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Permits/Franchises
Vehicle Permits For Commercial Use

Express Lane Permits

Express Lane Permits enable ambulettes, commuter vans and shuttles and other mass transit fleets to use the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes leading to the Queens-Midtown and Brooklyn-Battery Tunnels.

Overdimensional permits

Overdimensional permits are issued by DOT's Bridges Truck Unit, 55 Water Street, New York NY 10041, telephone (212) 839-6341. Permits are issued to trucks travelling through New York City that are overweight and oversize. These permits are issued on a daily basis.
Download permit application form (pdf)
Useful contact numbers for commercial vehicles.
Find City Traffic Rules and Regulations that apply to trucks.

Summary of Vehicle Dimensional and Weight Rules

Commercial vehicles may not travel on parkways. All commercial drivers must use Local and Through truck routes to the intersection nearest their destination. All posted restrictions must be obeyed. Please note:

Tractor-trailer vehicle combinations not exceeding 13′6″ in height, 8′ in width, and 55′ in length can travel on interstates and truck routes. The maximum allowed length of single unit vehicles, such as boxtrucks, is 35′.
Vehicles exceeding any of these dimensions must obtain a daily over-dimensional vehicles permit for each trip (going and coming back).
Apply for a daily permit for over-dimensional vehicles (pdf).
Federal STAA vehicles (pdf) not exceeding 13′6″ in height, 8′6″ in width, 48' trailer length, and the lower of the bridge formula weight or 80,000 pounds, moving household goods can travel on interstates and truck routes. STAA vehicles not moving household goods are limited to one-mile access to and from the exit.
Trucks with 53-foot trailers may only travel on the portions of I-95, I-695, I-295, and I-495 that cross the city between the Bronx-Westchester County line and Queens-Nassau County line. 53-foot trailers carrying non-divisible loads must apply for a New York City Permit (pdf).
Maximum weight limit for vehicles is 80,000 pounds or less, depending upon axle spacing. The legal weights are outlined below.
See Section 4-15 (b) (6) thru (10) of the Traffic Rules for more details.

Legal Weights For Trucks with Pneumatic Tires¹
Per Inch of Tire Width	Any One Wheel	Any One Axle	Any Two Axles²	3 or More Axles
800 lbs	11,200 lbs	22,400 lbs	36,000 lbs	80,000 lbs³

All vehicles must obey posted capacity or height clearance of all structures.

A Vehicle equipped with solid rubber tires is permitted up to 80% of legal load for pneumatic tires.
When such axles are spaced less than 10 feet, but not less than 46.
Maximum weight limit is computed as 34,000 lbs, plus 1,000 lbs per foot of distance between the first and last axles. 80,000 lbs is the outer limit for all cases.