State-by-State Oversize Load Permit Rules, Costs, and Filing

Oversize load permits provide the state-issued authorization required to legally move a vehicle or load that exceeds the applicable legal limits for width, height, length, or weight. State truck rules, fees, and routing requirements vary by state, and a load can require a permit because of a single measurement even when every other measurement stays legal.

Before filing in any state, confirm the load's exact dimensions and weight, identify every jurisdiction, toll authority, and road owner on the route, and check current bridge, work-zone, and route conditions using connected project data such as Autodesk Construction Cloud analytics, since any one of them can change between application and dispatch. The full pre-filing checklist, including axle-level detail, appears at the end of this guide.

This state-by-state reference covers cranes, excavators, transformers, structural components, and other built-world equipment moving through Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Indiana, Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Nebraska, and Louisiana. It starts with the dimensions, gross weight, axle limits, and bridge-formula allowances that determine when a permit is required.

When Oversize Load Permits Are Required

Apply before travel when a vehicle or nondivisible load (one that can't be broken into smaller shipments without damage or unreasonable cost) exceeds a legal dimension, gross vehicle weight, axle limit, or bridge-formula allowance on the planned route.

The federal Interstate baseline under the federal weight limits and National Network width rules is:

• Width: 102 inches on the National Network.

• Gross vehicle weight: 80,000 pounds.

• Single axle: 20,000 pounds.

• Tandem axle: 34,000 pounds.

• Height: no federal maximum; states set their own limits.

• Length: federal law establishes minimum lengths states must allow on the National Network, while state rules determine many practical permit triggers.

The Federal Bridge Formula also applies to groups of consecutive axles. A vehicle can remain below 80,000 pounds gross and still need an overweight permit because its axle spacing produces an illegal bridge-formula weight.

State Filing Index

Every state sets its own numbers above the federal floor, so use the index below to find the state on the route. A permit issued by one state does not authorize travel in the next state. Confirm separate authorization for every state, toll authority, county, or municipality on the route before dispatch.

The sections below cover each state in the order listed, starting with Texas.

Texas Oversize and Overweight Permits

File in Texas when the combination exceeds a Texas legal dimension or weight limit, and move superheavy applications into review weeks, not days, before dispatch.

Texas Permit Thresholds

The October 2024 Texas legal limits are:

• Height: 14 ft.

• Truck and trailer length: 65 ft.

• Truck-tractor length: 59 ft.

• Gross vehicle weight: 80,000 pounds, subject to axle and bridge-formula limits.

Moves above these limits require the applicable Texas permit before travel.

Texas Permit Costs

The Texas permit fee schedule lists these single-trip overweight totals and the additional charges below:

Additional Texas permit and payment charges are:

A vehicle-specific envelope permit covering loads up to 120,000 pounds costs $4,000 per year.

The annual tolerance permit costs $270–$1,095, depending on county coverage.

Texas Filing and Review

You can self-issue standard permits through TxPROS when the move falls within the automated system's limits. Start with the TxPROS filing workflow, then enter the vehicle configuration, axle spacing, loaded dimensions, gross weight, origin, destination, and requested route.

A route inspection certification is required under the Texas route inspection requirements when any of these thresholds are exceeded:

• Width: 20 ft.

• Height: 18 ft 11 in.

• Length: 125 ft.

The company representative must physically inspect, sign, and date the certification.

A superheavy load (one that exceeds TxPROS's automated limits and needs individual engineering review) requires a superheavy application three to four weeks before the move. Bridge and pavement analysis, utility conflicts, escorts, and route changes can keep these loads outside immediate self-issue workflows.

Missouri Oversize and Overweight Permits

File in Missouri when the combination exceeds the state's legal dimensions or weight, and route overweight moves through Motor Carrier Services (MCS) before dispatch.

Missouri Permit Thresholds

Missouri's legal size and weight limits are:

• Width: 8 ft 6 in. on all Missouri highways.

• Height: 13 ft 6 in. on all Missouri highways, 14 ft on interstates and designated highways within 10 air miles of the interstate system.

• Length: up to 53 ft for trailers on the interstate system; up to 60 ft overall on other roads.

