Virginia Oversize and Overweight Hauling Permits
DMV EZ Haul permits, the noon holiday rule, certified escort drivers, metro curfews and the Hampton Roads crossings
Quick answer
Which agency issues Virginia hauling permits?
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, through its Hauling Permits Section and the EZ Haul system that replaced VAHPS in 2022. VDOT supplies the engineering review and the bridge exclusion lists printed on each permit. A single trip costs $20, plus $0.30 a mile when overweight, and is valid up to 13 days; some cities and counties issue their own permits under DMV agreements.
Updated October 2026 by the HTS Logistics broker team (FMCSA MC# 1178470).
Checked October 2026; the issued permit controls
Virginia's permit rules sit in three documents: Va. Code Title 46.2, the regulation 24VAC20-82, and DMV Form MP 227, which lists every local and corridor restriction (revised Aug 14, 2026, valid through Dec 31, 2026). It is one of the states in our oversize permits by state guide where a motor vehicle agency, not the highway department, issues the permit: DMV issues it, VDOT does the engineering, and every escort driver needs a Virginia certificate or North Carolina's, the only reciprocity DMV lists.
For heavy haul shipments that touch Virginia, HTS, an FMCSA-licensed broker (MC 1178470), orders the EZ Haul permit, books the carrier and confirms each escort driver's certificate before the move. The route usually sets the workload: the Capital Beltway, Richmond-Petersburg and Hampton Roads each have their own hours, and each Hampton Roads crossing has its own width and height limit.
Legal limits in Virginia
Virginia allows a 53 ft semitrailer with a kingpin-to-rear-axle distance of 41 ft or less, with no overall length limit on Interstates and highways the Commonwealth Transportation Board designates; other combinations stop at 65 ft (Va. Code 46.2-1112). Loads may extend no more than 3 ft past the front (DMV 109).
| Limit | Virginia | Federal baseline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 8 ft 6 in | 8 ft 6 in (102 in) on the National Network | Excludes mirrors (46.2-1105) |
| Height | 13 ft 6 in | No federal limit | Va. Code 46.2-1110; a front escort with a height pole is required over 14 ft 5 in |
| Semitrailer length | 53 ft | States must allow at least 48 ft | 41 ft kingpin limit; DMV 109's permit list uses 48 ft for trailers (53 ft on the Interstate) and 65 ft for combinations on non-designated highways, so check the route type |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lb | 80,000 lb | By axle spacing (46.2-1126), the same caps on Interstates (46.2-1127); a $250 annual 5% overload permit raises off-Interstate limits to no more than 84,000 lb (46.2-1128) |
| Single axle | 20,000 lb | 20,000 lb | 650 lb per inch of tire width; APUs get up to 550 lb more |
| Tandem axle | 34,000 lb | 34,000 lb | Axles more than 40 in and up to 96 in apart; natural gas vehicles may carry up to 2,000 lb more, 82,000 lb maximum on Interstates |
Federal baseline: 23 CFR Part 658, eCFR as of 2026-10-14
When Virginia requires a permit and how to get one
DMV's Motor Carrier Services Hauling Permits Section issues single-trip, blanket and superload permits in EZ Haul. VDOT reviews engineering and keeps the structure exclusion lists (N1R to N8R and N45T, valid through Jan 27, 2027) of bridges a permitted load must not cross. A routine single trip goes up to 15 ft high, 15 ft wide and 150 ft long, with 24,000 lb on a single axle and 44,000 lb on a tandem; a blanket stops at 14 ft high, 14 ft wide and 100 ft long, and blanket requests need 10 business days (DMV 109).
Requests beyond the single-trip maximums should go in at least 10 working days ahead and issue only after VDOT review (24VAC20-82-60). The state permit also stops at some city lines: MP 227 shows Alexandria accepting it only on I-395 and I-95, the City of Fairfax not at all, Arlington County only on primary and Interstate routes, and Richmond only on I-64, I-195 and I-95. Localities that sign an MOU with DMV may issue their own permits (Va. Code 46.2-1139(A1)).
