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Maryland Oversize and Overweight Hauling Permits

Maryland Oversize and Overweight Hauling Permits

Maryland One permits, SHA's round-the-clock authorization, escort and police triggers, MDTA toll facilities and the Baltimore harbor crossings

Quick answer

What does a Maryland oversize permit cost, and where can the load go?

MDOT SHA's Hauling Permits Unit in Hanover issues permits in Maryland One, where about 90% of applications auto-issue. A single trip costs $30 up to 90,000 lb plus $5 per ton above that, and MDTA adds $25 for any of its toll facilities. SHA authorizes routine loads up to 225,000 lb and 139 ft to move 24/7, while the Key Bridge stays closed.

Updated October 2026 by the HTS Logistics broker team (FMCSA MC# 1178470).

Checked October 2026; the issued permit controls

Maryland's regulation and its permit office describe two different clocks. COMAR 11.04.02.06 still limits permitted moves to 1/2 hour after sunrise until 1/2 hour before sunset, with nothing after noon Saturday or on Sunday, but it lets the permit set other hours, and SHA uses that: its Overdimensional Permit Limitations page and the Maryland One bulletin authorize loads up to 225,000 lb and 139 ft long to move 24/7. For routine loads that puts Maryland closer to Kentucky's round-the-clock rule than to Virginia's daylight one, two neighbors you can compare in our oversize permits by state guide.

Baltimore harbor is the constraint. The Francis Scott Key Bridge (I-695) has been closed since a ship strike brought it down on March 26, 2024, and MDTA's rebuild site gives no opening date, which leaves the Harbor Tunnel (I-895), closed to every OS/OW vehicle, and the Fort McHenry Tunnel (I-95), capped at 11 ft wide and 14 ft 6 in high. For moves that touch the harbor, HTS Logistics, licensed as a broker under MC 1178470, lines up the carrier, orders the Maryland One permit on a route that avoids all three crossings, and schedules the private and police escorts it lists; that planning is most of what heavy haul transport around Baltimore involves.

When Maryland requires a permit and how to get one

MDOT SHA's Motor Carrier Division issues permits in Maryland One, and the Maryland One bulletin raised the auto-issue ceiling from 200,000 lb and 120 ft to 225,000 lb and 139 ft. A single trip runs one way, with an empty return allowed, and may be extended once for 5 days at $5. SHA permits cover only State-maintained highways: county and municipal roads need their own approval, Baltimore City issues its own permits (443-984-2195), and Frederick County asks for notice at [email protected] 3 to 5 business days ahead (COMAR 11.04.02.04; Maryland One bulletin, May 13, 2026).

Bigger loads need lead time: 2 working days for excessive size (16 ft or more high or wide, or 100 ft or more long), 10 business days for excessive weight (over 60 tons, 120,000 lb) and 30 business days for massive weight (over 250 tons, 500,000 lb). No permit allows more than 27,000 lb on an axle except after a bridge review for loads that cannot be reduced, anything over 150,000 lb requires an engineering structural review, and overweight permits go only to vehicles with 5 or more axles registered for their state's maximum gross, or to special mobile equipment (COMAR 11.04.01.09C, 11.04.03.02).

Permit office

Issuing office
MDOT SHA Motor Carrier Division, Hauling Permits Unit
Address
7491 Connelley Drive, Hanover, MD 21076
Phone
(410) 582-5723 or (410) 582-5727; motor carrier questions 1-800-543-4564; after-hours emergency moves (410) 582-5650
Hours
Not published on SHA's current pages
Roads covered
State-maintained highways; SHA collects MDTA's toll facility fee on the same permit, while county, municipal and Baltimore City roads need local approval

