Nevada OS Load info.

Nevada OS/OD Overview

Permit Required

Yes – all oversize or overweight loads require a permit from the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT). NAC 484D.650(1) lists the triggers: width over 102 inches, length over 70' (except as NRS 484D.615 otherwise provides for certain vehicle combinations), overall length over 75' including overhang, overhang over 10' regardless of length, height over 14' (baled hay may run to 15'), or axle/gross weights above the NRS 484D.635 formula.

Legal Limits (Without Permit)

• Width: 8'6" (102 inches)
• Height: 14' — baled hay loads may go to 15'
• Length: 70' overall — except as NRS 484D.615 otherwise provides for certain vehicle combinations — or 75' including overhang, whichever you hit first
• Overhang: 10', regardless of overall length
• Weight: 80,000 lbs GVW (with standard axle spacings)

Permitted Loads — Routine Maximums

• Width: 14' on a routine single-trip permit, and 14' on an annual multiple-trip permit. Anything wider needs the Department's specific approval — NAC 484D.645 tops out at 26' and only where the character of the road and traffic conditions will take it
• Height: 15'. Over 15'6" takes a lead pilot car carrying a clearance pole. At 18' or more the Department may require the route be surveyed before the permit issues
• Length: 110', or 120' if the vehicle has one or more mechanically steered rear axles — the second figure is the one most escort tables drop
• Overhang: 15' on a single-trip permit; 25' total on an annual multiple-trip permit
• Weight: above the NRS 484D.635 formula, set by the Department's evaluation of axle configuration and overall length

There is no 17' routine width in Nevada. The routine single-trip ceiling is 14' (NAC 484D.655), and the only place “17 feet” appears in the escort side of NAC chapter 484D is 484D.640(12)(a), where a load wider than 17' on a two- or three-lane road may draw an additional pilot car plus utilities escorts and law-enforcement traffic control on top of whatever 484D.670 already requires. Loads at 20' or more wide, or 18' or more high, may be made to survey the route first (NAC 484D.645(2)).

Travel Hours

• Standard: hours of daylight — ½ hour before sunrise until ½ hour after sunset (NAC 484D.535)
• Hours of darkness: ½ hour after sunset until ½ hour before sunrise (NAC 484D.530). An oversized or overweight vehicle may not run then unless the permit or NDOT's special instructions say so (NAC 484D.640(15))
• Weekend: a defined block, not just Sunday — from ½ hour after sunset Friday until ½ hour before sunrise the following Monday (NAC 484D.595). All of Saturday and Sunday sits inside it, and the same permission rule applies
• Holidays: six, not twelve — New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas (NAC 484D.525(2)). Nevada Day is not on that list. “Holiday hours” is a window keyed to the weekday the holiday lands on, not the whole calendar day
• Night/weekend/holiday dimensions: on an annual multiple-trip permit the cap for any of those three windows is 12' wide, 15' high, 110' long (120' with mechanically steered rear axles), 15' overhang (NAC 484D.660). That cap is written for annual permits — a single-trip move is governed by its own provisions, and over 12' wide the Department may add safety requirements for holiday, darkness and weekend travel (NAC 484D.655(2))

Holiday hours, in full (NAC 484D.525(1)): holiday observed on a Monday — noon to midnight the preceding Friday, and noon to midnight that Monday. Holiday other than Thanksgiving observed Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday — 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. that day. Holiday observed on a Friday — noon to midnight the preceding Thursday, and noon to midnight the following Sunday. Thanksgiving — noon to midnight the preceding Wednesday, and noon to midnight the following Sunday.

Escort Requirements (NAC 484D.670)

Four things to get right about this table. First, the counts are positions — 484D.670(3) says a pilot car must precede, or must follow, so you add them up rather than reading a lump total. Second, the road split is two-or-three-lane versus four-or-more-lane, not interstate versus non-interstate; a four-lane US route counts as four lanes. Third, the width rules split again on time of travel: over 12' wide takes both a lead and a chase car during holiday hours or hours of darkness even on a wide highway, where the same load in daylight on that highway takes nothing at all. Fourth, every trigger reads “exceeds,” so a load measuring exactly 12'0", 14'0", 16'0", 15'6" or 110'0" does not trip that tier. Stacking it up in daylight: on two or three lanes, 13' is one car in front, over 14' is front and rear; on four or more lanes, 13' is nothing, over 14' is a rear car only, over 16' adds the front car. If you have seen a Nevada table showing a flat “1 escort over 12 feet,” a front escort starting at 14', three escorts over 16' on a two-lane, or a 105' length trigger, none of those are in the regulation. Source: NAC 484D.670, with NAC 484D.640(12).

