How much does an Illinois single-trip oversize permit cost?

It depends which table your load falls in: an over-dimension table priced by size category and distance, an overweight table priced by axle configuration, gross weight, and distance, or an axle-only table priced per distance increment. Loads that are both over-dimension and overweight can pay from two tables. The sourced tables on this page carry each figure.

When does an oversize load need an escort in Illinois?

Once it crosses a published width, height, or length line, and the count rises as it crosses more of them. The widest, tallest, and longest loads take an Illinois State Police escort booked directly with State Police headquarters ahead of the move. Night movement adds one civilian escort on its own.

What counts as a superload in Illinois?

Width, not weight. A vehicle or object wider than the published width line needs a superload permit, and a towed permit that misses the minimum axle spacing requirements is treated as one as well. Superload review takes bridge and pavement analysis billed hourly, so book the time before you book the load.

Does Illinois restrict oversize moves to daylight hours?

It depends on the tier. Overweight loads with legal dimensions run around the clock. Larger loads are restricted to sunrise-to-sunset windows, then to weekdays only, then to a few midday hours for the widest and tallest. Nine counties around Chicago apply the tightest weekday window, and six holidays close the road entirely.

Illinois Oversize and Overweight Permits

By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 25, 2026

Illinois legal limits (no permit needed at or under these)

Width: 8.5 ft
Height: 13.5 ft
Gross weight: 80,000 lb
Length: single_vehicle: 42 ft
Length: single_vehicle_note: 42 feet is the maximum length of a single vehicle on any Illinois highway, except semitrailers, which are governed by the combination rules, charter or regulated route buses at up to 45 feet, and motor homes at up to 45 feet.
Length: class_i_and_class_ii_combination_overall: no overall limit
Length: class_i_and_class_ii_semitrailer: 53 ft
Length: class_i_and_class_ii_kingpin_to_rear_axle: 45.5 ft
Length: twin_trailer_each_unit: 28.5 ft
Length: class_ii_twin_combination_front_axle_to_rear_axle: 65 ft
Length: maxi_cube_overall: 65 ft
Length: auto_or_boat_transporter_overall: 65 ft
Length: stinger_steered_transporter_overall: 80 ft
Length: triple_saddlemount_overall: 97 ft
Length: towaway_trailer_transporter_overall: 82 ft
Length: non_designated_tractor_semitrailer_overall: 65 ft
Length: non_designated_semitrailer: 53 ft
Length: non_designated_twin_combination_overall: 60 ft
Length: non_designated_kingpin_to_center_axle: 42.5 ft

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.

Illinois legal axle weight limits by axle group
Axle group	Maximum weight
Single axle	20,000 lb (625 ILCS 5/15-111(a). Trucks used exclusively for rendering-material collection, and self-compacting garbage, refuse, or recycling trucks not in combination, may carry 22,000 pounds on a single axle off the Interstate system.)
Tandem axle	34,000 lb (625 ILCS 5/15-111(a), with no axle within the tandem exceeding 20,000 pounds. Two axles 96 inches apart or less are treated as a tandem and capped at 34,000 pounds even when the bridge formula would allow more.)
Gross weight, combination of 5 or more axles	80,000 lb (625 ILCS 5/15-111(a).)
Group of 2 or more consecutive axles	Set by the Illinois bridge formula rather than a flat figure: W = 500 times the sum of (LN divided by N-1) + 12N + 36, tabulated in 625 ILCS 5/15-111(a) by axle spacing. Vehicles permitted overweight under 625 ILCS 5/15-301 are not subject to the bridge formula.

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Permit fees

Single trip: $12 ($12 is the lowest single-trip over-dimension fee: Table 1 Category a (10 feet wide or less, 14 feet 6 inches high or less, 70 feet long or less) for a trip of 0 to 90 miles. Over-dimension fees run to $125 for Category e over 270 miles. Overweight loads are priced separately from Table 2 by axle configuration, gross weight, and distance, or from Table 3 when only an axle is over and the gross is legal. A load that is both over-dimension and overweight pays the Table 2 or Table 3 fee plus, where it exceeds 15 feet high, 145 feet long, or 14 feet 6 inches wide, an additional Table 1 fee; loads between 12 feet 7 inches and 14 feet 6 inches wide add a flat $15 to the Table 2 fee.)
Annual permit: Not confirmed
Annual eligibility: Illinois calls its blanket permit a Limited Continuous Operation (LCO) permit, priced by load family, maximum dimensions, and term. The general legal-weight oversize LCO covering construction equipment and other loads costs $100 for 3 months or $400 for 12 months at up to 10 feet wide, 14 feet 6 inches high, and 70 feet long, and $150 for 3 months or $600 for 12 months at up to 12 feet wide, 14 feet 6 inches high, and 115 feet long. The overweight and oversize LCO at practical maximum weights, up to 12 feet wide, 13 feet 6 inches high, and 115 feet long costs $250 for 3 months or $1,000 for 12 months. Manufactured housing, storage buildings, trusses, and stackable home frames have their own LCO families with a 14-foot or 16-foot top tier at $250 for 3 months and $1,000 for 12 months. A crossing permit runs up to 6 months for $15, and a grain permit runs 40 days at $5.00 per axle.