• Gross vehicle weight: 80,000 pounds (40 tons).

Missouri Permit Costs

Missouri's single-trip fees are:

• Legal weight: $15.

• Overweight: $15 plus $20 for every 10,000 pounds over the legal gross weight.

• Oversized (over 16 ft wide or high, or over 150 ft long): $15 plus a $250 movement feasibility fee.

Annual blanket permits run $128 for a single commodity, $400 for multiple commodities, and $624 for emergency response moves.

Missouri Filing and Review

New applicants file through MoDOT Carrier Express, the state's online permitting system; MoDOT now accepts oversize/overweight applications only through that online service, so build account setup into the schedule rather than planning on a phone, mail, or in-person application. Movement-feasibility review applies to any load wider or higher than 16 ft, or longer than 150 ft, so build that review time into the dispatch schedule rather than assuming same-day issuance.

Oklahoma Oversize and Overweight Permits

Oklahoma's OkiePROS system is what sets this state apart: standard applications are processed automatically online once a load crosses the state's legal dimension or weight limits, though unusual dimensions, bridge analysis, temporary restrictions, or superload review can still require manual handling.

Oklahoma Permit Thresholds

Oklahoma's legal limits are:

• Width: 8 ft 6 in.

• Height: 13 ft 6 in. on county roads; 14 ft on state and federal highways and turnpikes; the unitized-equipment height rule that makes a load exceeding it eligible for a permit.

• Length: 53 ft for semi-trailer truck combinations.

• Gross vehicle weight: 80,000 pounds on Interstate highways; 90,000 pounds on other state highways.

Oklahoma Permit Costs

Oklahoma's single-trip and annual fees are:

• Oversize: $40.

• Overweight: $40, plus $10 for every 1,000 pounds the load exceeds the legal limit.

• Combined oversize and overweight: $80, plus $10 for every 1,000 pounds over the legal limit.

Annual options include a special-purpose oversize-only permit for $10, an annual envelope permit for $4,000, a special combination annual permit for $240, and a one-year Special Over-height Trailer Permit for Limited Travel (SOTPLT) for $2,000.

Oklahoma Filing

Oklahoma files permits through OkiePROS, ODOT's online permit manager. New users set up a company profile before filing and should reference ODOT's OkiePROS user guide for account setup. Carriers can also reach ODOT's Size and Weight Permit office directly at 405-425-7012 or swpermits@odot.ok.gov.

Indiana Oversize and Overweight Permits

Indiana requires an OSOW permit once a load exceeds the state's legal dimensions or weight, and mileage drives the cost, so budget it into the haul rate before committing to a route.

Indiana Permit Thresholds

Indiana's legal size and weight limits are:

• Height: 13 ft 6 in.

• Width: 8 ft 6 in.

• Length: 53 ft for a semi-tractor and semi-trailer combination.

• Gross vehicle weight: 80,000 pounds, subject to axle weights.

Indiana Permit Costs

Indiana's overweight permit fee is $20 plus $0.35 per mile for vehicles up to 108,000 pounds, scaling to $0.60 per mile up to 150,000 pounds and $1.00 per mile above that. Because mileage affects the charge, route changes can alter both cost and operating instructions.

Indiana Filing

File through the Indiana Oversize/Overweight Permitting System, which takes applications, fees, and printing around the clock; the system approves most requests on a predetermined route by the next business day. Indiana's I-80/90 Toll Road has a grandfathered gross-weight limit of up to 127,400 pounds on designated operations, but operators must still satisfy applicable axle and permit rules for the route. For project teams, the planned axle configuration and route determine whether the move clears routine routing or reaches a bridge-analysis queue; connected project analytics can flag a load headed for that review before the application goes out.

Tennessee Oversize and Overweight Permits

Tennessee sets its own dimension and weight thresholds, and its single-trip fee table scales with how far a load exceeds them, so check the applicable bracket before quoting a haul rate.

Tennessee Permit Thresholds

Tennessee's legal limits are:

• Width: 8 ft 6 in.

• Height: 13 ft 6 in.

