CA
California oversize permit rules
What California charges for a single-trip OS/OW permit, the limits that trigger one, and the escort thresholds — read from the state’s own publication. This rule has been in effect since 2026-07-06; we last read the source on 2026-07-06.
Oversize permit
$16
One price for a single-trip permit, whatever the dimensions. A 9-foot-wide load and a 16-foot-wide load pay the same.
Overweight permit
$16
One price for a single-trip overweight permit.
A load that is both oversize and overweight pays this fee only, not both.
+ $20 Permigo service fee per permit, state fees at cost.
Legal limits
Exceed any one of these in California and you need a permit for this state.
| Limit | Interstate |
|---|---|
| Width | 8'6" |
| Height | 14'0" |
| Length | 65'0" |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs |
| Single axle | 20,000 lbs |
| Tandem axle | 34,000 lbs |
| Tridem axle | 43,500 lbs |
What the permit costs
California prices a single-trip permit as flat rate. One price for a single-trip permit, whatever the dimensions. A 9-foot-wide load and a 16-foot-wide load pay the same.
Escort requirements
Thresholds by road class. Where two classes differ, the road you are actually on governs.
Multilane (Yellow)
| Width | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 10'0" | Travel window appliesMetro curfews for loads over 10'0" wide (TPM Ch. 5 §502.2): Los Angeles 6–9 a.m. + 3–6 p.m.; San Francisco / San Diego / Sacramento 7–9 a.m. + 4–6 p.m., Monday–Friday. Curfew-area maps are permit accompaniments. |
| Over 12'0" | 1 rear escortWidth over 12'0" on Yellow (multilane freeway) routes: 1 pilot car, following the load (TPM Ch. 5 §502.6.3.2: single pilot FOLLOWS on freeways/divided/4+ lanes). Max one pilot on Yellow until width exceeds 15'0" (legend Note 1). |
| Over 15'0" | 1 front escort + 1 rear escortWidth over 15'0" to 16'0" on Yellow routes: 2 pilot cars (one ahead, one behind). Note: on Green/Blue/Brown routes this width is already CHP territory and a Variance load. |
| Over 16'0" | 1 police escort · superloadWidth over 16'0" on Yellow routes = CHP escort (legend CHP table) AND a Variance permit (TPM Ch. 4 §401.2: >16'0" yellow / >15'0" green-blue-brown). Variance requests no later than 30 days before the move; CHP coordinates travel hours. |
| Height | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 14'0" | Conditions applyOver 14'0" high: permittee must verify a minimum 3" vertical clearance at every structure on the route (TPM Ch. 5 §502.1). SFOBB westbound Yerba Buena Island Tunnel: CHP escort required over 14' (TPM §502.3). Height poles are never a Caltrans requirement (TPM Appendix 19). |
| Over 17'0" | route survey · superloadHeight over 17'0" = Variance permit + a written route survey from the applicant (FAQ Q14; TPM Ch. 4 §401.1 lists required survey contents A–R). No CHP height trigger on Yellow/Green routes (CHP table: height ≥17' applies to Blue/Brown only). |
| Length | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 120'0" | 1 rear escortOverall length over 120'0" on Yellow/Green routes: 1 pilot car, following the load on multilane (TPM §502.6.3.2). |
| Over 135'0" | superload permitOverall length over 135'0" = Variance permit (FAQ Q14; TPM Ch. 2 §201 single-trip ceiling). 9-axle-with-pusher or 13-axle combinations over 135' route as variance (TPM Ch. 5 §500.2). |
| Over 185'0" | 1 police escortCHP escort when overall length exceeds 185'0" on Yellow/Green routes (legend CHP table). |
| Front overhang | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 25'0" | 1 front escortFront overhang (load or crane boom/mast) over 25'0": 1 pilot car ahead on all route colors (TPM Ch. 5 §502.6; legend). |
| Rear overhang | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 25'0" | 1 rear escortRear load projection over 25'0": 1 pilot car following on ALL routes (TPM §502.6.3.2). Fixed driven/towed-vehicle rear overhang and crane rear-boom trigger at over 30'0" (TPM §502.6). Permit ceiling: 35'0" rear overhang (TPM Ch. 2 §201). |
| Kingpin to rear axle | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 38'0" | Marking requiredKPRA over 38'0": on DASHED (kingpin-advisory) routes a pilot car is required (legend: "On dashed routes, pilot car is required when KPRA exceeds 38' 0""). Route-dependent — check the pilot car maps. |
2-lane (Blue)
| Width | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 10'0" | Travel window appliesMetro curfews for loads over 10'0" wide (TPM Ch. 5 §502.2): Los Angeles 6–9 a.m. + 3–6 p.m.; San Francisco / San Diego / Sacramento 7–9 a.m. + 4–6 p.m., Monday–Friday. BROWN (narrowest 2-lane) routes already need 1 pilot over 10'0". |
| Over 11'0" | 1 front escortWidth over 11'0" on Blue routes (2-lane, ≥11' lanes, <4' shoulders): 1 pilot car, preceding the load on 2-lane roads (TPM §502.6.3.2). GREEN 2-lane routes relax to over 12'0"; BROWN routes escalate to over 10'0" (1 pilot) / over 12'0" (2 pilots). Confirm route color. |
