Knowledge base Road rules Updated 21 Oct 2026 9 min read

Oversized Vehicle Height, Weight and Bridge Limits

LTA guidance for oversized and over-height vehicles, Road Traffic Act permits for overweight trailers, and statutory bridge weight and axle-weight restrictions.

height-limit oversized-vehicle public-escort OVM bridge-weight-limit

Primary source: https://onemotoring.lta.gov.sg/content/onemotoring/home/driving/commercial-vehicles.html

Signs, oversized-movement permits, and escorts

OneMotoring says the height-limit sign prohibits entry by vehicles taller than the stated height, and that a vehicle exceeding a height limit must have a public escort. It gives the same escort instruction for vehicles whose laden or unladen weight exceeds a posted weight limit (LTA OneMotoring, Driving Rules and Information).

For an oversized heavy vehicle, LTA requires an oversized vehicle movement (OVM) permit, applied for through LTA.PROMPT at least 3 working days before travel, if the overall width (unladen or laden) exceeds 3 m (or 2.6 m on controlled roads), the load's rear overhang exceeds 40% of vehicle length or 1.8 m (whichever is less), or the overall weight exceeds the vehicle type's laden-weight limit. The current LTA.PROMPT FAQ says OVM permits are required for vehicles exceeding width, length, or weight requirements and applications must be submitted at least 3 working days before the intended travel date (LTA OneMotoring, Commercial Vehicles; LTA.PROMPT, FAQ — Permit for Vehicle Movement).

Overweight trailer permits under the Road Traffic Act

Road Traffic Act section 86 lets LTA grant a permit, subject to conditions it sets, for a specified trailer drawn by a heavy or light locomotive on a road or bridge to carry the weight specified in the permit. The section says that, while the permit conditions are met, carrying the authorised weight is not an offence solely because the trailer does not comply with rules on its laden weight or the maximum weight it may transmit to the road or any part of it (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 86).

LTA's current public guidance describes its OVM process for vehicles exceeding movement width, length, or weight requirements, including heavy vehicles whose overall weight exceeds the vehicle type's laden-weight limit. The guidance does not expressly say whether every OVM permit for an overweight trailer is the same permit described by section 86. Check the vehicle-specific weight requirements, route restrictions, and permit conditions in LTA.PROMPT before travel (LTA OneMotoring, Commercial Vehicles; LTA.PROMPT, FAQ — Permit for Vehicle Movement).

Bridge weight and axle-weight notices

Under Road Traffic Act section 118, if LTA is satisfied that a road bridge cannot safely carry vehicles above specified weight or axle-weight limits, it may place a conspicuous notice at each end prohibiting vehicles above the stated limit. A notice may state different maximum vehicle or axle weights for vehicles travelling below a specified speed and at or above that speed. The vehicle's “weight” is its actual weight at the time, including people and anything carried. “Axle weight” is defined by the weight transmitted to a transverse strip of road surface 152.4 cm wide; a vehicle and any trailer it draws count as one vehicle for this definition. The notice must be positioned so approaching drivers can see it from a reasonable distance (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 118).

The prohibition must be published in the Gazette, but a failure to publish does not invalidate it. Driving a vehicle across the bridge in breach of the restriction without LTA's consent, or causing or permitting it to be driven there, is an offence. The maximum fine is $400, rising to $1,000 for a second or subsequent conviction; the section also preserves any civil liability for damage. If the prosecutor establishes reasonable grounds to believe that the vehicle or axle weight exceeded the notice's limit, the defendant must prove it did not (Singapore Statutes Online, Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 118).

LTA.PROMPT provides a live page titled “List of Bridges With Weight Limit”. The page retrieved for this review showed no rows, so do not infer from an empty display that a bridge has no restriction; check the current route and vehicle requirements with LTA before travel (LTA.PROMPT, List of Bridges With Weight Limit).

In addition to an OVM permit, an auxiliary police escort is required if a vehicle's overall width (unladen or laden) exceeds 3.4 m, overall height (unladen or laden) exceeds 4.5 m, or overall unladen or laden weight is 80,000 kg or more. LTA also directs operators to apply for a police escort when vehicle height exceeds 4.5 m (LTA OneMotoring, Commercial Vehicles).

