Wisconsin Oversize & Overweight Permits

When Wisconsin needs a permit

Wisconsin lets a load up to 12' wide, 13'6" high and 100' long run around the clock, with one catch: no moving Sundays 4:00-11:00 p.m. (Wis. Stat. ch. 348). Over 8'6" wide or 80,000 lb, buy a Wisconsin DMV permit. One pilot car at 15' wide, two past 16'. Cross 16' wide or 150,000 lb and it's a superload with engineering review. Single-trip fees start near $15.

Thresholds, escorts, and curfews

• Legal max before a permit: Permit needed over 8'6" wide, 13'6" high, 80,000 lb gross, or the legal length limits (about 75' overall combination). Under all of those and you run on normal authority; over any one, buy a Wisconsin DMV OS/OW permit first.
• Escort / pilot car: One front escort for width 15' up to 16' (or one rear escort on divided highways). Front and rear escorts over 16' wide. Height near and above 13'6" can pull a height pole. Length and height escorts are set on the permit. Superloads add WisDOT coordination and possible law-enforcement involvement.
• Superload: Superload over 16' wide or 150,000 lb gross. That triggers WisDOT engineering review, bridge checks and possible law-enforcement coordination, with added lead time on top of the ordinary permit desk.
• Travel curfew: Loads within 12' wide, 13'6" high and 100' long can run 24/7, with two catches: no movement Sundays 4:00-11:00 p.m. year-round, and daily 4:00-11:00 p.m. from the fourth Sunday in May through Labor Day. Bigger loads are daylight only, no weekend moves. No-move on the major holidays. Overweight-only loads can usually run weekends and holidays unless the permit says otherwise. Milwaukee metro has peak-hour limits.
• Permit fee: Single-trip permits start around $15. Overweight adds a charge that climbs with each thousand pounds over legal weight, so a superload at 150,000 lb and up costs the most. Annual and consecutive-month permits scale higher. Check the WisDOT fee schedule for the exact amount on your load.

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