New Jersey Oversize Permits
NJDOT SUPERLOAD permits, escort triggers, holiday eves and the toll roads that need their own approval
Quick answer
Who issues oversize permits in New Jersey?
NJDOT's Superload/OS-OW permit office issues them for the Motor Vehicle Commission through its SUPERLOAD system (NJPASS), under N.J.A.C. 13:18. Those permits cover state routes only. The NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway need NJ Turnpike Authority approval, the Atlantic City Expressway needs its own SJTA permit, and Port Authority, DRPA and DRJTBC crossings set their own rules.
Updated October 2026 by the HTS Logistics broker team (FMCSA MC# 1178470).
Checked October 2026; the issued permit controls
New Jersey's escort trigger, over 14 ft wide, sits two feet above New York's in our oversize permits by state table, and its single-trip fee starts at $10. The route is what adds work: an NJDOT permit stops at the edge of every toll road and authority bridge, and each of those owners has its own approval, permit or police escort.
HTS Logistics is a licensed property broker (MC 1178470), not a carrier. On heavy haul loads through New Jersey we book the carrier, order the SUPERLOAD permit and the toll-road approvals, and line up the private escorts the permit calls for. NJDOT's FAQ puts bridge-engineer review at 12 to 48 business hours and office review at up to 3 business days.
Legal limits in New Jersey
New Jersey's limits come from N.J.S.A. 39:3-84. Two differ from the federal baseline: the single axle carries 22,400 lb instead of 20,000 lb, and width drops to 96 in (8 ft) on roads that are not National Network or NJ Access routes.
| Limit | New Jersey | Federal baseline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 8 ft 6 in | 8 ft 6 in (102 in) on the National Network | 102 in on National Network and NJ Access routes; 96 in elsewhere (39:3-84a(1)) |
| Height | 13 ft 6 in | No federal limit | Includes the load (39:3-84a(2)) |
| Semitrailer length | 53 ft | States must allow at least 48 ft | 53 ft on network and access routes, with a kingpin-to-rear-axle distance of 41 ft or less on trailers over 48 ft; 48 ft on other routes; no overall tractor-semitrailer limit |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lb | 80,000 lb | The federal bridge-formula table applies on the Interstate (39:3-84b) |
| Single axle | 22,400 lb | 20,000 lb | Axles less than 40 in apart count as one axle |
| Tandem axle | 34,000 lb | 34,000 lb | Axles 40 to 96 in apart |
Federal baseline: 23 CFR Part 658, eCFR as of 2026-10-14
When New Jersey requires a permit and how to get one
A non-divisible load past any of those limits needs an NJDOT permit before it moves on a state route. Each single-trip permit is good for one one-way trip within 5 days.
Applications for loads over 16 ft wide or over 14 ft 6 in high must have a route survey attached (NJDOT SUPERLOAD bulletin). For the steps behind a permit that crosses several states, read how oversize permits work.
Permit office
- Issuing office
- NJDOT Superload/OS-OW Permit Office (issuing for the NJ MVC)
- Permit system
- SUPERLOAD (NJPASS)
- Phone
- (609) 963-2085
- [email protected]
- Roads covered
- State routes only; county, local and toll roads are permitted by their owners
Fees
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base fee, oversize or overweight | $10 |
| Base fee, both oversize and overweight | $20 |
| Width over 14 ft | $1 per foot or fraction |
| Combination length over 63 ft (70 ft for house-type trailers) | $1 per foot |
| Weight over the axle or gross limit, whichever is greater | $5 per 2,000 lb or fraction |
| Every permit transaction | $12 plus a 5% service charge on the total permit fee |
| Mileage | None |
| Annual ocean-borne container permit | $100 |
Government vehicles and Code 23 single-trip permits pay only the $12 and the 5% charge.