Fees

MDOT SHA hauling permit fees (Md. Code, Transp. 24-112; COMAR 11.04.01.08; SHA fee schedule)
Permit or chargeFee
Single trip, oversize only At least $30
Single trip, overweight $30 for the first 45 tons (90,000 lb), then $5 per ton or part of a ton: $35 at 92,000 lb, $180 at 150,000 lb
Extension, once, for 5 days $5
Book of 10 single-trip permits, valid 2 years $300
Blanket hauling permit $50 for 30 days; $500 per year
Engineering structural review, over 60 tons $8 per structure analyzed, or $20 per structure ($12 for repeat moves) when SHA bridge engineers escort; charged even if no permit issues
SHA monitoring, when a district engineer requires it $200 per day
MDTA toll facility use $25 per permit, plus an MDTA engineering fee for superloads
Containerized cargo permit (Port of Baltimore, 90,000 lb) No charge
Heavy Weight Port Corridor permit $500 per truck tractor per year, nonrefundable

COMAR 11.04.01.08C(1) starts the $5 per ton above 40 tons rather than 45; the statute and SHA's fee schedule use 45 tons, so we price from the schedule and check the figure Maryland One shows. Maryland State Police escort fees follow a schedule based on actual cost that SHA does not publish.

Local police escort charges listed by SHA (Route Restrictions, Sept 15, 2026)
LocationCharge
Conowingo Dam $40
MD-4 Patuxent River bridge (four escorts) $160
Ocean City $50

The schedule is linear: a 150,000 lb load is 75 tons, 30 past the first 45, so $30 plus 30 × $5 comes to $180, plus $25 if the route uses an MDTA facility. Payment is by certified check, money order, approved credit card, or billing against an approved credit bond or escrow account; no cash (COMAR 11.04.01.08K).

Escort and pilot car rules in Maryland

Maryland's escort rules are in COMAR 11.04.04, and police join the move at two points: 16 ft wide, or over 75 tons gross. We found no escort-driver certification or training requirement in COMAR 11.04.04 or on SHA's hauling pages, but a crew continuing into Virginia needs one, so compare the pilot car requirements in each state before booking escorts for a multi-state move.

Maryland escort triggers (COMAR 11.04.04; SHA Route Restrictions)
LoadEscort requirement
Over 13 ft wide (manufactured housing from 14 ft) 1 private escort on any highway (.03A(1))
14 ft wide or more 2 private escorts, one ahead and one behind, and travel only 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (.03B(1); 11.04.02.06B(3))
16 ft wide or more, or over 75 tons gross Police escort in addition to the private escorts (.06B); SHA's page words the weight trigger as 75 tons or more
65 to 75 tons, traffic stopped or diverted, or two lanes occupied Police escort at SHA's discretion (.06C)
Over 60 tons gross 1 private escort (.03A(4))
Over 85 ft long; 140 ft or more 1 private escort, behind; 2 escorts (.03A(2), B(2))
Height of 14 ft 6 in or more Pole (height-sensing) escort ahead, plus a height clearance route survey certification with the application (.03A(3))
Construction equipment over 12 ft wide off the Interstate 1 private escort (.03A(5))
Prince George's and Montgomery counties, over 12 ft wide on two-lane undivided highways Front and rear escorts; no permit loads at all on MacArthur Blvd

The Maryland State Police barrack in the county where the trip starts schedules the police escort; Baltimore City Police and MDTA Police escorts are arranged separately when the permit calls for them.

Each escort serves one permit vehicle and runs no more than 300 ft ahead or behind; a single escort follows on roads with 2 or more lanes each way and leads on two-lane roads, escorted loads stay 1 mile apart, and the move pulls off when more than 6 vehicles back up behind it (COMAR 11.04.04.02, .04D, .05). The escort carries a two-way radio, a yellow rotating roof light at least 3 in across and a sign reading WIDE LOAD or OVERSIZE LOAD, 5 ft wide by 12 in high or larger, with 8 in letters.

Travel times, curfews and holidays

SHA's permits, not the regulation's default, set most Maryland schedules. COMAR 11.04.02.06 allows movement from 1/2 hour after sunrise to 1/2 hour before sunset and never after noon Saturday or on Sunday, unless the permit sets other dates and hours (.06B(4)), and SHA's operating documents authorize routine loads around the clock.

