60-6,298.

Vehicles; size; weight; load; overweight; special, continuing, or continuous permit; issuance discretionary; conditions; penalty; continuing permit; fees.

(1)(a) The Department of Transportation or the Nebraska State Patrol, with respect to highways under its jurisdiction including the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, and local authorities, with respect to highways under their jurisdiction, may in their discretion upon application and good cause being shown therefor issue a special, continuing, or continuous permit in writing authorizing the applicant or his or her designee:

(i) To operate or move a vehicle, a combination of vehicles, or objects of a size or weight of vehicle or load exceeding the maximum specified by law when such permit is necessary:

(A) To further the national defense or the general welfare;

(B) To permit movement of cost-saving equipment to be used in highway or other public construction or in agricultural land treatment; or

(C) Because of an emergency, an unusual circumstance, or a very special situation;

(ii) To operate vehicles, for a distance up to one hundred twenty miles, loaded up to fifteen percent greater than the maximum weight specified by law, or up to ten percent greater than the maximum length specified by law, or both, except that any combination with two or more cargo-carrying units, not including the truck-tractor, also known as a longer combination vehicle, may only operate for a distance up to seventy miles loaded up to fifteen percent greater than the maximum weight specified by law, or up to ten percent greater than the maximum length specified by law, or both, when carrying grain or other seasonally harvested products from the field where such grain or products are harvested to storage, market, or stockpile in the field or from stockpile or farm storage to market or factory when failure to move such grain or products in abundant quantities would cause an economic loss to the person or persons whose grain or products are being transported or when failure to move such grain or products in as large quantities as possible would not be in the best interests of the national defense or general welfare. The distance limitation may be waived for vehicles when carrying dry beans or dry peas and lentils from the field where harvested to storage or market when dry beans or dry peas and lentils are not normally stored, purchased, or used within the permittee's local area and must be transported more than one hundred twenty miles to an available marketing or storage destination. No permit shall authorize a weight greater than twenty thousand pounds on any single axle;

(iii) To transport an implement of husbandry which does not exceed twelve and one-half feet in width during daylight hours, except that the permit shall not allow transport on holidays;

(iv) To operate one or more recreational vehicles, as defined in section 71-4603, exceeding the maximum width specified by law if movement of the recreational vehicles is prior to retail sale and the recreational vehicles comply with subdivision (2)(k) of section 60-6,288;

(v) To operate an emergency vehicle for purposes of sale, demonstration, exhibit, or delivery, if the applicant or his or her designee is a manufacturer or sales agent of the emergency vehicle. No permit shall be issued for an emergency vehicle which weighs over sixty thousand pounds on the tandem axle; or

(vi) To transport during daylight hours divisible loads of livestock forage in bale form which do not exceed twelve feet in width, except that the permit shall not allow transport on holidays.

(b) No permit shall be issued under subdivision (a)(i) of this subsection for a vehicle carrying a load unless such vehicle is loaded with an object which exceeds the size or weight limitations, which cannot be dismantled or reduced in size or weight without great difficulty, and which of necessity must be moved over the highways to reach its intended destination. No permit shall be required for the temporary movement on highways other than dustless-surfaced state highways and for necessary access to points on such highways during daylight hours of cost-saving equipment to be used in highway or other public construction or in agricultural land treatment when such temporary movement is necessary and for a reasonable distance.

(2) The application for any such permit shall specifically describe the vehicle, the load to be operated or moved, whenever possible the particular highways for which permit to operate is requested, and whether such permit is requested for a single trip or for continuous or continuing operation. The permit shall include a signed affirmation under oath that, for any load sixteen feet high or higher, the applicant has contacted any and all electric utilities that have high voltage conductors and infrastructure that cross over the roadway affected by the move and made arrangements with such electric utilities for the safe movement of the load under any high voltage conductors owned by such electric utilities.

(3) The department or local authority is authorized to issue or withhold such permit at its discretion or, if such permit is issued, to limit the number of days during which the permit is valid, to limit the number of trips, to establish seasonal or other time limitations within which the vehicles described may be operated on the highways indicated, or to issue a continuous or continuing permit for use on all highways, including the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. The permits are subject to reasonable conditions as to periodic renewal of such permit and as to operation or movement of such vehicles. The department or local authority may otherwise limit or prescribe conditions of operation of such vehicle or vehicles, when necessary to assure against undue damage to the road foundations, surfaces, or structures or undue danger to the public safety. The department or local authority may require such undertaking or other security as may be deemed necessary to compensate for any injury to any roadway or road structure.

(4) Every such permit shall be carried in the vehicle to which it refers and shall be open to inspection by any peace officer, carrier enforcement officer, or authorized agent of any authority granting such permit. Each such permit shall state the maximum weight permissible on a single axle or combination of axles and the total gross weight allowed. No person shall violate any of the terms or conditions of such special permit. In case of any violation, the permit shall be deemed automatically revoked and the penalty of the original limitations shall be applied unless:

(a) The violation consists solely of exceeding the size or weight specified by the permit, in which case only the penalty of the original size or weight limitation exceeded shall be applied; or

(b) The total gross load is within the maximum authorized by the permit, no axle is more than ten percent in excess of the maximum load for such axle or group of axles authorized by the permit, and such load can be shifted to meet the weight limitations of wheel and axle loads authorized by such permit. Such shift may be made without penalty if it is made at the state or commercial scale designated in the permit. The vehicle may travel from its point of origin to such designated scale without penalty, and a scale ticket from such scale, showing the vehicle to be properly loaded and within the gross and axle weights authorized by the permit, shall be reasonable evidence of compliance with the terms of the permit.

(5) The department or local authority issuing a permit as provided in this section may adopt and promulgate rules and regulations with respect to the issuance of permits provided for in this section.

(6) The department shall make available applications for permits authorized pursuant to subdivisions (1)(a)(ii) and (1)(a)(iii) of this section in the office of each county treasurer. The department may make available applications for all other permits authorized by this section to the office of the county treasurer and may make available applications for all permits authorized by this section to any other location chosen by the department.

(7) The department or local authority issuing a permit may require a permit fee of not to exceed twenty-five dollars, except that:

(a) The fee for a continuous or continuing permit may not exceed twenty-five dollars for a ninety-day period, fifty dollars for a one-hundred-eighty-day period, or one hundred dollars for a one-year period; and

(b) The fee for permits issued pursuant to subdivision (1)(a)(ii) of this section shall be twenty-five dollars. Permits issued pursuant to such subdivision shall be valid for thirty days and shall be renewable four times for a total number of days not to exceed one hundred fifty days per calendar year.

A vehicle or combination of vehicles for which an application for a permit is requested pursuant to this section shall be registered under section 60-3,147 or 60-3,198 for the maximum gross vehicle weight that is permitted pursuant to section 60-6,294 before a permit shall be issued.