Illinois Oversize Permits Agency and Overweight Permit Regulations
Illinois Oversize/Overweight permit is required when a vehicle or its load exceeds the state feets legal size or weight limits and needs to travel on public highways. These permits ensure compliance with safety standards and protect road infrastructure.
Our comprehensive Illinois oversize permits information covers legal dimension limits, routine permit thresholds, escort vehicle requirements, designated operating hours, and restricted travel zones. Whether you need an Illinois overweight permit, an Illinois temporary registration permit (TRP), or a 7 day permit Illinois online, we help you with all Illinois oversize regulations and assist with Illinois TRP, drive away permit Illinois, and Illinois 7-day permit processing ensuring fast, reliable, and fully compliant solutions for your transport needs.
Illinois Oversize Permits Phone Number: 630-222-5770
If you need Illinois Oversize or Overweight Permits, Chicago Permit is ready to assist. Our team helps you move your load legally and efficiently by securing the correct permits. Additionally, we provide detailed guidance on Illinois highway width limits, legal load limits, and pilot car requirements based on your load’s dimensions.
Illinois Oversize Regulations
Illinois Legal Dimension Limit
Legal Dimensions for Trucking in Illinois:
- Legal Length in Illlinois:
On designated highways, the legal limit for a semi-trailer is 53 feet.
On non-designated routes, the total vehicle length must not exceed 65 feet.
The distance from the kingpin to the center of the rear axle must not go beyond 45 feet 6 inches—any excess requires a special permit. - Legal overhang allowances include:
Up to 3 feet at the front
Up to 4 feet at the rear
Greater rear overhang may be permitted only if the overall legal length is not exceeded. - Width: The maximum legal width is:
8 feet 6 inches on designated highways
8 feet on non-designated highways - Height: The standard maximum vehicle height is 13 feet 6 inches statewide.
Illinois Legal Weight Limit
The maximum allowable gross vehicle weight on Illinois highways is 80,000 pounds, subject to axle configurations:
- Single Axle: Up to 20,000 pounds
- Tandem Axle Group: Up to 34,000 pounds
- Tridem Axle Group: Up to 42,500 pounds
These limits apply under normal conditions for both state and federal highways unless otherwise specified by a permit.
Illinois Routine Limit
Illinois Oversize and Overweight Limits
- Maximum Dimensions:
Length: Up to 145 feet
Width: Up to 14 feet 6 inches
Height: Maximum 15 feet, with a minimum of 3 inches of clearance required beneath overhead structures.
Important: Travel on interstate highways is prohibited for heights exceeding 15 feet 9 inches.
For heights of 16 feet or more, a detailed route survey must be completed prior to movement.
- Maximum Axle Weights With Overweight Permit in Illinois:
Single Axle: Up to 24,000 pounds
Tandem Axle: Up to 48,000 pounds
Tridem Axle: Up to 60,000 pounds
(Note: In tridem axle groupings, each individual axle must not carry more than 21,000 pounds.)
Quad Axle: Permitted up to 60,000 pounds on a standard permit, or up to 100,000 pounds with a superload permit. - Superload Classifications: A load is considered a superload in Illinois when it exceeds the following thresholds:
With 5 axles:
If the combined weight of the vehicle and its load goes over 100,000 pounds, and/or
Tandem axles exceed 44,000 pounds - With 6 or more axles:
If the overall gross weight exceeds 120,000 pounds, and/or
If the total weight supported by any axle group surpasses 48,000 pounds
Pusher or lift axle configurations: The difference in load between the axles within the group must not be more than 2,000 pounds. - Engineering Review:
Loads wider than 16 feet or taller than 17 feet may require inspection by a district or field engineer.
For loads exceeding 17 feet in height, all affected utility companies must be contacted in advance, and applicants must submit written documentation along with the application - Permit Exemptions in Illinois: No oversize permit is required for the following situations:
Vehicles transporting structural items such as poles, pipes, beams, or culverts that do not exceed 80 feet in load length or 100 feet overall, if operated during daylight hours Monday through Friday.
