The California answer
Legal limits
First escort trigger
- Width
- over 10'rev. · read · lowest across road classes
- Height
- 17' or morerev. · read · lowest across road classes
- Length
- over 85'rev. · read · lowest across road classes
- Rear overhang
- over 25'rev. · read
- Gross weight
- No trigger published
What the paper costs
- Single-trip base
- $16 · caveat ↓rev. · read
- Transaction / card
- 2.3% of the total · caveat ↓rev. · read
- How overweight is priced
- Included in the base permit feerev. · read
- Superload above
- The state publishes none
The short version: a California single-trip permit starts at $16 before bands, overweight and the transaction charge; an escort is first required at over 10' wide; and the load becomes a superload at a gross weight the state does not publish. Everything below carries the California document it came from, that document's own revision date, and the date we read it.
1. Where the load goes next
The jurisdictions this one borders, each chip carrying the fact that decides whether that crossing is the expensive one — so the row is itself a small comparison. A multi-state lane is the actual job, and from here it is one click per state rather than a return to an alphabetical index.
2. California legal limits
Anything over one of these needs a permit. Every value links to the document that sets it.
| Measure | Legal limit |
|---|---|
| Width | 8'6"rev. · read secondary hostCVC §35100; Caltrans permit pages express the same figure as 8 ft 6 in. |
| Height | 14'undated document · read CVC §35250: "No vehicle or load shall exceed a height of 14 feet." A double-deck bus may reach 14 ft 3 in, and a load over 13 ft 6 in may travel only on routes the owner has determined are safe — neither is modelled, because a quote does not collect the body style and the route determination is the owner's. |
| Semitrailer length | Not yet covered |
| Overall length | None published |
| Kingpin to rear axle | 40'undated document · read Caltrans states the same 40 ft figure for BOTH networks, which is why this is one row and not two: on California Legal routes "the kingpin-to-rearmost-axle (KPRA) distance of the semitrailer does not exceed 40 feet for semitrailers having two or more axles, or 38 feet for semitrailers having one axle", and on STAA routes (National Network and Terminal Access) §35401.5(a)(1) reads "The semitrailer is not more than 53 feet in length, with two or more rear axles and a maximum 40' KPRA, or with a single axle and a maximum 38-foot KPRA." The KPRA threshold does not vary by network; the semitrailer LENGTH cap does, which is why `trailerLengthIn` stays empty. |
| Front overhang | None published |
| Rear overhang | None published |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbundated document · read CVC §35551 table: "Vehicle Combination | 80,000 pounds". 80,000 lb is the maximum the table REACHES — at 45 ft of axle spacing on six axles, 51 ft on five, or 57 ft on four — not a flat allowance at any spacing. The federal bridge formula is checked separately in `bridgeFormula.ts`. |
| Single axle | 20,000 lbundated document · read CVC §35550(a); 10,500 lb per wheel-end. |
| Tandem axle | 34,000 lbundated document · read CVC §35551(a) table, the row for an axle group with less than 8 ft 6 in between outer axles. §35551(b) allows two consecutive tandems at 34,000 lb each when they are 36 ft or more apart, combined not over 68,000 lb. |
3. The California escort ladder
Not one number per dimension — the whole staircase. Each row is a condition the state actually publishes, what it requires when that condition holds, and the clause it comes from. Where a rule requires escorts and the source states no number, the row says that in the source's own words rather than reporting no requirement.
