Ohio Oversize Permit, Wide and Heavy Haul Information

Summary: 

• Oversized loads up to 12 feet wide can travel from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, with loads over 12 feet wide having additional weekend restrictions from April 1 to November 30.
• Vehicles over 12 feet wide are prohibited from traveling during specific morning and evening rush hours on weekdays, and must display “Oversize Load” signs, flags at each corner and widest point, and keep headlights on during movement.
• Applications for permits must provide precise location details, specifying the exact entry and exit routes, including the state, and the specific city, town, village, or street/county/township road where the route intersects with the State Highway System, which encompasses Interstate, State, and U.S. routes.

Operating Hours, Restricted Travel, and Holiday Restrictions

In Ohio, vehicles that are overweight but not overdimensional can travel freely with a Special Hauling Permit as long as they don’t obstruct traffic. However, vehicles exceeding twelve feet in width face specific restrictions: they cannot operate during rush hours (6:30-9:00 AM and 4:30-6:00 PM, Monday through Friday) in 21 specified Ohio counties, and are prohibited from moving after 3:00 PM on weekends until half an hour before sunrise the following day. Additionally, from April through November, these wide loads cannot move from 3:00 PM Friday until half an hour before sunrise Saturday.

All permitted loads, except legal-dimensioned overweight vehicles, are prohibited from traveling during major holidays: 

• New Year’s
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas
• Good Friday/Easter

These holiday restrictions begin at noon the day before and end half an hour before sunrise the day after, except for Good Friday/Easter, which runs from sunrise on Good Friday until half an hour before sunrise on Easter Monday. Outside these restrictions, permitted vehicles may operate during daylight hours, defined as half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset.

Signs, Flags, Lights, and Escort Requirements

Signs, flags, and lights may be required when transporting oversized or heavy haul loads to ensure the safety of other motorists and vehicles on the road.

Signs

Oversize load signs shall be required on any vehicle or vehicle/load with an overall width of ten (10) feet or greater or an overall height in excess of 14 feet 6 inches. The signs should be displayed on the front and rear of the over dimensional vehicle or vehicle/load.

Warning signs, when required, shall read “Oversize Load” and shall be at least seven (7) feet long and eighteen (18) inches high. The sign’s background shall be yellow with black lettering. Letters shall be at least ten (10) inches high with a 1.41 inch brush stroke.

Flags

Warning flags shall be 18 inches square, red or orange in color, in good repair and free of printing or other markings. Flags shall be securely fastened by at least one corner or securely mounted on a staff.

Warning flags shall be displayed on all over dimensional vehicles and loads.

Overwidth vehicles and loads shall bear two flags at the widest extremities of the vehicle or load as well as one flag at each corner of the vehicle or load. Warning flags are not required to be displayed on the tractor.

Overlength vehicles and loads or vehicles and loads with a rear overhang of four (4.0) feet or greater shall display a single flag at the extreme rear if the overlength or projecting part is two (2.0) feet wide or less. Two flags shall be displayed if the overlength or projecting portion is wider than two (2.0) feet and the flags should be located to indicate maximum width.

Lights

Clearance and side marker lights, in addition to the standard lights required by law, need not mark the extremities of an oversize load unless it is specially authorized to move at night or when visibility is less than 1000 feet, in which case, the additional lighting shall be displayed in the manner described in the diagrams on the following page.

Proper display of extra tail and side marker lights on oversize vehicles permitted to travel at night or during periods when visibility is less than 1,000 feet.

Escort vehicles shall be equipped with at least one (1) roof mounted rotating amber light or flashing amber light bar, of such intensity as to be clearly seen at a minimum distance of 1,000 feet in normal daylight.

Escort Vehicles

One rear escort vehicle shall be required for the transportation of any vehicle/load with an overall length in excess of 90 feet.

One lead (rear on multiple lane highways) escort vehicle shall be required for the transportation of any vehicle/load with an overall width in excess of 13 feet.

One lead escort vehicle equipped with a height sensing device shall be required for the transportation of any vehicle/load with an overall height in excess of 14 feet 6 inches.

One lead and one rear escort shall be required on any vehicle or vehicle/load with an overall width in excess of 14 feet 6 inches.

One lead and one rear escort shall be required on any vehicle or vehicle/load with an overall height in excess of 14 feet 10 inches.

Law enforcement escort shall be required, in addition to private escorts, on any vehicle or vehicle/load with an overall width in excess of 16 feet or any time when, in the opinion of the Department, movement may result in the high probability of delay or hazard to the traveling public or damage to highway or street facilities.

If more than one of the conditions set forth above are met, (e.g., a load exceeding 13 ft. in width and 90 feet in length) two escorts (one lead and one rear) shall be required.

Private escort vehicles, when required, shall maintain a safe operating distance between the escorted vehicle/load and the escort vehicle, consistent with existing traffic conditions and vehicle/load characteristics. Front escort with height sensing device, when escorting overheight load, must maintain sufficient distance to alert permitted vehicle/load of insufficient vertical clearance, etc., in adequate time to stop.

Obtaining a Permit

To obtain an oversize hauling permit in Ohio, applicants can apply in person at the Central Permit Office in Columbus, by mail, or through an automated system, with each application requiring complete and legible details specifying exact origin and destination. Permits must be submitted on the appropriate form, filled out in ink, and accompanied by the correct fee, which can be paid by cash, check, money order, or through an established advance payment account. 

Applicants are limited to five Special Hauling Permit applications per calendar year when applying in person or by mail, with additional applications requiring submission through the automated system or a permit service. While in-person applications can often be processed immediately, mailed applications may take up to five business days to process, and the Central Permit Office does not accept telephone orders except in life-threatening emergencies.

Partnering with a Logistics Company

Transporting oversize and overweight loads through Ohio requires strict adherence to state regulations and permit requirements. By understanding the operating hours, restricted travel times, signage, and permit application process, you can ensure safe and legal transport. If you are interested in streamlining the oversize permit process in Ohio, consider partnering with a modular logistics company like Stream. Contact our experts to ensure a seamless wide and heavy haul experience for your project. 

Read more:

• Over-Dimensional and Heavy Haul Permitting 101
• What You Need to Know About State Oversize Permits for Over-Dimensional, Wide, and Heavy Haul Trucking
• State Oversize Permit & Wide Load Regulations: Simplified

Stream Logistics is a transportation logistics company specializing exclusively in High Stakes Freight® , or freight where there is significant risk in moving your product. We help you transport freight when there are projects with timelines and delivery sequences, shipments with high complexity, and shipments with unique constraints.