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West Virginia Oversize and Overweight Permits

West Virginia Oversize and Overweight Permits

WVDOH single-trip and blanket permits, escort tiers that also set travel days, the Sunday-morning window, event closures and the Turnpike

Quick answer

How do West Virginia oversize permits work?

WVDOH's Central Permit Section in Charleston issues permits online, most of them self-issued with automated route, bridge and clearance analysis. A single trip is $20 plus 4 cents per ton-mile when overweight, valid 5 days. Oversize loads move sunrise to sunset only; over 14 ft wide they generally run Monday to Friday, and over 16 ft only on Sunday mornings until noon.

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

Checked October 2026; the issued permit controls

West Virginia ties travel days to width: up to 14 ft wide, a load can get seven-day travel on request; from 14 ft 1 in to 16 ft it runs Monday to Friday; and over 16 ft it moves only on Sunday morning until noon (WVDOH Permit Information sheet, rev. 3-17-2023). None of West Virginia's neighbors in our oversize permits by state guide confines its widest loads to a Sunday morning, so the calendar, more than the fee, sets the price of a wide move here.

HTS Logistics holds FMCSA broker authority (MC 1178470) and does not haul loads itself. On heavy haul runs across West Virginia we book the carrier, order the WVDOH permit, schedule any bridge monitor the analysis calls for and line up the escorts. WVDOH's FAQ says self-issued permits come out in minutes, manual reviews normally within 24 hours and superloads in 48 hours or more, and applications are not taken by phone.

When West Virginia requires a permit and how to get one

WVDOH's Central Permit Section issues permits through its online system at wv.gotpermits.com, which self-issues with automated route, bridge and clearance analysis and charges no convenience fee. Single-trip and superload permits are valid 5 days and mobile home permits 10. A permit can be amended once (a plate correction, an extension of up to 3 days, or a date change before it activates), and an identical repeat move within 30 days can issue without full re-analysis if the earlier permit number is given (WVDOH FAQ).

Single-trip permits top out at 28,000 lb per single axle, 45,000 lb per tandem, 50,000 lb per tridem, 55,000 lb per quad and 120,000 lb gross, with no set height or length limit if the route can take the load. The Permit Information sheet allows 16 ft of width on any road, while Policy DOH 2.14 (rev. 02/08/2023) says 15 ft on two-lane and 16 ft on four-lane roads, and both cap overhang at 15 ft front and 30 ft rear. Moves that cross districts need each WVDOH District's advance approval (157CSR5 6.11).

Permit office

Issuing office
WVDOH Operations Division, Central Permit Section
Address
Building Five, Room 356, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25305-0430 (the 2023 Permit Information sheet gives Room 303)
Phone
(304) 558-9547; applications are not taken by phone
Hours
Monday–Friday, 7:30 AM–4:00 PM (Permit Information sheet, 2023)
Roads covered
State highways and the West Virginia Turnpike, whose permits WVDOH issues and whose fees it collects for the Parkways Authority

Fees

WVDOH permit fees (157CSR5 6.6.e; WVDOH Permit Types)
PermitFee
Single trip: oversize, overweight or both $20 plus $0.04 per ton-mile for overweight
Superload Same as a single trip; $20 may be charged if it is not activated within 30 days of analysis
Mobile home single trip $20
Annual blanket, oversize only $200
Annual blanket, oversize and overweight $500
Annual mobile home blanket, 14 ft wide or less $200
Seagoing containerized cargo $150 for the first 15 permits, then $15 each
Manufactured commodity annual $500
Low-impact bridge monitoring $150 first bridge, $100 second, $50 each after, $750 maximum

Payment is by major credit card or an escrow account. Blanket permits are non-refundable, and refunds or credits come only for WVDOH error (DOH 2.14 sec. 5.1.A). Equipment moving to or from state highway projects pays no fee.

West Virginia Turnpike tolls, class 10 oversize trucks (WV Parkways Authority)
PlazaCash or pay-by-plateWV E-ZPass commercialOther E-ZPass
Ghent, Pax or Chelyan (each mainline plaza) $27.00 cash$21.60$23.50
North Beckley $15.88 pay-by-plate$12.71$13.80

Tolls are paid on top of the WVDOH permit fee.

As an illustration counting from 80,000 lb gross: a 100,000 lb load on a 150-mile route is 10 tons over for 150 miles, or 1,500 ton-miles, which adds $60 to the $20 base. The permit system prices the actual route, and a bridge monitor, if the analysis requires one, adds its own charge.