  • 24/7 authorization: SHA's Overdimensional Permit Limitations page allows loads up to 225,000 lb gross, 13 ft 11 in wide, 14 ft 6 in high and 139 ft long to move 24/7; the Maryland One bulletin gives the same weight, height and length with 14 ft of width, 'with authorization and escorts when required'. COMAR still holds loads 14 ft or wider to 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m., so a load at exactly 14 ft is read from the permit face.
  • Beltways: on the Capital Beltway (I-495/I-95) and the Baltimore Beltway (I-695), loads over 45 tons, 100 ft or longer, or 12 ft or wider move only 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (11.04.02.06B(2)), and self-propelled equipment that cannot hold 40 mph stays off both 7–9 a.m. and 4–6 p.m.
  • Superloads over 150,000 lb: day moves 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. and night moves 8:00 p.m.–6:00 a.m. (SHA Overdimensional Permit Limitations).
  • Intercounty Connector (MD 200): no loads over 12 ft wide, 16 ft high, 85 ft long or 80,000 lb; right lane only at 40 mph or more, weekdays 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. on SHA's ICC sheet (3:30 p.m. on its Route Restrictions list), and weekends only for Continuous Travel Authorization permits from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (11:30 p.m. on the list).
  • Weather: permits are not valid in poor visibility, on roads made hazardous by rain, sleet, snow or ice, or in fog, flood or wind, and not at all while a snow emergency plan is in effect (COMAR 11.04.02.03I; SHA General Conditions, 06/11/2025).
  • Frost: COMAR 11.04 and SHA's hauling pages contain no seasonal frost or thaw program; the posted bridges and roads on SHA's Route Restrictions list, such as the MD-17 Potomac River bridge at 40 tons, apply year-round.
MDOT 2026 holiday hauling restrictions (2026 Holiday Hauling Permit Restrictions sheet)
HolidayNo moves
New Year's Day Noon Wed Dec 31, 2025 until 9:00 AM Fri Jan 2
Memorial Day Noon Fri May 22 until 9:00 AM Tue May 26
Independence Day Noon Thu Jul 2 until 9:00 AM Mon Jul 6
Labor Day Noon Fri Sep 4 until 9:00 AM Tue Sep 8
Thanksgiving Noon Wed Nov 25 until 9:00 AM Mon Nov 30
Christmas Noon Thu Dec 24 until 9:00 AM Mon Dec 28
New Year's Day 2027 Noon Thu Dec 31, 2026 until 9:00 AM Mon Jan 4, 2027

The permit office closes but travel is not restricted on MLK Day, Presidents Day, Juneteenth, Columbus Day, Election Day, Veterans Day and American Heritage Day (Nov 27). SHA's Overdimensional Permit Limitations page also lists Good Friday as a no-travel day and the 2026 sheet does not, so a Good Friday move needs the permit's explicit authorization. Containerized cargo permits have their own windows, such as 9:00 p.m. Fri May 22 to 4:00 a.m. Tue May 26.

What catches carriers in Maryland

Signs from 9 ft wide, whatever the plate

Maryland's sign trigger sits above the 8 ft 6 in legal width: a vehicle and load over 9 ft wide carries WIDE LOAD or OVERSIZE LOAD signs front and rear, 7 ft by 18 in, with black letters at least 10 in high and a 1 5/8 in stroke on yellow, covering no lamp, and the rule applies to every permit vehicle regardless of its home state. A load between 8 ft 6 in and 9 ft needs the permit and 18 in red or orange fluorescent flags but no sign, and at night it shows amber lights on its front corners and red on its rear. Our page on how other states size oversize load signs compares the triggers.

COMAR 11.04.02.03D, J, K; 11.04.04.01

Attachments over 12 ft come off

Buckets, blades and other attachments that make a load more than 12 ft wide are removed and hauled separately, so a second trailer goes into the plan before quoting excavator transport or a dozer move in Maryland.

