Sec. 14-262. Width and length of vehicles. Exceptions. Permits.
Sec. 14-262. Width and length of vehicles. Exceptions. Permits. (a) The following vehicles shall not be operated upon any highway or bridge without a special written
permit from the Commissioner of Transportation, as provided in section 14-270, specifying the conditions under which they may be so operated:
(1) A vehicle, combination of vehicle and trailer or commercial vehicle combination, including each such vehicle's load, which is wider than one hundred two inches
or its approximate metric equivalent of two and six-tenths meters or one hundred two
and thirty-six-hundredths inches, including its load, but not including the following
safety devices: Reasonably sized rear view mirrors, turn signals, steps and handholds
for entry and egress, spray and splash suppressant devices, load-induced tire bulge and
any other state-approved safety device which the Commissioner of Transportation determines is necessary for the safe and efficient operation of such a vehicle or combination,
provided no such state-approved safety device protrudes more than three inches from
each side of the vehicle or provided no such device has by its design or use the capability
to carry cargo. Such permit shall not be required in the case of (A) farm equipment, (B)
a vehicle or combination of vehicle and trailer loaded with hay or straw, (C) a school bus
equipped with a folding stop sign or exterior mirror, as approved by the Commissioner of
Motor Vehicles, which results in a combined width of bus and sign or bus and mirror
in excess of that established by this subsection, (D) a trailer designed and used exclusively for transporting boats when the gross weight of such boats does not exceed four
thousand pounds, or (E) a recreation vehicle with appurtenances, including safety devices and retracted shade awnings, no greater than six inches on each side for a maximum
allowance of twelve inches; and
(2) A combination of truck and trailer which is longer than sixty-five feet except
(A) a combination of truck and trailer or tractor and semitrailer loaded with utility poles,
both trailer and semitrailer having a maximum length of forty-eight feet, utility poles
having a maximum length of fifty feet and the overall length not to exceed eighty feet,
(B) a trailer designed and used exclusively for transporting boats when the gross weight
of such boats does not exceed four thousand pounds, (C) a tractor-trailer unit, (D) a
commercial vehicle combination, (E) combinations of vehicles considered as specialized equipment in 23 CFR 658.13(e), as amended, or (F) a tractor equipped with a
dromedary box operated in combination with a semitrailer which tractor and semitrailer
do not exceed seventy-five feet in overall length.
(b) A special written permit may not be issued by the Commissioner of Transportation for a combination of vehicles consisting of a vehicle drawing a combination of
three or more trailers or semitrailers, except any such combination engaged in the transportation of an indivisible load.
(c) The maximum length of a single unit vehicle shall be forty-five feet and the
maximum length of the semitrailer portion of a tractor-trailer unit shall be forty-eight
feet. A trailer greater than forty-eight feet and less than or equal to fifty-three feet in
length, that has a distance of no more than forty-three feet between the kingpin and the
center of the rearmost axle with wheels in contact with the road surface, may be operated
on (1) unless posted otherwise, United States and Connecticut routes numbered from 1
to 399, inclusive, 450, 476, 508, 693 and 695 and the national system of interstate and
defense highways, and (2) state and local roads for up to one mile from the routes and
system specified in subdivision (1) of this subsection for access to terminals, facilities
for food, fuel, repair and rest, and points of loading and unloading. The Commissioner
of Transportation shall permit additional routes upon application of carriers or shippers
provided the proposed additional routes meet the permit criteria of the Department of
Transportation. Such length limitation shall be exclusive of safety and energy conservation devices, such as refrigeration units, air compressors or air shields and other devices,
which the Secretary of the federal Department of Transportation may interpret as necessary for the safe and efficient operation of such vehicles, provided no such device has
by its design or use the capability to carry cargo.
(d) Violation of any provision of this section shall be subject to a fine of five hundred
dollars.
(1949 Rev., S. 2500; 1959, P.A. 542, S. 1; February, 1965, P.A. 429; 1967, P.A. 42; 1969, P.A. 354, S. 1; 768, S. 144;
P.A. 74-153; P.A. 75-577, S. 99, 126; P.A. 76-342; P.A. 81-366, S. 2; P.A. 82-354; P.A. 84-372, S. 4, 9; P.A. 85-126, S.
1, 2; P.A. 91-15; P.A. 93-307, S. 9, 34; P.A. 94-188, S. 10; P.A. 97-304, S. 27, 31; P.A. 99-181, S. 17, 18, 21, 40; P.A. 02-123, S. 10; P.A. 03-115, S. 80; P.A. 04-143, S. 8; P.A. 06-133, S. 1.)
