{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/46.2-1110.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/46.2-1110.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/46.2-1110.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/46.2-1110.html"}],"law_id":77659,"edition_id":1,"section_id":77659,"structure_id":15931,"section_number":"46.2-1110","catch_line":"Height of vehicles; damage to overhead obstruction; penalty","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 46-327; 1950, p. 480; 1958, c. 541, \u00a7 46.1-329; 1962, c. 85; 1984, c. 780; 1989, c. 727; 2001, c. 94; 2005, cc. 542, 543; 2006, Sp. Sess. I, c. 6; 2011, c. 620; 2015, c. 181.","full_text":"No loaded or unloaded vehicle shall exceed a height of 13 feet, six inches.\n\t\tNothing contained in this section shall require either the public authorities or railroad companies to provide vertical clearances of overhead bridges or structures in excess of 12 feet, six inches, or to make any changes in the vertical clearances of existing overhead bridges or structures crossing highways. The driver or owner of vehicles on highways shall be held financially responsible for any damage to overhead bridges or structures that results from collisions therewith.\n\t\tThe driver or owner of any vehicle colliding with an overhead bridge or structure shall immediately notify, either in person or by telephone, a law-enforcement officer or the public authority or railroad company, owning or maintaining such overhead bridge or structure of the fact of such collision, and his name, address, driver’s license number, and the registration number of his vehicle. Failure to give such notice immediately, either in person or by telephone, shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\t\tOn any highway maintained by the Department of Transportation over which there is a bridge or structure having a vertical clearance of less than 14 feet, the Commissioner of Highways shall have at least two signs erected setting forth the height of the bridge or structure. Such signs shall be located at least 1,500 feet ahead of the bridge or structure.\n\t\tOn any highway maintained by a county, city, or town over which a bridge or structure has a vertical clearance of less than 14 feet, the local governing body shall have at least two signs erected setting forth the height of the bridge or structure. Such signs shall be located at least 1,500 feet ahead of the bridge or structure.\n\t\tThe Department of Transportation may install and use overheight vehicle optical detection systems to identify vehicles that exceed the overhead clearance of the westbound tunnel of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel on Interstate 64. When the optical system sensor located closest to the westbound tunnel entrance is used in identifying such vehicles, the system shall be installed at the specified height as determined by measurement standards that have been certified by the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and are traceable to national standards of measurement. Such identification by such system shall, for all purposes of law, be equivalent to having measured the height of the vehicle with a tape measure or other measuring device. When an employee of the Department of Transportation or the Department of State Police identifies a vehicle whose height exceeds 13 feet, six inches and whose driver is driving or attempting to drive through the westbound tunnel of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel on Interstate 64, the driver of such vehicle may elect to wait until the end of peak traffic periods, as determined by the Department of Transportation, so that the Department of Transportation or Department of State Police may safely stop traffic and allow such vehicle to proceed in the opposite direction. If the driver does not elect to wait, he shall be subject to the penalties under this section.\n\t\tAny person who drives or attempts to drive any vehicle or combination of vehicles into or through any tunnel when the height of such vehicle, any vehicle in a combination of vehicles, or any load on any such vehicle exceeds that permitted for such tunnel, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, in addition, shall be assessed three driver demerit points. In addition, the driver of any such vehicle shall be fined $1,000, of which $1,000 shall be a mandatory minimum. For subsequent offenses, the owner of any such vehicle shall be fined $2,500, of which $2,500 shall be a mandatory minimum.\n\t\tA violation of this section shall be deemed for all purposes a moving violation.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":278546,"text":"No loaded or unloaded vehicle shall exceed a height of 13 feet, six inches.\n\t\tNothing contained in this section shall require either the public authorities or railroad companies to provide vertical clearances of overhead bridges or structures in excess of 12 feet, six inches, or to make any changes in the vertical clearances of existing overhead bridges or structures crossing highways. The driver or owner of vehicles on highways shall be held financially responsible for any damage to overhead bridges or structures that results from collisions therewith.