The Alaska answer
Legal limits
First escort trigger
- Width
- 10'6" or morerev. · read
- Height
- over 17'rev. · read
- Length
- 85' or morerev. · read
- Rear overhang
- 20' or morerev. · read
- Gross weight
- No trigger published
What the paper costs
- Single-trip base
- $40 · caveat ↓rev. · read
- Transaction / card
- Not yet researched
- How overweight is priced
- Graduated weight bandsrev. · read
- Superload above
- 250,000 lb or more · caveat ↓rev. · read
The short version: a Alaska single-trip permit starts at $40 before bands, overweight and the transaction charge; an escort is first required at 10'6" or more wide; and the load becomes a superload at 250,000 lb or more. Everything below carries the Alaska document it came from, that document's own revision date, and the date we read it.
1. Where the load goes next
The jurisdictions this one borders, each chip carrying the fact that decides whether that crossing is the expensive one — so the row is itself a small comparison. A multi-state lane is the actual job, and from here it is one click per state rather than a return to an alphabetical index.
2. Alaska legal limits
Anything over one of these needs a permit. Every value links to the document that sets it.
| Measure | Legal limit |
|---|---|
| Width | 8'6"rev. · read 17 AAC 25.012(a). Attached equipment may extend three inches beyond the 102-inch limit on each side; mirrors, turn signals, handholds, spray suppressants, tire bulge, retracted RV awnings and manufacturer-installed appurtenances are excluded from the measurement entirely. The 3-inch equipment allowance is NOT applied — a quote does not say whether the widest point is equipment. |
| Height | 15'rev. · read 17 AAC 25.012(b). A vehicle operating between the Fox Weigh Station and Prudhoe Bay on the Dalton and Elliott Highways may run 17 ft — recorded in `routeSegments` and NOT applied here, because the quote does not carry the route segment. |
| Semitrailer length | 53'rev. · read 17 AAC 25.012(e)(1): "on all routes ... a semitrailer used in combination may not exceed 53 feet in length". (c)(3) and (d)(2) state the same 53 ft as the cargo-carrying length of a semitrailer or trailer on and off the National Highway System respectively, so all three agree. |
| Overall length | None published |
| Kingpin to rear axle | None published |
| Front overhang | 3'rev. · read 17 AAC 25.012(c)(6)(A) and (d)(4)(A): a load or equipment may not overhang more than three feet beyond the front bumper, on and off the National Highway System alike. |
| Rear overhang | 4'rev. · read 17 AAC 25.012(c)(6)(B), (d)(4)(B) and (e)(2): four feet beyond the rear of the vehicle, and (e)(2) restates it "on all routes" for a semitrailer used in combination. |
| Gross weight | Not yet covered |
| Single axle | 20,000 lbrev. · read 17 AAC 25.013(a)(4) table, "Single Axle 20,000". Any axle spaced less than 8 ft 1 in from another, centre to centre, is treated as part of an axle group instead. |
| Tandem axle | 38,000 lbrev. · read 17 AAC 25.013(a)(4) table, "2-Axle Group 38,000, 3'6" minimum spacing". NOT the federal 34,000. The same table continues to a 3-axle group at 42,000 and a 4-axle group at 50,000, neither of which `LegalLimits` has a field for — see the header. |
3. The Alaska escort ladder
Not one number per dimension — the whole staircase. Each row is a condition the state actually publishes, what it requires when that condition holds, and the clause it comes from. Where a rule requires escorts and the source states no number, the row says that in the source's own words rather than reporting no requirement.
