A special move permit is issued to allow the movement upon the highway of vehicle laden or unladen which exceeds the legal weight limits or the legal dimensions limits set out in the Weights and Dimensions of Vehicles Regulations made pursuant to Section 191 of Chapter 293 of the Revised Statutes of Nova Scotia, 1989, the Motor Vehicle Act.

A Special Move Permit is required because the Nova Scotia roadway system is designed to accommodate vehicles of certain standard sizes and dimensions. As a result, restrictions are applied for oversized moves greater than 2.6 metres in width, or 4.15 metres in height or 23 metres and varying weights depending on axle configuration.

Apply for a Special Move Permit through one of these methods:
Phone: 1-800-898-7668 (Toll-free in NS) or (902) 424-5851

Fax: (902) 424-4633 Attention: Special Move Permits

Apply in writing:

    Business and Consumer Registration
    Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
    P.O. Box 1523
    Halifax, NS B2J 2Y3
    Canada

Walk-in Applications:

9N, Maritime Centre
1505 Barrington St.
Halifax, NS


Hours of Operation:
The Business and Consumer Registration Office is open 8:30am-4:30pm, Atlantic Time, from Monday to Friday and closed on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Waiting Period:
Applications are normally processed within 1 business day of being received. Applications for exceptional moves require approval by Transportation and Public Works and are subject to a 7 day turnaround depending on their complexity.

Receiving the Permit:
When approved the special move permit is sent by fax to the applicant. Please note that an additional $5.00 charge is applied to all faxed permits.The option is also available to have the permit mailed - this must be specified at the time of application.

Who does what:

Policies - The development of policies with respect to special move permits is completed by Transportation and Public Works.

Issuance of Permits - Issuance of special move permits is done by Service Nova Scotia.

Approvals - Approval by Transportation and Public Works is required for all exceptional moves. All approvals are subject to a 7 day turn around.

Enforcement - Service Nova Scotia, Vehicle Compliance, is responsible for enforcement.

What’s new:

Nova Scotia has improved the way Special Move Permits are issued. On June 9, 2003 the first online Special Move Permit was self issued. By the end of December 2003, 102 companies with a total of 155 users have registered, and the list keeps getting larger.

The “self serve” Special Move Permit process is fairly straight forward and is available 24 hours a day/ 7 days per week via the Internet at www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/smp. These “self serve” permits can be issued and printed within minutes, allowing busy carriers to issue their own permit when required. For example, on December 16, 2003, 70 % of the single use Special Move Permits were created by carriers online.

Before a carrier/user can access the self serve Special Move Permit Online program, a username and password must be issued from Service Nova Scotia. To access the username and password application form please go to the link www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/smp and click forms and applications from the list on the left side of the screen. The application is to be completed and faxed into Service Nova Scotia for processing. Once complete, the username and password will be sent via email or regular mail to the applicant.

Please note that the Special Move Permit Online program needs to run from Internet Explorer 5.5 or newer or Netscape Navigator 7 or newer.

For further information please call 1-800-898-7668 (toll-free in NS) or 902-424-5851.
Any faxes should be sent to 902-424-4633 : Attn: Special Move Permits.