Kansas Oversize & Overweight Permits for Heavy Haul
Kansas permit rules, legal limits and escort triggers, and how we book heavy haul carriers for moves in and through the state.
Quick answer
Do I need a permit to move an oversize load in Kansas?
Yes, once the load is wider than 8 ft 6 in, taller than 14 ft or heavier than 80,000 lbs on the Interstate (85,500 lbs on other roads). KDOT issues permits through K-TRIPS: a single trip is a flat $40 whether the load is oversize, overweight or both, and superloads over 150,000 lbs cost $200. Kansas has no holiday travel ban.
Updated November 2026 by the Quickway Transports broker team (FMCSA MC# 1245224).
Heavy haul and oversize freight in Kansas
Kansas sits in the middle of the country's freight lanes: I-70 crosses it from Kansas City through Topeka, Salina and Hays to Colorado, I-35 runs from Kansas City through Wichita to Oklahoma, and US 83 and US 50 serve the western plains. Wind turbine components, aircraft parts from Wichita, farm machinery and oil and gas equipment make up much of its oversize freight. We book carriers for moves inside Kansas or across it.
Kansas is unusually open on the calendar: permitted loads can run on any day of the year, holidays among them, in daylight for oversize loads and around the clock for overweight-only ones. The rules that need checking are the city time windows printed on permits, the Kansas Turnpike's own limits, and the live location sharing required on part of US 83.
What are the legal size and weight limits in Kansas?
Under the oversize load regulations in Kansas, a load above any of these limits needs a state oversize or overweight permit.
| Width | 8 ft 6 in |
|---|---|
| Height | 14 ft |
| Semitrailer length | 59 ft 6 in |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs |
| Single axle | 20,000 lbs |
| Tandem axle | 34,000 lbs |
Limits are set by K.S.A. 8-1902 to 8-1909. Off the Interstate the gross weight table runs up to 85,500 lbs, and semitrailers may be 59 ft 6 in long.
Who issues Kansas oversize permits?
KDOT's Central Permitting Office in Topeka issues permits through K-TRIPS, which self-issues most routine requests. A standard single trip permit is valid 7 days for loads up to 16 ft 6 in wide, 126 ft long, 18 ft high and 150,000 lbs, and superloads and large structures always get staff review.
KDOT permits cover state highways, city connecting links and Interstates. Cities and counties may issue their own permits for their roads, and where they do not, no local permit is needed. The Kansas Turnpike runs under its own rules and does not require a KDOT permit.
Permit system: K-TRIPS (Kansas Truck Routing and Intelligent Permitting System)
What do Kansas oversize and overweight permits cost?
- request_quote Single trip permit: $40 for oversize, overweight or both, with no weight or mileage bands.
- request_quote Superload or large structure single trip: $200.
- request_quote Annual permit: $200, for loads up to 16 ft 6 in wide, 126 ft long, 15 ft high and 120,000 lbs.
- request_quote Temporary weight registration for trucks not registered for the load: $46 for 72 hours, ordered with the permit.
- request_quote Escort service providers register with KDOT at no charge, and the Kansas Highway Patrol does not provide escorts.
Worked example: a 145,000 lb, 15 ft wide load across Kansas on I-70
The permit is a flat $40 whatever the distance, since the load stays under the 150,000 lb superload line and the 16 ft 6 in large structure width. At 15 ft wide it needs a front escort, and a rear one unless warning lights and an OVERSIZE LOAD sign go on the back of the load. Another 5,000 lbs would make it a $200 superload.
Kansas pilot car and escort requirements
- local_police Over 14 ft wide: front and rear escorts, though warning lights on the top and back of the load with a rear OVERSIZE LOAD sign can stand in for the rear escort.
- local_police Over 16 ft high: a lead escort whose height pole reaches 3 in above the top of the load, and past 17 ft, advance notice to the utilities.
- local_police Large structures (past 16 ft 6 in wide or 18 ft high): escorts at both ends, who hold side roads and stop traffic at bridges.
