MI
Michigan oversize permit rules
What Michigan charges for a single-trip OS/OW permit, the limits that trigger one, and the escort thresholds — read from the state’s own publication. This rule has been in effect since 2022-11-01; we last read the source on 2026-07-10.
Oversize permit
$15
One price for a single-trip permit, whatever the dimensions. A 9-foot-wide load and a 16-foot-wide load pay the same.
Overweight permit
$50
One price for a single-trip overweight permit.
A load that is both oversize and overweight pays this fee only, not both.
+ $20 Permigo service fee per permit, state fees at cost.
Legal limits
Exceed any one of these in Michigan and you need a permit for this state.
| Limit | Interstate | Off-interstate |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 8'6" | 8'0" |
| Height | 13'6" | 13'6" |
| Length | 65'0" | 65'0" |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs | 80,000 lbs |
| Single axle | 18,000 lbs | |
| Tandem axle | 32,000 lbs | |
| Tridem axle | 39,000 lbs | |
| Trailer length | 53'0" |
What the permit costs
Michigan prices a single-trip permit as flat rate. One price for a single-trip permit, whatever the dimensions. A 9-foot-wide load and a 16-foot-wide load pay the same.
Escort requirements
Thresholds by road class. Where two classes differ, the road you are actually on governs.
4+ lane (divided)
| Width | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 12'0" | 1 rear escortOver 12' wide: 1 escort — live provision 23 verbatim: 'Escort vehicle to FOLLOW load on 4 or more lanes. Escort vehicle to PRECEDE load on less than 4 lanes' (this tier: FOLLOW the load on 4 or more lanes). Validated byMetro curfew (live provision 15): permits not valid 7–9 a.m. / 3–6 p.m. in Genesee, Ingham, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Macomb, Muskegon, Oakland, Saginaw (except I-75), Washtenaw, and Wayne counties. |
| Over 14'0" | 1 front escort + 1 rear escortOver 14' wide: front + rear escorts with radio communication (T-3 verbatim for homes; provision 21 requires radio between escorts and the towing vehicle; a 14'0" general load drew only one escort — the threshold is EXCEEDS 14'). Not issued >14' wide in spring weight-restricted zones. |
| Over 16'0" | route survey · superloadOver 16' wide: no routine permit — superload process (T-2 §I): rail/water/go-around alternatives exhausted + written justification on company letterhead + Route Survey Certification Form 2465, received by the Lansing Transport Permit Office ≥10 working days ahead; TSC staff review. |
| Height | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 13'6" | Conditions applyOver 13'6": the applicant must self-verify the route for vertical clearance (T-2 §F: 'all applicants requesting permits in excess of 13 feet 6 inches shall verify that the proposed route has been traveled to assure vertical clearance'); bridge-strike liability is the owner's whether posted or not (MCL 257.719(1)). |
| Over 14'6" | 1 front escort · height pole · route surveyEXACTLY over 14'6" (provision 12 verbatim: 'If height of the vehicle or load exceeds 14\'6", the escort vehicle will be required to have a fixed measuring device set at a height to assure clearance of the load') — the pole rides the front escort; the old '~14'6" |
| Over 15'0" | route survey · superloadOver 15' high: no routine permit — superload process (T-2 §I; Form 2465 + 10 working days). |
| Length | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 90'0" | Marking requiredOver 90' long: NO general length escort is validated to 90' |
| Over 150'0" | route survey · superloadOver 150' overall: no routine permit — superload process (T-2 §I verbatim ceiling; Form 2465 + letterhead + 10 working days). Also the spring-zone cap. |
