Heavy haul truck hauling an oversized load in New Jersey

Quickway Transports

New Jersey Oversize & Overweight Permits for Heavy Haul

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

New Jersey 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 a permit to move an oversize load in New Jersey?

Yes, once the load is wider than 8 ft 6 in, taller than 13 ft 6 in or heavier than 80,000 lbs; New Jersey allows 22,400 lbs on a single axle. NJDOT's single trip permit starts at $10, plus surcharges by width, length and weight and a $12 transaction fee. The permit covers state routes only, and the Turnpike, Parkway and bridges need their own approval.

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

Heavy Haul | NJ

Heavy haul and oversize freight in New Jersey

New Jersey sits between the Port of New York and New Jersey at Newark and Elizabeth and the Philadelphia market, so much of its heavy freight is port cargo, plant equipment and construction machinery moving along I-95, the New Jersey Turnpike, I-78, I-80 and I-287. We book carriers for loads moving within the state, out of Port Newark and Port Elizabeth, or across it between New York, Pennsylvania and the South.

The permit is the simple part here; the crossings are not. NJDOT permits cover state routes, while the Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, Atlantic City Expressway, Port Authority crossings and the Delaware River bridges each set their own rules, escorts or permits. Oversize permits are also daylight only, so a move into New York or Pennsylvania is planned around bridge windows and sunset.

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What are the legal size and weight limits in New Jersey?

Under the oversize load regulations in New Jersey, 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	22,400 lbs
Tandem axle	34,000 lbs

Limits are set by N.J.S.A. 39:3-84. The 8 ft 6 in width and 53 ft semitrailer apply on the National Network and its access routes, other roads allow 8 ft and 48 ft, and the single axle limit is 22,400 lbs.

Who issues New Jersey oversize permits?

NJDOT issues single trip oversize and overweight permits for the Motor Vehicle Commission through SUPERLOAD, its online system. A permit is good for one one-way trip over 5 days, a route survey goes with the application once a load passes 16 ft in width or 14 ft 6 in in height, and reviews take from a few business hours for bridge checks to up to 3 business days in the office.

The permit covers state routes only. County and municipal roads, the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway, the Atlantic City Expressway and the bridge authorities each approve loads on their own roads, and the carrier's permit service files with each one on the route.

Permit system: SUPERLOAD (NJDOT at GotPermits, NJPASS)

What do New Jersey oversize and overweight permits cost?

request_quote Base fee: $10 for an oversize or an overweight permit, $20 when the load is both.
request_quote Width over 14 ft: $1 for each foot or part of one. Combinations over 63 ft long: $1 per extra foot.
request_quote Overweight: $5 for every 2,000 lbs or part of it over the axle or gross limit, whichever is greater.
request_quote Every permit adds a $12 transaction fee plus a 5% service charge on the permit total, and there is no mileage fee.
request_quote Port Authority escorts cost twice the toll plus $40.

Worked example: a 16 ft wide, 100,000 lb load

The base fee is $20 because the load is both oversize and overweight. Two feet over 14 ft adds $2, and 20,000 lbs over the 80,000 lb gross adds 10 x $5 = $50, for $72. The $12 transaction fee and the 5% service charge of $3.60 bring it to $87.60, assuming no axle is over by more.

New Jersey pilot car and escort requirements

local_police Past 14 ft wide or 100 ft long: a single escort, behind the load on highways of four or more lanes and ahead of it on narrower roads.
local_police Past 16 ft wide or 120 ft long: escorts ahead and behind.
local_police Night moves under a waiver: one escort more than the size rule requires, or one if none was needed.
local_police Over 14 ft high: the permittee notifies the utilities, NJDOT and the county and city traffic offices that control overhead wires, signals and bridges on the route, or the permit is void.
local_police Police escorts apply at certain crossings: the Port Authority bridges and tunnels, oversize loads on DRPA bridges, and Port Street at Port Newark.
local_police NJDOT assigns only private escorts and sets no escort certification.

What hours can oversize loads move in New Jersey?

calendar_today Oversize permits are valid from sunrise to sunset only, and not when visibility is under 500 ft or roads are hazardous.
calendar_today Night moves need a written waiver from the Motor Vehicle Commission, granted to ease congestion, for a justified business hardship or in an emergency.
calendar_today Overweight loads of legal size may travel day or night, provided they can hold 40 mph after dark.
calendar_today Holidays: no oversize moves on Christmas, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and the Wednesday before it, Memorial Day and Labor Day with the Friday before each, and Independence Day.
calendar_today Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission bridges: permitted crossings avoid 7:30 to 9 AM and 4 to 7 PM.

Seasonal weight limits in New Jersey

New Jersey has no frost law or seasonal weight restriction in its size and weight statute or permit rules. What varies by route is timing: SUPERLOAD prints route-specific limits, such as no movement through an area at rush hour, directly on the permit, and the bridge authorities keep their own peak-hour windows.

FAQ

New Jersey Oversize Load Questions

Permits, escorts and travel rules for oversize moves in New Jersey.

How much is an NJ oversize permit?

NJDOT charges a $10 base fee for an oversize or overweight permit, or $20 when the load is both. Width over 14 ft adds $1 a foot, length past 63 ft adds $1 a foot, and overweight adds $5 for every 2,000 lbs over the limit. Each permit also carries a $12 transaction fee and a 5% service charge, with no mileage fee.

Can oversize loads use the New Jersey Turnpike?

Only with the Turnpike Authority's express approval, because an NJDOT permit is not valid on the Turnpike or Garden State Parkway without it. Without that authorization the Turnpike bars vehicles over 8 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft 6 in high or 80,000 lbs, and the Parkway north of Interchange 105 is closed to commercial vehicles over 10,000 lbs unless they hold a special permit.

Can oversize loads travel at night in New Jersey?

Not on a standard permit. Oversize permits run from sunrise to sunset, and night travel needs a written waiver from the Motor Vehicle Commission, requested with the application and granted to ease congestion, for a business hardship or in an emergency. A night move under waiver adds one escort, while overweight loads within legal size can travel at night.

How do oversize loads cross into New York or Pennsylvania?

Each crossing has its own owner. The Port Authority bridges and tunnels need the facility manager's permission and a Port Authority escort booked at least 2 days ahead, the DRPA bridges require a police escort for oversize loads, and the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission issues its own permit, applied for at least 2 business days ahead.

When does a New Jersey load need an escort?

One escort is needed over 14 ft wide or 100 ft long, riding at the rear on highways of four or more lanes and in front on narrower roads. Over 16 ft wide or 120 ft long the load needs escorts front and rear. NJDOT assigns private escorts only, and loads over 16 ft wide also need a route survey with the application.

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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