Kentucky

Width

8'6" (8' on local roads)

Height

13'6"

Length — motor truck

45'

Length — trailers

53'

Length — truck-trailer combination

65'

Legal overhang — rear

5'

Single axle

20,000 lb.

Tandem axle

34,000 lb.

Tridem axle

48,000 lb.

Max gross weight

80,000 lb.

Phone

502-564-1257

Fax

502-564-0992

Hours

8:00 AM – 4:30 PM Eastern

Website

transportation.ky.gov

A required escort vehicle accompanies the load at a distance of 300 feet on open highways (closer or farther if needed for safety or road conditions), displays appropriate signage, and maintains radio contact with the vehicle. A lead escort must display an "OVERSIZE LOAD" warning sign 6–8 feet wide, black letters at least 18 inches high with a 1.4-inch-plus brush stroke, on a yellow background — visible to oncoming traffic. Escort vehicles must have amber strobe or flashing lights, keep headlamps lit during transit, and use a height pole if the escorted load is 15 feet or greater.

On Interstate and other Kentucky highways: 20,000 lbs per single axle (axles less than 42 inches apart count as one axle), 34,000 lbs on two axles in tandem 42–96 inches apart, and 48,000 lbs on three axles 42–120 inches apart. No single axle may exceed 20,000 lbs or 700 lbs per inch of aggregate tire width, whichever is less, and total gross weight may not exceed 80,000 lbs. Manufacturer's rating limits (whichever is less): steering axle 20,000 lbs, single dual-wheel axle 24,000 lbs, tandem dual-wheel group (5-axle combination) 45,000 lbs, tandem dual-wheel group (6+ axle combination) 48,000 lbs, tridem dual-wheel group 60,000 lbs, trunnion axle 48,000 lbs.

By total axle configuration: 5-axle combinations may not exceed 96,000 lbs gross, 6-axle combinations 120,000 lbs, and 7-axle combinations 160,000 lbs.

Any carrier with a vehicle over 59,999 lbs traveling in Kentucky is subject to the KYU tax; in lieu of it, a 10-day vehicle-specific KYU permit costs $40. Carriers with vehicles over 26,001 lbs or 3+ axles are subject to IFTA — Kentucky offers a temporary 10-day IFTA permit for $40, vehicle specific and valid in Kentucky only. Intrastate Kentucky-based carriers with vehicles over 26,001 lbs or 3+ axles are subject to the KIT fuel tax, with a similar 10-day vehicle-specific temporary permit for $40. Carriers not apportioned through IRP from their base state need a non-reciprocal temporary permit — $25 if registered weight is 55,000 lbs or less, $40 if over 55,000 lbs. Permits can be combined as long as registered weight and operation classification allow.

Violations of KRS 189.212, 189.221, 189.222, 189.226, 189.230, or 189.270 carry a fine of 2 cents per pound of excess load up to 5,000 lbs; beyond 5,000 lbs excess, the fine remains 2 cents per pound but is set at no less than $100 and no more than $500. Violations of KRS 189.950 carry a fine of $100–$1,000, up to 30 days in county jail, or both.

Travel is permitted 24/7 in Kentucky unless the permit specifies otherwise, and there are no statewide holiday travel restrictions. Travel is restricted 7:00–9:00 AM and 4:00–6:00 PM, Monday through Friday, in Boone, Campbell, Fayette, Jefferson, and Kenton counties — this restriction does not apply to mobile homes, which are limited to daylight hours Monday through Saturday with no Sunday travel.

An "OVERSIZE LOAD" warning sign 6–8 feet wide, black letters at least 18 inches high with a 1.4-inch-plus stroke on a yellow background, must be displayed at the front of the power unit, the rear of the towed unit, or the rear of the load. 18-inch square clean bright red flags are required on all four corners of the extremities and any protrusions/overhangs. A front overhang of 10 feet or more requires an amber strobe or flashing light.

Tires may not be regrooved or recut unless designed and constructed to safely allow it. Maximum weight per inch of tire width in contact with the road is 400 lbs for iron/steel tires and 600 lbs for solid rubber/compound tires. Where chains are used on a surface not covered in ice, the wheel must rest on an ice shoe at least 6 inches wide, with cross chains no more than 3/4 inch thick and spaced no more than 10 inches apart. Tractors or traction engines with projections on their tires may not operate on bituminous or concrete road surfaces except with flat lugs (at least 1 inch wide, with at least two lugs per wheel in contact with the road at all times) or flat steering rings (at least 2 inches wide, no more than 1.5 inches high, with no projecting bolt or rivet heads).

GVW cap

120,000 lbs, movement limited to a route specified on the permit

Single axle (spacing under 42 in.)

15,000 lbs

Tandem axle

40,000 lbs

Tridem axle

65,000 lbs

Dual wheel axle

20,000 lbs

Non-divisible — under 14' wide

$250 each

Non-divisible — 14' to 16' wide

$500 each

Steel — 150-mile limit

$250 each

Steel — statewide

$500 each

Farm — under 14' wide

$80 each

Farm — 14' to 16' wide

$150 each

Industrial haul

$20 each

Pay attention (no texting, eating, or other distractions while driving), respect flaggers and watch their direction carefully, and slow down — rear-end collisions are the most common work-zone crash, so maintain a safe following distance.

On highways not specifically designated (or locally maintained under specific statutory provisions), a truck, trailer, manufactured home, or vehicle exceeding 11.5 feet in height or 96 inches in width, including body or load, may not operate. A manufactured home may not be towed with a combined home-plus-tow-vehicle length greater than 120 feet, and the home itself may not exceed 90 feet in length. A single-trip permit costs $60 per permit requested. Kentucky may issue an annual permit — regardless of vehicle or equipment type — for a non-divisible load exceeding the standard weight or dimension limits, provided it does not exceed 16 feet in width (excluding ordinary overhang), 120 feet in length (including towing vehicle and trailer), 13'6" in height, or 160,000 lbs. An annual permit costs $250 for loads under 14' wide, or $500 for loads 14' wide or more.