- local_police Superloads over 150,000 lbs: front and rear escorts, plus a third when the permit requires slowing at bridges.
- local_police Escort companies renew a free registration in K-TRIPS every year, and their drivers must be trained under a program from a state Kansas recognizes, such as Oklahoma, Colorado or Minnesota.
- local_police Kansas Turnpike: at least one escort for loads over 14 ft wide.
What hours can oversize loads move in Kansas?
- calendar_today Oversize loads move in daylight, while overweight-only loads of legal size can run around the clock except on ice or packed snow.
- calendar_today Weekends and holidays are open: loads may move on any day of the year.
- calendar_today Permits can carry 7 to 9 AM and 4 to 6:30 PM limits in Kansas City, Lawrence, Olathe, Overland Park, Topeka, Wichita and other listed cities, except for pickups and deliveries there.
- calendar_today Kansas Turnpike: past 14 ft wide, travel is limited to 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Thursday, and anything wider than 8 ft 6 in stays off at night.
- calendar_today US 83 from Finney County to Thomas County: any load at least 14 ft wide or 126 ft long must report its position live in KDOT's KanDrive app.
Seasonal weight limits in Kansas
Kansas has no frost law. Cities, counties and KDOT can restrict roads for weather damage once signs are posted, local authorities for up to 90 days a year, and KDOT can put seasonal limits on individual permits. Weather matters more day to day: permitted loads stop in visibility under half a mile, in moderate or heavy rain, sleet, snow, fog or smoke, and on slippery roads, and manufactured homes stop in sustained wind over 30 mph.
Kansas Oversize Load Questions
Permits, escorts and travel rules for oversize moves in Kansas.
How much is a Kansas oversize permit?
Does Kansas allow oversize moves on holidays?
What is a superload in Kansas?
Do I need a KDOT permit for the Kansas Turnpike?
When does a Kansas load need an escort?
Sources
We last checked the figures above against these official sources in October 2026. Before each move, the carrier's permit service confirms the rules in force that day.
- K-TRIPS login page (permits, links to price list, regulations, escort trip report, registered escort providers)
- K-TRIPS Permit Price List (current as of 05/23/2023)
- KDOT Message to Oversize Load Carriers, U.S. 83 location reporting (Aug 2, 2024)
- KDOT Kansas Escort Vehicles FAQ (Oct 2020)
- K.S.A. 8-1902 Width
- K.S.A. 8-1904 Height and length
- K.S.A. 8-1909 Gross weight table
- K.S.A. 8-1911 Permits and fees
- K.S.A. 8-1912 Restrictions by KDOT and local authorities
- K.A.R. 36-1-36 Common requirements
- K.A.R. 36-1-37 Maximum dimensions and gross weights
- K.A.R. 36-1-38 Types of permits
- K.A.R. 36-45-8 Trip procedures (escort triggers)
- Kansas Turnpike Authority Oversized Vehicles page (updated May 2026)
- Kansas Highway Patrol Commercial Vehicle FAQs (sizes, weights, signs, curfews, escorts)
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Heavy Haul Solutions for Oversized and Specialized Loads
Near Kansas: states and services
- Heavy Haul in Oklahoma →Oversize moves in and through Oklahoma: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Norman and the OK permit rules.
- Heavy Haul in Nebraska →Oversize moves in and through Nebraska: Omaha, Lincoln, Grand Island and the NE permit rules.
- Heavy Haul in Colorado →Oversize moves in and through Colorado: Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora and the CO permit rules.
- Heavy Haul in Iowa →Oversize moves in and through Iowa: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and the IA permit rules.
- Heavy Equipment Transport →Which trailer, permits and preparation each kind of construction, farm, mining and industrial machine needs.
- Heavy Haul Trucking →Oversize and overweight loads on RGN, step-deck and flatbed trailers, with permits, pilot cars and route surveys arranged.