Heavy haul truck hauling an oversized load in Utah

Quickway Transports

Utah Oversize & Overweight Permits for Heavy Haul

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

Utah 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 Utah?

A permit is needed once a load goes past 8 ft 6 in wide, 14 ft high or 80,000 lbs. UDOT's Motor Carrier Division issues permits online or at ports of entry: $30 for an oversize single trip and $60 for oversize and overweight up to 125,000 lbs, with a per-mile charge above that. Single trip permits run up to 96 hours.

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

Heavy Haul | UT

Heavy haul and oversize freight in Utah

Utah's heavy freight funnels through the Wasatch Front: I-15 runs from St. George through Salt Lake City and Ogden to Idaho, I-80 crosses from Nevada through Salt Lake City and Parleys Canyon toward Wyoming, and I-70 and US-6 cross the east. Mining equipment, data center and construction projects along the Wasatch Front, and loads moving between California and the Mountain West keep heavy haul trucks busy. We book carriers for moves within Utah or through it.

Utah's rules turn on two things: the Wasatch Front and the canyons. Loads over 12 ft wide stay off the highways around Salt Lake City, Ogden and northern Utah County at weekday rush hours, and canyon routes such as Provo, Logan and Little Cottonwood carry far tighter limits than the Interstates. We check UDOT's list of restricted secondary highways before quoting any move that leaves the freeway.

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What are the legal size and weight limits in Utah?

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

Width	8 ft 6 in
Height	14 ft
Semitrailer length	53 ft
Gross weight	80,000 lbs
Single axle	20,000 lbs
Tandem axle	34,000 lbs

Limits are set by Utah Code 72-7-402 and 72-7-404. Utah's legal height is 14 ft, and longer combination vehicles run only by permit on approved freeway routes.

Who issues Utah oversize permits?

UDOT's Motor Carrier Division issues permits through its online permit system or at any of its eight ports of entry, which sell single trip, semi-annual and annual permits. A single trip permit runs up to 96 continuous hours, and permits must be bought before entering Utah except at three border ports on I-15 and I-80.

Loads over 17 ft wide, 17 ft 6 in high or 300,000 lbs go to the division's superload team, are processed only on weekdays, and can take up to 14 days because each UDOT region's permit office reviews the route.

Permit system: UDOT Motor Carrier Division Online Permits & Information Maintenance System

What do Utah oversize and overweight permits cost?

request_quote Oversize only: $30 single trip, $75 for 180 days, $90 a year.
request_quote Oversize and overweight up to 125,000 lbs: $60 single trip, with semi-annual and annual permits from $180 to $540 by weight band.
request_quote Over 125,000 lbs: $0.012 per mile for each 1,000 lbs over 80,000, with miles and weight rounded up in steps, from $80 to a $540 maximum.
request_quote A UDOT employee accompanying the move costs $40 or full cost, whichever is greater, and the permittee pays police escorts and utility moves.
request_quote All permit sales are final.

Worked example: per-mile charges on heavy Utah loads

UDOT's own fee table prices a 150,000 lb load traveling 150 miles at $130 under the per-mile formula, and a 300,000 lb load going 50 miles at the same $130. The charge is capped at $540 however heavy or long the move, and escorts are paid separately.

Utah pilot car and escort requirements

local_police Freeways in daylight: one pilot escort over 14 ft wide, two over 16 ft, and two plus police over 20 ft.
local_police Secondary highways in daylight: one pilot over 12 ft wide, two over 14 ft, and two plus police over 17 ft.
local_police Length: one pilot over 120 ft on freeways; on secondary highways one over 105 ft and two over 120 ft; police added over 175 ft.
local_police Over 16 ft high: two pilots, one carrying a non-conductive height pole, and police as well over 17 ft 6 in.
local_police Canyon routes set lower triggers, such as one pilot from 9 ft wide in Big and Little Cottonwood canyons.
local_police Pilot drivers need certification: Utah residents take a Utah course, and out-of-state drivers can use a course that meets national guidelines.

What hours can oversize loads move in Utah?

calendar_today At night, freeways allow loads up to 14 ft wide, with a pilot from 12 ft, and secondary highways up to 12 ft with a pilot, within 105 ft long and 14 ft 6 in high.
calendar_today Wasatch Front: loads past 12 ft of width, 105 ft of length and 14 ft 6 in of height stay off the listed highways from 6 to 9 AM and 3:30 to 6 PM on weekdays, including Weber, Davis and Salt Lake counties.
calendar_today Holidays: the same larger loads stop from 2 PM the day before Christmas, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Independence Day until sunrise after, and Monday holidays reopen Saturday and Sunday.
calendar_today Larger loads park whenever snow or ice covers the road or visibility falls below 1,000 ft.
calendar_today Moki Dugway (SR-261) is closed to all oversize and overweight loads, and Provo Canyon bars loads over 10 ft wide without a UDOT letter.

Seasonal weight limits in Utah

Utah has no frost law. Any highway authority can restrict weights after an engineering inspection finds weather damage, effective while signs are posted, and UDOT can put seasonal limits on individual permits. Winter is handled through the weather and traction rules: larger permitted loads stop on snow or ice, and when UDOT activates traction requirements, heavy vehicles need traction devices on their drive tires.

FAQ

Utah Oversize Load Questions

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

How much is a Utah oversize permit?

UDOT charges $30 for an oversize single trip and $60 when the load is also overweight, up to 125,000 lbs. Heavier loads pay a per-mile charge on the weight over 80,000 lbs, between $80 and $540. Semi-annual and annual permits cost $75 to $540 depending on size and weight.

What are the Wasatch Front oversize curfews?

On weekdays from 6 to 9 AM and 3:30 to 6 PM, loads past those sizes (12 ft wide, 105 ft long, 14 ft 6 in high) may not travel on the highways of Weber, Davis and Salt Lake counties, northern Utah County, I-80 across Salt Lake County, or I-84 west of milepost 94. UDOT can grant emergency exceptions case by case.

When does a Utah load need a police escort?

Above 20 ft wide on freeways, 17 ft wide on secondary highways, 175 ft long or 17 ft 6 in high. The Utah Highway Patrol sets the number of officers, and the carrier schedules and pays for them by emailing a letter of understanding at least 48 hours before the move. Some canyon routes call for police at lower widths.

Can oversize loads travel at night in Utah?

Moderate loads can. On freeways, loads up to 14 ft wide, 105 ft long and 14 ft 6 in high may move at night, with a pilot escort from 12 ft wide, and on secondary highways the limit is 12 ft wide with a pilot. Anything larger, or with more than 10 ft of overhang, moves in daylight.

What is a superload in Utah?

Loads over 17 ft 6 in high, 17 ft wide or 300,000 lbs, which UDOT's superload team processes only on weekdays and which can take up to 14 days. The route is checked against bridge clearances, construction and canyon restrictions, then reviewed by each region; utility clearances and police escorts are arranged and paid by the permittee.

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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