Commercial vehicle permits

Vehicles over legal dimensions and/or weight need a permit before entering the state or moving within the state. Learn how to get a permit to move oversized and overweight loads on state highway systems.

Determine if you need a permit

Determine if you need a permit

You need a permit if you exceed legal dimensions or weight. Permits are only issued to transport loads that cannot be divided. If the load or any part of the load can be reasonably reduced, it must be reduced, and you will not be granted a permit. Legal dimensions are:

  • 8’6” wide, 14’ tall, 53’ length (tractor/trailer)
  • 40’ single unit
  • 75’ overall with a truck and trailer
  • 3’ of front overhang and 15’ of rear overhang.

If you have a heavy load, use the legal weight chart to determine if you need a permit for weight. A set of three overlapping criteria determines the Gross vehicle weight (GVW) for a vehicle or vehicle combination: tire size, axle weight, and the weight table. Calculate your overweight permit fees with our calculator.

Visit the Department of Licensing website for vehicle licensing information including dealer license plates, farm plates, trip permits, border zones, and transporter plates.

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This permit provides Washington State Licensing for three consecutive days to a vehicle in lieu of regular licensing. This allows 40,000 pounds for single vehicle and 80,000 pounds for combination vehicles. No more than three permits are allowed in a 30 day period. Trip permits cannot be used in lieu of tonnage for a vehicle currently licensed in Washington, but can be used to increase current valid tonnage.

A fuel permit is required upon entering the State of Washington if the vehicle is diesel powered and over 26,000 pounds.

Legal semi-trailer length is 53 feet. This permit allows for semi-trailer/load up to 56 feet measured from front of the trailer or load to the rear of the trailer or load, whichever is longer. Load may be divisible or non-divisible. This permit is exempt from:
  • Commuter hour and holiday restrictions
  • Oversize sign requirements
  • Night-time travel restrictions
  • Winter restrictions prohibiting permitted movement when traction tire/devices/chains are advised, recommended or required, but must obey chain requirements.

Double trailer legal length is 61 feet. This permit allows up to 68 feet measured from front of first trailer or load to the end of the last trailer or load, whichever is longer. The load may be divisible or non-divisible. This permit is exempt from:
  • Commuter hour and holiday restrictions
  • Oversize sign requirements
  • Night-time travel restrictions
  • Winter restrictions prohibiting permitted movement when traction tire/devices/chains are advised, recommended or required, but must obey chain requirements.

This permit allows a semi trailer to haul a non-divisible load up to 61 feet measured from the front of the load to the rear of the load. The rear overhang cannot exceed 15 feet measured from the rear trailer axle. This permit is exempt from:
  • Commuter hour and holiday restrictions
  • Oversize sign requirements
  • Night-time travel restrictions
  • Winter restrictions prohibiting permitted movement when traction tire/devices/chains are advised, recommended or required, but must obey chain requirements.

Maximum dimensions allowed: 15 feet wide (14-foot box with 12-inch eaves); 15 feet high; and trailer length of 75 feet including tonnage.

This permit allows for the hauling of empty apple bins up to 15 feet high. This permit can be used in conjunction with the double trailer permit. These permits are not exempt from restrictions. Oversize signs are required. Routes do not guarantee height clearance.

The purpose is to allow the combination to haul short logs and receive a variance from the legal weight chart.
  • Only valid for 3-axle truck and 2-axle pole trailer combinations
  • For the hauling of unprocessed logs only
  • Maximum gross weight not to exceed 74,800 pounds
  • Maximum gross tandem weight not to exceed 33,600 pounds
  • Minimum overall wheelbase of 37 feet

May be permitted for dimensions up to 14 feet wide and/or height of 15 feet and/or 125 trailer/load length.

This permit is an overweight permit for a vehicle with a weight that does not change, such as cranes, cement pumping trucks and well drilling trucks. Fixed loads with 3 axles may be permitted up to 65,000 pounds and fixed loads with 4 axles may be permitted up to 86,000 pounds with appropriate wheelbases and tire sizes. An axle spacing report is required to issue a fixed load permit.

The legal capacity is what the unit is licensed for on the registration. Axle spacing report from Commercial Vehicle Services is required. Dimensions may be added to the permit without additional fees being charged.

This permit is an overweight permit for a vehicle with an oversize and or overweight non-divisible load. An axle spacing report is required to issue this permit (jeeps and boosters are considered part of the semi trailer).

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Pricing

Registration Plan depends on the number of trucks in your fleet. These fees help fund highway safety programs and initiatives. Any money made from these funds is directly distributed to the participating states. This is to help enforce laws, maintain roads, and generally make driving in these states as safe as possible.

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