Escort and pilot car rules in New Jersey
NJDOT assigns only private escorts, has no escort certification process and sets no size or type limit on escort vehicles (2024 Guidebook 5.5). We found no New Jersey height-pole rule in the rule text or the Guidebook.
| Load | Escort requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 14 ft wide, including the load | 1 escort: at the rear on highways with 4 or more lanes, in front on highways with fewer. A front escort runs 200–500 ft ahead, a rear escort 100–250 ft behind (13:18-1.12(a), (e), (h), (i)) |
| Over 16 ft wide | 2 escorts, one front and one rear (13:18-1.12(b), (f)) |
| Over 100 ft long | 1 escort, placed the same way as the 14 ft width escort (13:18-1.12(a), (e)) |
| Over 120 ft long | 2 escorts, front and rear (13:18-1.12(b)) |
| Oversize at night under a written waiver | 1 more escort than the dimension rule requires, or 1 if none would be needed. With 3 escorts, the third runs in the adjacent lane on highways of 3 or more lanes; otherwise it also follows (13:18-1.12(c), (g)) |
| Port Authority crossings, DRPA bridges and Port St. at Port Newark | A police escort set by the facility: Port Authority police on PANYNJ crossings, DRPA police for oversize loads of 80,000 lb or less, and PAPD on Port St. (973-578-2180) |
Travel times, curfews and holidays
An oversize permit in New Jersey is a daytime document: it is not valid from sunset to sunrise (13:18-1.11(c)). With no statewide weekend ban, the holiday list and the permit's own conditions set most schedules.
- Visibility: no oversize movement when daytime visibility is under 500 ft or road conditions are hazardous (13:18-1.11(c)).
- Overweight-only loads at legal dimensions may travel 24/7 (Guidebook 5.3.4), but a load that cannot hold 40 mph may not run when lighted lamps are required (13:18-1.10(b)).
- Night oversize moves need a written waiver from the MVC Chief Administrator, requested with the application, on grounds of reduced congestion, a justified business hardship or an emergency (13:18-1.11(e)). The waiver adds an escort.
- Weekends: neither 13:18-1.11 nor the 2024 Guidebook bans Saturday or Sunday moves, though the permit itself can set days and times (13:18-1.4).
- Rush hours: the rule has no statewide curfew, but SUPERLOAD prints route-specific limits on the permit, such as no movement through a given area at rush hour, and DRJTBC toll bridges restrict permitted crossings 7:30–9:00 AM and 4:00–7:00 PM.
- Seasonal limits: New Jersey has no frost law in N.J.S.A. 39:3-84, N.J.A.C. 13:18-1 or the 2024 Guidebook.
| Holiday | No oversize moves |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thu Jan 1 |
| Memorial Day | Fri May 22 and Mon May 25 |
| Independence Day (a Saturday) | Fri Jul 3 and Sat Jul 4 |
| Labor Day | Fri Sep 4 and Mon Sep 7 |
| Thanksgiving | Wed Nov 25 and Thu Nov 26 |
| Christmas | Fri Dec 25 |
| New Year's Day 2027 | Fri Jan 1, 2027 |
The dates apply the rule to the 2026 calendar: the Friday before Memorial Day and Labor Day, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, the Friday before a Saturday holiday and the Monday after a Sunday one.
What catches carriers in New Jersey
A change means a new permit
NJDOT does not amend issued permits. If the dimensions, weight, travel dates or route change, the carrier files a new application and pays the fees again.
N.J.A.C. 13:18-1.5(g)
Tall loads must call ahead
Over 14 ft high, the permittee notifies the utility companies, NJDOT and the county and municipal traffic engineering offices that control overhead wires, cables, signals or bridges on the route. Skip that step and the permit is void.
N.J.A.C. 13:18-1.12(d); N.J.S.A. 39:4-28
10 ft of room for passing traffic
An oversize permit is invalid anywhere the clear space left for passing traffic is under 10 ft, so a wide load on a narrow two-lane road can lose its permit while still on its route.
N.J.A.C. 13:18-1.11(a)
Tire width caps the weight
An overweight permit is invalid above 800 lb per inch of tire width, and New Jersey-registered vehicles must be registered at the maximum weight.
N.J.A.C. 13:18-1.10
Insurance minimums
The permittee carries at least $100,000/$300,000 in bodily injury coverage and $100,000 in property damage coverage.
N.J.A.C. 13:18-1.7
Turnpike, Parkway, Expressway and bridge rules
Five toll agencies sit on New Jersey's main truck routes, and each adds its own approval, permit or police escort to the NJDOT permit.
NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway
NJDOT permits are not valid on either road without express approval from the NJ Turnpike Authority (13:18-1.9(a)2). Unless NJTA authorizes it, its rule bars vehicles over 13 ft 6 in high, 8 ft 6 in wide, a 53 ft semitrailer, 80,000 lb gross, 22,400 lb on a single axle, 34,000 lb on a tandem or 56,400 lb on a tri-axle (N.J.A.C. 19:9-1.9(a)25). NJTA also bars vehicles that cannot hold 35 mph on a level grade, construction equipment other than trucks or truck cranes able to hold 45 mph, and loads more than 4 ft past the rear. It publishes no OS/OW application, system or fee schedule; requests go through the Authority and its Bridge Inspection Program Technical Manager (NJTA Load Rating Manual v9.10, sec. 2.1.4).