| Rear overhang | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 4'0" and over | Marking requiredRear overhang: 'Any amount is permissible if the legal length is not exceeded. However, if this overhang is 4 feet or more, there shall be displayed on the extreme rear of such a load a 12-inch red square flag in the daytime and a red light or lantern at night' (T-1 verbatim). Saw-log semis: 6' rear overhang on ≤50' semitrailers (MCL 257.719(3)(b)). |
| Weight | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 150,000 lbs | Travel window appliesOver 150,000 lb: beyond the EXTENDED/annual permit gross cap (T-2 — the old superload flag here was wrong; 150k is a product ceiling, not a superload boundary). Single-trip OW has NO published gross ceiling (450,000+ lb permits are issued): add axles — no axle over 24,000 lb under permit, 700 lb/inch tire cap, bridge review in processing. Permit weight classes key on MICHIGAN axle law (13k/16k/18k), not federal bridge weights.SPRING WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS (frost law, MCL 257.722(8) + zone bulletins): axle loads cut 25% on concrete / 35% elsewhere, wheel caps 525/450 lb-per-inch; NO overweight single-trip permits, no widths >14', >11 axles, or >150' in restricted zones; extended permits go OVERSIZE-ONLY there. 2026 season ran Feb 17 → May 15, imposed/lifted zone-by-zone at mdotjboss.state.mi.us/APSWB (hotline 800-787-8960); frost routes are 'Seasonal' (red) on the Truck Operators Map.Metro curfew (live provision 15): permits not valid 7–9 a.m. / 3–6 p.m. in Genesee, Ingham, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Macomb, Muskegon, Oakland, Saginaw (except I-75), Washtenaw, and Wayne counties. |
2/3 lane (undivided)
| Width | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 12'0" | 1 front escortOver 12' wide: 1 escort — live provision 23 verbatim: 'Escort vehicle to FOLLOW load on 4 or more lanes. Escort vehicle to PRECEDE load on less than 4 lanes' (this tier: PRECEDE the load on fewer than 4 lanes). Validated byMetro curfew (live provision 15): permits not valid 7–9 a.m. / 3–6 p.m. in Genesee, Ingham, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Macomb, Muskegon, Oakland, Saginaw (except I-75), Washtenaw, and Wayne counties. |
| Over 14'0" | 1 front escort + 1 rear escortOver 14' wide: front + rear escorts with radio communication (T-3 verbatim for homes; provision 21 requires radio between escorts and the towing vehicle; a 14'0" general load drew only one escort — the threshold is EXCEEDS 14'). Not issued >14' wide in spring weight-restricted zones. |
| Over 16'0" | route survey · superloadOver 16' wide: no routine permit — superload process (T-2 §I): rail/water/go-around alternatives exhausted + written justification on company letterhead + Route Survey Certification Form 2465, received by the Lansing Transport Permit Office ≥10 working days ahead; TSC staff review. |
| Height | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 13'6" | Conditions applyOver 13'6": the applicant must self-verify the route for vertical clearance (T-2 §F: 'all applicants requesting permits in excess of 13 feet 6 inches shall verify that the proposed route has been traveled to assure vertical clearance'); bridge-strike liability is the owner's whether posted or not (MCL 257.719(1)). |
| Over 14'6" | 1 front escort · height pole · route surveyEXACTLY over 14'6" (provision 12 verbatim: 'If height of the vehicle or load exceeds 14\'6", the escort vehicle will be required to have a fixed measuring device set at a height to assure clearance of the load') — the pole rides the front escort; the old '~14'6" |
| Over 15'0" | route survey · superloadOver 15' high: no routine permit — superload process (T-2 §I; Form 2465 + 10 working days). |
| Length | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 90'0" | Marking requiredOver 90' long: NO general length escort is validated to 90' |
| Over 150'0" | route survey · superloadOver 150' overall: no routine permit — superload process (T-2 §I verbatim ceiling; Form 2465 + letterhead + 10 working days). Also the spring-zone cap. |