\n\t\tThe driver or owner of any vehicle colliding with an overhead bridge or structure shall immediately notify, either in person or by telephone, a law-enforcement officer or the public authority or railroad company, owning or maintaining such overhead bridge or structure of the fact of such collision, and his name, address, driver’s license number, and the registration number of his vehicle. Failure to give such notice immediately, either in person or by telephone, shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\t\tOn any highway maintained by the Department of Transportation over which there is a bridge or structure having a vertical clearance of less than 14 feet, the Commissioner of Highways shall have at least two signs erected setting forth the height of the bridge or structure. Such signs shall be located at least 1,500 feet ahead of the bridge or structure.\n\t\tOn any highway maintained by a county, city, or town over which a bridge or structure has a vertical clearance of less than 14 feet, the local governing body shall have at least two signs erected setting forth the height of the bridge or structure. Such signs shall be located at least 1,500 feet ahead of the bridge or structure.\n\t\tThe Department of Transportation may install and use overheight vehicle optical detection systems to identify vehicles that exceed the overhead clearance of the westbound tunnel of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel on Interstate 64. When the optical system sensor located closest to the westbound tunnel entrance is used in identifying such vehicles, the system shall be installed at the specified height as determined by measurement standards that have been certified by the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and are traceable to national standards of measurement. Such identification by such system shall, for all purposes of law, be equivalent to having measured the height of the vehicle with a tape measure or other measuring device. When an employee of the Department of Transportation or the Department of State Police identifies a vehicle whose height exceeds 13 feet, six inches and whose driver is driving or attempting to drive through the westbound tunnel of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel on Interstate 64, the driver of such vehicle may elect to wait until the end of peak traffic periods, as determined by the Department of Transportation, so that the Department of Transportation or Department of State Police may safely stop traffic and allow such vehicle to proceed in the opposite direction. If the driver does not elect to wait, he shall be subject to the penalties under this section.\n\t\tAny person who drives or attempts to drive any vehicle or combination of vehicles into or through any tunnel when the height of such vehicle, any vehicle in a combination of vehicles, or any load on any such vehicle exceeds that permitted for such tunnel, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, in addition, shall be assessed three driver demerit points. In addition, the driver of any such vehicle shall be fined $1,000, of which $1,000 shall be a mandatory minimum. For subsequent offenses, the owner of any such vehicle shall be fined $2,500, of which $2,500 shall be a mandatory minimum.\n\t\tA violation of this section shall be deemed for all purposes a moving violation.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15931,"edition_id":1,"name":"Maximum Vehicle Widths and Heights","identifier":"15","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12828,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:02:15","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:02:15","permalink":{"id":228821,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15931,"identifier":"15","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/15","url":"\/46.2\/III\/10\/15\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12828,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicle and Equipment Safety","identifier":"10","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12827,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":228599,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12828,"identifier":"10","token":"46.2\/III\/10","url":"\/46.2\/III\/10\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12827,"edition_id":1,"name":"Operation","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12770,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":228597,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12827,"identifier":"III","token":"46.2\/III","url":"\/46.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12770,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicles","identifier":"46.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":225289,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12770,"identifier":"46.2","token":"46.2","url":"\/46.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":65386,"structure_id":15931,"section_number":"46.2-1105","catch_line":"Width of vehicles generally; exceptions","url":"\/46.2-1105\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/15\/46.2-1105","metadata":false},{"id":61939,"structure_id":15931,"section_number":"46.2-1106","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/46.2-1106\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/15\/46.2-1106","metadata":false},{"id":73980,"structure_id":15931,"section_number":"46.2-1108","catch_line":"Bus widths to comply with federal law","url":"\/46.2-1108\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/15\/46.2-1108","metadata":false},{"id":81276,"structure_id":15931,"section_number":"46.2-1109","catch_line":"Widths of commercial vehicles","url":"\/46.2-1109\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/15\/46.2-1109","metadata":false},{"id":77659,"structure_id":15931,"section_number":"46.2-1110","catch_line":"Height of vehicles; damage to overhead