Permit Information
Most Michigan road agencies require permits when you are moving oversized or overweight vehicles, or when working in the road right-of-way. Permits may be issued by the county road commission or road department, the Michigan Department of Transportation, or cities and villages depending on which entity owns the road you wish to travel. These transportation permits may include: Counties also require Seasonal Ag and Public Utility Route Notification Forms to ensure the roads and bridges to be travelled can withstand the oversize/overweight conditions. Permitting during seasonal weight restrictions in late winter is another special situation; click here for more on seasonal weight restrictions. To connect with a county road agency and apply for permits, visit our Find a County Road Agency page and click through to the county’s website. Most Michigan county road agencies are using unified permits developed by the County Road Association of Michigan’s Engineering Committee. If travelling on a I-, M- or US-route in Michigan, your oversized/overweight vehicle may require a permit from the Michigan Department of Transportation. Obtain MDOT permits information by visiting the MiTRIP permits website. Travelling through cities and villages with nonstandard loads requires you to contact the municipality directly. Permit Applications “In the Cloud.” In early 2018, the County Road Association of Michigan established a formal relationship with Oxcart Permit Systems™ to provide simple technology for on-line application, e-pay, e-signature, 24-hour/365 days accessibility for transportation permits. Over the next few years, most Michigan county road agencies are likely to move to this platform, which is paid for by user fees – not by government. A Michigan local or primary road maintained by a county road agency is typically 66 feet wide. The entire width including the roadbed, shoulders, ditches and adjacent land is called the right-of-way (ROW), and county road agencies have a permanent easement to use and manage the ROW, no matter who actually owns it. (Click here for more on the public ROW.) The purpose of the ROW is to provide water drainage away from the road surface, and to provide a safety zone for vehicles that leave the roadway. Any time that a commercial business, utility or subcontractor, or a citizen wishes to work in the ROW, they must obtain a permit from the county road agency. Permit costs are usually low, and serve to create dialogue between the person doing work in the ROW and the road agency, which must protect public safety and uphold road engineering best practices. To connect with a county road agency and apply for permits, visit our Find a County Road Agency page and click through to the county’s website.
Transportation Permits
Michigan county road agencies issue nine or more standardized permits to monitor and control different types of oversized and overweight vehicles that need to travel on the county road system in varying circumstances.
Work in the Right-of-Way Permits