| When | What is required | Source |
|---|---|---|
| width over 10'6" and width from 10'6" to 12' | 1 certified escort |
title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§…rev. · read |
| width over 12' and width from 12' to 14' | 2 certified escorts1 in front1 behind |
title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§…rev. · read |
| width over 14' and width from 14' to 18' | 3 certified escorts1 in front1 behind |
title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§…rev. · read |
| height over 17' | 1 certified escort1 in frontHeight pole required |
title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§…rev. · read |
| width over 18' and width from 18' to 22' | 4 certified escorts1 in front1 behind |
title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§…rev. · read |
| rear overhang over 20' and rear overhang from 20' to 35' | 1 certified escort1 behind |
title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§…rev. · read |
| width over 22' | 4 certified escorts1 in front1 behind |
title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§…rev. · read |
| front overhang over 25' and front overhang from 25' to 60' | 1 certified escort1 in front |
title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§…rev. · read |
| rear overhang over 35' | 2 certified escorts1 in front1 behind |
title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§…rev. · read |
| front overhang over 60' | 2 certified escorts1 in front1 behind |
title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§…rev. · read |
| overall length over 85' and overall length from 85' to 100' | 1 certified escort |
title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§…rev. · read |
| overall length over 100' and overall length from 100' to 150' | 2 certified escorts1 in front1 behind |
title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§…rev. · read |
| overall length over 150' | 3 certified escorts1 in front1 behind |
title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§…rev. · read |
The first trigger in each dimension
| Measurement | First escort trigger | First police escort trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 10'6" or morerev. · read | None published |
| Height | over 17'rev. · read | None published |
| Length | 85' or morerev. · read | None published |
| Rear overhang | 20' or morerev. · read | None published |
| Gross weight | None published | None published |
The same rules restated in plain sentences16 rules
- Over 10 ft 6 in up to 12 ft wide — at least one pilot/escort vehicle on all routes (manual § 6.2.1); maximum speed is the posted speed — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Over 12 ft up to 14 ft wide — at least two pilot/escort vehicles on all routes (manual § 6.3.1) — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Over 14 ft up to 18 ft wide — at least THREE pilot/escort vehicles on all routes, maximum speed 45 mph (manual § 6.4) — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Over 18 ft up to 22 ft wide — at least FOUR pilot/escort vehicles on all routes, maximum speed 40 mph (manual § 6.5) — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Over 22 ft wide — at least FOUR pilot/escort vehicles on all routes, maximum speed 35 mph (manual § 6.6) — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Combination over 85 ft up to 100 ft long — at least one pilot/escort vehicle on all routes (manual § 7.3.2). A SINGLE-UNIT vehicle takes one escort from 65 ft and two from 85 ft under § 7.2, which this rule does not model. — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Combination over 100 ft up to 150 ft long — at least two pilot/escort vehicles on all routes (manual § 7.3.3) — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Any vehicle or load over 150 ft long — at least three pilot/escort vehicles on all routes (manual § 7.3.4) — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Over 17 ft high — must be preceded by a front pilot/escort vehicle carrying an over-height pole at least six inches above the highest point of the load; maximum speed 45 mph, daylight only unless lit per the Hours of Darkness section (manual § 9.3) — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Over 16 ft 6 in high — Glenn Highway bridge advisory — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Police escort — discretionary, no published threshold — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Front overhang over 25 ft up to 60 ft — must have a front pilot/escort vehicle (manual § 8.1.3.3) — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Front overhang over 60 ft — must have two pilot/escort vehicles (manual § 8.1.4.3) — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Rear overhang over 10 ft up to 20 ft — EITHER an extended light bar OR a rear pilot/escort vehicle (manual § 8.2.2.3) — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Rear overhang over 20 ft up to 35 ft — must have a rear pilot/escort vehicle (manual § 8.2.3.3) — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