Escort and pilot car rules in West Virginia

WVDOH's escort table sets the escort count by width and road and also sets the days a load may travel (Permit Information sheet, rev. 3-17-2023). We found no escort-driver certification requirement in 157CSR5 6.14, the Permit Information sheet or WVDOH's FAQ, and carriers may escort their own loads if the vehicle meets the equipment rules (6.14.g). A crew continuing into Virginia needs a Virginia or North Carolina certificate; our pilot car requirements for neighboring states cover both.

West Virginia escort triggers and travel days (WVDOH Permit Information sheet)
LoadTwo-lane highwaysFour-lane highwaysTravel days
Width 10 ft 6 in to 12 ft 1 frontNoneSeven days
Width 12 ft 1 in to 14 ft Front and rear1 rearSeven days
Width 14 ft 1 in to 15 ft Front and rearFront and rearMonday–Friday
Width 15 ft 1 in to 16 ft 2 front and 1 rear1 front and 2 rear; Interstate 2 rearMonday–Friday
Width over 16 ft As the permit statesAs the permit statesSunday until noon only
Length 75 ft to 95 ft 1 rearNoneTwo-lane Monday–Friday; four-lane seven days
Length 95 ft 1 in to 100 ft Front and rear1 rearMonday–Friday
Length over 100 ft Front and rearFront and rearMonday–Friday
Front or rear overhang over 10 ft Escort at that endEscort at that endMonday–Friday
Over 15 ft high Front pole car, added to any other escortFront pole carMonday–Friday

Districts and the Parkways Authority may require more escorts or tighter hours. The sheet's days column for 15 ft 1 in to 16 ft reads 'Mon. thru Fri. and', apparently cut off. Escort requirements print on the permit, and the applicant arranges the escorts (DOH 2.14 sec. 5.2.A.6.a).

Escort vehicles weigh over 2,000 lb with a GVWR under 26,001 lb (the sheet says under 26,000), and carry the company name and phone on both sides, an amber rotating or strobe light seen 500 ft away in all directions, yellow 5 ft by 12 in OVERSIZE LOAD signs lettered 10 in high and a pair of red or orange flags 18 in square; for-hire escorts add a radio, two 5 lb extinguishers, an 18 in STOP/SLOW paddle, a vest, a red hand flag and three triangles or cones (157CSR5 6.14). A WVDOH Permit Monitor is not an escort: monitors have no police authority, give no traffic control and do not count toward the escort total (DOH 2.14 sec. 4.4).

Travel times, curfews and holidays

Oversize loads in West Virginia move sunrise to sunset only; WVDOH's High Travel Days list says they 'are not allowed to travel from sunset to sunrise.' Inside daylight, the escort table's day limits, the Charleston curfew, school-bus hours and event closures set the schedule.

  • Weekends up to 14 ft wide: granted when requested on the application, except on the Turnpike or for loads that need low-impact bridge monitoring (WVDOH 'New Weekend Travel Rules'). Policy DOH 2.14 ties seven-day travel to tighter limits, 14 ft wide, 75 ft long, 10 ft overhang and 14 ft high (95 ft and 14 ft 6 in on Interstate routes), so the permit face decides.
  • Over 14 ft wide: as a general rule no Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday movement (157CSR5 6.4.j.2); loads of 14 ft 1 in to 16 ft run Monday to Friday, and over 16 ft only Sunday mornings until noon.
  • Night for overweight-only loads: WVDOH's current FAQ allows night travel only for overweight loads at legal size up to 110,000 lb on designated multi-lane highways, with two-lane requests case by case. The 2023 Permit Information sheet is broader, allowing 24/7 travel on request up to 110,000 lb on the Turnpike and 135,000 lb on other state routes. Since 2024 HB 5583, the statute also directs WVDOH to promptly issue night, holiday and weekend permits on Interstates and four-lane highways when a request meets state and federal law and safety requirements (17C-17-11(f)).
  • Charleston: escorted loads may not travel 7–9 a.m. or 4–6 p.m. during daylight saving time, and only 9 a.m.–4 p.m. during Eastern Standard Time, on I-64 between Exits 39 and 85, I-77 between Exits 85 and 106, US-119 from Ruth to I-64 and every route within 5 miles of the city limits.
  • School buses: escorted loads stay off two-lane highways 7–9 a.m. and 2:30–4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, during the school year (the 2024 list ran Aug 10, 2023 to Jun 7, 2024).
  • Event closures, from sunrise of the first day to sunset of the last: WVU home football game days in Monongalia, Marion, Harrison and Preston counties; Bridge Day on US-19 between US-60 and Oak Hill; the State Fair on US-219 from I-64 to Ronceverte; and Pioneer Days (Marlinton), the Treasure Mountain Festival (Franklin) and the Forest Festival (Elkins). WVDOH's list is dated 1/1/2024 with 2024 dates and no newer edition is posted, so we confirm each year's dates with the permit office.
  • Weather: no oversize or overweight movement on roads made hazardous by ice or snow, or when fog, snow or heavy rain makes driving dangerous (157CSR5 6.4.j.3).
  • Frost: West Virginia has no seasonal frost-law program. Local authorities may restrict their roads for no more than 90 days in a calendar year, and WVDOH its highways by Commissioner's order, once signs are posted at each end (W. Va. Code 17C-17-12), and overweight permits are generally not issued over embargoed routes (157CSR5 6.4.j.4).
West Virginia holiday restrictions, 2026: WVDOH's list and the legal-holiday rule
Holiday2026 dateSource
New Year's Day Thu Jan 1WVDOH list and rule
Memorial Day weekend Sat May 23 to Mon May 25WVDOH list (Saturday through Monday)
Independence Day Sat Jul 4WVDOH list and rule
Labor Day weekend Sat Sep 5 to Mon Sep 7WVDOH list (Saturday through Monday)
Thanksgiving Day Thu Nov 26WVDOH list and rule
Christmas Day Fri Dec 25WVDOH list and rule
MLK Day, Presidents' Day, West Virginia Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Lincoln's Day Jan 19, Feb 16, Jun 20, Oct 12, Nov 11, Nov 27Rule only (W. Va. Code 2-2-1, cited by 157CSR5 6.4.j)

