New York

Central Permit Office
50 Wolf Road, First Floor
Albany, NY 12232
PHONE: (518) 485-2999 or (888) 783-1685

Hours of Business

7:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Eastern time)

Escorts

ESCORT REQUIREMENTS BY WIDTH

12'1" to 13'11" wide

  • 1 Front escort needed on 2-lane highways.
  • 1 Rear escort required on highways with more than 2 lanes

14'0" to 15'11" wide

  • In addition to the above, no travel in business districts between 7-9AM and 4-6PM.

16'0" wide

  • Front and Rear escort vehicles on all routes.
  • No travel in business districts between 7-9AM and 4-6PM.
  • Route survey required.

Over 16'0" wide

  • In addition to above, a third certified escort vehicle (front) is necessary on 2-lane highways

Over 18' wide or greater

  • In addition to the above, a third certified escort vehicle (Front) is necessary on 4-lane highways.

__________

ESCORT REQUIREMENTS BY LENGTH

80'0" to 89'11" long

  • Front escort required on 2-lane highways.
  • Rear escort required on highways of more than 2 lanes.

90'0" to 99'11" long

  • In addition to the above, no travel in business districts between 7-9AM and 4-6PM.

100' long or greater

  • Front and Rear escorts required on all routes.
  • Two Front escorts required on 2-lane highways.
  • Route survey required.
  • No travel New York State between 7-9am and 4-6pm.

160' long or greater

In addition to the above, 2 Front escorts are required on all highways except when approved routes are interstate highways only.

__________

ESCORT REQUIREMENTS BY HEIGHT

14'0" and over

  • In addition to the above, 1 Front escort is required with a height pole.
  • Route survey required.
  • No travel in business districts between 7-9AM and 4-6PM.

15’0” and over

No travel in New York State between 7-9AM and 4-6PM.

__________

NYC Escort Requirements

New York City:

  • 1 Rear escort needed for Width over 11'
  • 1 Rear and 1 Front escort needed for Width over 14'
  • 1 Rear escort needed for Length over 65'
  • 1 High Pole escort needed for Height over 14'
  • Any oversize vehicle crossing over New York City Bridges and going to Long Island at night requires – ( 1 Front and 1 Rear escort or 1 High Pole and 1 Rear escort depending on dimensions )

ESCORT REQUIREMENTS BY OVERHANG

Greater than 10’

  • 1 Rear escort is required when rear overhang is greater than 10’. Rear overhang may not exceed 1/3 of the length of the load, 2/3 of which must rest upon truck or trailer bed.
  • 1 Front escort is required when front overhang is greater than 10’.

Certain tunnels, bridges and locations are subject to specific width, length, height and weight limitations. Please contact ODS for details.

Police escorts

A police escort is required:

  • Whenever a vehicle/load must cross the centerline of a bridge or highway
  • Whenever a vehicle/load must travel the wrong way on a 1-way street or ramp
  • Width of vehicle/load is greater than 16’ on all highways
  • Vehicle/load length is greater than 160’ on all highways
  • Vehicle/load height is 16’ or greater
  • Vehicle/load is at or exceeds 200,000 lbs.

Super loads

Any vehicle or combination of vehicles which exceed 16' wide, 15'11" high, 159'11" long, or 199,000 lbs GVW are considered super loads. They require a bridge review and supplemental paperwork and have additional restrictions and bonding. Allow 2 weeks for approval.

Escort vehicle requirements can differ significantly by state in terms of mandatory driver qualifications, training, certifications, vehicle weights, obligatory signage/flags/lighting, necessary onboard equipment, and more. The ODS team can provide you with all additional requirements specific to your route.

Accessibility Toolbar