By Haul Handbook editorial team· Updated Oct 5, 2026
Vermont's oversize and overweight permits come from the DMV's Commercial Vehicle Operations unit in Montpelier, not the transportation agency, and are now issued through the VT Haul Pass online system. A single-trip permit is $48 ($34 for an over-length-only trip permit), and an annual blanket permit is $135 for the first unit and $8 for each additional one. Legal limits are 8 feet 6 inches wide, 13 feet 6 inches high, 46 feet for a single vehicle, 75 feet for a combination on state roads and 80,000 pounds gross. Annual special excess weight permits let 6-axle combinations run at up to 99,000 pounds on designated state routes, off the Interstate.
Vermont legal limits (no permit needed at or under these)
- Width
- 8.5 ft23 V.S.A. § 1431 caps vehicle and load at 8 feet 6 inches wide, excluding safety devices of up to 3 inches a side as the Commissioner determines.
- Gross weight
- 80,000 lbNo vehicle may exceed 80,000 pounds gross without a permit (23 V.S.A. § 1392(3)), subject to the axle-spacing table in § 1392(4). Lower statutory limits apply on town highways and bridges: 24,000 pounds on class 2, 3 and 4 town highways and non-wood bridges, and 16,000 or 20,000 pounds on wood-floored bridges, unless posted otherwise. A 3-axle truck with both rear axles powered and braked may gross 55,000 pounds, and a 4-axle truck with a tri-axle group 60,000 pounds, off the Interstate. Unprocessed milk haulers with 5 or more axles may register for 90,000 pounds on state highways without a permit.
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.
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Permit fees
- Single trip
- $48 ($48 for each single trip permit for overweight, overwidth, indivisible overlength or overheight moves (23 V.S.A. § 1402(a)); $34 for a single trip overlength permit for a combination longer than 75 feet (§ 1402(b)(1)). Loads that need an engineering inspection add the survey fee. Single trip permits are valid for 7 business days under § 1402(f) and the DMV permit rules; one FAQ answer on the DMV's blanket permit page says 10 working days, which conflicts with the statute.)
- Annual eligibility
- An annual blanket permit for nondivisible oversize or overweight loads is $135 for the first unit and $8 for each additional unit; a carrier may instead buy a fleet permit over approved routes at $135 for the first tractor and $8 for each additional tractor, capped at $1,000 (23 V.S.A. § 1402(a)). Statewide blanket permits are limited to 12 feet 6 inches wide up to 75 feet long (10 feet 6 inches when 75 to 100 feet long), 14 feet high, 46 feet for a single vehicle, and 108,000 pounds for nondivisible loads (92,000 on a 5-axle combination) at 12,000 pounds on the steering axle and 20,000 on other axles. Blanket permits expire with the vehicle's registration and the vehicle must be registered to the maximum for its configuration.
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.
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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 Vermont 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.
- Additional escorts
- The Commissioner or an authorized representative may require two or more escort vehicles, and may require escorts below these thresholds.
- Police escort
- One or more police escorts may be required at the Commissioner's discretion; no fixed police-escort threshold is published. A police escort reviews the permit restrictions with the drivers, keeps two-way radio contact and, in an emergency, calls Commercial Vehicle Operations at 802-828-2064 or the nearest State Police dispatch.
- Equipment the escort vehicle carries
- Escort vehicles must be at least compact-car size, keep two-way radio contact with the load, show a flashing amber light above the roof (or lights visible 360 degrees), run low-beam headlights, and carry an OVERSIZE LOAD sign at least 5 feet by 12 inches with 10-inch black letters on yellow, on the front of a leading escort or the rear of a following one. The load carries 7-foot by 18-inch OVERSIZE LOAD signs front and rear and 18-inch red or orange flags at its corners. Permitted vehicles traveling together keep 1,000 feet apart.
Liability cover the permit itself requires
Distinct from your operating-authority minimums: this is the cover Vermont attaches to the permit, banded by the dimension you are permitted for. Each one is sourced.
- Permit insurance groups
- 23 V.S.A. § 1402 requires a special certificate of insurance of at least $250,000 for injury or death of one person, $500,000 for two or more persons, and $250,000 for property damage before a permit issues for a vehicle of 150,000 pounds or more, 15 feet or more wide or high, or 100 feet or more long. Otherwise Vermont does not require proof of insurance on file for permits.
