Heavy haul truck hauling an oversized load in Indiana

Quickway Transports

Indiana Overweight & Oversize Permits for Heavy Haul

Name: Quickway Transports
Address: 1271 West Main St, Riverhead, NY, 11901, US
Telephone: +1 (631) 898-4248

Indiana permit rules, legal limits and escort triggers, and how we book heavy haul carriers for moves in and through the state.

Quick answer

Do I need an overweight or oversize permit in Indiana?

Yes, above 80,000 lbs gross or the axle limits, or once the load is over 8 ft 6 in wide or 13 ft 6 in high. Indiana's Department of Revenue issues permits under INDOT's rules: an overweight single trip is $20 plus 35 cents a mile up to 108,000 lbs, rising to $1 a mile over 150,000 lbs, and oversize-only permits cost $20 or $30.

Updated November 2026 by the Quickway Transports broker team (FMCSA MC# 1245224).

Heavy Haul | IN

Heavy haul and oversize freight in Indiana

Indiana calls itself the Crossroads of America for good reason: I-65, I-69, I-70 and I-74 meet around Indianapolis, and I-80/I-90 and I-94 cross the north between Chicago and Ohio. Steel mills and the Port of Indiana on Lake Michigan, auto and engine plants, and farm machinery keep heavy loads moving. We book carriers for moves within the state or through it.

Indiana's permits come from the Department of Revenue, not the highway department, and they cover state roads only, so county roads need their own permits. Width decides the clock: loads up to 14 ft 4 in wide can run seven days in daylight, wider ones are held to weekdays, and the largest move only from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. The Indiana Toll Road has its own rules, which we check when a route crosses the north.

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What are the legal size and weight limits in Indiana?

Under the oversize load regulations in Indiana, a load above any of these limits needs a state oversize or overweight permit.

Width	8 ft 6 in
Height	13 ft 6 in
Semitrailer length	53 ft
Gross weight	80,000 lbs
Single axle	20,000 lbs
Tandem axle	34,000 lbs

Limits are set by IC 9-20-3 and 9-20-4. On the Indiana Toll Road a single axle may carry 22,400 lbs and gross weight may reach 90,000 lbs without a permit.

Who issues Indiana oversize permits?

The Department of Revenue's Motor Carrier Services Division in Indianapolis issues oversize and overweight permits through IN OSOWPS under INDOT's rules. A permit issues instantly when a pre-approved route fits, most others the next business day, and a single trip permit is valid 5 days, or 10 when a police escort is required.

DOR permits cover state-maintained roads only, so leaving and rejoining them means a split trip, with county or city permits for the local part. The general permit also does not apply to I-65 or I-70 inside I-465 in Indianapolis.

Permit system: Indiana Oversize/Overweight Permitting System (IN OSOWPS), reached through the DOR Motor Carrier Services online portal (Login to OSW)

What do Indiana oversize and overweight permits cost?

request_quote Oversize single trip: $20 up to 12 ft 4 in wide, 13 ft 6 in high and 95 ft long, and $30 past any of those.
request_quote Overweight: $20 plus $0.35 a mile up to 108,000 lbs, $0.60 a mile to 150,000 lbs and $1.00 a mile above.
request_quote Superloads of 200,000 lbs or more: a $40 base, $1 a mile, a $10 review fee, a $25 design fee and $10 per bridge reviewed.
request_quote Annual oversize permit: $405, for loads up to 12 ft 4 in wide, 13 ft 6 in high and 95 ft long.
request_quote Indiana State Police superload escorts are billed hourly, $43 for each trooper and $34 for each motor carrier inspector, with mileage on top.

Worked example: a 140,000 lb overweight load on a 180-mile route

Between 108,001 and 150,000 lbs the rate is $0.60 a mile, so 180 miles costs $108. Add the $20 base and the $10 executive fee that overweight-only loads over 108,000 lbs pay, and the permit is $138.