Permit office
- Issuing office
- Virginia DMV Motor Carrier Services, Hauling Permits Section
- Address
- P.O. Box 23260, 6th Floor, Richmond, VA 23260 (DMV 109 lists P.O. Box 27412, Richmond, VA 23269)
- Permit system
- EZ Haul
- Phone
- (804) 786-2787; fax (804) 367-1003
- [email protected]
- Roads covered
- State highways; MOU localities issue their own permits, and MP 227 lists where the state permit is accepted
Fees
| Permit | Fee |
|---|---|
| Single trip, valid up to 13 days | $20 |
| Single trip, overweight or a configuration Virginia cannot license | $20 plus $0.30 per mile |
| Single trip, mobile or manufactured home | $20 plus a flat $1.00 in place of mileage |
| Superload single trip | $30, plus $0.30 per mile if overweight |
| Superload multi-trip, 3 months | $220 |
| Blanket (annual multi-trip) | $100 for 1 year or $200 for 2 |
| Blanket, overweight | Plus a $40 mileage fee and a $360 damage fee per year |
| Blanket, configuration Virginia cannot license | Plus $40 per year |
| Exempt annual permits, including containerized cargo | $130 per year or $260 for 2 |
| 5% overload permit | $250 per year |
| Multi-trip permit transfer, up to twice in 12 months | $10 |
VDOT engineering analysis costs may be added for some equipment, and DMV gives no refunds or credits for unused or expired permits; payment is by card, e-check or approved ACH debit. At $0.30 a mile, an overweight single trip of 200 miles in Virginia comes to $20 plus $60, or $80.
Escort and pilot car rules in Virginia
Escort counts differ between Interstate and non-Interstate routes (24VAC20-82-130), and every escort driver must carry a Virginia escort vehicle driver certificate or one from a reciprocal state (Va. Code 46.2-2901). With North Carolina the only reciprocal state DMV lists, a crew certified anywhere else stops at the line; our pilot car rules for each state show where those crews do qualify.
| Load | Non-Interstate routes | Interstate |
|---|---|---|
| Over 12 ft wide | 1 front and 1 rear | 1 rear |
| Over 14 ft wide | 2 front and 1 rear | 1 front and 1 rear |
| Over 16 ft wide | 2 front and 2 rear | 1 front and 2 rear |
| Over 18 ft wide or over 200 ft long | Set case by case | Set case by case |
| Over 14 ft 5 in high | Front escort with a height pole set 3 in above the load height | Same |
| Over 90 ft long | 1 rear | None until 120 ft |
| Over 120 ft long | 1 rear | 1 rear |
| Over 150 ft long | 1 front and 1 rear | 1 front and 1 rear |
| Off-center load, passenger-side overhang over 3 ft 6 in; over 5 ft | 1 front; front and rear | 1 front; front and rear |
| Front overhang over 10 ft from the bumper; rear overhang over 15 ft | 1 front; 1 rear | 1 front; 1 rear |
Law enforcement escorts are required case by case and printed on the hauling or locality permit (DMV 109).
| Bridge | Police escort |
|---|---|
| US-17 over the York River (York and Gloucester line) | Over 12 ft up to 14 ft wide, arranged 24 hours ahead |
| US-15/58 Business over Buggs Island Lake at Clarksville | Over 12 ft up to 14 ft wide, arranged 24 hours ahead |
| US-360 over the Dan River at South Boston | Over 12 ft up to 14 ft wide, arranged 24 hours ahead |
| US-360 Rappahannock River bridge at Tappahannock | Loads over 12 ft up to 16 ft may cross with police escorts |
Certification takes an 8-hour DMV-approved class and a knowledge test passed with 80% or better at a DMV customer service center; it costs $25, lasts 5 years and is renewed by retaking the class. The escort vehicle (24VAC20-82-120) is a truck of at least 1/4-ton capacity and no more than 17,000 lb GVWR, or a car of at least 2,000 lb, towing nothing and not resembling a police vehicle, with a roof light visible 500 ft, signs with 8 in black letters, 18 in STOP/SLOW paddles and a 5 lb BC or ABC extinguisher.