Escort rules beyond the thresholds
Knowing when you need an escort is half of it. These are the Vermont rules on who may run one, what the vehicle has to carry, and how the move is conducted.
- Additional escorts
- The Commissioner or an authorized representative may require two or more escort vehicles, and may require escorts below these thresholds.
- Police escort
- One or more police escorts may be required at the Commissioner's discretion; no fixed police-escort threshold is published. A police escort reviews the permit restrictions with the drivers, keeps two-way radio contact and, in an emergency, calls Commercial Vehicle Operations at 802-828-2064 or the nearest State Police dispatch.
- Equipment
- Escort vehicles must be at least compact-car size, keep two-way radio contact with the load, show a flashing amber light above the roof (or lights visible 360 degrees), run low-beam headlights, and carry an OVERSIZE LOAD sign at least 5 feet by 12 inches with 10-inch black letters on yellow, on the front of a leading escort or the rear of a following one. The load carries 7-foot by 18-inch OVERSIZE LOAD signs front and rear and 18-inch red or orange flags at its corners. Permitted vehicles traveling together keep 1,000 feet apart.
Conditions attached to every permit
The standing conditions Vermont writes into the permit itself, which apply whether or not they are printed on your copy.
- Summary
- Permits are issued in the name of the registrant and must match the registration certificate, one vehicle or combination per permit, and only for nondivisible loads (a load that would lose its function or value if split, or take more than 8 work hours to dismantle). The vehicle must be registered for the maximum legal load for its class before an overweight permit issues. State permits cover state highways and class 1 town highways; class 2, 3 and 4 town roads need municipal permits. The permit or a legible copy rides in the vehicle.
Travel restrictions
- Daylight only
- Yes (Over-width, over-length and over-height moves run from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset unless the permit says otherwise. Overweight-only vehicles that keep up with traffic are not limited to daylight.)
- Curfews
- On state highways, unless the permit states otherwise, loads over 108,000 pounds, over 12 feet wide or over 100 feet long are not permitted to move on any Saturday or Sunday. The DMV's blanket permit FAQ states a different summer rule: no movement of loads over 108,000 pounds, over 10 feet 6 inches wide or over 100 feet long on any Saturday, Sunday or Friday afternoon from July 1 to Labor Day. Speed is capped at 45 mph on state highways for loads over 90,000 pounds, 10 feet wide, 13 feet 6 inches high or 75 feet long, and at 60 mph on the Interstate.
- Weekend / holiday
- Those loads also may not move on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas; the DMV Permitting Rules page also lists Veterans Day (November 11). A holiday on Saturday makes the Friday before a legal holiday, and one on Sunday makes the Monday after one. The Commissioner may restrict movement before and after holidays.
- Wind / weather
- Loads 12 feet or wider or 80 feet or longer may not travel in ice, sleet, freezing rain, slush or sticking snow, or when visibility is too poor for the load to be identified at a quarter mile; a load already moving must exit at the first safe place. A load that needed an engineering review may not travel in inclement weather at all.
- Daylight hours rule
- Over-width, over-length and over-height moves run from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset unless the permit says otherwise. Overweight-only vehicles that keep up with traffic are not limited to daylight.
- Weather
- Loads 12 feet or wider or 80 feet or longer may not travel in ice, sleet, freezing rain, slush or sticking snow, or when visibility is too poor for the load to be identified at a quarter mile; a load already moving must exit at the first safe place. A load that needed an engineering review may not travel in inclement weather at all.
Superload and beyond-permit review
Loads past the standard single-trip permit thresholds get individual state review rather than an off-the-shelf permit.
An engineering inspection (superload review) is required on state and Interstate highways for loads 15 feet or more wide, more than 100 feet long, more than 14 feet high, or 150,000 pounds or more. The DMV's FAQ phrases the length and height triggers as 100 feet or longer and 14 feet or higher.