| When | What is required | Source |
|---|---|---|
| the road is “ca brown” and width from 10' (exclusive) to 12' | 1 certified escort1 in front |
pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort t…rev. · read |
| the road is “ca blue” and width from 11' (exclusive) to 13' | 1 certified escort1 in front |
pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort t…rev. · read |
| the road is “ca brown” and width from 12' (exclusive) to 15' | 2 certified escorts1 in front1 behind |
pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort t…rev. · read |
| will the move use opposing lanes at any point on the route? or will the load slow while crossing any structure on the route? | Escorts required; the source states no number. Published as: “CHP Escort is required when: 1: Opposing lanes are used. 2: Slowing while crossing structure(s).”Cannot be reduced to a number: A CHP escort is required on any route colour when opposing lanes are used or when the load slows while crossing a structure. Whether this move does either is a routing judgement no dimension answers, so it must be settled with the Caltrans district permit office and CHP. |
pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort t…rev. · read |
| the road is “ca green” and width from 12' (exclusive) to 14' | 1 certified escort1 in front |
pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort t…rev. · read |
| the road is “ca yellow” and width from 12' (exclusive) to 15' | 1 certified escort1 behind |
pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort t…rev. · read |
| the road is “ca blue” and width from 13' (exclusive) to 15' | 2 certified escorts1 in front1 behind |
pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort t…rev. · read |
| the road is “ca green” and width from 14' (exclusive) to 15' | 2 certified escorts1 in front1 behind |
pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort t…rev. · read |
| the road is “ca yellow” and width over 16' or overall length over 185' or the road is “ca green” and width over 15' or overall length over 185' or the road is “ca blue” or “ca brown” and width over 15' or overall length over 135' or height of 17' or more | Escorts required; the source states no number. Published as: “CHP ESCORT TABLE”Cannot be reduced to a number: California requires a CHP escort for this move. Neither the pilot-car legend nor the CHP escort table states how many CHP units are required or where they ride, and no CHP hourly or per-mile escort rate is published by chp.ca.gov, dot.ca.gov or 21 CCR — the $50 per hour figure in 21 CCR §1411.3(c)(4) is for Caltrans traffic-operations staff, not for the Highway Patrol. The permittee schedules the escort directly with CHP (FAQ Q7). No police-escort amount is included in the permit total and none can be estimated from published sources. |
pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort t…rev. · read |
| the road is “ca yellow” and width from 15' (exclusive) to 16' | 2 certified escorts1 in front1 behind |
pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort t…rev. · read |
| rear overhang over 25' | 1 certified escort1 behind |
"The pilot car follows the escorted vehicle o…rev. · read |
| the road is “ca brown” and overall length over 85' | 1 certified escort |
pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort t…rev. · read |
| the road is “ca blue” and overall length over 100' | 1 certified escort |
pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort t…rev. · read |
| the road is “ca yellow” or “ca green” and overall length over 120' | 1 certified escort |
pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort t…rev. · read |
The first trigger in each dimension
| Measurement | First escort trigger | First police escort trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Width | over 10'rev. · read · varies by road class | None published |
| Height | 17' or morerev. · read · varies by road class | None published |
| Length | over 85'rev. · read · varies by road class | None published |
| Rear overhang | over 25'rev. · read | None published |
| Gross weight | None published | None published |
The same rules restated in plain sentences23 rules
- Yellow route (multilane freeway/expressway), over 12 ft up to 15 ft wide — one pilot car, following — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- Yellow route, over 15 ft up to 16 ft wide — two pilot cars, one leading and one following — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- Green route (two-lane, 12 ft lanes with a 4 ft or wider shoulder), over 12 ft up to 14 ft wide — one pilot car, leading — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- Green route, over 14 ft up to 15 ft wide — two pilot cars, one leading and one following — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- Blue route (two-lane, 12 ft lanes with a 0–4 ft shoulder, or multilane with substandard lanes), over 11 ft up to 13 ft wide — one pilot car, leading — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- Blue route, over 13 ft up to 15 ft wide — two pilot cars, one leading and one following — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- Brown route (two-lane with 11 ft or 10 ft lanes), over 10 ft up to 12 ft wide — one pilot car, leading — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- Brown route, over 12 ft up to 15 ft wide — two pilot cars, one leading and one following — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- Two pilot cars are required by the table at this width, but the legend’s own Note 1 caps the count at one below 15 ft — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- Yellow or green route, over 120 ft long — one pilot car — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- Blue route, over 100 ft long — one pilot car — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- Brown route, over 85 ft long — one pilot car — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- Rear overhang over 25 ft — one pilot car, following, on every route colour — "The pilot car follows the escorted vehicle on conventional highways having four or more lanes" rev. · read
- Red route — movement is restricted and governed by the Red Route Summary Table — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- CHP escort required — over 16 ft wide on yellow, over 15 ft wide on green/blue/brown, over 185 ft long on yellow/green, over 135 ft long on blue/brown, or 17 ft or higher on blue/brown — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- CHP escort is also required whenever opposing lanes are used or the load slows while crossing a structure — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- Over 14 ft wide or over 135 ft long — Caltrans bills a $50.00 per hour special service charge whose hours are not knowable in advance — §1411.3(a) permit fees; (b)–(d) the $50/hour special service charge; subsection (a) amended filed 1-12-93, operative 2-15-93 (Register 93, No. 3) rev. · read