Additional Notes

• “OVERSIZE LOAD” or “OVERSIZE” signs and warning flags are mandatory on the load itself under NAC 484D.680, separately from what the pilot car carries. The extra amber and red lighting in NAC 484D.675 is not an all-hours requirement — that section is titled “Display of lights while traveling during hours of darkness” and applies only then
• The pilot car's own sign must be mounted above the roofline, black letters at least 10 inches high of 1 5/8-inch minimum stroke on a yellow background — the load's sign under 484D.680 has no roofline requirement and may be mounted in two pieces
• Pilot car lighting: two flashing or rotating amber lights above the roofline either side of the sign, or one above it visible 500' in all directions (NAC 484D.670(5)(c)). The amber-light permit comes from the Nevada Highway Patrol under NRS 484D.185
• A pilot car operator must be at least 18, hold a valid driver's license, and be certified by completing a current instructional course specific to flagger requirements and procedures (NAC 484D.670(6))
• Route limitations may be imposed for impaired clearances, old or substandard structures, subgrade and surface capacity, alignment and grade, and seasonal weather (NAC 484D.685)
• Permits are issued by NDOT and can be applied for online. NAC chapter 484D names no permit office; what it does cite is the Department's own published instructions, which carry the conditions and restrictions that ride with a permit and are available from any NDOT office or at nevadadot.com (NAC 484D.640(1)(a)(3))

Detailed Information

PERMITS: A single-trip permit is valid for 5 consecutive days as set forth on the permit (NAC 484D.625(1)). An annual multiple-trip permit runs 12 consecutive months and is limited to 14' wide, 110' long (120' with one or more mechanically steered rear axles), 15' high and 25' total overhang (NAC 484D.625(2)). Get the permit before the move begins — but note that NAC chapter 484D contains no “prior to entering the state” sentence, so treat that phrasing as carrier practice rather than a cited rule. What the chapter does impose is a pre-move inspection: “A vehicle for which a permit is issued is subject to a Level I - North American Standard Inspection by the Department or a law enforcement agency before the vehicle may be moved. If the vehicle fails to pass the inspection, the permit will be revoked” (NAC 484D.640(10)). Three citations in 6 months against a permittee's drivers for violating a permit condition can suspend all of that permittee's permit privileges for up to 30 days (NAC 484D.640(7)).

OPERATING TIME: Hours of daylight — one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. An oversized or overweight vehicle may not travel during hours of darkness, holiday hours or on a weekend except as set forth in the permit or in special instructions from the Department (NAC 484D.640(15)), so night, weekend and holiday travel has to be requested. On an annual multiple-trip permit, travel in any of those three windows is capped at 12' wide, 15' high, 110' long (120' with one or more mechanically steered rear axles) and 15' overhang (NAC 484D.660). That 12' figure is the annual-permit cap — it is not a universal night-travel allowance, and a single-trip move takes whatever its own provisions say. For any load over 12' wide the Department may impose additional safety requirements for holiday, darkness and weekend travel (NAC 484D.655(2)). The 14'-wide weekend allowance that circulates on other sites is not in NAC chapter 484D.

RESTRICTED TRAVEL: Two directional restrictions are written into the regulation, both on I-15 and both a width cap rather than a ban (NAC 484D.655(1)(b) and (c)): Friday travel between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. on northbound I-15 between the California boundary and Las Vegas (Exit 33) is limited to 12' wide, and Sunday travel between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m. on southbound I-15 between Las Vegas (Exit 33) and the California boundary is limited to 12' wide. NAC chapter 484D sets no I-80 Reno restriction and no city curfew for Las Vegas or Reno; if your permit carries one, it comes from that permit's route provisions, not from the chapter. The same goes for the Hoover Dam area escort practice — it is a route provision, not a figure in the regulation. Route limitations generally may be imposed for impaired clearances, substandard structures, road capacity, alignment and grade, and seasonal weather (NAC 484D.685).

LEGAL DIMENSIONS: Width: 8'6" (102 inches) Height: 14', except baled hay loads to 15' Length: 70' overall, except as NRS 484D.615 otherwise provides for certain vehicle combinations, or 75' including overhang Overhang: 10', regardless of overall length Weight: 80,000 Gross Single – 20,000 Tandem – 34,000 Tridem – 42,000. The permit triggers are at NAC 484D.650(1).

ROUTINE PERMIT LIMITS: Width: 14' Height: 15' Length: 110', or 120' if the vehicle is equipped with one or more mechanically steered rear axles Overhang: 15' single-trip, 25' total on an annual permit (NAC 484D.655, 484D.625(2)). A load above those figures moves only if specifically approved by the Department; oversized loads up to 26' wide may be allowed where the character of the road and traffic conditions permit, and at 20' or more wide or 18' or more high the Department may require the route be surveyed first (NAC 484D.645). Weight: 92,000 (5 axles) 96,000 (6 axles) 101,000 (7 axles) Quad - Depends on spacing’s Single – 20,000* Tandem – 46,725* Tridem – 58,000 to 59,000* *Depends on spacings. Note: 58,000-59,000 pounds is the tridem "bonus weight" in Nevada and is now allowed on one or two tridems. Additional tridems would get around 51,000 pounds. A Tridem drive on a tractor can be permitted for the bonus weight (as one of the two tridems) as long as the spacing from the steer axle to center of middle drive axles is at least 18 feet. Those weight figures are NDOT permit practice under the NRS 484D.635 formula, not tabulated in NAC chapter 484D. Loads in excess of these dimensions are reviewed on an individual basis only.