The inspection takes up to 10 working days, is valid for 6 months for loads of the same or lesser size on any part of the approved route, and the resulting permit is valid for 7 business days. The applicant files a special certificate of insurance of at least $250,000 per person, $500,000 per crash and $250,000 property damage. Fees run from $800 to $10,000 by weight (see the single-trip fee table).
More Vermont permit rules
- Single trip fee note
- $48 for each single trip permit for overweight, overwidth, indivisible overlength or overheight moves (23 V.S.A. § 1402(a)); $34 for a single trip overlength permit for a combination longer than 75 feet (§ 1402(b)(1)). Loads that need an engineering inspection add the survey fee. Single trip permits are valid for 7 business days under § 1402(f) and the DMV permit rules; one FAQ answer on the DMV's blanket permit page says 10 working days, which conflicts with the statute.
- Annual permit eligibility
- An annual blanket permit for nondivisible oversize or overweight loads is $135 for the first unit and $8 for each additional unit; a carrier may instead buy a fleet permit over approved routes at $135 for the first tractor and $8 for each additional tractor, capped at $1,000 (23 V.S.A. § 1402(a)). Statewide blanket permits are limited to 12 feet 6 inches wide up to 75 feet long (10 feet 6 inches when 75 to 100 feet long), 14 feet high, 46 feet for a single vehicle, and 108,000 pounds for nondivisible loads (92,000 on a 5-axle combination) at 12,000 pounds on the steering axle and 20,000 on other axles. Blanket permits expire with the vehicle's registration and the vehicle must be registered to the maximum for its configuration.
- Annual permit details: blanket oversize: covers
- First unit, nondivisible loads within the blanket limits; $8 for each additional unit
- Annual permit details: fleet route permit: covers
- First tractor, approved routes; $8 per additional tractor up to a $1,000 maximum, based on all tractors the applicant owns
- Annual permit details: low bed trailer: covers
- Per unit, a low-bed trailer up to 75 ft long, 12 ft 6 in loaded width, 14 ft high and 108,000 lb
- Escort notes: additional escorts
- The Commissioner or an authorized representative may require two or more escort vehicles, and may require escorts below these thresholds.
- Escort notes: police escort
- One or more police escorts may be required at the Commissioner's discretion; no fixed police-escort threshold is published. A police escort reviews the permit restrictions with the drivers, keeps two-way radio contact and, in an emergency, calls Commercial Vehicle Operations at 802-828-2064 or the nearest State Police dispatch.
- Escort notes: equipment
- Escort vehicles must be at least compact-car size, keep two-way radio contact with the load, show a flashing amber light above the roof (or lights visible 360 degrees), run low-beam headlights, and carry an OVERSIZE LOAD sign at least 5 feet by 12 inches with 10-inch black letters on yellow, on the front of a leading escort or the rear of a following one. The load carries 7-foot by 18-inch OVERSIZE LOAD signs front and rear and 18-inch red or orange flags at its corners. Permitted vehicles traveling together keep 1,000 feet apart.
- Permit insurance groups
- 23 V.S.A. § 1402 requires a special certificate of insurance of at least $250,000 for injury or death of one person, $500,000 for two or more persons, and $250,000 for property damage before a permit issues for a vehicle of 150,000 pounds or more, 15 feet or more wide or high, or 100 feet or more long. Otherwise Vermont does not require proof of insurance on file for permits.
- Permit conditions: summary
- Permits are issued in the name of the registrant and must match the registration certificate, one vehicle or combination per permit, and only for nondivisible loads (a load that would lose its function or value if split, or take more than 8 work hours to dismantle). The vehicle must be registered for the maximum legal load for its class before an overweight permit issues. State permits cover state highways and class 1 town highways; class 2, 3 and 4 town roads need municipal permits. The permit or a legible copy rides in the vehicle.
- Permit conditions: regional
- Overweight permits are not issued to vehicles registered in another state or province unless that jurisdiction issues similar permits to Vermont vehicles on a reciprocal basis (23 V.S.A. § 1400(e)).