Travel times, curfews and holidays
Normal travel for permitted loads in Virginia runs sunrise to sunset (24VAC20-82-110(B)). The regulation sets no statewide weekend ban, though DMV may restrict days and hours on any permit, and MP 227 adds hours for cities and corridors.
- Cities and towns: no permitted travel inside corporate limits 7–9 a.m. and 4–6 p.m., except loads that are only overweight, or only overlength up to 85 ft including rear overhang; MP 227 says the rule does not apply on the Interstate system.
- Northern Virginia: no over-width or over-length travel 7–9 a.m. or 4–6 p.m., Monday–Friday, on I-495, I-395 and I-95 (the Beltway and through Fairfax, Prince William and Stafford counties) or on I-66 between I-495 and the Fairfax-Prince William line. On non-Interstate routes in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties, loads over 15 ft high, 15 ft wide or 150 ft long move only 9:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
- Hampton Roads: the same weekday windows on I-64 between US-17 in Newport News and I-264 in Chesapeake, and on I-564, I-464 and I-264. Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth and Suffolk accept state permits only on listed routes and require city permits elsewhere.
- Richmond-Petersburg and west: the same windows on I-95 from Parham Rd (Route 73) to Petersburg, I-85 in Petersburg and I-64 between I-95 and I-295 in Henrico, with further limits at Roanoke/Salem (I-581 and Route 419) and in Albemarle County (I-64).
- Local weekends: Harrisonburg allows no weekend or holiday travel, while South Boston allows 24-hour weekend travel off US-58 and US-360 (MP 227).
- Night: not on routine permits, though some superloads must travel in darkness (110(B)). The Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel allows night passage Monday–Saturday, 9:00 p.m.–4:30 a.m., when the permit authorizes night travel and VDOT lane closures are coordinated.
- Frost: no seasonal weight program applies statewide. VDOT may post lower limits after an engineering study, and counties, cities and towns may cut weight limits for up to 90 days a year, effective once signs are posted at each end (Va. Code 46.2-1104).
| Holiday | Permits not valid |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Noon Wed Dec 31, 2025 through Thu Jan 1 |
| Memorial Day | Noon Fri May 22 through Mon May 25 |
| Independence Day (a Saturday) | Noon Fri Jul 3 through Sat Jul 4; if DMV treats Fri Jul 3 as the observed day, from noon Thu Jul 2 |
| Labor Day | Noon Fri Sep 4 through Mon Sep 7 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Noon Wed Nov 25 through Thu Nov 26 |
| Christmas Day | Noon Thu Dec 24 through Fri Dec 25 |
| New Year's Day 2027 | Noon Thu Dec 31, 2026 through Fri Jan 1, 2027 |
The dates apply the rule to the 2026 calendar: permits are not valid from noon on the preceding weekday through the holiday, and from noon Friday when the observed holiday falls on a Monday. DMV publishes the rule but no dated list.
What catches carriers in Virginia
Officers can pull the permit
An officer may invalidate or confiscate a permit if the load is off route, has fewer axles or shorter spacings than permitted, or carries extra items, and may hold the load if escorts are missing, it moves outside permitted hours or the full permit is not in the vehicle. Any accident involving the permitted vehicle is reported to DMV within 3 business days.
24VAC20-82-160 to -180
Amber lights at 12 ft or 75 ft
A vehicle or load more than 12 ft wide or 75 ft long needs amber flashing lights on top of the towing vehicle and on the upper rear of the load, unless escorts with roof-mounted amber lights accompany it. Flags at the extremities are red or orange fluorescent, at least 18 in square.
DMV 109; 24VAC20-82-40
The exclusion list travels with the permit
Each permit references VDOT's structure exclusion lists of bridges the load must not cross, and posted bridge limits apply regardless of what the permit allows.
DMV structure exclusion lists (valid through Jan 27, 2027)
Call the weigh station
At Alberta on I-85 and Dahlgren on US-301, low-clearance, long or wide loads are asked to bypass the scale and call 15 minutes ahead.