- Heavy or side-by-side configurations also draw the $50 per hour charge, and the configuration is not collected on a quote — §1411.3(a) permit fees; (b)–(d) the $50/hour special service charge; subsection (a) amended filed 1-12-93, operative 2-15-93 (Register 93, No. 3) rev. · read
- California does not require a height pole at any height — overhead clearance is the permittee’s own responsibility — "Height poles will not be a Caltrans requirement."; route-colour definitions rev. · read
- Over 17 ft high — the applicant must supply a written route survey — Q2 fee table; Q7 CHP scheduling; Q11 permitted axle maxima; Q14 variance processing and the >17 ft route survey rev. · read
- Over 10 ft wide — weekday curfews apply in the Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco areas — item 6 (permittee checks clearances); item 18 (over-10 ft curfews); item 19 (warning signs) rev. · read
- A pilot car is also required on dashed routes when the kingpin-to-rear-axle distance exceeds 38 ft, and which segments are dashed is a property of the district map — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2 rev. · read
- California’s 40 ft kingpin limit drops to 38 ft for a single-axle semitrailer, and a city or county may restrict it to 38 ft on its own highways — §35400(b)(4) KPRA 40 ft / 38 ft; §35401.5(a)(1) STAA semitrailer 48 ft in exclusive combination and 53 ft with the KPRA condition; §35401(e)–(f) and §35401.1 on local restriction of KPRA to no less than 38 ft undated document · read
4. California single-trip permit fees
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Single-trip base | $16rev. · read FAQ Q2 fee table: Single Trip $16 (7 consecutive days), Annual $90 (1 year), Repetitive $90 (max 90 days). |
| Transaction / card | 2.3% of the totalrev. · read "there is a 2.3% charge for all transactions", processed through the Elavon hosted payment page. It applies to card payments; the instructions describe it under "Credit Card selected as the Payment Method" and do not state that a cheque or billing-account payment avoids it, so that is an implication and not a recorded rule. Payment is due within 6 business hours of conditional approval for a single trip. |
| Route analysis review | Not yet covered |
| Route with no bridges | Not yet covered |
5. How California prices overweight
Included in the base permit fee. The Caltrans FAQ fee table lists one single-trip price and no weight-dependent row. FAQ Q11 gives the permitted axle maxima — single axle 20,000 lb generally and never over 30,000 lb, tandem up to 46,725 / 58,406 / 60,000 lb by spacing, tyres and width, tridem 51,450 / 52,500 lb — as ALLOWANCES, not as fee steps.
There is no weight schedule to print, and under this model there is not supposed to be one.
6. California seasonal posting windows
A permit priced against an unposted-road assumption in March is simply wrong, and wrong in the expensive direction. This is the window we watch, the basis for that window in the state's own orders or statute, and the authority that posts it.
California is not in the seasonal-restriction registry, so we hold no posting window for it and are not inventing one.
7. California's superload threshold
Above one of these, the state stops issuing over the counter and prices the move after an engineering review.
| Trigger | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Gross weight | None published |
| Width | over 15'undated document · read "Variance Permit - vehicles greater than 15'-0" wide, 17'-0" high, and 135'-0" long". A variance is applied for at least 30 days ahead, addressed to the Variance Coordinator, with inspection reports, manufacturer's engineering justification and a drawing of the item. |
| Height | over 17'undated document · read |
| Length | over 135'undated document · read |
| Short axle spacing | Not yet covered |
8. Route survey and bridge review
The dimensions at which California triggers a physical route inspection or an engineering review, and what the agency charges to review it.
| Measurement | Inspection / review trigger |
|---|---|
| Width | Not yet covered |
| Height | over 17'rev. · read FAQ Q14: "Written route surveys are required from the applicant for heights greater than 17 feet." Permit Conditions item 6 makes clearance-checking the permittee's duty for any load over the legal height, but does not require a formal survey below 17 ft. |
| Length | Not yet covered |
9. Police escorts
Charges exist and no schedule is published. No CHP hourly or per-mile escort rate exists in chp.ca.gov, dot.ca.gov or 21 CCR. The $50 per hour in 21 CCR §1411.3(c)(4) is Caltrans traffic-operations staff — a different agency and a different service — and must not be read as a trooper rate.
This is a positive finding: we searched and there is nothing to quote. It is not the same as "no police escort is ever required here".
10. When you can move it
Holiday, curfew and night-travel windows are not yet encoded for California. The seasonal picture — which is a different question — is in section 6 above.
Why those windows are absent rather than estimated
They are not guessed at here. What we do publish is the seasonal weight-restriction picture, with the date we last read each state's own bulletin — a curfew invented from a plausible pattern is worth less than an honest gap, because a reader cannot tell the two apart on the page.
11. Permit office
The agency behind each figure above is linked from that figure. We publish no per-state permit-office phone number.
Why there is no phone number here
We are not publishing per-state permit-office phone numbers yet, and the reason is worth stating: the two seed lists available for them are both demonstrably stale — the federal one gives two different states the same phone number — and a wrong number on a page like this costs somebody a morning. The agency behind each figure above is linked from that figure, which is the part we can stand behind today.
12. What this does not include
Named rather than gestured at, because each of these can exceed the permit itself. Every item is listed; open one for why it is excluded.
Line haul, fuel and driver time
This is a permit fee, not a freight rate.
Civilian pilot car rates
We hold no rate data, and the two commercial sites that publish market rates disagree by nearly a factor of two on the same service.