WVDOH's operating list ('High Travel Days', dated 1/1/2024) names six holidays and gave 2024 dates; the 2026 dates here apply its pattern. The legislative rule bars loads 14 ft wide or less from holiday weekends and legal holidays, and wider loads from Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, using the full W. Va. Code 2-2-1 list, which also includes election days. The permit face decides which list applies.

What catches carriers in West Virginia

No general load-sign rule

West Virginia's statute, 157CSR5 and WVDOH's documents publish a load sign rule only for permitted mobile and modular homes: OVERSIZE LOAD in 10 in black letters on yellow, 18 in high and 6 to 8 ft long, on the towing vehicle and the rear of the home at least 6 ft up, removed or covered when not required. The widely repeated 5 ft by 12 in spec is the escort-vehicle rule, so other loads follow what the permit prints, and any load 4 ft or more past the rear carries a red flag of 12 in square or larger in daylight and a red light visible 500 ft at night. Our guide to load sign requirements state by state shows the states with a general rule.

157CSR5 6.13.f.3, 6.14; W. Va. Code 17C-15-14

Bridge monitors are part of the permit

When the bridge analysis approves a load only at reduced speed, the permit lists the bridges, mileposts and speeds and requires a WVDOH-contracted Permit Monitor, scheduled through the Central Permit Section; moving without one violates the permit. Extra charges can apply if the monitor is rescheduled, the truck is late or the monitor waits with a broken-down load.

DOH 2.14 sec. 4.4, 5.2; WVDOH OS/OW page

Dozer blades over 14 ft

A bulldozer may keep its blade on, angled away from oncoming traffic, if the load is 14 ft wide or less; on a wider load the blade travels separately. Pole and extendable trailers may carry poles, pipe or non-dismemberable structural material up to 80 ft long without a permit if not overweight.

WVDOH Permit Information sheet; W. Va. Code 17C-17-5(b)

Two insurance figures and fines by the pound

WVDOH's Permit Information sheet and DOH 2.14 require at least $350,000 of coverage, with proof on file only for mobile homes, while 157CSR5 6.13.f.16 asks mobile home applicants for a $100,000/$300,000/$50,000 certificate signed by a West Virginia resident agent. Oversize-only violations run up to $100, $200, then $500 within a year, and overweight fines run from $20 to $1,600 by the pounds over.

Permit Information sheet; DOH 2.14 sec. 4.2.C; 157CSR5 6.13.f.16; W. Va. Code 17C-17-14

The Turnpike, tunnels, coal roads and superloads

West Virginia's tightest limits sit on single facilities: an 88-mile toll road, two tunnels and the coal-haul network, each with rules the general permit does not cover.