History: 1959 act extended permissible length from 45 to 50 feet, deleted exception in first sentence for combination
of passenger motor vehicle and trailer for camping or living purposes (but see section 14-263) and substituted "piling or
structural units" for "structural steel or iron"; 1965 act added provision re trailers exceeding 40 feet and increased permissible
length from 50 to 55 feet; 1967 act placed 80-foot length limit on vehicle or vehicle and trailer loaded with poles, lumber,
piling or structural units; 1969 acts made all limits applicable to combination of vehicle and trailer and replaced highway
commissioner with commissioner of transportation; P.A. 74-153 added exceptions re farm equipment and school buses;
P.A. 75-577 stated that violation of provisions is an infraction; P.A. 76-342 exempted from permit requirement automobile
trailers designed and used for transporting new or used vehicles; P.A. 81-366 clarified those types of vehicles which are
prohibited on state highways without special permits and increased the maximum length of a vehicle not requiring a special
permit to 60 feet provided that the trailer is no longer than 45 feet; P.A. 82-354 added Subsec. (b) providing for a special
permit for vehicles towing trailers between 45 and 48 feet in length; P.A. 84-372 made provisions of section consistent
with federal law governing width and length of vehicles and rearranged provisions for clarity; P.A. 85-126 amended Subsec.
(a)(1) by changing the width of a vehicle from 8 feet 6 inches to 102 inches or its metric equivalent not including various
safety devices, amended Subsec. (a)(2) by prohibiting vehicle combinations engaged in transporting automobiles from
allowing such automobiles to overhang more than 3 feet from the front of the vehicle or more than 4 feet from the rear of
the vehicle, and amended Subsec. (b) by deleting exclusions in computing the maximum length of a semitrailer for various
safety devices; P.A. 91-15 added a new Subsec. (b) prohibiting the department from issuing a permit for vehicles drawing
a combination of three or more trailers or semitrailers and relettered the remaining Subsecs.; P.A. 93-307 amended Subsec.
(a)(2) by making the Subdiv. inapplicable to a single vehicle, deleting Subparas. (A), (D) and (E) in their entirety, relettering
the remaining Subparas. (B) and (C) accordingly and adding a new Subpara. (C) re commercial vehicles defined as specialized equipment, amended Subsec. (c) to provide that the maximum length of a single unit vehicle shall be 45 feet and the
maximum length of the semitrailer portion of a tractor-trailer unit shall be 48 feet, adding provision permitting trailers
greater than 48 feet and less than or equal to 53 feet to be operated on state and local roads for various reasons as long as
the "distance from the kingpin to the center of the rearmost axle" does not exceed 41 feet and providing that the commissioner
of transportation "shall permit additional routes" upon the application of carriers or shippers provided the additional routes
meet the permit criteria of the department of transportation, effective June 29, 1993; P.A. 94-188 amended Subsec. (a)(2)(C)
to read "commercial vehicle combination", adding Subpara. (D) and changing the citation to the Code of Federal Regulations
from "Part 658" to "658.13(d)"; P.A. 97-304 added Subsec. (a)(2)(E) re tractors equipped with a dromedary box operated
in combination with a semitrailer, effective July 8, 1997; P.A. 99-181 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by making the provisions
of subdivision applicable to a combination of a "truck and trailer" in lieu of a "vehicle and trailer" and added a new Subpara.
(A) re a combination of truck and trailer or trailer and semitrailer loaded with utility poles, relettering existing Subparas.
accordingly, amended Subsec. (c) by changing the maximum allowed distance from the kingpin to the center of the rearmost
axle from 41 to 43 feet and amended Subsec. (d) by changing penalty for violation from an infraction to a fine of $500,
effective June 23, 1999; P.A. 02-123 amended Subsec. (c) to allow the operation of a trailer greater than 48 feet and less
than or equal to 53 feet long that has a distance of no more than 43 feet between the kingpin and the center of the rearmost
axle on US and CT routes 1 to 399, inclusive, 450, 476, 508, 693 and 695 and on state and local roads for up to one mile
from the specified routes and system and to make technical and conforming changes; P.A. 03-115 amended Subsec. (c)
to add "with wheels in contact with the road surface", effective June 18, 2003; P.A. 04-143 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to
prohibit combination trucks and trailers longer than 65 feet, rather than 60 feet, from operation on any highway or bridge
without a special written permit and to make a technical change; P.A. 06-133 added Subsec. (a)(1)(E) re recreation vehicles
with appurtenances, effective June 6, 2006.
See chapter 881b re infractions of the law.