Iowa

Iowa Oversize Permits & Escorts Information

Do you need oversize load permits in the state of Iowa? Find out the maximum width and weight allowed on Iowa highways, the legal operating times, the oversize load signage rules, and when Iowa requires pilot cars. The following data is for informational purposes only. We are not a permit service, do not arrange permits for carriers, and do not answer permit and escort requirement questions.

Oversize Load Limits

Maximum load sizes before a permit is required:

• Length: 53′
• Width: 8’6″
• Height: 13’6″
• Weight: 80,000 lbs gross

Permits

Iowa oversize permits are valid for five days. Permits are required prior to entering the state. For more information, visit the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Legal Operating Times

• Continuous 24/7 travel allowed for vehicles up to 100′ long, 11′ wide, 14’6″ high with permissible axle limits, provided travel occurs on a roadway with a minimum width of 22′ and a minimum lane width of 11′. Safety lighting required.
• One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, including Saturday and Sunday, for larger loads than listed above.
• Restricted travel on major holidays (No travel on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day or afternoons on days preceding these holidays and holiday weekends that include holidays falling on Monday, except as provided for in Iowa Code 321.457.)
• Travel prohibited on Des Moines I-235 from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Other Des Moines highway may be included under the curfew during heavy traffic.

Pilot Cars & Escort Vehicles

Escort vehicle or pilot car required for heavy-haul or oversize loads if:

• The length is between 80′ and 100′. (Revolving lights required.)
• The length is over 120′. (One rear required.)
• The width is over 12′. (On on primary roads, one front required.)
• The width is over 14′. (On two-lane roads, one rear required.)
• The width is over 14’6″. (On four-lane roads, one rear required.)
• The width is over 16′. (On Interstate highways, one escort or lights required.)
• The height is over 14’4″. (One front with height pole required.)
• The weight is over 80,000 lbs. (Amber lights required.)
• The overhang exceeds 10′. (Flashing lights required.)

Pilot Car and Escort Vehicle Requirements

The pilot cars and escort vehicles must be approximately the size of a normal passenger car or pickup and must have an amber revolving light. The light must be at least 7″ tall and 7″ in diameter, with at least a 100-candlepower lamp or strobe light providing 360-degree warning, mounted on top of the escort vehicle. An 18″ square red flag must be placed on each corner of the front bumper of the vehicle. Drivers must be at least 18 years old, possess a valid Class A, B, C or D driver’s license, and carry proof of public liability insurance in the amounts of $100,000/$200,000/$50,000.

Oversize Load Sign Requirements

“OVERSIZE LOAD” signs and flags are required when a load exceeds 75′ in length, 8’6″ in width, and/or 14’4″ in height or when a rear overhang exceeding 4′. Flags should be mounted at each front corner of the cab, at each rear corner of the load, and at any wide points of the load. An amber revolving light at least 7″ tall and 7″ in diameter is required whenever the length exceeds 85′, the front overhang exceeds 25′, the rear overhang exceeds 10′, or the weight exceeds 80,000 lbs. An escort may be used in lieu of amber light.

The data on this page is for informational purposes only, and we do not guarantee its accuracy.