COMAR 11.04.02.01-1J(1)(a)

5,000 lb over voids the permit

Breaking a permit's size, weight or route conditions voids it, and more than 5,000 lb over the permitted weight puts the load under all normal limits. Permit loads keep 1/2 mile apart (1 mile when escorted), may leave the route no more than 1 mile for food, fuel, rest or repairs, and repeat violations bring 30, 90 or 120 day suspensions.

COMAR 11.04.02.01-1, .03; 11.04.01.10

Speed margins for heavy loads

Loads over 45 tons stay at least 10 mph under the posted limit, and a load running 20 mph under it turns on its flashing hazard lamps: 11.04.04.04B(3) says shall on escorted moves, while 11.04.02.03F says may. Statutory fines for permit violations run up to $1,000, $2,000 and $3,000 for first, second and third offenses (Transp. 24-112(f)).

COMAR 11.04 superload conditions; 11.04.02.03F; 11.04.04.04B(3); Md. Code, Transp. 24-112(f)

Key Bridge, harbor tunnels, MDTA toll facilities and the Port of Baltimore

Every major water crossing around Baltimore belongs to the Maryland Transportation Authority, and since March 26, 2024 one of the three harbor crossings has been gone.

Francis Scott Key Bridge (I-695)

The bridge collapsed after a ship strike on March 26, 2024 and remains closed. MDTA lists the I-695 Outer Loop closed at MD 173 (Exit 1) and the Inner Loop at MD 157 (Exit 43), and SHA says any permit using that route must be rerouted through Maryland One. MDTA's rebuild site lists fall 2026 milestones, with the trestle near completion and permanent foundation piles continuing, but publishes no reopening date. Nearby, I-695 between Exit 1 and Exit 2 (MD 10) has taken no permit loads over 10 ft 6 in wide since Aug 16, 2026.

Baltimore Harbor Tunnel (I-895)

Any OS/OW vehicle, and anything over 96 in wide or 13 ft 6 in high, is barred from the tunnel and its approaches (COMAR 11.04.02.05B). Vehicles 96 to 102 in wide may use I-895 only southbound from the Child Street ramp or northbound exiting at Child Street, the latter by SHA permit at MDTA's discretion (11.07.02.04). COMAR 11.04.11.04 still lists I-895 routes for containerized cargo permits, which the 2008 SHA manual treated as an exception to the ban.

Fort McHenry Tunnel (I-95)

COMAR bars loads over 14 ft 6 in high or 11 ft wide unless the Tunnel Administrator gives written permission for width (11.04.02.05C); SHA's current list goes further, with no moves over 11 ft wide, 14 ft 6 in high, 85 ft long or 55 tons. Both harbor tunnels also ban most hazardous materials (COMAR 11.07.01), so a load over either set of limits crosses the region on the route Maryland One assigns.

MDTA toll facilities

On the two harbor tunnels, the JFK Memorial Highway (I-95), the Hatem Bridge (US 40), the Nice/Middleton Bridge (US 301), the Bay Bridge (US 50/301) and the ICC, SHA issues the permit and collects MDTA's $25 fee. Movement is daylight only, from 9 a.m. Monday to noon Friday, unless MDTA approves otherwise; the carrier notifies the facility at least 1 hour ahead; and MDTA Police, at (410) 537-7911 for the bridges and tunnels, may require an escort or delay or bar a move (COMAR 11.04.02.05).

Bay Bridge, Nice/Middleton and Hatem bridges

The Bay Bridge takes loads up to 60 tons, 15 ft wide, 110 ft long and 15 ft 4 in high when two-way operation is off, with a police escort over 10 ft wide; during two-way operation the width limit drops to 13 ft and wider loads wait. The Nice/Middleton Bridge allows 16 ft 9 in of height in the right lane, and loads 11 ft or wider cross only 8:00–8:30 a.m. or 3:30–4:00 p.m. Monday–Thursday and 8:00–8:30 a.m. Friday. The Hatem Bridge takes nothing over 10 ft wide during painting and maintenance, and caps loads at 14 ft 1 in high and/or 120,000 lb (SHA Route Restrictions, Sept 15, 2026).