Farm tractors and implements of husbandry may be transported without a permit during daylight hours, including weekends, when the only violation is width. - A permit is still required if:
The load exceeds 13 feet 6 inches in height, or
The vehicle/load is overweight.
Illinois oversize permits validity period
To operate legally in Illinois, commercial carriers must secure the appropriate permits based on vehicle size, weight, and registration status. Below is a detailed guide to the validity of all key Illinois trucking permits, including oversize, overweight, superload, IRP, IFTA, TRP, and temporary trip and fuel permits.
- Illinois Oversize Permits: These are valid for 5 consecutive calendar days and required for vehicles or loads exceeding legal dimensions such as height, width, or length.
- Illinois Overweight Permit: These are valid for 5 consecutive calendar days and required when the weight exceeds legal axle or gross vehicle limits.
- Illinois Superload Permit: This permit is valid for 5 calendar days (May vary depending on load specifics). It required for exceptionally large or heavy loads that exceed routine oversize/overweight limits.
- Illinois Temporary Registration Permit (TRP): TRP valid for 90 days. This temporary plate allows a vehicle to be operated without permanent registration while awaiting IRP or other formal registration.
- Drive Away Permit Illinois: This permit is valid for 7 days and allows dealers or transporters to move an unregistered vehicle for delivery, display, or service.
OPERATING TIME ILLINOIS:
In Illinois, vehicles operating under oversize/overweight permits are subject to specific operating hours based on their dimensions:
- Loads up to 12 feet wide, 13 feet 6 inches high, and 200 feet long are permitted to travel 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including nighttime, provided they are accompanied by one civilian escort during nighttime hours.
- Loads up to 14 feet 6 inches wide, 15 feet high, and 200 feet in length may travel seven days a week, but only from 30 minutes before sunrise until 30 minutes after sunset.
For vehicles exceeding the above dimensions, permitted travel is limited to Monday through Friday from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, and Saturday from 30 minutes before sunrise until noon. - Overweight-only loads (with legal dimensions) are typically allowed continuous travel, as long as the permit confirms that the height, width, and length are within legal limits.
RESTRICTED TRAVEL ILLINOIS:
Certain restrictions apply when traveling through specific counties and expressways:
On expressways within Cook County, permitted loads are restricted to a maximum weight of 120,000 pounds, maximum width of 12 feet, and maximum height of 13 feet 6 inches.
Additional restrictions are outlined in the General Provisions B sheets associated with the Illinois permit.
For loads over 14 feet 6 inches wide and up to 16 feet wide, travel is limited to weekdays from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and only within the following counties:
Cook | DuPage | Lake | Kane | Madison | McHenry | Monroe | St. Clair | Will
- Loads wider than 16 feet may be subject to further restrictions, depending on route and time. Moreover, no travel is allowed starting at noon the day before a major holiday or holiday weekend.
Illinois Toll Roads:
Traveling with an oversize or overweight load on Illinois toll roads comes with its own set of limitations:
- The maximum allowed width is generally 10 feet, except in some areas:
Up to 12 feet is allowed near Interstate 80 by the Indiana border and US-51 near the Wisconsin border. - Toll fees depend on gross weight:
80,001 to 104,000 pounds: Approximately $35
104,001 to 120,000 pounds: Roughly $150 - The maximum gross weight allowed on toll roads is 120,000 pounds.
- Vehicles longer than 100 feet require special approval and a permit in advance.
- The maximum height allowed is 14 feet 6 inches; however, loads over 13 feet 6 inches incur an additional charge of $15.
Illinois Escort Requirement
Length-Based Requirements:
- Loads exceeding 110 feet in total length require one escort vehicle.
- If the load is over 145 feet, then three escort vehicles are required.
- For loads extending beyond 200 feet, Illinois State Police escort is mandatory.
Width-Based Requirements:
- Loads wider than 14 feet 6 inches need one escort vehicle.