- Statute note
- 23 V.S.A. § 1400 lets the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles permit operation over state highways and class 1 town highways in excess of the weight and size limits; § 1402 sets the permit fees, engineering inspection fees, insurance and the 7-business-day single trip validity. DMV Rule 14-050-019 (Rules and Instructions Governing Overweight and Over Dimension Vehicle Permits) sets the operating conditions.
| Schedule | Distance band | Fees USD |
|---|---|---|
| Special excess weight permit (annual, divisible loads, designated state routes, not the Interstate) | 3-axle truck to 60,000 lb (registered to at least 55,000 lb) | Annual permit: 187 |
| Special excess weight permit (annual, divisible loads, designated state routes, not the Interstate) | 4-axle truck with tri-axle to 69,000 lb (registered to at least 60,000 lb) | Annual permit: 422 |
| Special excess weight permit (annual, divisible loads, designated state routes, not the Interstate) | 4-axle combination to 72,000 lb (24 ft from tractor second axle to trailer rear axle) | Annual permit: 18 |
| Special excess weight permit (annual, divisible loads, designated state routes, not the Interstate) | 5-or-more-axle combination to 76,000 lb (24 ft between two consecutive tandems) | Annual permit: 18 |
| Special excess weight permit (annual, divisible loads, designated state routes, not the Interstate) | 5-or-more-axle combination to 90,000 lb (registered to 80,000 lb, 51 ft between extreme axles) | Annual permit: 458 |
| Special excess weight permit (annual, divisible loads, designated state and town routes, not the Interstate) | 6-or-more-axle combination to 99,000 lb (registered to 80,000 lb, 51 ft between extreme axles) | Annual permit: 671 |
| Name | Detail |
|---|---|
| Spring thaw road postings | During winter thaws, rainy periods or when frost begins to melt, the Agency of Transportation may post state highways, and permits do not override road postings. |
| Farm equipment dealer permits | Annual overwidth permits for dealers moving farm implements more than 8 feet 6 inches but not more than 13 feet wide, sunrise to sunset only, with red flags, and not after 10 a.m. on Sundays or legal holidays except for trips of 2 miles or less. |
The Vermont permit office
- Apply or log in (VT Haul Pass commercial permitting system)
- vthaulpass.vermont.gov
Legal limits without a permit
Vermont sets width, height and length limits in statute, with a combination length cap on state roads that lifts on the Interstate and nearby federal-aid routes, where trailer lengths control instead. Gross weight follows the federal limit and an axle-spacing table. Axle limits are lower on the Interstate, with no tolerance, than on other roads, where a tolerance applies.
Town highways and wood-floored bridges carry much lower statutory limits unless posted otherwise, and one stretch of Route 4 has a shorter combination limit.
What permits cost
Fees are flat. One single-trip fee covers overweight, overwidth, overheight and indivisible overlength moves, with a lower fee for an overlength-only combination. Annual blanket permits price the first unit and each added unit, and a fleet route permit caps the total. Engineering inspection fees step up by gross weight, from manufactured homes to the heaviest superloads.
Escorts
One escort vehicle is required at set width, length and overhang thresholds: in front on undivided highways and behind on divided ones. The Commissioner may require more escorts, or escorts below the thresholds, and may require police escorts with no fixed trigger. Escorts need radio contact with the load, an amber light and an OVERSIZE LOAD sign, and permitted vehicles travel well apart.
When permitted loads can move
Over-width, over-length and over-height loads move from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset unless the permit says otherwise. The largest loads do not move on weekends or listed holidays, and the DMV's own FAQ adds a summer Friday-afternoon variant. Speed caps apply on state highways and the Interstate.
Large loads stop for ice, sleet, slush, sticking snow or poor visibility, and any load that needed an engineering review may not travel in bad weather at all. Spring thaw postings bind permitted loads too.
Superloads and engineering inspections
Loads at or past the superload width, length, height or weight lines need an engineering inspection before a permit issues. The review can take up to ten working days and stays valid for six months for the same or smaller loads on the approved route. The applicant also files a special certificate of insurance at limits well above the auto minimum.
Special excess weight permits for divisible loads
For divisible loads, Vermont sells annual special excess weight permits by axle configuration on designated routes off the Interstate, up to the heaviest tier for six-axle combinations. The truck must be registered to the federal gross limit and meet the wheelbase rule. Out-of-state trucks need reciprocity from their home jurisdiction.
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 Vermont permit stack, see Vermont trucking permits.