Virginia

Width

8'6"

Height

13'6"

Semi-trailer length

48'

Truck-trailer combo length

53'

Single axle

20,000 lb.

Tandem axle

34,000 lb.

Tri-axle

54,000 lb.

Max gross weight

Based on a formula tied to axle spacing

Phone

804-786-2787

Fax

804-367-0063

Hours

7:30 AM – 4:00 PM Eastern

Website

dmvnow.com

All escort vehicle operators must be certified. General guidance (not all-inclusive): loads over 12' wide need one front and one rear escort on non-Interstate routes, or one rear escort on Interstate routes; over 14' wide need two front and one rear on non-Interstate routes, or one front and one rear on Interstate routes; over 16' wide need two front and two rear on non-Interstate routes, or one front and two rear on Interstate routes. An off-centered load exceeding 3'6" on the passenger side needs one front escort; exceeding 5' needs one front and one rear. Loads over 14'5" high need a front escort with a height pole (adjusted 3 inches above the load) on all routes. Loads over 85' long need one rear escort on non-Interstate routes, or over 120' on Interstate routes; over 150' long need one front and one rear on all routes. A front overhang over 10' needs one front escort, and a rear overhang over 15' needs one rear escort, on all routes. Loads over 18' wide or over 200' long are handled case by case. Escort vehicles must be a truck/SUV of 1/4-ton-plus but no more than 17,000 lbs GVWR, or a passenger vehicle of at least 2,000 lbs gross weight; must not resemble law enforcement vehicles, must be clearly marked with signage and a company sign on both sides, must not itself be over-dimensional while escorting, may not pull a trailer while escorting, must have an unobstructed rear-window view, and must maintain two-way radio communication with the load and other escort/utility vehicles.

No vehicle may exceed 20,000 lbs single axle, 34,000 lbs tandem, or 80,000 lbs gross regardless of configuration. Gross weight is also determined by axle count and the spacing from the first to rear axle (for example, a 5-axle vehicle with 51 feet of spacing is allowed a maximum of 80,000 lbs, while 47 feet of spacing is allowed 77,500 lbs). Special permits are available for vehicles hauling coal and liquids from gas/oil wells, and for vehicles hauling gravel, sand, asphalt, and crushed stone.

10-day trip permit — IRP

$15.00

10-day trip permit — IFTA

$20.00

10-day trip permit — Combination IRP/IFTA

$35.00

Available through the DMV for vehicles registered under IRP/IFTA elsewhere but not in Virginia (plus service fees if obtained through a permit service).

A citation served on the vehicle operator also constitutes service on the owner; a contested weight violation is tried as a civil case, with judgment for the Commonwealth requiring payment to the Department. On top of the base fine, a $25 civil penalty, $20 processing fee, $2 weighing fee, and $20 liquidated damages apply. If gross weight exceeds the limit by 25–50%, the assessment is doubled; over 50%, it is tripled.

Travel is permitted sunrise to sunset, Monday through Saturday. No travel is permitted within the corporate limits of cities/towns 7–9 AM and 4–6 PM (some exceptions apply), no Sunday travel (some exceptions by permit), and no travel on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas Day. Additional cautions and restrictions apply in the Newport News, Portsmouth, and Norfolk areas.

High-intensity amber flashing lights visible from at least 500 feet are required on any vehicle over 12' wide or over 75' long, mounted on top of the towing vehicle (not required if accompanied by an escort vehicle) — two amber lights on the top-front corners and two red lights on the rear. "Oversize Load" signs are required front and rear for all over-dimensional permit loads. Flags are required on all four corners of oversize loads, at the widest extremities of wide loads, at the extreme rear of overlength loads, and on rear overhangs exceeding 4 feet.

Tires must be in good condition with no visible tread cuts. Front tires must have at least 4/32 inch tread depth in a groove; other tires must have at least 2/32 inch.

Length

150'

Width

15'

Height

15'

Cost

$100 for 1 year or $200 for 2 years

Turnaround

1 week, mailed, truck specific

Route required

Yes

A mileage fee of $40 plus a damage fee of $360 per year is added if operating overweight. Vehicle configurations that cannot be licensed in Virginia (including mobile and manufactured homes) also incur the $40 per year mileage fee.

VDOT reminds drivers that work zone safety is everybody's responsibility — "See the Cone, Respect the Zone" applies year-round, not just during peak construction season.

A Single Trip Permit covers one move between origin and destination — maximum 15' high, 15' wide, 150' long. Fee: $20 (mobile/manufactured housing pays a flat $1.00 fee instead of the standard 30-cent-per-mile fee), valid up to 13 days, applied online. A Blanket Permit covers multiple moves over a specified period — maximum 14' high, 14' wide, 100' long. Fee: $100 for 1 year or $200 for 2 years (plus the $40/year mileage fee and $360/year damage fee if operating overweight, and unlicensable configurations including mobile/manufactured homes incur the $40/year mileage fee regardless), turnaround 10 business days, applied online.