West Virginia Turnpike (I-77/I-64)

The Parkways Authority issues no permits of its own: WVDOH issues Turnpike permits and collects the Authority's fees, and the Authority sets low-impact and other limits. Two WVDOH documents give different envelopes. Policy DOH 2.14 allows 14 ft of width, over 14 to 16 ft Monday to Thursday and over 16 ft only Sunday before noon, with height of 15 ft 10 in to 17 ft 5 in and length of 95 to 100 ft by section; the Permit Information sheet allows 14 ft 1 in to 18 ft Monday to Thursday, 18 ft 1 in to 24 ft 6 in on Sundays before noon and wider only with limited approval because of the toll plazas. The Chuck Yeager Bridge limits height to 15 ft 10 in (16 ft at center), loads over 16 ft wide must clear 2 ft 9 in concrete barriers, and Turnpike weekend travel is limited to loads no more than 95 ft long, 14 ft 6 in high and 110,000 lb.

Wheeling and East River Mountain tunnels

The I-70 Wheeling Tunnel in Ohio County takes no over-dimensional loads, and I-70 westbound at MP 1.23 has 14 ft 2 in of clearance. WVDOH publishes nothing on the East River Mountain Tunnel, where I-77 passes under the Virginia line near Bluefield; Virginia DMV's Form MP 227 (rev. Aug 14, 2026) lists it and the Big Walker Mountain Tunnel at 14 ft wide and 16 ft high, so a Virginia permit applies there too.

Coal Resource Transportation System

On designated CRTS roads in Boone, Fayette, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Raleigh, Wayne and Wyoming counties and listed routes elsewhere, coal trucks with a Public Service Commission permit may run a 5-axle tractor-semitrailer at 110,000 lb ($300 a year) or 6 or more axles at 120,000 lb ($500), each with a 5% tolerance, never on Interstates (17C-17A-5, -15). Axle loads are still capped by WVDOH's spacing and bridge analysis.

Superloads

Anything over a single-trip limit is a superload, with no fixed weight or dimension cap but a bridge analysis for every load. WVDOH may require bridges to be load-rated, analyzed or strengthened at the applicant's expense, a professional fee before analysis, a bond set by the District Manager and a temporary traffic control plan approved by the Operations Division and District Traffic Engineer (157CSR5 6.5; DOH 2.14 sec. 4.2.B).

Posted structures

WVDOH's Weight and Clearance Restrictions list, a 2017 file the OS/OW page still links, includes the US-11 railroad underpass in Martinsburg at 13 ft, WV-28 at Ridgeley at 11 ft 11 in and the Philippi Covered Bridge (US-250), closed to trucks, and sends southbound overweight loads on I-79 to the left lane at MP 136.64 (Marion) and MP 115.33 (Harrison). WVDOH publishes no route-by-route weight list; every trip runs through the automated analysis.

Crossing into a neighboring state

  • South into Virginia on I-77: the East River Mountain and Big Walker Mountain tunnels cap loads at 14 ft wide and 16 ft high, and Virginia accepts only its own escort certificates or North Carolina's, which an uncertified West Virginia crew lacks. See Virginia oversize permits and escort certification.
  • East into Maryland on I-68 or I-81: SHA lets most routine loads, to 225,000 lb and 139 ft, run around the clock, but loads 14 ft or wider are held to 9:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m., and signs start at 9 ft wide. The Maryland oversize permit rules cover the Baltimore crossings.
  • North into Pennsylvania on I-79 or I-70: PennDOT lets permitted loads run sunrise to sunset on weekends too, but its urbanized areas allow no permitted movement 7:30–9 a.m. or 4–7 p.m., and Pittsburgh's Fort Pitt, Squirrel Hill and Liberty tunnels open to permitted loads only 9 a.m.–4 p.m. See the Pennsylvania oversize load regulations.

West Virginia oversize permit questions

What are WVDOH's single-trip and blanket fees?

A single-trip permit, oversize, overweight or both, costs $20 plus 4 cents per ton-mile for overweight (157CSR5 6.6.e), and a superload pays the same. Annual blankets are $200 for oversize only and $500 for oversize and overweight. Bridge monitoring, when the analysis requires it, adds $150 for the first bridge, $100 for the second and $50 for each after, up to $750. Turnpike tolls are separate.

Which West Virginia loads may move on a weekend?

Up to 14 ft wide, yes, when weekend travel is requested on the application, except on the Turnpike or for loads that need bridge monitoring. Loads of 14 ft 1 in to 16 ft wide run Monday to Friday, and loads over 16 ft move only on Sunday morning until noon. Lengths of 75 to 95 ft on two-lane roads, anything over 95 ft and overhangs over 10 ft are also Monday to Friday.

Can I move an oversize load at night in West Virginia?