| Over 13'0" | 1 front escort + 1 rear escortWidth over 13'0" on Blue routes: 2 pilot cars (one ahead, one behind; legend Note 2 caps pilots at two). GREEN: 2 pilots start over 14'0"; BROWN: over 12'0". |
| Over 15'0" | 1 police escort · superloadWidth over 15'0" on Green/Blue/Brown routes = CHP escort (legend CHP table) AND a Variance permit (TPM Ch. 4 §401.2). Variance requests no later than 30 days before the move; verbal approvals are not granted. |
| Height | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 14'0" | Conditions applyOver 14'0" high: permittee must verify a minimum 3" vertical clearance at every structure on the route (TPM Ch. 5 §502.1). Height poles are never a Caltrans requirement (TPM Appendix 19). |
| 17'0" and over | 1 police escortHeight 17'0" and over on Blue/Brown routes: CHP escort (legend CHP table, ≥ threshold). |
| Over 17'0" | route survey · superloadHeight over 17'0" = Variance permit + a written route survey from the applicant (FAQ Q14; TPM Ch. 4 §401.1 contents A–R). |
| Length | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 100'0" | 1 front escortOverall length over 100'0" on Blue routes: 1 pilot car, preceding the load on 2-lane roads (TPM §502.6.3.2). BROWN routes trigger at over 85'0"; GREEN at over 120'0". Confirm route color. |
| Over 135'0" | 1 police escort · superloadOverall length over 135'0" = Variance permit (FAQ Q14) AND CHP escort on Blue/Brown routes (legend CHP table: length >135'0"). |
| Front overhang | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 25'0" | 1 front escortFront overhang (load or crane boom/mast) over 25'0": 1 pilot car ahead on all route colors (TPM Ch. 5 §502.6; legend). |
| Rear overhang | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 25'0" | 1 rear escortRear load projection over 25'0": 1 pilot car following on ALL routes (TPM §502.6.3.2 — rear-overhang pilots follow even on 2-lane). Fixed driven/towed-vehicle rear overhang and crane rear-boom trigger at over 30'0". Permit ceiling: 35'0". |
| Kingpin to rear axle | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 38'0" | Marking requiredKPRA over 38'0": on DASHED (kingpin-advisory) routes a pilot car is required (legend). Route-dependent — check the pilot car maps. |
Movement restrictions
| Restriction | In California |
|---|---|
| Night travel | Night travel allowed |
| Weekends | Not specified |
| Holidays | Restricted |
Caltrans route colors — pilot-car and CHP thresholds (single-trip legend, June 2021; verified current)
| Route color | 1 pilot — width | 2 pilots — width | CHP — width | Pilot — length | CHP — length | CHP — height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| <span class="cdot" style="--c:#D9B93F"></span><b>Yellow</b> | >12′ | >15′ | >16′ | >120′ | >185′ | — |
| <span class="cdot" style="--c:#4C9A5F"></span><b>Green</b> | >12′ | >14′ | >15′ | >120′ | >185′ | — |
| <span class="cdot" style="--c:#4C7FBF"></span><b>Blue</b> | >11′ | >13′ | >15′ | >100′ | >135′ | ≥17′ |
| <span class="cdot" style="--c:#8B6B4C"></span><b>Brown</b> | >10′ | >12′ | >15′ | >85′ | >135′ | ≥17′ |
| <span class="cdot" style="--c:#C25454"></span><b>Red</b> | <i>Operational restriction — case-by-case per the Red Route Summary Table</i> | |||||
| <b>Dashed</b> (any color) | <i>KPRA advisory — pilot car when kingpin-to-rear-axle exceeds 38′</i> |
Movement hours (Caltrans TPM Ch. 5 §502 rev 6/25/2024, verified 2026-07-06)
| Load | Window |
|---|---|
| Unescorted permit loads | 24/7 on all route colors unless the permit face says otherwise (§502.4) |
| Escorted — Yellow routes | 24/7 up to 16′ wide (CHP sets hours beyond) |
| Escorted — Green routes | daylight incl. weekends up to 15′ wide; darkness only up to 14′ |
| Escorted — Blue/Brown routes | daylight weekdays up to 15′; NO darkness travel; weekends only sunrise−30 min → noon |
| Metro curfews (>10′ wide) | LA 6–9 a.m./3–6 p.m.; SF, SD, Sacramento 7–9 a.m./4–6 p.m., Mon–Fri |
| 7 holidays (escorted loads ONLY) | 4 p.m.–midnight the day before + noon–midnight on the holiday; Mon/Fri holidays extend over the weekend (New Year's, Presidents, Memorial, Independence, Labor, Thanksgiving, Christmas) |
Where these permits come from
If you file yourself, this is the office you are dealing with. Check the linked page — some states issue OS/OW permits through their highway patrol or revenue department rather than the DOT.
| California permit office | |
|---|---|
| Permit office | (916) 322-1297 |
| [email protected] | |
| Permit portal | ctps.dot.ca.gov (CTPS, formerly STARS2) |
| Information | Official page |
CVC §§35100/35250/35400/35401/35401.5/35406/35410/35411/35550/35551/35551.5/35559/35795 (leginfo verbatim, fetched 20… · dot.ca.gov · in effect since 2026-07-06 · source read 2026-07-06. Fees and rules change; the linked document is always the authority.