How to read a New Hampshire oversize permit
New Hampshire OS/OW permits come from NHDOT's permit office through the NHDOT Permits website, which builds the route from your start and end points and shows it with driving directions. NHDOT's rule is simple: you must stay on the specific route designated on the permit.
Issued by the New Hampshire Department of Transportation, Oversize/Overweight Permit Office through NHDOT Permits. Written from NHDOT's published rules; we haven't read a real New Hampshire permit yet.
How to read the route
NHDOT has not posted a sample permit, so we can't show how the route prints. The system builds the route from an origin and a destination, and the applicant reviews 'the route and driving directions' before submitting. If a road the applicant asked for is blocked by restrictions, NHDOT says the system ignores it and routes an approved route. NHDOT's rule: 'Movement shall be restricted to the specific routes designated on the permit.'
Road names on New Hampshire permits
| On the permit | Means |
|---|---|
| I-95 | Interstate 95 |
| US-1 | U.S. Route 1 |
| NH-4 | New Hampshire Route 4. NHDOT's naming table gives state routes as RT-XX, but its example is written NH-4. |
Where the route starts and ends
NHDOT's guide says routes are built from an Origin and a Destination. The rules require a single-trip application to give the 'Point of origin and the destination' and the specific route between them. How the printed permit words them isn't published.
Conditions to watch for
Daylight only
Oversize travel is limited to daylight hours. Source
“travel shall be restricted to daylight hours”
No weekends
Oversize permits are not valid on Saturdays or Sundays. Supermoves, some building loads, and NHDOT's seasonal Saturday program are the exceptions. Source
“Permits for oversize or oversize and overweight vehicles and loads shall not be valid on weekend days”
2026 seasonal hours
In NHDOT's 2026 seasonal program, permit loads may run on designated routes from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, Monday through Friday. From April 18 to November 21 they may also run Saturdays until noon. On I-95, Saturday travel ends at 9 a.m. from May 30 to August 29. Source
“and from 30 minutes prior to sunrise and until 12 PM on Saturdays from April 18, 2026 to November 21, 2026.”
Holidays
No permit travel on New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, or Christmas. A Sunday holiday also blocks Monday, and a Saturday holiday also blocks Friday. Source
“Thanksgiving Day and the following day”
Escorts
No escort is needed under 12 feet wide, under 90 feet long, with under 15 feet of rear overhang, as long as flags are shown. You need one escort from 12 to under 14 feet wide, at 90 feet long or more, over 14 feet high, or with 15 feet or more of overhang. State Police escorts: one at 100 feet long (unless they waive it), two over 14 feet wide. Source
“No escort shall be required for a vehicle and load with:”
Signs, flags and light
Put an 'OVERSIZE LOAD' sign on the front of the truck and the rear of the vehicle or load: at least 7 feet by 18 inches, with 10-inch black letters on yellow. Mark the load with flags at least 18 inches square, and run a flashing amber light on top that can be seen from 1,000 feet in all directions. Source
“The sign shall read "OVERSIZE LOAD."”
Easy to miss
- If a road the applicant asked for is blocked, NHDOT's system routes around it on an approved route. Read the route on the permit; don't assume it's the one that was requested.
- The permit covers state-maintained highways and bridges only. For town or city roads you need permission from the local officials.
- Loads over 110 feet long or over 13 feet 6 inches high need an approved route survey, and NHDOT may ask for one in other cases.
Questions
Can oversize loads travel on Saturday in New Hampshire?
Usually not. The rules say oversize permits aren't valid on weekend days. NHDOT's 2026 seasonal program allows Saturday moves from 30 minutes before sunrise until noon, April 18 to November 21. On I-95 it's only until 9 a.m. from May 30 to August 29.
What hours can I move an oversize load in New Hampshire?
Daylight hours only, and not on holidays. NHDOT's 2026 notice gives weekday travel as 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.
Do I need an escort for a 13-foot-wide load in New Hampshire?
Yes. NHDOT rules require one non-police escort for loads from 12 feet to under 14 feet wide. Over 14 feet wide, two State Police escorts are required.
Sources
Your permit is the legal document; follow everything it says. Rules change; check NHDOT's site before you move.Last checked October 2026.