Not an oversize load: WVDOH allows them only from sunrise to sunset. Overweight-only loads at legal size can get night travel up to 110,000 lb on designated multi-lane highways under WVDOH's current FAQ, with two-lane requests reviewed case by case; the 2023 Permit Information sheet allowed up to 135,000 lb off the Turnpike. A 2024 statute directs WVDOH to promptly issue qualifying night permits on four-lane roads.

When does West Virginia require escort vehicles?

Two-lane highways take one front escort from 10 ft 6 in wide, and four-lane highways one rear escort from 12 ft 1 in. Past 14 ft, every road takes a front and a rear escort, and 15 ft 1 in to 16 ft takes three (two rear on the Interstate). Length brings a rear escort at 75 ft on two-lane roads, overhang over 10 ft adds an escort at that end, and a load taller than 15 ft adds a front pole car.

What are the West Virginia Turnpike limits for oversize loads?

WVDOH issues the Turnpike permit and collects the Parkways Authority's fees. Policy DOH 2.14 allows loads to 14 ft wide, over 14 to 16 ft Monday to Thursday and over 16 ft only Sunday before noon; the Permit Information sheet allows up to 18 ft Monday to Thursday and up to 24 ft 6 in on Sunday mornings. Height at the Chuck Yeager Bridge is limited to 15 ft 10 in.

What events close West Virginia roads to oversize loads?

WVDOH's High Travel Days list bars over-dimensional loads from sunrise of the first day to sunset of the last for WVU home football games in Monongalia, Marion, Harrison and Preston counties, Bridge Day on US-19 near Oak Hill, the State Fair on US-219 in Greenbrier County, and festivals in Marlinton, Franklin and Elkins. The posted list dates from 2024, so confirm each year's dates.

Do West Virginia escort drivers need certification?

No certification requirement appears in 157CSR5 6.14, WVDOH's Permit Information sheet or its FAQ, and carriers may escort their own loads if the vehicle meets the equipment rules. Those rules are specific: a vehicle over 2,000 lb and under 26,001 lb GVWR, an amber light visible 500 ft, OVERSIZE LOAD signs, two flags and, for hire, a radio, extinguishers and a STOP/SLOW paddle.

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. WVDOH Oversize/Overweight Hauling Permits
  3. WVDOH Permit Types
  4. WVDOH Legal Size and Weight Limits
  5. WVDOH Order Permits
  6. WVDOH Hauling Permits FAQ
  7. WVDOH Permit Information sheet (rev. 3-17-2023)
  8. WVDOH High Travel Days, Events and Other Restrictions (1/1/2024)
  9. WVDOH Weight and Clearance Restrictions (2017)
  10. WVDOH Selected Routes for annual blanket permits (2-10-2017)
  11. WVDOH Selected Routes for timber blanket permits (5/19/2022)
  12. WVDOH notice: Annual blanket permit changes (March 17, 2014)
  13. WVDOH Construction List (Nov. 7, 2017)
  14. WVDOH Policy DOH 2.14 Special Hauling Permits (rev. 02/08/2023)
  15. WVDOH Gross Weight Limit map (2005 file)
  16. WVDOH Vehicle Size Map (October 2008)
  17. W. Va. Code Chapter 17C, Article 17
  18. W. Va. Code 17C-17-11, permits for excess size and weight
  19. W. Va. Code 17C-17-12 Restricting use of highways
  20. 2024 Enrolled Committee Substitute for HB 5583 (17C-17-11(f))
  21. W. Va. Code Chapter 17C, Article 17A (coal resource transportation)
  22. W. Va. Code 17C-15-14 Lamp or flag on projecting load
  23. W. Va. Code 2-2-1 Legal holidays (amended 2026 SB 793)
  24. 157CSR5 Traffic and Safety Rules, rule history
  25. 157CSR5 amendment, agency-approved Jul 30, 2026 (full text)
  26. 157CSR5 notice of comment period (Jun 29, 2026)
  27. WV Parkways Authority toll rates
  28. WV Parkways Authority: Get to Know the Turnpike
  29. WV Parkways Authority contact information
  30. WV Secretary of State rules list, Parkways Authority (Title 184)
  31. Virginia DMV Form MP 227 (rev. Aug 14, 2026)
  32. WVDOH Coal Resource Transportation System (CRTS)
  33. WVDOH CRTS maps and directories
  34. Notice retiring the older multi-state permit site WVDOH pages still cite

Scheduling an oversize load through West Virginia?

Width sets the days here, from seven-day travel up to 14 ft to a Sunday-morning window over 16 ft. Give us the dimensions, weight and both ends of the move, and we will build the schedule around WVDOH's windows, the Turnpike and any bridge monitor.

  • 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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