Port of Baltimore container permits

A free one-year containerized cargo permit covers one sealed international container on 5 or more axles up to 90,000 lb gross (80,000 lb when a 20 ft box rides a 20 ft chassis), with 24-hour travel between Dundalk, South Locust Point, the CSX intermodal ramp and the Pennsylvania and Delaware lines (COMAR 11.04.11). The $500 Heavy Weight Port Corridor permit allows 100,000 lb on a 6-axle tractor and intermodal chassis from Seagirt Marine Terminal to Tradepoint Atlantic, the Belts examination station and Ace Logistics, on routes amended July 21, 2025 that still run through the Key Bridge toll plaza loop road (COMAR 11.04.17). Loads over 120,000 lb and 14 ft 6 in high bound for Dundalk Marine Terminal move only at night, with a Baltimore City Police escort and a city permit.

Crossing into a neighboring state

  • North into Pennsylvania on I-83, I-81 or I-70: most PennDOT permits move sunrise to sunset, and a PennDOT permit is not valid on the PA Turnpike, which issues its own permit priced at $37 plus 24 cents a ton-mile above 80,000 lb. Our page on Pennsylvania permits and the Turnpike has the urbanized-area hours.
  • South into Virginia across the Potomac: Virginia's side of the Capital Beltway bars over-width and over-length travel 7–9 a.m. and 4–6 p.m. on weekdays, and every escort driver needs a Virginia or North Carolina certificate, which a crew certified nowhere lacks. See the Virginia oversize permit guide.
  • West into West Virginia on I-68 or I-81: WVDOH moves oversize loads sunrise to sunset only, anything wider than 14 ft is a weekday-only move, and over 16 ft the only window is Sunday before noon, so a load moving overnight in Maryland stops at the line until sunrise. See West Virginia oversize permits.

Maryland oversize permit questions

Is the Key Bridge open to oversize loads?

No. The Francis Scott Key Bridge (I-695) collapsed after a ship strike on March 26, 2024, and as of October 2026 it remains closed, with the Outer Loop closed at MD 173 (Exit 1) and the Inner Loop at MD 157 (Exit 43). SHA says permits using that route must be rerouted through Maryland One. MDTA's rebuild site lists fall 2026 construction milestones but no reopening date.

Can oversize loads use the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel or the Fort McHenry Tunnel?

The Harbor Tunnel (I-895) bars every OS/OW vehicle and anything over 8 ft wide or 13 ft 6 in high (COMAR 11.04.02.05B). The Fort McHenry Tunnel (I-95) takes loads up to 11 ft wide and 14 ft 6 in high, with wider loads only by the Tunnel Administrator's written permission, and SHA's current list adds 85 ft long and 55 tons. Larger loads route around the harbor.

How is a Maryland hauling permit priced by weight?

A single trip costs at least $30. Overweight permits are $30 for the first 45 tons (90,000 lb) and $5 for each additional ton under Transp. 24-112(b), so 150,000 lb pays $180; COMAR starts the $5 charge at 40 tons. Blankets are $50 for 30 days or $500 a year, structure reviews over 60 tons cost $8 per structure, and MDTA adds $25 per permit.

Can oversize loads move at night or on weekends in Maryland?

Often, yes. COMAR 11.04.02.06 defaults to daylight with nothing after noon Saturday or on Sunday, but the permit may set other hours, and SHA authorizes loads up to 225,000 lb, 14 ft 6 in high and 139 ft long to move 24/7. Loads 14 ft or wider are still held to 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and MDTA toll facilities run 9 a.m. Monday to noon Friday.

When does Maryland require a police escort?

At 16 ft wide or more, or over 75 tons gross, a police escort joins the private escorts (COMAR 11.04.04.06B). SHA may also require one from 65 to 75 tons, when traffic must be stopped or diverted, or when the move takes two lanes. The Maryland State Police barrack in the starting county schedules it, and MDTA or Baltimore City Police escorts are arranged separately.

What is MDTA's $25 permit fee?