Indiana pilot car and escort requirements

local_police Over 12 ft 4 in wide, 110 ft long or 14 ft 6 in high: one escort, in front on undivided roads and behind on divided highways, with a height stick on a tall load's escort.
local_police 14 ft 4 in to 17 ft wide: one rear escort on divided highways, and front and rear on all other roads.
local_police Over 17 ft wide: Indiana State Police escorts, at least one front and one rear.
local_police Over 200,000 lbs: a State Police escort unless the trip is Interstate-only, has no bridge slowdowns and stays under 250,000 lbs.
local_police Over 15 ft high off the Interstate: a pre-qualified signal contractor with a bucket truck; over 17 ft, a route survey and letters from the utilities.
local_police Escort vehicles are registered at 11,000 lbs or less and stay within 500 ft of the load; Indiana sets no escort driver certification.

What hours can oversize loads move in Indiana?

calendar_today Loads up to 110 ft long, 10 ft wide, 13 ft 6 in high and under 200,000 lbs may travel continuously, seven days a week.
calendar_today Bigger loads within 14 ft 4 in of width and 15 ft of height: daylight hours on any day.
calendar_today 14 ft 4 in to 16 ft wide: weekday daylight only. Over 16 ft wide, 15 ft high or 200,000 lbs: weekdays from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
calendar_today Holidays: no permitted moves from noon on the last weekday before Christmas, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day or Independence Day until just before sunrise the day after.
calendar_today No movement in winds over 25 mph or visibility under 500 ft, and loads over 85 ft long or 10 ft 6 in wide are held to 55 mph.

Seasonal weight limits in Indiana

Indiana's frost laws are county rules, not state ones. Counties, mostly in the north, may close roads or lower weights for at most 90 days a year after posting signs, such as Jasper County's 16,000 lb cap from January 15 to April 15, and some, like Newton County, issue no permits at all during the season. DOR permits never cover county roads, so a winter pickup off the state system starts with the county highway department.

FAQ

Indiana Oversize Load Questions

Permits, escorts and travel rules for oversize moves in Indiana.

How much is an Indiana overweight permit?

A single trip overweight permit is $20 plus a mileage charge: 35 cents a mile up to 108,000 lbs, 60 cents to 150,000 lbs and $1 a mile above that. Overweight-only loads over 108,000 lbs add a $10 executive fee, and superloads of 200,000 lbs or more pay review, design and per-bridge fees on top.

How much is an Indiana oversize permit?

An oversize single trip costs $20 when the load stays within 12 ft 4 in wide, 13 ft 6 in high and 95 ft long, and $30 when it goes past any of those. An annual oversize permit is $405. Permits come from the Indiana Department of Revenue, not INDOT, through the IN OSOWPS portal.

Can oversize loads travel at night in Indiana?

Only smaller ones: loads up to 110 ft long, 10 ft wide, 13 ft 6 in high and under 200,000 lbs can run continuously. Anything bigger moves in daylight, and the widest, tallest or heaviest loads only from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM on weekdays. On the Indiana Toll Road nothing over 10 ft wide travels after dark.

What is a superload in Indiana?

Definitions differ slightly between agencies, but DOR's fee sheet uses over 15 ft high, 17 ft wide, 110 ft long or 200,000 lbs. Large superloads need an approved route survey or bridge study before the permit issues, and Indiana State Police escorts are arranged through a superload agreement with at least 3 working days' notice.

Can oversize loads use the Indiana Toll Road?

Yes, within limits. Without a permit the Toll Road allows 90,000 lbs gross and admits loads up to 12 ft wide or 14 ft 6 in high declared at the gate. Larger nondivisible loads need a one-trip special hauling permit from DOR, $5 for oversize and $50 to $100 for overweight, and nothing over 10 ft wide may travel after dark.

Sources

We last checked the figures above against these official sources in October 2026. Before each move, the carrier's permit service confirms the rules in force that day.

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