Route-survey engineering
The agency's review fee is shown where the state publishes one; the engineer's own fee is a private cost with no schedule.
Bonds and escrow
Set per move by the agency, and in at least one state the escort is billed at actual cost against it.
Utility coordination and line lifts
Arranged with each utility, priced by each utility.
Second-issuer permits
A toll, bridge or city authority inside the same state issues its own permit, and a state total that omits it is missing a whole permit.
Need a pilot car for this lane? Browse the pilot car & escort directory.
13. Every source behind this page (16)
Every document behind California16 sources
- 21 Cal. Code Regs. §1411.3 (via Cornell LII — SECONDARY source) — Cornell Legal Information Institute, reproducing 21 CCR — §1411.3(a) permit fees; (b)–(d) the $50/hour special service charge; subsection (a) amended filed 1-12-93, operative 2-15-93 (Register 93, No. 3)
rev. · read secondary host - Cal. Veh. Code §35100 (via Justia — SECONDARY source) — Justia, reproducing the California Vehicle Code — "The total outside width of any vehicle or its load shall not exceed 102 inches"; Stats. 1988, Ch. 1452
rev. · read secondary host - Cal. Veh. Code §35400 (via Public.Law — SECONDARY source) — Public.Law, reproducing the California Vehicle Code — §35400(a) 40 ft single-vehicle cap; §35400(b)(4) the kingpin-to-rearmost-axle exemption; §35400(c) "effective January 1, 1987"
undated document · read secondary host - Cal. Veh. Code §35550 (via California Public Law — SECONDARY source) — Public.Law, reproducing the California Vehicle Code — "any one axle of a vehicle shall not exceed 20,000 pounds"
undated document · read secondary host - Caltrans — Apply for a Single Trip Permit — California Department of Transportation — "Single trip permits are $16 for each trip completed."
undated document · read - Caltrans — CTPS Credit Card Payment Instructions (PDF) — California Department of Transportation — "there is a 2.3% charge for all transactions"
rev. · read - Caltrans — Legal Truck Access: Height (CVC §35250) — California Department of Transportation
undated document · read - Caltrans — Legal Truck Access: Vehicle Lengths (CVC §§35400–35401) — California Department of Transportation — §35400(b)(4) KPRA 40 ft / 38 ft; §35401.5(a)(1) STAA semitrailer 48 ft in exclusive combination and 53 ft with the KPRA condition; §35401(e)–(f) and §35401.1 on local restriction of KPRA to no less than 38 ft
undated document · read - Caltrans — Legal Truck Access: Weight Limitation (CVC §§35550–35558) — California Department of Transportation
undated document · read - Caltrans — Single Trip Pilot Car Map Legend, June 2021 (PDF) — California Department of Transportation — pilot-car table by route colour; CHP escort table; Note 1 ("Until width exceeds 15' 0", the maximum number of pilot cars is one"); Note 2
rev. · read - Caltrans — Special Conditions for Pilot Cars (PDF, September 2005) — California Department of Transportation — "The pilot car follows the escorted vehicle on conventional highways having four or more lanes"
rev. · read - Caltrans — Transportation Permit Conditions, December 2025 (PDF) — California Department of Transportation — item 6 (permittee checks clearances); item 18 (over-10 ft curfews); item 19 (warning signs)
rev. · read - Caltrans — Transportation Permits — California Department of Transportation — "Variance Permit - vehicles greater than 15'-0" wide, 17'-0" high, and 135'-0" long"
undated document · read - Caltrans — Transportation Permits FAQ — California Department of Transportation — Q2 fee table; Q7 CHP scheduling; Q11 permitted axle maxima; Q14 variance processing and the >17 ft route survey
rev. · read - Caltrans Transportation Permits Manual, Appendix 19 (PDF, 1990) — California Department of Transportation — "Height poles will not be a Caltrans requirement."; route-colour definitions
rev. · read - Caltrans Transportation Permits Manual, Chapter 4 - Variances (revised 1 August 2017) — California Department of Transportation — PRIMARY, dot.ca.gov. Sec. 405 Fees: "The total cost to Caltrans for issuing a variance permit controls the permit fee, as stated in Section 35795 of the California Vehicle Code." Sec. 400.2 states when a variance is required; Sec. 401.6 the SM&I structure review.
rev. · read
Questions
How much is an oversize permit in California?
The single-trip base is $16, before the dimension bands, the overweight component and the transaction charge. The base alone is rarely what is paid.
When does California require a pilot car?
The first width trigger is over 10', and it varies by road class — the figure shown is the lowest across classes.
What is a superload in California?
California publishes no gross-weight superload threshold in the documents on file — see the superload section, which shows the dimensional triggers it does publish.