obstruction; penalty","url":"\/46.2-1110\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/15\/46.2-1110","metadata":false},{"id":73568,"structure_id":15931,"section_number":"46.2-1111","catch_line":"Extension of loads beyond line of fender or body","url":"\/46.2-1111\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/15\/46.2-1111","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":81276,"structure_id":15931,"section_number":"46.2-1109","catch_line":"Widths of commercial vehicles","url":"\/46.2-1109\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/15\/46.2-1109","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":73568,"structure_id":15931,"section_number":"46.2-1111","catch_line":"Extension of loads beyond line of fender or body","url":"\/46.2-1111\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/15\/46.2-1111","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/46.2-1110\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 8 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1958, chapter 541; in 1962, chapter 85; in 1984, chapter 780; in 1989, chapter 727; in 2001, chapter 94<\/a>; in 2005, chapters 542<\/a> and 543<\/a>; in 2011, chapter 620<\/a>; in 2015, chapter 181<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":59305,"section_number":"46.2-1146","catch_line":"Excess height and length permits for haulers of certain imported goods","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-1146\/"},{"id":84929,"section_number":"46.2-1500","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-1500\/"},{"id":84799,"section_number":"46.2-700","catch_line":"Fees for vehicles for transporting well-drilling machinery and specialized mobile equipment","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-700\/"},{"id":80439,"section_number":"59.1-408","catch_line":"Prohibited activities","order_by":null,"url":"\/59.1-408\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":228839,"object_type":"law","relational_id":77659,"identifier":"46.2-1110","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/15\/46.2-1110","url":"\/46.2-1110\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/46.2-1110\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/15\/46.2-1110","dublin_core":{"Title":"Height of vehicles; damage to overhead obstruction; penalty","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 46.2-1110","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

No loaded or unloaded vehicle<\/span> shall exceed a height of 13 feet, six inches.\n\t\tNothing contained in this section shall require either the public authorities or railroad companies to provide vertical clearances of overhead bridges or structures in excess of 12 feet, six inches, or to make any changes in the vertical clearances of existing overhead bridges or structures crossing highways<\/span><\/span>. The driver<\/span> or owner<\/span> of vehicles<\/span> on highways<\/span><\/span> shall be held financially responsible for any damage to overhead bridges or structures that results from collisions therewith.\n\t\tThe driver<\/span> or owner<\/span> of any vehicle<\/span> colliding with an overhead bridge or structure shall immediately notify, either in person or by telephone, a law<\/span>-enforcement officer<\/span> or the public authority or railroad company, owning or maintaining such overhead bridge or structure of the fact<\/span> of such collision, and his name, address, driver<\/span>’s license number, and the registration number of his vehicle<\/span>. Failure to give such notice immediately, either in person or by telephone, shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor<\/span>.\n\t\tOn any highway<\/span> maintained by the Department<\/span> of Transportation over which there is a bridge or structure having a vertical clearance of less than 14 feet, the Commissioner<\/span> of Highways<\/span><\/span> shall have at least two signs erected setting forth the height of the bridge or structure. Such signs shall be located at least 1,500 feet ahead of the bridge or structure.\n\t\tOn any highway<\/span> maintained by a county, city, or town over which a bridge or structure has a vertical clearance of less than 14 feet, the local governing body<\/span> shall have at least two signs erected setting forth the height of the bridge or structure. Such signs shall be located at least 1,500 feet ahead of the bridge or structure.\n\t\tThe Department<\/span> of Transportation may install and use overheight vehicle<\/span> optical detection systems to identify vehicles<\/span> that exceed the overhead clearance of the westbound tunnel of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel on Interstate 64. When the optical system sensor located closest to the westbound tunnel entrance is used in identifying such vehicles<\/span>, the system shall be installed at the specified height as determined by measurement standards that have been certified by the Commissioner<\/span> of the Department<\/span> of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and are traceable to national standards of measurement. Such identification by such system shall, for all purposes of law<\/span>, be equivalent to having measured the height of the vehicle<\/span> with a tape measure or other measuring device. When an employee of the Department<\/span> of Transportation or the Department<\/span> of State Police identifies a vehicle<\/span> whose height exceeds 13 feet, six inches and whose driver<\/span> is driving or attempting to drive through the westbound tunnel of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel on Interstate 64, the driver<\/span> of such vehicle<\/span> may elect to wait until the end of peak traffic periods, as determined by the Department<\/span> of Transportation, so that the Department<\/span> of Transportation or Department<\/span> of State Police may safely stop traffic and allow such vehicle<\/span> to proceed in the opposite direction. If the driver<\/span> does not elect to wait, he shall be subject to the penalties under this section.