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.

Illinois single-trip oversize permit fee components
Fee component	Applies to	Amount
Table 1 Category a over-dimension	10 ft wide or less, 14 ft 6 in high or less, 70 ft long or less; 0 to 90 miles	$12
Table 1 Category a over-dimension	10 ft wide or less, 14 ft 6 in high or less, 70 ft long or less; 91 to 180 miles	$15
Table 1 Category a over-dimension	10 ft wide or less, 14 ft 6 in high or less, 70 ft long or less; 181 to 270 miles	$18
Table 1 Category a over-dimension	10 ft wide or less, 14 ft 6 in high or less, 70 ft long or less; over 270 miles	$21
Table 1 Category b over-dimension	12 ft wide or less, 14 ft 6 in high or less, 85 ft long or less; 0 to 90 miles	$15
Table 1 Category b over-dimension	12 ft wide or less, 14 ft 6 in high or less, 85 ft long or less; 91 to 180 miles	$20
Table 1 Category b over-dimension	12 ft wide or less, 14 ft 6 in high or less, 85 ft long or less; 181 to 270 miles	$25
Table 1 Category b over-dimension	12 ft wide or less, 14 ft 6 in high or less, 85 ft long or less; over 270 miles	$30
Table 1 Category c over-dimension	14 ft wide or less, 15 ft high or less, 100 ft long or less; 0 to 90 miles	$25
Table 1 Category c over-dimension	14 ft wide or less, 15 ft high or less, 100 ft long or less; 91 to 180 miles	$30
Table 1 Category c over-dimension	14 ft wide or less, 15 ft high or less, 100 ft long or less; 181 to 270 miles	$35
Table 1 Category c over-dimension	14 ft wide or less, 15 ft high or less, 100 ft long or less; over 270 miles	$40
Table 1 Category d over-dimension	18 ft wide or less, 16 ft high or less, 120 ft long or less; 0 to 90 miles	$30
Table 1 Category d over-dimension	18 ft wide or less, 16 ft high or less, 120 ft long or less; 91 to 180 miles	$40
Table 1 Category d over-dimension	18 ft wide or less, 16 ft high or less, 120 ft long or less; 181 to 270 miles	$50
Table 1 Category d over-dimension	18 ft wide or less, 16 ft high or less, 120 ft long or less; over 270 miles	$60
Table 1 Category e over-dimension	more than 18 ft wide, more than 16 ft high, or more than 120 ft long; 0 to 90 miles	$50
Table 1 Category e over-dimension	more than 18 ft wide, more than 16 ft high, or more than 120 ft long; 91 to 180 miles	$75
Table 1 Category e over-dimension	more than 18 ft wide, more than 16 ft high, or more than 120 ft long; 181 to 270 miles	$100
Table 1 Category e over-dimension	more than 18 ft wide, more than 16 ft high, or more than 120 ft long; over 270 miles	$125
Table 2 width surcharge	Overweight load between 12 ft 7 in and 14 ft 6 in wide, added to the Table 2 fee	$15
Table 4 agricultural overweight, per axle	Overweight 2 to 5 axle trucks carrying agricultural commodities including corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, grain, sorghum, canola, rice, livestock, ensilage, fruits, and vegetables	$5
Table 4 repeated crossing move, each vehicle	Repeated overweight or over-dimension moves directly across a highway	$15
Supplemental permit fee	One revision and/or one extension of an issued permit	$5
Supplemental permit surcharge	Supplements to superload permits with weight and to limited continuous operation permits, non-refundable	$50
Bridge structural analysis	Engineering inspection, per hour plus computer costs	$40
Pavement structural analysis	Engineering inspection, per hour	$40
Interim or final inspection for damages	Engineering inspection, per hour	$40
District investigation of movement feasibility	Field investigation, per IDOT District	$40
IDOT employee accompanying the move	Field investigation, per hour	$40
Illinois State Police escort	Per escort vehicle per Illinois State Police District, paid to the Permit Office; the Illinois State Police charge an additional hourly fee	$80

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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 Illinois oversize permit cost worked examples.