| Rear overhang | Requirement |
|---|---|
| 4'0" and over | Marking requiredRear overhang: 'Any amount is permissible if the legal length is not exceeded. However, if this overhang is 4 feet or more, there shall be displayed on the extreme rear of such a load a 12-inch red square flag in the daytime and a red light or lantern at night' (T-1 verbatim). Saw-log semis: 6' rear overhang on ≤50' semitrailers (MCL 257.719(3)(b)). |
| Weight | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 150,000 lbs | Travel window appliesOver 150,000 lb: beyond the EXTENDED/annual permit gross cap (T-2 — the old superload flag here was wrong; 150k is a product ceiling, not a superload boundary). Single-trip OW has NO published gross ceiling (450,000+ lb permits are issued): add axles — no axle over 24,000 lb under permit, 700 lb/inch tire cap, bridge review in processing. Permit weight classes key on MICHIGAN axle law (13k/16k/18k), not federal bridge weights.SPRING WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS (frost law, MCL 257.722(8) + zone bulletins): axle loads cut 25% on concrete / 35% elsewhere, wheel caps 525/450 lb-per-inch; NO overweight single-trip permits, no widths >14', >11 axles, or >150' in restricted zones; extended permits go OVERSIZE-ONLY there. 2026 season ran Feb 17 → May 15, imposed/lifted zone-by-zone at mdotjboss.state.mi.us/APSWB (hotline 800-787-8960); frost routes are 'Seasonal' (red) on the Truck Operators Map.Metro curfew (live provision 15): permits not valid 7–9 a.m. / 3–6 p.m. in Genesee, Ingham, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Macomb, Muskegon, Oakland, Saginaw (except I-75), Washtenaw, and Wayne counties. |
Movement restrictions
| Restriction | In Michigan |
|---|---|
| Night travel | Daylight hours only |
| Weekends | Restricted |
| Holidays | Restricted |
Movement hours (T-2 §H + live MiTRIP provisions, verified 2026-07-10)
| Load | Window |
|---|---|
| OVERWEIGHT-ONLY (legal dims) | 7 days a week, 24 hours a day (live provision 1 — printed on permits, in no published document) |
| Oversize — standard | daylight (±½ hr), Monday–Friday |
| Oversize ≤10′W · ≤14′H · ≤90′L | weekends too: Saturday daylight + Sunday daylight until 3:00 p.m. (select in MiTRIP; not mobile homes) |
| 6 holidays | noon the day before → daylight the day after (mobile homes: noon); Fri/Mon holidays block the whole 3-day weekend |
| 11 metro counties | no movement 7–9 a.m. / 3–6 p.m. (Genesee…Wayne; Saginaw except I-75) |
| Wind / bridges | >25 MPH invalid; Mackinac + 3 other bridges need 24-hr advance contact |
| Spring frost law | 2026: Feb 17 → May 15 by zone — no OW single-trips, ≤14′W / ≤11 axles / ≤150′L in restricted zones; extended permits oversize-only |
Michigan axle-law gross anchors (T-1 05/2024 + HFA, verified 2026-07-10)
| Axles | Legal gross (no permit) |
|---|---|
| 4 axles | 67,500 lb (bridge-formula example) |
| 5 axles | 86,000 lb (18k + 16k/16k designated tandem + 18k + 18k) |
| 8 axles | 109,000 lb (7×13k + 18k) |
| 11 axles (the 'Michigan train') | 164,000 lb — the de-facto maximum; MORE than 11 axles requires a permit |
Where these permits come from
If you file yourself, this is the office you are dealing with. Check the linked page — some states issue OS/OW permits through their highway patrol or revenue department rather than the DOT.
| Michigan permit office | |
|---|---|
| Permit office | (517) 241-8999 |
| Permit portal | MiTRIP (Michigan Transport Routing and Internet Permitting) via the MDOT Permit Gateway (MILogin) — single trips usually issued within 12 business hours (apply ≤7 business days ahead); extended 15–21 business days; superloads 10 working days |
| Information | Official page |
MDOT T-2 (10/2023 · michigan.gov · in effect since 2022-11-01 · source read 2026-07-10. Fees and rules change; the linked document is always the authority.