manufactured homes, or vehicles -- Exception.
A person shall not operate on any highway, except those highways designated by the
secretary of transportation under the provisions of KRS 189.222, or those locally
maintained highways under the provisions of KRS 189.222(12) or 189.230(4), any of the
following trucks, trailers, manufactured homes, or vehicles:
(1) Any motor truck, semitrailer, trailer, manufactured home, or vehicle which exceeds
eleven and one-half (11-1/2) feet in height or ninety-six (96) inches in width,
including any part of the body or load;
(2) Any motor truck, except a semitrailer truck, which exceeds twenty-six and one half
(26-1/2) feet in length, including any part of the body or load;
(3) Any semitrailer truck which exceeds thirty (30) feet in length, including any part of
the body or load;
(4) Any truck, semitrailer truck, or truck and trailer unit which exceeds 36,000 pounds
gross weight, including the load;
(5) Any truck, semitrailer truck, or tractor-trailer unit which exceeds a gross weight
equal to the sum of six hundred (600) pounds per inch of the combined width of the
tires upon which the vehicle may be propelled, but no more than thirty-six thousand
(36,000) pounds; and
(6) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, any truck hauling building materials
under KRS 189.2226, or to a road construction project on a highway rated less than
the maximum weight provided above, may haul up to eighty thousand (80,000)
pounds gross weight, including the load, without a permit.
Effective: July 15, 2024
History: Amended 2024 Ky. Acts ch. 198, sec. 6, effective July 15, 2024. -- Amended
2009 Ky. Acts ch. 34, sec. 2, effective June 25, 2009. -- Amended 2003 Ky. Acts ch.
124, secs. 35 and 38, effective June 24, 2003. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts ch. 484,
sec. 3, effective July 15, 1998. -- Amended 1994 Ky. Acts ch. 42, sec. 12, effective
July 15, 1994. – Amended 1992 Ky. Acts ch. 132, sec. 1, effective July 14, 1992. --
Amended 1984 Ky. Acts ch. 330, sec. 1, effective July 13, 1984. -- Amended 1982
Ky. Acts ch. 395, sec. 19, effective July 15, 1982. -- Amended 1962 Ky. Acts ch. 91,
sec. 2. -- Created 1950 Ky. Acts ch. 115, sec. 2.
Notes of Decisions
Collins v. Commonwealth, Transp. Cabinet, Dep't of Highways, 516 S.W.3d 320 (Ky. 2017).
· cites it 6× “Highway 119 pursuant to KRS 189.221. The trial court further stated that the hearing testimony supported a conclusion that the Department of Highways negligently performed this duty when it failed to pull the oversized tractor-trailer over.”
Hancock v. Terry Elkhorn Mining Co., 503 S.W.2d 710 (Ky. Ct. App. 1973).
· cites it 4× “We are faced with the question of whether the Department of Highways had the right to issue such special overweight permits and, if it did have such right, whether there was an abuse of discretion in the issuing of the permits under the circumstances outlined in this proceeding.”
Marmor v. Marmor, 409 S.W.2d 526 (Ky. Ct. App. 1966).
· cites it 2× “It is first contended by appellant that he was entitled to an instruction stating that it was negligence per se to operate a vehicle the width of which exceeded nine feet in violation of KRS 189.221. It is admitted by appellee Thomas that the lowboy was 97 inches wide, one inch…”
Lauren Savage Individually v. Allstate Ins. Co. (Ky. Ct. App. 2021).
“However, that section imposes criminal penalties for violation of KRS 189.221 to 189.228. Because the statute is silent as to civil liability, we conclude that violations of these sections are relevant only to establish a statutory duty under which a person may liable.”
August Props., LLC v. Commonwealth of Kentucky, Transp. Cabinet (Ky. Ct. App. 2021).
“Based on the aforementioned guiding case law, we cannot conclude that the Department of Highways’ common law duty extends to ensuring compliance with the size restrictions of KRS 189.221. The key inquiry into the Department of Highways’ common law duty is reasonableness.”
J. Chris Lane v. Kentucky Dep't of Corr. (Ky. Ct. App. 2025).
“KRS 189.221, which imposes such restrictions, does not designate the Department as the enforcing authority, and no evidence suggested the Department had control over Vehicle Enforcement Officers, the statutorily charged enforcement agents.”
Howard v. Fields, 433 S.W.2d 629 (Ky. Ct. App. 1968).
“There was evidence for appellant that the tires on the Fields’ truck were 8 feet, 4 inches apart and that the distance between the two rear-view mirrors on the truck was 9 feet, 9 inches, both measurements being greater than the statutory maximum width of 8 feet as prescribed by…”
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