Over-height route safety and tunnel restrictions

LTA advises planning a route in advance so vehicle height does not exceed any road structure along it. If a lorry has a crane, check before moving that it is adequately retracted. LTA also requires all crane-fitted lorries to have an audio warning system that detects whether the crane is properly stowed. The system uses a buzzer in the driver's cabin linked to a limit switch; when a crane cannot be fully stowed for operational reasons, an angle sensor can be used instead. New lorries with cranes must have the system before LTA approves them for road use; existing lorries must meet the requirement to pass periodic vehicle inspections and may also be checked on the road. While driving an over-height vehicle, obey height-limit signs and stay within the vehicle speed limit. Stop and seek advice on an alternative route if diverted from the planned route, lost or disoriented, or faced with a road structure lower than the vehicle (LTA OneMotoring, Commercial Vehicles).

LTA's tunnel guidance says vehicles higher than 4.5 m are not allowed in tunnels, including expressway tunnels; vehicles higher than 3.5 m are also not allowed in the Sentosa Gateway Tunnel. Vehicles wider than 3 m are likewise listed as restricted in tunnels, but LTA says they may apply for an OVM permit to drive in tunnels. LTA notes that its tunnel-restriction list is not exhaustive (LTA OneMotoring, Commercial Vehicles).

The Road Traffic Act creates a specific offence when a person driving or attempting to drive a heavy motor vehicle, or a public service vehicle classified as a bus under the Act's Second Schedule, causes it to collide with a building or structure. For this offence, a heavy motor vehicle includes a goods vehicle with an unladen weight exceeding 2,500 kg; an engineering plant or mobile crane, or a vehicle designed and constructed for engineering operations; and a vehicle drawing a trailer carrying a container or other load. “Structure” includes a bus shelter, gantry post, overhead bridge and pillar (Road Traffic Act 1961, ss. 65A(1)–(2) and 79(6)).

For a first conviction under section 65A, the maximum is a fine of $5,000, imprisonment for 2 years, or both. For a second or subsequent conviction, the maximum is a fine of $10,000, imprisonment for 5 years, or both (Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 65A(1)). A separate offence applies when a person drives or causes to be driven on a road a heavy motor vehicle over 4.5 m high without a police officer or auxiliary police officer escort. Under section 79, a first offence carries imprisonment of 1 to 3 years and a fine up to $2,000; a second or subsequent offence carries imprisonment of 2 to 5 years and a fine up to $5,000. Unless the court finds special reasons, it must also disqualify the person from holding or obtaining a driving licence for at least 1 year for a first offence, or at least 2 years for a repeat offence (Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 79(1), (2), and (4)). LTA's over-height-vehicle guidance separately summarizes possible consequences of colliding with buildings or road structures as disqualification for up to 2 years, a fine up to $10,000, and imprisonment up to 5 years; the page does not explain how this summary relates to the distinct statutory offences (LTA OneMotoring, Commercial Vehicles).

Coverage debt

The public-facing page says the tunnel list is not exhaustive and does not provide a complete route-by-route list of height limits or escort arrangements.
An OVM permit is expressly available for vehicles wider than 3 m to drive in tunnels. The page does not state a corresponding tunnel exception for vehicles above the height limits listed here; verify route eligibility and approval conditions with LTA before travel.
LTA's public warning combines disqualification and maximum-penalty figures but does not explain how they relate to the separate collision offence in section 65A and over-height/no-escort offence in section 79. The statutory penalty tiers for both offences are stated separately above.
The Road Traffic Act identifies the section 86 permit for specified trailers and weights, while LTA's public OVM guidance covers vehicle movement that exceeds width, length, or weight requirements. The sources reviewed do not expressly map every OVM permit for an overweight trailer to the section 86 permit; verify the legal basis and conditions for the particular vehicle and route with LTA.
Section 118 makes LTA's consent relevant to crossing a bridge despite a posted restriction. The sources reviewed do not establish whether, or under what terms, an OVM permit constitutes that consent; obtain route-specific confirmation from LTA rather than assuming the permit or an escort overrides a bridge notice.
LTA.PROMPT's live bridge-weight-limit page displayed no entries when checked on 2026-10-21. The Act does not itself list the affected bridges or their current limits; verify the live list and route before moving a heavy vehicle.