The Maryland Transportation Authority charges $25 per permit for use of any Authority roadway, in effect since May 1, 2009, plus an engineering fee for superloads. SHA collects it on the same Maryland One permit. The facilities include the Harbor and Fort McHenry tunnels, the JFK Memorial Highway, the Hatem, Nice/Middleton and Bay bridges and the ICC, where movement runs 9 a.m. Monday to noon Friday.

How do I apply for a Maryland hauling permit?

Apply in Maryland One at marylandone.gotpermits.com, where about 90% of applications auto-issue. The Hauling Permits Unit in Hanover answers at (410) 582-5723 or (410) 582-5727 and [email protected], and after-hours emergency moves go to the Statewide Operations Center at (410) 582-5650. Loads over 60 tons need 10 business days, and over 250 tons 30.

Sources

Facts on this page were checked in October 2026 against the sources below. Rules and rates change; we confirm current requirements on every move.

  1. eCFR 23 CFR Part 658: Truck Size and Weight (federal baseline)
  2. MDOT SHA Hauling Permits page
  3. MDOT SHA Overdimensional Permit Limitations
  4. MDOT SHA Commercial Vehicle Operations
  5. Maryland One permit portal and bulletin
  6. SHA Maryland Route Restrictions (updated 9/15/2026)
  7. MDOT 2026 Holiday Hauling Permit Restrictions
  8. SHA permit fee schedule
  9. SHA and Baltimore City General Conditions for Hauling Permits (06/11/2025)
  10. SHA MD 200 ICC load information
  11. Maryland State Police barracks escort contacts
  12. SHA Frequently Requested Numbers (updated 2/13/2024)
  13. SHA Maryland Motor Carrier Handbook (53 ft semitrailer conditions)
  14. SHA Oversize/Overweight Hauling Permit Manual (2008, historical)
  15. COMAR 11.04.01 Permits for Oversize and Overweight Vehicles
  16. COMAR 11.04.02 General Conditions for Movement of Oversize and Overweight Vehicles
  17. COMAR 11.04.03 Specific Conditions (excessive and massive weight, bonds)
  18. COMAR 11.04.04 Escort Vehicles, Signing, and Lighting
  19. COMAR 11.04.11 Containerized Cargo permits
  20. COMAR 11.04.17 Heavy Weight Port Corridor Permit (amended July 21, 2025)
  21. COMAR 11.07.02 MDTA Vehicle Size and Width Restrictions (I-895)
  22. COMAR 11.07.01 MDTA Transportation of Hazardous Materials (tunnels)
  23. COMAR Title 11, official XML from the Division of State Documents (Oct 13, 2026)
  24. Md. Code, Transp. 24-102 width
  25. Md. Code, Transp. 24-104 height
  26. Md. Code, Transp. 24-104.1 length
  27. Md. Code, Transp. 24-105 load extensions
  28. Md. Code, Transp. 24-108 axle weight
  29. Md. Code, Transp. 24-109 gross weight and bridge formula
  30. Md. Code, Transp. 24-112 permits and fees
  31. Md. Code, Transp. 24-113.1 containerized cargo
  32. Md. Code, Transp. 24-113.3 Heavy Weight Port Corridor
  33. MDTA Tunnel Restrictions and Vehicle Permits
  34. MDTA Harbor Crossings
  35. MDTA Fort McHenry Tunnel facility page
  36. MDTA Baltimore Harbor Tunnel facility page
  37. MDTA Key Bridge Rebuild site

Routing an oversize load around Baltimore?

With the Key Bridge closed and both harbor tunnels limited, the route matters more than the fee in Maryland. Give us the load's dimensions and weight with the pickup and delivery addresses, and we will check each crossing, order the Maryland One permit and book the escorts it lists.

  • FMCSA-licensed property broker, MC# 1178470
  • Permits, escorts and route surveys arranged for each move
  • Carriers checked for authority, insurance and safety record
  • Commercial shippers, dealers, contractors and auction buyers

Prefer to talk? Call (631) 683-8275.

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