Why a Kentucky Annual Oversize Permit Won't Cover an Overheight Load

Why a Kentucky Annual Oversize Permit Won't Cover an Overheight Load

Table Of Contents

• Introduction

• What a Kentucky Annual Permit Covers

• The 13'6" Height Line

• When a Kentucky Oversize Trip Permit Is Required

• Loads Over 15'6" Need a Route Survey

• What's Changing in the Regulation

• Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Why Many Trucking Companies Choose Our Service

• FAQ

Introduction

Many carriers buy a Kentucky annual overweight/overdimensional permit and assume it covers every oversize load they haul for the next year. For wide and heavy loads, it often does. For tall loads, it doesn't. Once the combined height of the load and towing vehicle goes over 13 feet, 6 inches, the annual permit can't be used at all.

That load needs a Kentucky Oversize Trip permit, which in Kentucky is a single-trip permit. This guide explains where the height line sits, why the annual permit stops there, and what you need when your load is taller.

What a Kentucky Annual Permit Covers

KRS 189.270 allows the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to issue permits for nondivisible loads that exceed legal size or weight limits. The details are in 601 KAR 1:018, the regulation for overweight and overdimensional permits.

An annual permit is built for repeat moves within fixed limits:

• Validity: An unlimited number of moves for 365 days.

• Width: Up to 16 feet wide (not counting usual and ordinary overhang).

• Length: Up to 120 feet, including the towing vehicle and trailer.

• Weight: Up to 160,000 pounds (100,000 pounds for fluid milk products).

• Height: No more than 13 feet, 6 inches.

The statute sets those caps for annual permits, and the regulation repeats the height limit. That last number is the one that catches carriers off guard.

The 13'6" Height Line

Under 601 KAR 1:018, Section 6, an annual permit "shall not be issued or used" for a move when the height of the load and towing vehicle together goes over 13 feet, 6 inches. The rule doesn't just say the permit won't be issued for tall loads. It says the permit can't be used for one, even if you already hold it.

So a carrier with a valid annual permit who loads a 14-foot tank is not covered on that move. Running it under the annual permit means running without a valid permit.

Why the hard line? Height is a clearance problem, not just a size problem. Bridges, overpasses, signs, and utility lines differ from route to route. An annual permit can't account for every structure on every road, so Kentucky requires each tall move to be reviewed on its own.

When a Kentucky Oversize Trip Permit Is Required

Section 6 also states that a vehicle and load over 13 feet, 6 inches must get an overweight or overdimensional single-trip permit under KRS 189.270(2) before the move. That is your Kentucky Oversize Permit.

Here is how it works:

• One move: The permit is valid for one move and up to 10 days.

• Height set by route: The cabinet sets the maximum height for each Kentucky Oversize Trip permit based on the underpass and bridge heights along the designated route. There is no single maximum height for every trip.

• Route matters: Since clearance decides the approved height, the cabinet may route you around structures your load can't clear.

• You still measure: KRS 189.270 says the permit holder agrees to measure the lateral and vertical clearances of structures on the permitted route before traveling. The permit doesn't take that job off your hands.

Loads Over 15'6" Need a Route Survey

Taller loads face one more step. Under the current text of Section 6, a vehicle and load over 15 feet, 6 inches, must submit a completed Overweight or Overdimensional Proposed Route Survey, TC Form 95-625, along with the permit application, TC Form 95-10, to the Division of Motor Carriers.

The route survey shows the cabinet; you have checked the route for clearance. Plan extra time for these moves. Surveying a route and getting it reviewed takes longer than a standard trip permit.

What's Changing in the Regulation

601 KAR 1:018 is being revised. An amended version was filed with the Legislative Research Commission on September 15, 2026, and was not yet in effect when this article was written. The proposed changes include:

• Height rules move from Section 6 to a new Section 7. Section 6 becomes "Travel Restrictions."

• The 13'6" annual limit stays, with a new exception for moves allowed under KRS 189.270(7), which covers manufactured housing.

• The 15'6" route survey stays. TC Form 95-625 is still required, with an updated May 2018 form date.

• TC Form 95-10 is dropped. Applications move to the cabinet's online permitting system.

• Permit fees are restructured, including a proposed $120 single-trip fee.

For most freight carriers, the main point holds: an annual permit won't cover a load over 13'6". Check the current regulation before relying on form numbers or fees.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Measuring the load only. The limit applies to the combined height of the load and towing vehicle, so measure from the road surface.

• Assuming the annual permit is enough. Width and weight within annual limits don't help if the load is over 13'6".

• Skipping the clearance check. The permit holder is responsible for measuring clearances on the route.

• Leaving out the route survey. Loads over 15'6" need TC Form 95-625 before a permit is issued.

• Changing routes mid-trip. The approved height is tied to the route. A detour can put you under a structure your load won't clear.

Why Many Trucking Companies Choose Our Service

Kentucky Trucking Online helps carriers sort out when an annual permit works and when a load needs a Kentucky Oversize Trip permit. We help prepare single-trip applications, flag loads that may need a route survey, and keep your permits organized so a tall load doesn't roll without the right paperwork.

We provide support 24/7 and also work weekends and holidays, so you can get help when a load is ready to move.

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FAQ

• Can I use my Kentucky annual permit for a load that is 14 feet tall?

  No. 601 KAR 1:018 says an annual permit can't be issued or used when the combined height of the load and towing vehicle exceeds 13 feet, 6 inches. You need a single-trip permit.

• What is the maximum height on a Kentucky Oversize Trip permit?

  There is no fixed number. The cabinet sets the maximum height for each Kentucky Oversize Permit based on underpass and bridge heights on the route.

• When do I need a route survey?

  When the vehicle and load are over 15 feet, 6 inches tall. Submit TC Form 95-625 with your permit application.

• How long is a single-trip permit valid?

  For one move and up to 10 days.

• Does the permit mean my route has been cleared for me?

  No. Under KRS 189.270, the permit holder must measure lateral and vertical clearances on the route before traveling.

For more information, visit the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Division of Motor Carriers.