- For widths greater than 16 feet, three escorts are necessary.
- If the load is wider than 18 feet, State Police must escort the move.
Height-Based Requirements:
- Loads taller than 14 feet 6 inches must be accompanied by one escort vehicle equipped with a height pole.
- Heights exceeding 16 feet require a route survey prior to permit approval, along with one escort vehicle.
- For loads over 18 feet high, two escort vehicles and State Police assistance are required.
Note: If a load exceeds two of the above dimensional limits (length, width, or height), then two escort vehicles are required.
Illinois Banners, Lighting & Flag Requirement
- Flags must be attached to the outermost points of any oversize load or protruding object.
- A vehicle or load that exceeds 10 feet in width, 14 feet 6 inches in height, or 75 feet in length must display inchesOversize Load inches signs.
- Every oversize or overweight load operating under permit must have a functioning amber warning light (oscillating, rotating, or flashing) mounted on the truck.
- The light must be clearly visible from the front and both sides, with a visibility range of at least 500 feet during daylight.
- If the rear view of the light is obstructed or the total length of the load exceeds 80 feet (or 100 feet for combined units), a second amber light must be mounted within 10 feet of the rear of the load, positioned as high as possible.
Additonal Information
Axle Considerations: Lift axles are generally not factored into standard permit approvals. Attachments such as blades, buckets, or counterweights may remain in place.
However, combination loads with separate over-dimensional components (e.g., an overwidth dozer and an overheight backhoe on the same trailer) cannot be permitted together.
Illinois Oversize/Overweight Fee structure
Illinois oversize permit fees vary based on the dimensions of the load and the distance traveled. For example, a load not exceeding 70 feet in length, 10 feet in width, and 14 feet6 inches in height costs $12 for 90 miles, increasing to $21 over 270 miles. Other size categories have different fees, such as loads up to 85, 100, 120 feet in length, with corresponding fee structures. Additionally, permits for loads exceeding legal weights also have associated costs.
- Load Dimensions: The permit fees are tiered based on the length, width, and height of the oversized load.
- Distance Traveled: The cost also increases with the distance the load needs to be moved.
- Additional Fees: Overweight permits may require additional axle-related fees, and superload permits are also available with specific costs.
- Permit Types: Illinois offers single-trip, annual, and company fleet permits.
- Special Permits: Special permits may be required for specific circumstances, such as superloads, with fees ranging from $125 to $400.
- Route Considerations: Route-specific permits may be needed, especially when moving on local roads or certain types of roads.
- Illinois Oversize Permit Fee Structure (Legal Weight Only): Below are the permit fees for over-dimensional vehicles that remain within legal weight limits:
- Category A:
Dimensions: Width 10 feet, Height 14 feet 6 inches, Length 70 feet
Fees:
0–90 miles: $12.00
91–180 miles: $15.00 - Category B:
Dimensions: Width 12 feet, Height 14 feet 6 inches, Length 85 feet
Fees:
0–90 miles: $15.00
91–180 miles: $20.00 - Category C
Dimensions: Width 14 feet, Height 15 feet, Length 100 feet
(For Mobile Homes: Length 85 feet)
Fees:
0–90 miles: $25.00
91–180 miles: $30.00 - Category D
Dimensions: Width 18 feet, Height 16 feet, Length 120 feet
Fees:
0–90 miles: $30.00
91–180 miles: $40.00 - Category E
Dimensions: Width 18 feet, Height 16 feet, Length 120 feet
Fees:
0–90 miles: $50.00
91–180 miles: $75.00
Note: Mobile homes exceeding 85 feet in length are assessed under Category D.
Important: Moves exceeding 16 feet wide or reaching 17 feet wide must undergo a District Review, which may require up to 10 additional business days (ref. 554.505).
Round Trip and Supplement Details
To calculate round-trip fees, double the one-way mileage and use that distance to determine the appropriate category rate. For both round-trip and one-way moves, a supplement fee of $5.00 applies, plus any added charges for extended mileage.