ESCORTS:
Nevada writes every escort trigger as a position — a pilot car must precede, or must follow — and splits them by road class and by time of travel (NAC 484D.670(3)). A pilot car must precede if: the overhang exceeds 25' in front of the vehicle; the height exceeds 15'6" (that lead car must also carry a clearance pole); the width exceeds 12' and travel is on a highway with two or three lanes, or during holiday hours or hours of darkness; or the width exceeds 16', on any highway. A pilot car must follow if: the overhang exceeds 25' behind the vehicle; the length exceeds 110', or 120' if the vehicle is equipped with one or more mechanically steered rear axles; the width exceeds 14'; or the width exceeds 12' and travel is during holiday hours or hours of darkness. On top of that, NAC 484D.640(12) lets the Department require an additional pilot car, utilities escorts and law-enforcement traffic control for loads wider than 17' on two or three lanes, wider than 19' on four or more lanes, or higher than 16'. Every trigger reads “exceeds,” so the round figure itself does not trip the tier. Source: NAC 484D.670, with NAC 484D.640(12).

PILOT CAR EQUIPMENT & OPERATORS: A pilot car must be a passenger car or a truck with not more than two axles, a manufacturer's gross weight rating of not more than 16,000 lbs and a width of at least 60 inches, and must itself stay within legal size and weight (NAC 484D.670(1)). Required equipment (NAC 484D.670(5)): a clearance pole on the lead car for any load over 15'6" high; signs visible front and rear reading “OVERSIZE LOAD” or “OVERSIZE” in black letters at least 10 inches high of 1 5/8-inch minimum stroke on a yellow background, mounted above the roofline; two flashing or rotating amber lights above the roofline either side of the sign, or one above it visible 500' in all directions; an identification placard on each side visible from 50' showing the name and phone number of the pilot car service; a standard 18-inch two-sided “STOP”/“SLOW” sign on a 5-foot pole; at least three bidirectional reflective triangles and three orange cones at least 18 inches high; at least one 5-pound BC fire extinguisher; a hardhat and high-visibility apparel meeting ANSI/ISEA 107-2004; and a two-way radio compatible with the other pilot cars and the escorted vehicle. The operator must be at least 18, hold a valid driver's license, and be certified by completing a current instructional course specific to flagger requirements and procedures (NAC 484D.670(6)). Signs are displayed only while escorting and removed promptly on arrival.

SIGNS, FLAGS & LIGHTS: All oversized vehicles must display signs visible front and rear reading “OVERSIZE LOAD” or “OVERSIZE” — black letters at least 10 inches high of 1 5/8-inch minimum stroke on a yellow background, and these may be mounted in two pieces if necessary (NAC 484D.680(1)(a)). Warning flags at least 18 inches square, solid red or fluorescent orange, go at each front and rear corner of the vehicle; at each front and rear corner of the load and anywhere else needed to mark its maximum width if the load is wider than the vehicle; and on a rear overhang exceeding 4' — at the center of the overhang if it is 2' wide or less, or at each rear corner if it is wider (NAC 484D.680(1)(b)). Signs and flags are displayed only when necessary and removed promptly on arrival. An oversized vehicle must have its head lamps illuminated whenever it is in operation (NAC 484D.640(16)). Traveling during hours of darkness adds, under NAC 484D.675: at least two amber steady-burning lights on the extreme front visible 500'; an amber steady-burning light on each side near the middle or toward the front, visible 500'; and, if the rear overhang exceeds 4', two red steady-burning lights placed to mark the maximum width of the overhang, visible 500'.

NV LIGHT PERMIT: You need a Nevada Light Permit to mount flashing amber warning lights on a pilot car. The governing text is NRS 484D.185, which NAC 484D.670(5)(c) points to directly, and it puts the obligation on the permittee. NRS 484D.185(2): “It is unlawful for any person to mount flashing amber warning lights permanently on a vehicle without a permit from the Nevada Highway Patrol.” The offense there is the permanent mounting — switching the light off does not cure it. Separately, NRS 484D.185(1) makes it unlawful to operate or display a flashing amber warning light “except when an unusual traffic hazard exists” or as authorized in NRS 484B.748, 484B.757 or 484D.190. The Nevada Highway Patrol issues the permit on written application for, among others, “Vehicles engaged in activities which create a public hazard upon the streets or highways” (NRS 484D.185(3)(c)) — the category a pilot car falls in. Permits expire on June 30 of each calendar year (NRS 484D.185(4)), so this is an annual renewal and not a one-time card; a permit bought in May is good for about six weeks. Statutory fees are $2 for a single vehicle, $12 for a blanket permit covering more than 5 but fewer than 15 vehicles, and $24 for 15 vehicles or more (NRS 484D.185(5)).

SEASONAL LOAD (WEIGHT) RESTRICTIONS: NAC 484D.685(5) lets NDOT limit routes for seasonal weather conditions. Spring thaw weight restrictions on some secondary routes, approximately February through April, are an operational call by the Department rather than a figure written into NAC chapter 484D — check the route provisions on your permit.