Parkway north of Interchange 105, and Turnpike lanes
Commercial vehicles over 10,000 lb GVWR may not use the Garden State Parkway north of Interchange 105 without a special permit, and they may use the KT Ramp in Woodbridge only to reach the Turnpike from northbound Route 9 (19:9-1.9(b)). On the Turnpike, vehicles over 10,000 lb GVWR or towing a trailer stay out of the far-left lane of 3-lane sections, the two far-left lanes of sections with 4 or more lanes, and every Cars Only lane (19:9-1.9(c)2).
Atlantic City Expressway
Title 39 permits from NJDOT and the MVC are not valid on the Expressway; the South Jersey Transportation Authority issues a separate special permit (19:2-4.5). Expressway limits are 62 ft long, 8 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft 9 in high and 80,000 lb (19:2-4.3).
Port Authority crossings
At the George Washington Bridge, the Lincoln and Holland tunnels, and the Goethals, Outerbridge and Bayonne crossings, an oversize or overweight load needs the facility Manager's permission and a Port Authority escort, arranged by calling the 24-hour Communications Desk at least 2 days ahead. The charge is twice the toll plus a $40 escort fee. Axles are limited to 20,000 lb at the GWB, Goethals, Outerbridge and Bayonne and to 22,400 lb at Lincoln and Holland, with 34,000 lb per tandem at all six, and the Holland Tunnel takes only 2- and 3-axle single-unit trucks.
DRPA bridges
On the Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman, Commodore Barry and Betsy Ross bridges, loads of 80,000 lb or more need online authorization from DRPA. Oversize loads of 80,000 lb or less need no permit but must run with a DRPA police escort.
DRJTBC toll bridges
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission requires its own permit over 80,000 lb, 13 ft 6 in high, 8 ft 6 in wide or 75 ft long, applied for at least 2 business days ahead, in standard, overweight (up to 201,000 lb) and superload (over 201,000 lb) classes. Its Milford-Montague, Portland-Columbia and New Hope-Lambertville (Route 202) toll bridges take no loads over 80,000 lb.
Port St. at Port Newark
Since Aug 3, 2026, and until further notice, Port St. between Brewster Rd and Marlin St is one 11 ft lane each way. Eastbound oversize loads use the Corbin St ramp, westbound loads follow the Marlin St/Kellogg St detour or use Outer Port St, every oversize load exits south via North Ave, and a PAPD escort is required (973-578-2180). Machinery collected off the ship, covered in our Ro-Ro and breakbulk machinery pickup guide, leaves the port under these rules.
Annual ocean-borne container permit
Sealed international containers can run under a $100 annual multiple-trip permit up to 90,000 lb gross, 38,000 lb on any tandem and 56,400 lb on a tri-axle trailer (N.J.A.C. 13:18-1.2(c)). It covers weight only: it is not valid for oversize loads, the original must ride in the truck, and structures NJDOT lists as restricted still need a single-trip permit. Out-of-gauge cargo on a flat rack is a single-trip move; terminal rules are in our Port of New York and New Jersey terminal guide.
Crossing into a neighboring state
- Into New York: NYSDOT's $40 permit covers state highways only, New York City streets need a NYC DOT permit for each leg at $35 apiece, and inside the city a permitted load stays on the designated truck routes. The full set is in our New York oversize permit rules.
- Into Pennsylvania: a PennDOT permit does not cover the PA Turnpike, and loads over 80,000 lb may not exit at the Delaware River Bridge under NJ Turnpike rules, as our page on Pennsylvania oversize load regulations explains.
New Jersey oversize permit questions
What does an NJDOT oversize permit cost?
A single-trip permit has a $10 base fee for oversize or overweight, or $20 for both (N.J.A.C. 13:18-1.6). Oversize adds $1 per foot over 14 ft wide and $1 per foot over 63 ft long for a combination; overweight adds $5 per 2,000 lb over the axle or gross limit, whichever is greater. Each transaction then adds $12 and a 5% service charge, and there is no per-mile charge.
How many escorts does a New Jersey oversize load need?
