How to read an Indiana oversize permit
Indiana's permit comes from the Department of Revenue, not the DOT, and runs four pages: truck and load on page 1, a one-line route on page 2, special provisions and the route table on page 3, and the M-204 General Provisions on page 4. Use the table on page 3: each row is one road, the first column is the miles on that road and the last column is the miles from the start.
Issued by the Indiana Department of Revenue, Motor Carrier Services through Indiana Oversize Overweight Permitting System (INOSOWPS). Written from a real permit we read.
How to read the route
The route is the table under ROUTING AND SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS on page 3. Read it top to bottom. In each row, Route is the road you are on, To is what you do at the end of it (merge, take an exit, turn), Miles is how far you drive on that road, and Distance is the running total from the Illinois line. The first row is the start at 0.00 and the last rows are the Ohio line at 165.20.
Columns, left to right: Miles · Route · To · Distance.
What's on each page
- Page 1: Permit number, fee and effective dates; company and vehicle information; load, size, axle weights and spacings; Important Information, which makes the General Provisions part of the permit.
- Page 2: A QR code box for a separate guidance app, then Allowable Travel: Origin, Destination and the whole route on one coded line.
- Page 3: Special Provisions for this trip, then ROUTING AND SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: the route as a table with miles.
- Page 4: Form M-204 General Provisions: signs, flags, lights, flagmen, speed, weather, escorts, other provisions, holidays and the Hours of Operation table.
Road names on Indiana permits
| On the permit | Means |
|---|---|
| I-74 East | Interstate 74, eastbound |
| I-465 South | Interstate 465, the loop around Indianapolis, southbound |
| Exit 44B toward I-70 EAST/DAYTON | I-465 exit 44B, signed for I-70 east and Dayton |
| I-70 Ramp North | The ramp from I-465 onto I-70 |
| SR-9 South | Indiana State Road 9, southbound |
| US-40 East | US Highway 40, eastbound |
Where the route starts and ends
Both ends are state lines, written as road, state and the word Line: 'Origin: I-74 IL Line' and 'Destination: US-40 OH Line'. Page 2 writes the same ends in a coded form, ==>I-74;IL;Danville<== and ==>US-40;OH;Richmond<==, which reads as road; neighboring state; nearby town.
Conditions to watch for
Travel hours
Your hours depend on your size. Find your row in the Hours of Operation table on page 4; loads up to 110 ft long, 10 ft wide, 13 ft 6 in high and under 200,000 lbs may travel continuously, 7 days a week.
“Continous travel 7 days a week.”
Holidays
No travel on state highways from noon on the last weekday before New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas until half an hour before sunrise on the day after.
“may not operate on state highways from 12:00 noon the last weekday preceding and continuing until 1/2 hour before sunrise on the day following”
Speed
Over 85 ft long, over 10 ft 6 in wide, or over legal height means 55 mph max. This load is 11 ft 4 in wide, so 55 mph applies.
“Any permitted vehicle over 85' long or 10'6" wide, or above legal height may not exceed 55 miles per hour.”
Escorts
Escorts are needed only over 12 ft 4 in wide, 110 ft long or 14 ft 6 in high. This load is under all three.
“12'4" in width, 110' in length or 14'6" in height”
Signs and flags
OVER-SIZE LOAD signs front and rear, at least 18 inches high and 6 to 8 feet long, black letters on yellow, plus 2 red or orange flags, 18 inches square, at the widest points.
“Oversize Vehicles must be marked on front and rear with a sign reading "OVER-SIZE LOAD."”
Weather
No travel in hazardous weather, road or traffic conditions, when you can see less than 500 feet, or when wind is over 25 mph.
“Permitted vehicles may not operate when wind velocity exceeds 25 miles per hour.”
Fuel stops
You may leave the route for fuel up to half a mile away, as long as you don't go under an underpass to get off or back on.
“Fuel stop must be no more than 1/2 mile from the route traveled.”
Easy to miss
- The route is printed twice: as one coded line on page 2 (Allowable Travel) and as a table on page 3. They are the same roads; the table adds the miles.
- In the table, the first column (Miles) is the miles for that row only and the last column (Distance) is the running total. The last rows repeat 165.20 because they are the total, not another leg.
- Route is the road you are on before the action in To. The I-465 South row means drive I-465 south 24.60 miles, then take Exit 44B toward I-70 EAST/DAYTON.
- Page 4 is part of the permit: the permit is void if the General Provisions are not carried with it. That page also says the permit does not apply to I-65, or I-70 inside I-465.
Questions
Who issues oversize permits in Indiana?
The Indiana Department of Revenue, through its Motor Carrier Services division, not INDOT. The permit header reads Indiana Department of Revenue, FORM M-233P.
What is Form M-204 on an Indiana oversize permit?
It is the General Provisions page, page 4 here: signs, flags, lights, speed, weather, escorts, holidays and hours. The permit says it is void if the General Provisions are not carried with it.
How fast can an oversize load go in Indiana?
The General Provisions say any permitted vehicle over 85' long or 10'6" wide, or above legal height, may not exceed 55 miles per hour.
Your permit is the legal document; follow everything it says. Permits change, and yours may differ from the ones we read.Last checked October 2026.