DMV MP 227
Hampton Roads tunnels, the Bay Bridge-Tunnel and the Port of Virginia
Each Hampton Roads water crossing sets its own size limit, and two of them read differently in DMV's MP 227 and on VDOT's pages, so the permit's printed conditions decide the crossing.
Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (I-64)
MP 227 sets a permit maximum of 10 ft 6 in wide and 13 ft 6 in high. Over-width loads up to 10 ft 6 in use the corridor from LaSalle Ave in Hampton to Fourth View St in Norfolk only Tuesday–Thursday, 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., and anything wider goes to the MMMBT (757-727-4830). VDOT lists 13 ft 6 in westbound without a permit and 14 ft 6 in eastbound with one.
Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (I-664)
Permit maximum 23 ft wide and 15 ft 8 in high. Oversize drivers stop at the inspection station and show the permit, daytime passage runs 9:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m., the tunnel wants a call at (757) 247-2100 at least 2 hours ahead, and escort departures are at tunnel staff discretion.
Downtown (I-264) and Midtown (US-58) tunnels
Elizabeth River Tunnels runs both at 13 ft 6 in high. Vehicles over 8 ft wide stop for inspection, 8 ft 7 in to 10 ft wide may pass 24/7, and anything over 10 ft is barred 5:30–9:00 a.m. and 3:00–6:30 p.m. on weekdays and escorted by tunnel personnel (757-556-8425). Maximum widths differ: MP 227 lists 9 ft 0 in (Downtown) and 10 ft 4 in (Midtown), VDOT 11 ft with a permit for both.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (US-13)
The CBBT Commission caps loads at 14 ft wide and 13 ft 6 in high, and gross weight over 80,000 lb needs CBBT approval; over 10 ft 6 in wide or 100 ft long, call 24 hours ahead at (757) 331-2960 ext. 40. In wind of 40 mph (Level 1), towed units, exterior cargo, box trucks and empty tractor-trailers with under 15,000 lb of cargo are barred, though empty flatbeds and lowboys may cross; at 50 mph only cars, pickups, minivans and SUVs cross, and at 60 mph the bridge closes.
Port of Virginia containers
DMV must grant overweight permits for sealed seagoing containers moving to or from a seaport with contents unchanged, at $130 a year or $260 for two (Va. Code 46.2-1141). DMV's exempt table lists no maximum weight for them, and they are excepted from the 20,000/34,000/80,000 lb Interstate caps that bind most overweight permits (46.2-1139(B)). Norfolk is the only locality where DMV issues single-trip local permits, for port travel only, and in Norfolk a state permit is valid only on I-64, I-264, I-464 and I-564.
Superload travel plans
Moves over 18 ft wide, 250,000 lb, 200 ft long or 16 ft high may need a travel plan: why the load cannot be reduced or sent by air, rail or water, routes and mileage, pull-over points (traffic held no more than 10 minutes if possible), and written agreement from local police, affected utilities and VDOT. Over 400,000 lb, a loading schematic is added; over 750,000 lb, and from 500,000 lb at VDOT's discretion, the applicant hires a Virginia-licensed engineer to analyze every structure on the route (24VAC20-82-60, -70).
Other route limits
The US-17 James River drawbridge is closed to permitted loads. The Powhite Parkway (Route 76) and the I-95 Downtown Richmond Expressway allow 12 ft wide and 14 ft high, and I-95 and I-85 around Richmond-Petersburg 14 ft by 14 ft. The Dulles Access Road (Route 267) needs Airports Authority approval, and Fort Eustis requires 24 hours' notice to its police and bars commercial vehicles of 10,000 lb or more from entering 6:00–8:30 a.m. (MP 227).
Crossing into a neighboring state
- Kentucky: KYTC permits run 24/7 with no holiday restrictions, and we found no Kentucky escort certification rule, but the Division still requires a lead escort with a height pole over 14 ft 11 in and has a fee increase pending. The Kentucky oversize permit regulations list the curfew counties.
Virginia oversize permit questions
What are Virginia's hauling permit fees?
