fee is $0.00.
The paperwork is heavier than for a width permit. Form DOT 4-005 asks overweight applicants for plan and elevation sketches showing the wheel arrangement, dimensions and load distribution. HAR 19-104-22 caps overweight permits on pavement at 48,000 pounds on a single axle and 84,000 on a tandem, lower on structures, with 12,000 pounds per tire. A bigger overload goes to the department's construction and maintenance branch for review, which adds time.
What the waiver does not cover
The waiver removes the application fee and nothing else. HAR 19-104-9 still requires a certificate of self-insurance or of comprehensive auto liability insurance naming the State as additional insured, and HDOT's permit page says the certificate must be on file. The carrier still hires and pays for any escort vehicles. Travel windows on the permit still apply: form DOT 4-005 offers set daytime and night movement hours and a no-weekend, no-holiday condition. A size or weight violation is still fined under HRS 291-37, and the fine falls on the employer when the driver is an employee.
The waiver also has no end date. HDOT said it lasts "until further notice," so check the Trucking page before you quote a customer a permit cost, and budget for the statutory fee on any move booked weeks out.
What to check before quoting
Measure width against the 9-foot, 12-foot and 14-foot lines, and confirm axle weights against the 1.35 times line before you call a load overweight. Then confirm which island's district office issues the permit, and check escorts and travel windows on the state permits page. Compare states on the oversize permit costs by state table, and see the full Hawaii stack at Hawaii trucking permits.
FAQ
How much does a Hawaii oversize permit cost?
HRS 291-36(j) sets four flat fees:
$5.00for a single trip permit and
$10.00for a continuous trip permit, for loads under 1.35 times the allowable load or under 14 feet wide. An overweight load past 1.35 times pays $25.00, and an oversize load wider than 14 feet pays $25.00. HDOT announced on July 8, 2026 that all oversize and overweight permit application fees are waived until further notice, so a permit issued under the waiver costs $0.00.
What is the legal width in Hawaii without a permit?
Nine feet, including the load, under HRS 291-34(a). That is wider than the 8.5-foot limit most mainland carriers know, so a load between 8.5 and 9 feet wide needs no width permit on a Hawaii public road. Legal height is 14 feet under HRS 291-34(b), and never above a bridge's posted clearance.
When does a Hawaii oversize load need an escort?
HAR 19-104-15 requires an escort vehicle for a load over 12 feet wide. At 14 feet or more, the move needs an escort vehicle, flagman or police, a maximum speed of 25 mph, and the mover must certify at least 1 foot of clearance on each side along the route. The district engineer may also require an escort over 10 feet wide on two-lane mountain or winding coastal roads.
Does the fee waiver mean I can skip the permit?
No. The July 8, 2026 announcement waives the application fee only. The permit is still required, the certificate of insurance under HAR 19-104-9 must still be on file, and escorts, travel windows and route conditions still apply.