- Rear overhang over 35 ft — must have two pilot/escort vehicles (manual § 8.2.4.3) — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1 rev. · read
4. Alaska single-trip permit fees
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Single-trip base | $40rev. · read 17 AAC 25.380(a)(1)(A) (oversize only) and (a)(3)(A) (overweight only): "the basic processing charge is $40". A move that is BOTH oversize and overweight is charged $70 under (a)(4)(A), which a single base-fee field cannot express — a both-conditions Alaska quote is $30 low. |
| Transaction / card | Not yet covered |
| Route analysis review | Not yet covered |
| Route with no bridges | Not yet covered |
Dimension bands
| Band | Fee |
|---|---|
| width 10 ft or less; height 16 ft or less | $0rev. · read 17 AAC 25.380(a)(1)(B)-(C): $0 excess-width surcharge plus $0 excess-height surcharge. |
| width 10 ft or less; height over 16 ft, no more than 16 ft 6 in | $25rev. · read 17 AAC 25.380(a)(1)(B)-(C): $0 excess-width surcharge plus $25 excess-height surcharge. |
| width 10 ft or less; height over 16 ft 6 in | $35rev. · read 17 AAC 25.380(a)(1)(B)-(C): $0 excess-width surcharge plus $35 excess-height surcharge. |
| width over 10 ft, no more than 16 ft; height 16 ft or less | $25rev. · read 17 AAC 25.380(a)(1)(B)-(C): $25 excess-width surcharge plus $0 excess-height surcharge. |
| width over 10 ft, no more than 16 ft; height over 16 ft, no more than 16 ft 6 in | $50rev. · read 17 AAC 25.380(a)(1)(B)-(C): $25 excess-width surcharge plus $25 excess-height surcharge. |
| width over 10 ft, no more than 16 ft; height over 16 ft 6 in | $60rev. · read 17 AAC 25.380(a)(1)(B)-(C): $25 excess-width surcharge plus $35 excess-height surcharge. |
| width over 16 ft; height 16 ft or less | $35rev. · read 17 AAC 25.380(a)(1)(B)-(C): $35 excess-width surcharge plus $0 excess-height surcharge. |
| width over 16 ft; height over 16 ft, no more than 16 ft 6 in | $60rev. · read 17 AAC 25.380(a)(1)(B)-(C): $35 excess-width surcharge plus $25 excess-height surcharge. |
| width over 16 ft; height over 16 ft 6 in | $70rev. · read 17 AAC 25.380(a)(1)(B)-(C): $35 excess-width surcharge plus $35 excess-height surcharge. |
5. How Alaska prices overweight
Graduated weight bands. 17 AAC 25.380 prices the overweight component as a single flat step by gross weight — $25 at or above 150,000 lb and nothing below it. There is no mileage term anywhere in the section, and no per-ton or per-axle term either.
The bands, as published
| Gross weight | Axles | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 lb – 149,999 lb | any | $0 | consolidated chapter; running footer "Compreh…rev. · read |
| 150,000 lb and up | any | $25 | consolidated chapter; running footer "Compreh…rev. · read |
6. Alaska seasonal posting windows
A permit priced against an unposted-road assumption in March is simply wrong, and wrong in the expensive direction. This is the window we watch, the basis for that window in the state's own orders or statute, and the authority that posts it.
Seasonal posting
- Programme
- A statewide seasonal programmeBreak-up restrictions are issued regionally by DOT&PF. The season is later and longer than any lower-48 state, which is why this row has its own window rather than sharing the northern-tier default.
- Posting window we watch
- 03-01 → 06-30Alaska thaws later and over a longer span than the lower 48, and DOT&PF issues break-up restrictions region by region from early spring into midsummer.
- Issuing authority
- Alaska DOT&PF — Measurement Standards & Commercial Vehicle ComplianceAlaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities
The live Alaska restriction picture, with the date we last read the bulletin →
7. Alaska's superload threshold
Above one of these, the state stops issuing over the counter and prices the move after an engineering review.
| Trigger | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Gross weight | 250,000 lb or morerev. · read Manual § 17.1.1: "a gross vehicle weight of 250,000 lbs. or greater" — inclusive at 250,000. |
| Width | over 18'rev. · read Manual § 17.1.1: "an overall width greater than 18 feet". |
| Height | over 18'rev. · read Manual § 17.1.1: "an overall height greater than 18 feet". |
| Length | over 150'rev. · read Manual § 17.1.1: "an overall length greater than 150 feet". § 17.1.2 adds that a super load requiring bridge analysis "will typically require five working days to process after the permit request has been submitted". |
| Short axle spacing | Not yet covered |
8. Route survey and bridge review
The dimensions at which Alaska triggers a physical route inspection or an engineering review, and what the agency charges to review it.