\n\t\tAny person who drives or attempts to drive any vehicle<\/span> or combination of vehicles<\/span> into or through any tunnel when the height of such vehicle<\/span>, any vehicle<\/span> in a combination of vehicles<\/span>, or any load on any such vehicle<\/span> exceeds that permitted for such tunnel, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor<\/span> and, in addition, shall be assessed three driver<\/span> demerit points. In addition, the driver<\/span> of any such vehicle<\/span> shall be fined $1,000, of which $1,000 shall be a mandatory minimum. For subsequent offenses<\/span>, the owner<\/span> of any such vehicle<\/span> shall be fined $2,500, of which $2,500 shall be a mandatory minimum.\n\t\tA violation of this section shall be deemed for all purposes a moving violation.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nHEIGHT OF VEHICLES; DAMAGE TO OVERHEAD OBSTRUCTION; PENALTY (\u00a7 46.2-1110)\n\nNo loaded or unloaded vehicle shall exceed a height of 13 feet, six inches.\n\t\tNothing contained in this section shall require either the public authorities\nor railroad companies to provide vertical clearances of overhead bridges or\nstructures in excess of 12 feet, six inches, or to make any changes in the\nvertical clearances of existing overhead bridges or structures crossing\nhighways. The driver or owner of vehicles on highways shall be held financially\nresponsible for any damage to overhead bridges or structures that results from\ncollisions therewith.\n\t\tThe driver or owner of any vehicle colliding with an overhead bridge or\nstructure shall immediately notify, either in person or by telephone, a\nlaw-enforcement officer or the public authority or railroad company, owning or\nmaintaining such overhead bridge or structure of the fact of such collision, and\nhis name, address, driver’s license number, and the registration number of\nhis vehicle. Failure to give such notice immediately, either in person or by\ntelephone, shall constitute a Class 1 misdemeanor.\n\t\tOn any highway maintained by the Department of Transportation over which there\nis a bridge or structure having a vertical clearance of less than 14 feet, the\nCommissioner of Highways shall have at least two signs erected setting forth the\nheight of the bridge or structure. Such signs shall be located at least 1,500\nfeet ahead of the bridge or structure.\n\t\tOn any highway maintained by a county, city, or town over which a bridge or\nstructure has a vertical clearance of less than 14 feet, the local governing\nbody shall have at least two signs erected setting forth the height of the\nbridge or structure. Such signs shall be located at least 1,500 feet ahead of\nthe bridge or structure.\n\t\tThe Department of Transportation may install and use overheight vehicle\noptical detection systems to identify vehicles that exceed the overhead\nclearance of the westbound tunnel of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel on\nInterstate 64. When the optical system sensor located closest to the westbound\ntunnel entrance is used in identifying such vehicles, the system shall be\ninstalled at the specified height as determined by measurement standards that\nhave been certified by the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture and\nConsumer Services, and are traceable to national standards of measurement. Such\nidentification by such system shall, for all purposes of law, be equivalent to\nhaving measured the height of the vehicle with a tape measure or other measuring\ndevice. When an employee of the Department of Transportation or the Department\nof State Police identifies a vehicle whose height exceeds 13 feet, six inches\nand whose driver is driving or attempting to drive through the westbound tunnel\nof the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel on Interstate 64, the driver of such vehicle\nmay elect to wait until the end of peak traffic periods, as determined by the\nDepartment of Transportation, so that the Department of Transportation or\nDepartment of State Police may safely stop traffic and allow such vehicle to\nproceed in the opposite direction. If the driver does not elect to wait, he\nshall be subject to the penalties under this section.\n\t\tAny person who drives or attempts to drive any vehicle or combination of\nvehicles into or through any tunnel when the height of such vehicle, any vehicle\nin a combination of vehicles, or any load on any such vehicle exceeds that\npermitted for such tunnel, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, in addition,\nshall be assessed three driver demerit points. In addition, the driver of any\nsuch vehicle shall be fined $1,000, of which $1,000 shall be a mandatory\nminimum. For subsequent offenses, the owner of any such vehicle shall be fined\n$2,500, of which $2,500 shall be a mandatory minimum.\n\t\tA violation of this section shall be deemed for all purposes a moving\nviolation.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 46-327; 1950, p. 480; 1958, c. 541, \u00a7 46.1-329; 1962, c.\n85; 1984, c. 780; 1989, c. 727; 2001, c. 94; 2005, cc. 542, 543; 2006, Sp. Sess.\nI, c. 6; 2011, c. 620; 2015, c. 181.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}