Escort thresholds

Dimension	Threshold	Escorts	Police escort
width	over 14 ft 6 in	1	No
length	over 110 ft	1	No
height	over 14 ft 6 in	1	No
width and height	over 14 ft 6 in wide and over 14 ft 6 in high	2	No
height and length	over 14 ft 6 in high and over 110 ft long	2	No
width and length	over 14 ft 6 in wide and over 110 ft long	2	No
width	over 16 ft	3	No
length	over 145 ft	3	No
height	over 18 ft	3	No
width	over 18 ft	Illinois State Police	Yes
length	over 200 ft	Illinois State Police	Yes
height	over 18 ft	Illinois State Police	Yes
bridge restriction	overweight move where bridge restrictions require all other traffic to be kept off the structure while the permitted vehicle crosses	Illinois State Police	Yes
darkness	overweight and/or oversize load up to 12 ft wide, 13 ft 6 in high, and/or 200 ft long moving during the hours of darkness	1	No

Travel restrictions

Daylight only: Tiered by dimension. Overweight loads with legal dimensions, and overweight or oversize loads up to 12 feet wide, 13 feet 6 inches high, and 200 feet long, may move 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (the second group needs one extra civilian escort during darkness). Loads up to 14 feet 6 inches wide and 15 feet high move from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset, 7 days a week. Loads up to 16 feet wide and 17 feet high move a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset Monday through Friday and until noon Saturday. Loads over 16 feet wide or 17 feet high move 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday only. Loads longer than 200 feet move a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset Monday through Friday only.
Curfews: In Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, Madison, McHenry, Monroe, St. Clair, and Will counties, loads in the up-to-16-foot-wide and 17-foot-high tier are limited to 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Loads over practical maximum weights, over 12 feet wide, or over 13 feet 6 inches high are prohibited on Cook County expressways except stated segments of I-55, I-57, I-290, and I-80. Superload movement windows are often set at 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. City of Chicago Central Business District routes carry additional restrictions handled by the City.
Weekend / holiday: Oversize permit loads are restricted from noon the day before through a half hour before sunrise the day after New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Implements of husbandry that are overwidth only are exempt. Loads over 16 feet wide or 17 feet high, and loads longer than 200 feet, get no Saturday or Sunday movement at all.
Wind / weather: Movements of house trailers over 12 feet wide are prohibited when wind gusts exceed 25 miles per hour.

Superload and beyond-permit review

Loads past the standard single-trip permit thresholds get individual state review rather than an off-the-shelf permit.

Illinois triggers superload treatment on width rather than on a single gross-weight figure: moving a vehicle or object exceeding 14 feet 6 inches in width requires a superload permit. Any towed permit that fails the minimum axle-spacing requirements is also processed as a superload. Superload moves, and moves on nonstandard vehicles or nonstandard axle configurations, are authorized only if allowable pavement and bridge stresses are not exceeded, and normally take additional time and engineering fees.

Bridge structural analysis, pavement structural analysis, and District investigations are billed at $40 per hour or per District, and an unusually large movement is covered by a written agreement between the applicant and the Department. A Superload Fee Calculator is published in ITAP.

Legal limits before you need a permit

Illinois publishes width, height, length, gross weight, and axle group limits, and applies them by highway class rather than by Interstate status. Width and height are the same everywhere in the state. Height is the one that catches western carriers: Illinois allows no taller corridor of the kind several western states use, so a load that runs legal out of Texas can cross into permit territory at the Illinois line.

Length is where the class system bites. On designated Class I and Class II highways a combination has no overall length cap, subject to a semitrailer limit and a kingpin to rear axle measurement. Drop onto a non-designated highway and the combination picks up an overall cap, twin combinations get a shorter one, and the kingpin measurement tightens. Longer combinations get a short access allowance off designated highways for loading, fuel, repairs, food, and rest.

Weight follows the familiar axle and gross pattern plus a bridge formula for consecutive axle groups. Local ordinances can allow higher axle loads on two-axle vehicles inside larger municipalities, capped at a stated gross. The tables on this page carry every figure with its statute section.

How single-trip pricing works

Illinois prices a single trip from whichever table fits the load. Over-dimension loads price by size category and distance band. Overweight loads price by axle configuration, gross weight, and distance. When only an axle is over and the gross weight stays legal, a third table prices it per distance increment instead.

Stacking is where estimates go wrong. An overweight permit already includes dimensions up to stated height, length, and width ceilings. A load a little wider than that ceiling adds a flat charge to the overweight fee. A load past the higher height, length, or width lines adds the whole over-dimension fee on top. House trailers, storage buildings, modular home sections, and truss loads have their own statutory fee ladder rather than using the general tables.