A single-trip hauling permit costs $20 and is valid up to 13 days; overweight loads, and configurations Virginia cannot license, add $0.30 per mile. A superload single trip is $30 plus mileage when overweight. Blanket permits are $100 for one year or $200 for two, plus $40 in mileage fees and $360 in damage fees per year when overweight. DMV gives no refunds for unused permits.
How do I get escort vehicle certification in Virginia?
Be at least 18 with a valid driver's license, complete DMV's 8-hour approved classroom course, then pass the knowledge test at a DMV customer service center with 80% or better. The certificate costs $25, lasts 5 years and is renewed by retaking the class. DMV lists a reciprocal agreement with North Carolina only; law enforcement officers and military convoys are exempt.
Where do I apply for a Virginia hauling permit online?
Virginia permits are ordered in EZ Haul at ezhaulvirginia.com, the DMV system that replaced VAHPS in 2022. Reach the Hauling Permits Section at (804) 786-2787 or [email protected]. Before ordering, check DMV Form MP 227 for the localities and corridors on the route, since several cities accept the state permit only on listed roads.
Does Virginia ban oversize travel on weekends?
Not statewide. 24VAC20-82-110 sets sunrise-to-sunset travel and no statewide weekend ban, though DMV may set days and hours on a permit. Some localities differ: Harrisonburg allows no weekend or holiday travel, while South Boston allows 24-hour weekend travel off US-58 and US-360. Holiday periods start at noon on the weekday before the holiday.
What are the size limits at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel?
DMV's MP 227 sets a permit maximum of 10 ft 6 in wide and 13 ft 6 in high at the HRBT on I-64, and over-width loads up to 10 ft 6 in may use the corridor only Tuesday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wider loads route through the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel on I-664, which takes permitted loads up to 23 ft wide and 15 ft 8 in high.
How many escorts does Virginia require by width?
Over 12 ft wide, one rear escort on Interstates, or front and rear on other roads; over 14 ft, front and rear on Interstates and two front plus one rear elsewhere. Over 14 ft 5 in high, a front escort with a height pole. Length triggers start at 90 ft off the Interstate and 120 ft on it, and all escort drivers must hold Virginia or North Carolina certification.
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)
- Virginia DMV Hauling Permits
- DMV 109 Size, Weight and Equipment Requirements (07/01/2024)
- 24VAC20-82 Overload and Hauling Permits Regulation (eff. March 1, 2023)
- DMV Form MP 227 Hauling Permit Geographical Regulations (rev. 08/14/2026, valid through 12/31/2026)
- Virginia DMV Exempt Hauling Permits
- DMV structure exclusion lists and locality documents
- DMV locality document PRT-1 (City of Portsmouth blanket routes)
- DMV EZ Haul Transition FAQs (rev. 08/29/2022)
- DMV Escort Vehicle Driver Certification
- Virginia DMV Escort Vehicle Driver FAQs
- Code of Virginia Title 46.2 Chapter 29 Certified Escort Vehicle Drivers
- Va. Code 46.2-1139 Permits for excessive size and weight
- Va. Code 46.2-1140.1 Annual overweight permit fees
- Va. Code 46.2-1141 Containerized freight permits
- Va. Code 46.2-1105 width; 46.2-1110 height; 46.2-1112 length
- Va. Code 46.2-1126 and 46.2-1127 weight limits
- Va. Code 46.2-1104 Reduction of limits
- VDOT Truck restrictions (tunnel limits; updated Sept 17, 2026)
- VDOT Hampton Roads bridges and tunnels (updated May 27, 2026)
- Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel wind restrictions
- Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel FAQs
- EZ Haul permit portal
Running an oversize load through Hampton Roads or the Beltway?
Hampton Roads crossings and Northern Virginia hours shape most Virginia routes, and every escort needs a Virginia certificate. With the dimensions and both ends of the route, we will map the crossings, order the EZ Haul permit and book escorts who hold Virginia certificates.
- 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
- Kentucky Oversize PermitsKYTC's $60 permit with a $120 fee pending, 24/7 travel and five curfew counties.
- 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.
- How Oversize Permits WorkWhat a permit covers, how it is ordered and how a multi-state move is permitted.