North Dakota Code § 39-12-04

Width, height, and length limitations on vehicles - Exceptions
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1. Vehicles operated on a highway in this state may not exceed a total outside width, 
including load thereon, of eight feet six inches [2.59 meters]. This limitation does not 
apply to:
a. Construction and building contractors' equipment and vehicles used to move 
such equipment which does not exceed ten feet [3.05 meters] in width when 
being moved by contractors or resident carriers.
b. Implements of husbandry being moved by resident farmers, ranchers, 
governmental entities, dealers, or manufacturers between sunrise and sunset. 
Furthermore, the limitation does not apply to implements of husbandry being 
moved between sunset and sunrise by resident farmers, ranchers, governmental 
entities, dealers, or manufacturers on public state, county, or township highway 
systems other than interstate highway systems.
c. Hay in the stack or bale being moved along the extreme right edge of a roadway 
between sunrise and sunset by someone other than a commercial mover.
d. Commercial movement of haystacks or hay bales with vehicles designed 
specifically for hauling hay, commercial movement of self -propelled fertilizer 
spreaders and self-propelled agricultural chemical applicators, whether operating 
under their own power or being transported by another vehicle, commercial 
movement of portable grain cleaners, commercial movement of forage 
harvesters, and the commercial movement of hay grinders, which may be moved 
on the highway after obtaining a seasonal permit issued by the highway patrol. 
The highway patrol shall issue seasonal permits that are valid during daylight 
hours on any day of the week, or that are valid at all times for the movement of 
self-propelled fertilizer spreaders and self -propelled agricultural chemical 
applicators, to any commercial entity otherwise qualified under this subdivision. 
Self-propelled fertilizer spreaders and self -propelled agricultural chemical 
applicators operating under their own power between sunset and sunrise must 
display vehicle hazard warning signal lamps as described in subsection 3 of 
section 39-21-19.1. The seasonal permit is in lieu of registration requirements for 
the permit period. No seasonal permit may be issued, unless proof of financial 
responsibility in a minimum of three hundred thousand dollars is filed and the 
appropriate permit fee is paid. The seasonal permit may also be issued for 
hauling hay bales with vehicles or vehicle combinations other than those 

designed specifically for hauling haystacks. This seasonal permit, however, will 
not be in lieu of registration requirements. All permit fees must be deposited in the 
state highway distribution fund.
e. Safety devices that the highway patrol determines are necessary for the safe and 
efficient operation of motor vehicles may not be included in the calculation of 
width.
f. Any non-load-carrying safety appurtenance as determined by the highway patrol 
which extends no more than three inches [7.62 centimeters] from each side of a 
trailer is excluded from the measurement of trailer width. The width of a trailer is 
measured across the sidemost load -carrying structures, support members, and 
structural fasteners.
g. The highway patrol may adopt reasonable rules for those vehicles exempted from 
the width limitations as provided for in this subsection.
2. Vehicles operated on a highway in this state may not exceed a height of fourteen feet 
[4.27 meters], whether loaded or unloaded. This height limitation does not affect any 
present structure such as bridges and underpasses that are not fourteen feet [4.27 
meters] in height. This limitation does not apply to vehicles that are at most fifteen feet 
six inches [4.72 meters] high when all of the following apply:
a. The vehicle is an implement of husbandry and is being moved by a resident 
farmer, rancher, dealer, or manufacturer.
b. The trip is at most sixty miles [96.56 kilometers].
c. The trip is between sunrise and sunset.
d. None of the trip is on an interstate highway.
3. A vehicle operated on a highway in this state may not exceed the following length 
limitations:
a. A single unit vehicle with two or more axles including the load thereon may not 
exceed a length of fifty feet [15.24 meters].
b. A combination of two units including the load thereon may not exceed a length of 
seventy-five feet [22.86 meters].
c. A combination of three or four units including the load thereon may not exceed a 
length of seventy -five feet [22.86 meters], subject to any rules adopted by the 
director that are consistent with public highway safety. The rules do not apply to a 
three-unit combination consisting of a truck tractor and semitrailer drawing a 
trailer or semitrailer.
d. A combination of two, three, or four units including the load thereon may be 
operated on all four-lane divided highways and those highways in the state 
designated by the director and local authorities as to the highways under their 
respective jurisdictions and may not exceed a length of one hundred ten feet 
[33.53 meters], subject to any rules adopted by the director that are consistent 
with public highway safety.
e. The length of a trailer or semitrailer, including the load thereon, may not exceed 
fifty-three feet [16.5 meters] except that trailers and semitrailers titled and 
registered in North Dakota before July 1, 1987, and towed vehicles may not 
exceed a length of sixty feet [18.29 meters].
4. Length limitations do not apply to:
a. Building moving equipment.
b. Emergency tow trucks towing disabled lawful combinations of vehicles to a 
nearby repair facility.
c. Vehicles and equipment owned and operated by the armed forces of the United 
States or the national guard of this state.
d. Structural material of telephone, power, and telegraph companies.
e. Truck-mounted haystack moving equipment, provided the equipment does not 
exceed a length of fifty-six feet [17.07 meters].
f. A truck tractor and semitrailer or truck tractor, semitrailer, and the trailer when 
operated on the interstate highway system or parts of the federal aid primary 

system as designated by the director, only when federal law requires the 
exemption.
g. Safety and energy conservation devices and any additional length exclusive 
devices as determined by the highway patrol for the safe and efficient operation 
of commercial motor vehicles. Length exclusive devices are appurtenances at the 
front or rear of a commercial motor vehicle semitrailer or trailer, whose function is 
related to the safe and efficient operation of the semitrailer or trailer.
5. Motor homes, house cars, travel trailers, fifth -wheel travel trailers, camping trailers, 
and truck campers may exceed eight feet six inches [2.59 meters] in width if the 
excess is attributable to an appurtenance that extends beyond the body of the vehicle 
no more than six inches [15.24 centimeters] on either side of the vehicle. For purposes 
of this subsection, the term appurtenance includes a shade awning and its support 
hardware, and any appendage that is intended to be an integral part of a motor home, 
house car, travel trailer, fifth-wheel travel trailer, camping trailer, or truck camper.

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