For superload overweight applications, a non-refundable $50.00 application fee is also required.
In the case of repeated trips, subtract $4.00 for each additional move beyond the first.
Maximum Axle and Gross Weight Guidelines
| Configuration | Gross Weight | Front Axle Group | Rear Axle Group |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6+ Axles | 88,000 lbs | 34,000 lbs (2 axles) | 48,000 lbs (3 axles) |
| 6+ Axles | 100,000 lbs | 44,000 lbs (2 axles) | 54,000 lbs (3 axles) |
| 6+ Axles | 110,000 lbs | 44,000 lbs (2 axles) | 54,000 lbs (3 axles) |
| 6+ Axles | 120,000 lbs | 48,000 lbs (2 axles) | 60,000 lbs (3 axles) |
| 5 Axles | 88,000 lbs | 44,000 lbs (2 axles) | 44,000 lbs (2 axles) |
| 5 Axles | 100,000 lbs | 48,000 lbs (2 axles) | 48,000 lbs (2 axles) |
Distance-Based Fee Schedule (According to Miles Traveled)
| Distance | 88,000 lbs | 100,000 lbs | 110,000 lbs | 120,000 lbs | 5 Axles (88,000) | 5 Axles (100,000) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–45 miles | $10.00 | $15.00 | $20.00 | $30.00 | $20.00 | $30.00 |
| 46–90 miles | $12.50 | $25.00 | $32.50 | $55.00 | $32.50 | $55.00 |
| 91–135 miles | $15.00 | $35.00 | $45.00 | $80.00 | $45.00 | $80.00 |
| 136–180 miles | $17.50 | $45.00 | $57.50 | $105.00 | $57.50 | $105.00 |
| 181–225 miles | $20.00 | $55.00 | $70.00 | $130.00 | $70.00 | $130.00 |
| 226–270 miles | $22.50 | $65.00 | $82.50 | $155.00 | $82.50 | $155.00 |
| 271–315 miles | $25.00 | $75.00 | $95.00 | $180.00 | $95.00 | $180.00 |
| 316–360 miles | $27.50 | $85.00 | $107.50 | $205.00 | $107.50 | $205.00 |
| 361–405 miles | $30.00 | $95.00 | $120.00 | $230.00 | $120.00 | $230.00 |
| 406–450 miles | $32.50 | $105.00 | $132.50 | $255.00 | $132.50 | $255.00 |
| 451–495 miles | $35.00 | $115.00 | $145.00 | $280.00 | $145.00 | $280.00 |
Note: Fees listed above cover vehicles up to 15 feet in height, 145 feet in length, and 12 feet in width.
Loads exceeding 12 feet wide incur an extra $15.00.
For those exceeding 15 feet in height, 145 feet in length, or 14 feet 6 inches in width, additional charges from Table 3 and a $50.00 application fee (if overweight) will apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
The cost of an oversize permit in Illinois varies depending on the dimensions and weight of the load. For example, permits for loads exceeding legal dimensions or weights typically start at $15.
Legal dimensions for loads in Illinois are 8’6″ wide, 13’6″ high, and 65′ overall length. Loads exceeding these dimensions require a permit.
Oversize loads are restricted to a maximum speed of 45 mph.
Legal loads in Illinois must adhere to the following limits:
Width: 8 feet 6 inches
Height: 13eet 6 inches
Length: 65 feet overall
Weight: 80,000lbs gross.
Overweight permits in Illinois are priced based on the weight and axle configuration. For example, permits for loads exceeding 80,000lbs gross weight start at $15.
Illinois oversize permits can be obtained online through our website chicagopermit.net or by calling us at 630-222-5770
Requirements include load dimensions, weight, axle spacing, and route details.
The official provisions can be found through our website chicagopermit.net available online.
The phone number for assistance is 630-222-5770.
Oversize permits in Illinois typically start at $15, depending on the load’s specifications.