| Measurement | Inspection / review trigger |
|---|---|
| Width | Not yet covered |
| Height | over 15'rev. · read Manual § 9.1.1 puts a permittee-conducted route survey on ALL over-height movements with no numeric threshold of its own, so the trigger is the 15 ft legal height of 17 AAC 25.012(b). The survey is the permittee's own obligation and carries no agency fee — which is why `routeAnalysisFeeUsd` is empty and not zero. |
| Length | Not yet covered |
9. Police escorts
Charges exist and no schedule is published. ALASKA PUBLISHES NEITHER A TRIGGER NOR A RATE, AND THE TRIGGER IS THE MORE IMPORTANT HALF. 17 AAC 25 and the Administrative Permit Manual (April 2023, adopted by reference in 17 AAC 25.320(b)) were both read in full for "police", "law enforcement", "trooper" and "escort". There is NO width, height, length or weight at which a law-enforcement escort becomes mandatory anywhere in either document — which is unlike the discretionary-rate states, where the escort is required and only the price is missing. The two places law enforcement appears are conditional on judgement rather than on dimension: § 6.7.3, "When an adequate emergency traffic lane cannot be provided, reduction in size of buildings or other very large structures by severance or removal of portions may be required. Coordination with local police and/or State troopers may also be required", and § 6.7.5, which lets the Regional Safety Engineer or the Director of MSCVC require "An approved traffic control plan, or plan to mitigate safety concerns". The civilian pilot/escort ladder at §§ 6-9 carries every codified escort Alaska has, and it reaches FOUR vehicles on width where most states stop at two. 17 AAC 25.380 — the entire fee section — contains no law-enforcement charge of any kind: its only figures are the $40/$70 basic processing charges, the $25/$35 width and height surcharges, the $25 weight surcharge, the $80-per-hour bridge design review and the $30 replacement, change and cancellation fees. No hourly rate, officer minimum, minimum hours, mileage charge or cancellation term for a police escort appears in either document, and none was adopted from any commercial permit service.
This is a positive finding: we searched and there is nothing to quote. It is not the same as "no police escort is ever required here".
10. When you can move it
Holiday, curfew and night-travel windows are not yet encoded for Alaska. The seasonal picture — which is a different question — is in section 6 above.
Why those windows are absent rather than estimated
They are not guessed at here. What we do publish is the seasonal weight-restriction picture, with the date we last read each state's own bulletin — a curfew invented from a plausible pattern is worth less than an honest gap, because a reader cannot tell the two apart on the page.
11. Permit office
The agency behind each figure above is linked from that figure. We publish no per-state permit-office phone number.
Why there is no phone number here
We are not publishing per-state permit-office phone numbers yet, and the reason is worth stating: the two seed lists available for them are both demonstrably stale — the federal one gives two different states the same phone number — and a wrong number on a page like this costs somebody a morning. The agency behind each figure above is linked from that figure, which is the part we can stand behind today.
12. What this does not include
Named rather than gestured at, because each of these can exceed the permit itself. Every item is listed; open one for why it is excluded.
Line haul, fuel and driver time
This is a permit fee, not a freight rate.
Civilian pilot car rates
We hold no rate data, and the two commercial sites that publish market rates disagree by nearly a factor of two on the same service.
Route-survey engineering
The agency's review fee is shown where the state publishes one; the engineer's own fee is a private cost with no schedule.
Bonds and escrow
Set per move by the agency, and in at least one state the escort is billed at actual cost against it.
Utility coordination and line lifts
Arranged with each utility, priced by each utility.
Second-issuer permits
A toll, bridge or city authority inside the same state issues its own permit, and a state total that omits it is missing a whole permit.
Need a pilot car for this lane? Browse the pilot car & escort directory.
13. Every source behind this page (2)
Every document behind Alaska2 sources
- 17 Alaska Admin. Code ch. 25 — Operations, Wheeled Vehicles — Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities — consolidated chapter; running footer "Comprehensive — includes new regulations effective 1/11/2024"
rev. · read - Administrative Permit Manual: Oversize and Overweight Permits (adopted by reference in 17 AAC 25.320(b)) — Alaska DOT&PF, Division of Measurement Standards & Commercial Vehicle Compliance — title page "April, 2023"; escort ladder at §§ 6–9, superload definition at § 17.1
rev. · read
Questions
How much is an oversize permit in Alaska?
The single-trip base is $40, before the dimension bands, the overweight component and the transaction charge. The base alone is rarely what is paid.
When does Alaska require a pilot car?
The first width trigger is 10'6" or more.
What is a superload in Alaska?
Alaska's published gross-weight superload line is 250,000 lb or more. It is not 80,000 lb; that is the federal legal gross limit, not a superload threshold.