---
title: New Hampshire Oversize & Overweight Permits (OS/OW) | NHDOT Superload | Alpine Truck Service
description: Expedited New Hampshire NHDOT oversize permits, Manchester curfews, Spaulding Turnpike clearances, and NHSP escorts across I-93 and I-95. Call (918) 607-6547.
image: https://www.alpinetruckservice.com/alpine-third-party-charges.webp
---

# New Hampshire Oversize, Overweight & Superload Permitting Services

Comprehensive commercial trucking permits and heavy haul compliance across New Hampshire.

## Agency & Permitting Authority
- **Agency**: New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) / DMV
- **Portal**: NHDOT Bureau of Highway Maintenance Permitting System
- **Regulatory Advisory**: State DOT regulations and permit processing queues are determined by individual state transportation authorities and vary by agency workload. Carriers should verify active route advisories and state requirements prior to movement.

## Legal vs. Routine Permitted Dimensions
- **Legal Width**: 8' 6" | **Max Routine**: 16' 0"
- **Legal Height**: 13' 6" | **Max Routine**: 14' 6"
- **Legal Length**: 53' Semi-Trailer / 65' Overall | **Max Routine**: 110' 0"
- **Legal Gross Weight**: 80,000 lbs (up to 99,000 lbs on designated state network) | **Max Routine**: 130,000 lbs
- **Axle Limits**: Single: 22,400 lbs, Tandem: 36,000 lbs, Tridem: 42,000 lbs

## Permitting Scope & Services in New Hampshire
- **Routine Oversize (OS) Cab-Cards**: Single-trip authorizations for dimensions exceeding 8' 6" width or 13' 6" height.
- **Overweight (OW) Axle Permits**: Overload cab-cards for heavy machinery and configurations exceeding 80,000 lbs GVW.
- **Multi-Axle Superload Permits**: Specialized filings exceeding Over 130,000, including State DOT and certified partner bridge reviews, route surveys, and police escorts.
- **Annual & Blanket Fleet Permits**: Continuous-operation annual highway authorizations for construction fleets.
- **Temporary Trip & Fuel Permits**: 72-hour IRP vehicle registration and IFTA fuel tax credentials.
- **County, City & Toll Road Clearances**: Municipal authorizations and turnpike clearances.

## Superload Permitting & State Review Protocol
- **Weight Trigger**: Over 130,000 lbs GVW or exceeding NHDOT structural bridge ratings
- **Width Trigger**: Over 16' 0" wide
- **Height Trigger**: Over 14' 6" high
- **Length Trigger**: Over 110' 0" overall length
- **State & Partner Bridge Review**: New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) / DMV electronic systems and certified structural engineering partners evaluate axle load distribution across bridge structures upon submission.
- **Route Surveys & Clearances**: Required for extreme heights/widths to verify overhead physical clearances.
- **Utility & Escorts**: Coordinated wire lifts with power utilities and State Police / Highway Patrol escorts.

## Pilot Cars & Escort Vehicle Requirements
- **Front Escort**: Required over 12' 0" wide on two-lane roads; over 13' 6" wide on multi-lane highways
- **Rear Escort**: Required over 13' 6" wide on multi-lane highways; length exceeding 90' 0"
- **Height Pole**: Required for loads exceeding 14' 6" in height (lead vehicle with calibrated pole)
- **Police Escort**: New Hampshire State Police (NHSP) escort required over 16' 0" wide, 14' 6" high, 100' 0" long, or over 130,000 lbs

## Metro Curfews & Travel Restrictions
- **Curfew Zones**:
  - Manchester / Nashua / I-93 / Everett Turnpike Corridors: 7:00–8:30 AM & 4:00–6:00 PM M-F
  - Seacoast / Portsmouth (I-95, Spaulding Turnpike) during peak summer commuter traffic
- **Travel Rules**: Daylight only (1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset) Monday through Friday. Saturday travel allowed until 12:00 noon for loads under 12' wide. No Sunday travel.

## Key Freight Corridors
- I-93 (Boston to White Mountains Spine)
- I-95 (Seacoast Freight Corridor)
- I-89 (Concord to Vermont)
- FE Everett Turnpike
- Spaulding Turnpike (NH-16)
- Route 101

## Frequently Asked Questions
### How long does NHDOT take to issue a New Hampshire oversize permit?
Routine single-trip permits are typically processed in 2–4 business hours. Superloads requiring bridge structural reviews take 3–5 business days.

### What are New Hampshire pilot car escort triggers?
New Hampshire requires 1 escort for loads over 12' wide on 2-lane roads and over 13'6" on multi-lane highways. Loads over 90' long require a rear escort. Height over 14'6" requires a height pole.

### What are the Manchester and Nashua rush hour curfews?
Oversize vehicles cannot travel on I-93 or the Everett Turnpike in Manchester/Nashua between 7:00–8:30 AM and 4:00–6:00 PM on weekdays.

### What qualifies as a superload in New Hampshire?
Shipments exceeding 130,000 lbs gross weight, 16' wide, or 14'6" high are superloads, requiring NHDOT structural bridge analysis and State Police escorts.

## Contact & Direct Dispatch
- **Direct Phone**: (918) 607-6547 (CALL: [918-607-6547](tel:9186076547))
- **Email**: [permits@alpinetruck.com](mailto:permits@alpinetruck.com)
- **Online Intake**: [alpinetruckservice.com/permits/new-hampshire](https://www.alpinetruckservice.com/permits/new-hampshire)