Over 14 ft wide or 100 ft long, one escort rides behind the load on highways with 4 or more lanes and in front on narrower ones. Over 16 ft wide or 120 ft long, two escorts run front and rear. A night move under an MVC waiver adds one more. Police escorts are not assigned by NJDOT; they come with specific crossings such as Port Authority facilities, DRPA bridges and Port St. at Port Newark.
Does New Jersey require pilot car certification?
No, NJDOT assigns private escorts, runs no escort certification process and sets no size or type limit on escort vehicles (2024 Guidebook 5.5), and we found no height-pole rule either. What New Jersey does require of tall loads is notice: over 14 ft high, the permittee must tell the utilities and traffic engineering offices on the route before the move, or the permit is void.
Are night moves allowed for oversize loads in New Jersey?
Only under a written waiver from the MVC Chief Administrator, requested with the permit application and justified by reduced congestion, a business hardship or an emergency (N.J.A.C. 13:18-1.11(e)). The waiver adds one escort to the usual count. Overweight-only loads at legal dimensions follow a different rule and may run around the clock, every day of the week.
Is an NJDOT permit valid on the New Jersey Turnpike?
Not by itself. N.J.A.C. 13:18-1.9(a)2 makes NJDOT permits invalid on the Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway without express NJ Turnpike Authority approval, and the Authority publishes no OS/OW application or fee schedule. The Atlantic City Expressway goes further: NJDOT permits do not apply there at all, and the South Jersey Transportation Authority issues its own permit.
How long does an NJDOT oversize permit take?
NJDOT's SUPERLOAD FAQ gives typical bridge-engineer review times of 12 to 48 business hours and office review of up to 3 business days. Loads over 16 ft wide or 14 ft 6 in high must have a route survey attached to the application. Once issued, a single-trip permit is good for 5 days and one one-way trip.
Where do I log in to apply for a New Jersey oversize permit?
Applications go through SUPERLOAD, also called NJPASS, the system NJDOT links from its Oversize and Overweight Vehicles page. The permit office answers at 609-963-2085 and [email protected]. A SUPERLOAD permit covers state routes only, so Turnpike, Expressway and Delaware River bridge approvals are requested from those agencies separately.
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.
- eCFR 23 CFR Part 658: Truck Size and Weight (federal baseline)
- NJDOT SUPERLOAD permit system and bulletin
- N.J.A.C. 13:18 Subchapter 1 (current rule PDF hosted by NJDOT)
- N.J.S.A. 39:3-84 (statute PDF hosted by NJDOT)
- NJDOT Permit Fees table (Guidebook Table 2)
- NJDOT 2024 Commercial Vehicle Size and Weight Guidebook
- NJDOT SUPERLOAD FAQ
- NJDOT Oversize and Overweight Vehicles page
- N.J.A.C. 13:18-1.11, with 1.2, 1.6 and 1.12 (Cornell LII copy)
- N.J.A.C. 19:9-1.9 NJ Turnpike Authority limitations on use of Roadway (Cornell LII copy)
- NJTA Load Rating Manual v9.10 (Dec 2025), sec. 2.1.4
- N.J.A.C. 19:2-4.3 SJTA Atlantic City Expressway restricted vehicles (Cornell LII copy)
- N.J.A.C. 19:2-4.5 SJTA permits (Cornell LII copy)
- Port Authority of NY and NJ Truckers' Resources
- DRPA Truck Permit page
- DRJTBC Truck Permit Application
- DRJTBC Bridge Load, Size and Speed Limits
Moving an oversize load through New Jersey?
A Port Newark pickup, a Turnpike leg and a Delaware River crossing each bring their own sign-off. Tell us the load and the two ends of the trip, and we will list every approval the route needs.
- 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.
Request a Commercial Quote
Keep reading
- New York Oversize PermitsNYSDOT, Thruway, NYC DOT, MTA and Port Authority rules for oversize loads in New York.
- Pennsylvania Oversize PermitsPennDOT limits, fees, escorts and the separate Turnpike permit.
- Oversize PermitsLegal limits, permit fees, escort triggers and travel rules by state, from official sources.
- Legal Load LimitsLegal width, height, length and axle weights by state, plus night, weekend and 2026 holiday travel rules.
- Pilot Car RequirementsWhen each state requires escorts: width, length, height and overhang triggers, certification and police escorts.
- Frost LawsSpring thaw weight restrictions by state, with Michigan's 25% and 35% axle cuts, 2026 dates and how to check posted roads before a heavy move.