An Indiana oversize permit is required any time a vehicle or load exceeds 8 feet 6 inches wide, 13 feet 6 inches tall, 53 feet long for a semi-tractor and semi-trailer combination, or 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight on state-maintained roads and interstates. The Indiana Department of Revenue’s Motor Carrier Services division issues these permits through an online system, and exceeding any single threshold triggers the requirement even if every other measurement is legal.1Indiana Department of Revenue. Oversize/Overweight (OSOW)
When a Permit Is Required
A vehicle can travel Indiana roads without an oversize or overweight permit only if it stays within all of these limits:
- Width: 8 feet 6 inches
- Height: 13 feet 6 inches
- Length: 53 feet for a semi-tractor and semi-trailer combination
- Gross vehicle weight: 80,000 pounds across all axles
Two-vehicle combinations totaling 60 feet or more are not eligible for oversize permits at all, unless the rig is registered as a tractor-trailer or includes a fifth-wheel travel trailer. The width ceiling comes from Indiana Code 9-20-3-2, which carves out narrow exceptions for federally approved width-exclusive devices like mirrors and load securement hardware.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-20-3-2 – Maximum Width Limitations; Exemptions
Axle Weights and the Bridge Formula
Staying under 80,000 pounds gross is not enough on its own. Indiana enforces per-axle limits that mirror federal standards: 20,000 pounds maximum on a single axle, 34,000 pounds on a tandem axle group, and 800 pounds per inch of tire width at any individual wheel.
For any group of two or more consecutive axles, Indiana uses the Federal Bridge Formula:3Federal Highway Administration. Bridge Formula Weights
W = 500 × [(L × N) / (N − 1) + 12N + 36]
W is the maximum gross weight rounded to the nearest 500 pounds, L is the distance in feet between the outermost axles in the group, and N is the number of axles. Spreading axles farther apart lets you carry more weight across that group, but no configuration pushes a non-permitted rig past 80,000 pounds gross.
Permit Types and Fees
Oversize-Only Permits
If the load exceeds dimensional limits but stays at or below 80,000 pounds, you need an oversize-only permit. Fees scale with how far you’re over:
- Up to 95 feet long, 12 feet 4 inches wide, or over 13 feet 6 inches tall: $20 single trip, $100 quarterly, $405 annually
- 95 to 110 feet long, 12 feet 4 inches to 16 feet wide, or up to 15 feet tall: $30 single trip, $100 quarterly, $405 annually
- Over 110 feet long, over 16 feet wide, or over 15 feet tall: $40 single trip, $100 quarterly, $405 annually
Overweight Permits
Overweight permits carry a $20 base fee plus a per-mile surcharge:
- 80,001 to 108,000 pounds: $20 plus $0.35 per mile
- 108,001 to 150,000 pounds: $20 plus $0.60 per mile
- 150,001 to 200,000 pounds: $20 plus $1.00 per mile
- Over 200,000 pounds: $20 plus $1.00 per mile, with mandatory bridge review
Bridge review adds a $35 base fee. For loads above 134,000 pounds, there is an added $10 charge per bridge crossed on the route, capped at $200 per trip or $400 round trip. When a load is both oversize and overweight, the carrier pays the higher of the two permit fees, not both.4Indiana Department of Revenue. Overweight Permit Fees
Super-Load Permits
Loads over 200,000 pounds gross, over 16 feet wide, or over 15 feet tall receive the most scrutiny. These shipments require individual bridge analysis along the proposed route and may need an Indiana State Police escort rather than private pilot cars. Processing takes longer because every bridge is evaluated for structural capacity.
What You Need to Apply
Before starting an application, gather:
- Vehicle Identification Number, license plate number, and axle spacing measurements for the hauling unit
- Exact width, height, length, and weight of the specific load
- A commodity description, since some commodities qualify for special permit categories
- A route plan with precise entry and exit points and every road segment the vehicle will travel
- Proof of liability insurance meeting the minimums in Indiana’s M-204 General Provisions
Measure the load under realistic conditions. Equipment that shifts during transport can push you past the permitted dimensions and into violation territory. The system checks each bridge and overpass on your path against the load’s weight and height, so route accuracy matters.
Applications go through the Motor Carrier Services online permitting system. You upload documentation, enter route details, and pay by credit card or electronic check. Standard oversize permits often come back within a few hours to two business days. Overweight permits requiring bridge analysis take longer. The approved permit arrives as a PDF, and the driver must carry it, printed or digital, for the entire trip.
Signs, Flags, Lights, and Escorts
Every oversized load must display warning equipment:
- An “OVER-SIZE LOAD” sign on both the front and rear, at least 18 inches tall and 6 to 8 feet long, with 12-inch black letters on a yellow background
- Two red or orange flags, each 18 inches square, at the widest points of the vehicle or load
- Amber flashing lights during periods of low visibility
Escort vehicles become mandatory when a load exceeds 12 feet 4 inches wide, 110 feet long, or 14 feet 6 inches tall. Pilot cars travel ahead of or behind the load to warn oncoming traffic and alert the driver to overhead obstructions.5Indiana Department of Revenue. General Provisions of an Oversize/Overweight Vehicle Permit M-204
When You Can Move the Load
Travel windows tighten as loads get larger:
- Up to 110 feet long, 10 feet wide, 13 feet 6 inches tall, and under 200,000 pounds: continuous travel, seven days a week
- Over 110 feet long, 10 to 14 feet 4 inches wide, or up to 15 feet tall: seven days a week, half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset
- 14 feet 4 inches to 16 feet wide: Monday through Friday only, sunrise to sunset
- Over 16 feet wide, over 15 feet tall, or over 200,000 pounds: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Most permitted vehicles also face holiday blackouts. Travel is prohibited from noon on the last weekday before New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas until half an hour before sunrise the day after the holiday. Overweight Commodity and Bulk Milk permits are exempt.
Weather restrictions also apply. Permitted oversized vehicles cannot travel during hazardous weather or poor road conditions, when visibility drops below 500 feet, or when wind speed exceeds 25 miles per hour. Moving in those conditions carries the same enforcement weight as moving without a permit at all.
Penalties for Violations
Indiana treats a bad permit and no permit very differently.
Violating Permit Conditions
When a carrier has a valid permit but breaks its terms, such as wrong route, restricted-hour travel, or missing safety equipment, penalties escalate:
- First violation: warning letter
- Second violation: $1,000 civil penalty
- Third and subsequent: $1,500
More serious permit condition violations run on a steeper track: warning, then $2,500, then $5,000 for each additional offense. The count resets if a carrier goes 365 consecutive days without a violation.6Indiana General Assembly. 45 IAC 22 – Civil Penalties; Oversize-Overweight Carrier Violations
Hauling With No Permit
When a load exceeds legal limits and no permit was obtained, penalties are assessed per Indiana State Police inspection report:
- Exceeding dimensional limits: $500 per violation
- Overweight by 1,000 to 4,999 pounds: $500
- Overweight by 5,000 to 9,999 pounds: $1,000
- Overweight by 10,000 pounds or more: $5,000
A single inspection can generate multiple penalties if the load is both oversize and overweight or exceeds limits on more than one axle group. Aggravating factors can push the penalty to the statutory maximum regardless of where the carrier sits in the normal escalation sequence.7Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 9-20-18-14.5 – Civil Penalties