Rhode Island Oversize & Overweight Permits

When Rhode Island needs a permit

Cross 8'6" wide, 13'6" high, or 80,000 lb and the RI DMV permits under 290-RICR-40-00-1, the rules RIGL §31-25-21 authorizes. It's cheap: $20 a trip, $100 blanket for intrastate runs. Daylight only, but compact loads (under 12' wide, 99' long, 150,000 lb) can run any day and hour. Cranes and wide loads on I-195 and I-95 get boxed into sunrise-7 a.m. and 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. One escort at 12' wide, two over 14'6".

Thresholds, escorts, and curfews

• Legal max before a permit: No permit up to 8'6" wide, 13'6" high, 80,000 lb, and within legal length. Over any one of those and the RI DMV issues an over-limit permit before you roll.
• Escort / pilot car: Width: none under 12'; one escort from 12' to 14'6"; two over 14'6". Length: none under 80'; one from 80' to 90'; two over 90'. Overhang of 15' or more needs one escort. Escort is a compact car or larger with two-way radio contact. Superloads may need more plus State Police.
• Superload: Roughly over 16' wide, 16' high, 150' long, or over 250,000 lb. Expect special routing, extra permits, and added escort vehicles.
• Travel curfew: Daylight only, 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, Monday through Friday (290-RICR-40-00-1 s1.5.7 and s1.5.8). No permit travel is authorized on Saturday or Sunday, and nothing moves from sunset Friday to sunrise Monday. The one night exception is an envelope vehicle that is overweight only and can hold traffic flow speed. Cranes and wide construction or mobile-home loads on I-195 and on I-95 from the MA line to Route 37 are boxed into sunrise to 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eleven holidays close the road, including Martin Luther King Day, Victory Day, Columbus Day, Election Day in even years and Veterans Day, with travel allowed to noon the day before a weekday holiday.
• Permit fee: $20 single-trip for a non-divisible load; $100 blanket for intrastate moves in lieu of paying per-trip fees.

More for Rhode Island