Every table on this page is stored with the Department table or statute section it came from, so you can price a move against the source rather than against a quote.

Limited continuous operation permits

Illinois calls its blanket permit a limited continuous operation permit, and prices it by load family, by the maximum dimensions you need, and by term. General oversize work covering construction equipment and other loads has two dimension tiers. Trusses, manufactured housing and storage buildings, and stackable home frames each get a third, taller tier. Overweight combined with oversize has its own family at practical maximum weights.

Each family is sold for three months or twelve months, and the twelve-month price is roughly four times the quarter. Crossing permits run up to six months for a small flat fee, and grain permits run forty days priced per axle. The sourced tables on this page carry both terms for every family.

Escort requirements

Escorts phase in by dimension, and Illinois counts them by how many lines you cross. Crossing the first width, height, or length line takes one civilian escort. Crossing two of those lines at once takes two. Crossing the higher lines takes three. Past the top width, height, and length lines the Illinois State Police take over, and the permittee books them directly with State Police headquarters at least a day before the move.

One extra escort applies purely to timing: an overweight or oversize load moving during the hours of darkness needs a civilian escort on top of whatever its dimensions already require. Bridge-restricted overweight moves that need all other traffic kept off a structure also take a State Police escort.

Civilian escort vehicles have their own rules. They may not exceed a stated gross vehicle weight rating and must give a clear unobstructed view front and rear. Every permitted load displays an operable oscillating, rotating, or flashing amber light. The permit office can waive a State Police escort in stated cases, including when local police are used inside a municipality.

When oversize loads can move

Illinois tiers movement windows by size. Overweight loads with legal dimensions can move around the clock, every day. Move up a tier and you are restricted to a half hour before sunrise through a half hour after sunset, seven days a week. Move up again and Saturday is cut to a half day and Sunday disappears. The widest and tallest loads get a weekday window of a few midday hours only.

The Chicago region tightens all of it. In nine named counties, including Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, and Will, wide and tall permit loads are squeezed into that same short weekday window. Loads over the practical maximum weights, or over stated width or height, are barred from Cook County expressways except for named segments.

Holidays and weather close the rest. Oversize loads are restricted from noon the day before through the morning after six named holidays, with an exemption for overwidth implements of husbandry. House trailers over a stated width stop when wind gusts pass the published speed. Nothing moves on snow or ice, in rain, snow, fog, or smog that unduly impairs visibility, or whenever the State Police call conditions unsafe.

Superloads

Most states define a superload by gross weight. Illinois defines it by width: a vehicle or object wider than the stated width line needs a superload permit. Any towed permit that misses the minimum axle spacing requirements is processed as a superload too, whatever it weighs.

Superload moves and moves on nonstandard axle configurations are authorized only when allowable pavement and bridge stresses are not exceeded, which takes extra time and engineering review. Bridge structural analysis, pavement analysis, and district investigations are billed hourly, and unusually large movements are covered by a written agreement between the applicant and the Department. The state's permit system publishes a superload fee calculator.

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 Illinois permit stack, see Illinois trucking permits.

Frequently asked questions

What can I haul in Illinois without an oversize permit?: Anything inside the published width, height, length, gross weight, and axle group limits. Watch the height line, because Illinois allows no taller corridor of the kind several western states use. Length depends on whether you are on a designated Class I or Class II highway or a non-designated one.
How much does an Illinois single-trip oversize permit cost?: It depends which table your load falls in: an over-dimension table priced by size category and distance, an overweight table priced by axle configuration, gross weight, and distance, or an axle-only table priced per distance increment. Loads that are both over-dimension and overweight can pay from two tables. The sourced tables on this page carry each figure.
When does an oversize load need an escort in Illinois?: Once it crosses a published width, height, or length line, and the count rises as it crosses more of them. The widest, tallest, and longest loads take an Illinois State Police escort booked directly with State Police headquarters ahead of the move. Night movement adds one civilian escort on its own.
What counts as a superload in Illinois?: Width, not weight. A vehicle or object wider than the published width line needs a superload permit, and a towed permit that misses the minimum axle spacing requirements is treated as one as well. Superload review takes bridge and pavement analysis billed hourly, so book the time before you book the load.
Does Illinois restrict oversize moves to daylight hours?: It depends on the tier. Overweight loads with legal dimensions run around the clock. Larger loads are restricted to sunrise-to-sunset windows, then to weekdays only, then to a few midday hours for the widest and tallest. Nine counties around Chicago apply the tightest weekday window, and six holidays close the road entirely.

Haul Handbook publishes educational information about trucking registration and compliance requirements. This is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Rules, fees, and deadlines change; confirm with the agency before you file or pay.