• Gross vehicle weight: 80,000 pounds, with a 20,000-pound single-axle and 34,000-pound tandem-axle limit.

• Length: 45 ft for straight trucks, 65 ft for a straight truck with trailer, and 50 ft from kingpin to the rear of the trailer for a truck tractor and semi-trailer (with longer allowances for livestock, poles, logs, or timber).

Tennessee Permit Costs

Tennessee's single-trip permit fees scale by how far the load exceeds legal limits: excess-width fees run $20 to $30 plus $5 per additional foot over 16 ft, excess length is $20, and excess height is $20. Excess weight runs $20 plus $0.06 per ton-mile, and the heaviest loads also pay a separate bridge fee: $100 for 165,000 to 250,000 pounds, $300 for 251,000 to 500,000 pounds, and actual cost above 500,000 pounds. Annual overweight permits range from $750 (up to 100,000 pounds) to $3,500 (up to 165,000 pounds).

Tennessee Filing

Tennessee files permits through TNTRIPS, the state's online permitting system. New users register an account before ordering a permit, and carriers can also route applications through a third-party permit agency from TDOT's approved list instead of filing directly.

Alabama Oversize and Overweight Permits

Alabama's permit fees scale by weight bracket rather than a single flat rate, and the bracket a load falls into determines the fee before any application goes out.

Alabama Permit Thresholds

Alabama's legal limits are:

• Height: 13 ft 6 in., measured from the ground to the highest point on the transported load.

• Width: 8 ft 6 in., total outside width excluding mirrors and approved safety devices.

• Length: 40 ft for standard cargo-carrying vehicles, 57 ft for truck-semitrailer combinations, and 28.5 ft per unit for truck-tractor-semitrailer-trailer combinations.

Alabama does not publish a single blanket gross-weight ceiling like Texas or Tennessee; its fee schedule begins at the same 80,000-pound federal Interstate baseline used elsewhere in this guide, with fees scaling from there.

Alabama Permit Costs

Alabama's single-trip fees include weight-only violations ranging from $10 (80,000–100,000 pounds) to $100 (over 150,000 pounds), and general width, height, and length combination permits ranging from $20 (up to 100,000 pounds) to $110 (over 150,000 pounds). Annual permit renewal is $100.

Alabama Filing

Alabama issues permits through ALPASS, its online OS/OW permitting system. First-time users log in with their federal ID number and a default password, which they must change on first use. Carriers who prefer not to file directly can reach ALDOT's permit office at (334) 353-6554 or by mail at P.O. Box 303050, Montgomery, AL 36130-3050.

Florida Oversize and Overweight Permits

Florida backstops its permit process with a self-issue system: a load within the state's published height and weight thresholds clears automatically through the Permit Application System, while anything larger needs additional review before Florida will clear it.

Florida Thresholds and Permit Types

Florida's legal limits and permit types are:

• Legal height: 13 ft 6 in., by statute.

• General gross-weight trigger: 80,000 pounds, subject to axle and bridge requirements.

Florida's permit program offers four permit types:

• Annual Blanket.

• Annual Vehicle Specific Blanket.

• Ten-Day Trip.

• Three-Month Route Specific Blanket.

Florida Permit Costs

The 2026 edition of Florida law sets these statutory limits:

• $5 statutory minimum permit fee.

• $500 maximum annualized blanket permit fee.

The exact charge depends on permit type and load characteristics, so use the current state calculation rather than budgeting from the statutory minimum.

Florida Filing

Florida's Permit Application System can self-issue a load automatically within these thresholds:

A load outside these thresholds requires additional review before Florida will clear it. For an overwidth load, check the flags and escort conditions on the issued permit.

Nebraska Oversize and Overweight Permits

Nebraska splits its gross-weight limit by route type, with a lower ceiling on Interstate routes than on other state and US highways.

Nebraska Permit Thresholds

Nebraska's legal limits are:

• Width: 8 ft 6 in. (with daylight-hours exceptions for farm equipment).

• Height: 14 ft 6 in. maximum overall, though operators assume liability for damage above 12 ft 6 in.

• Length: 40 ft for a single vehicle, 65 ft for a vehicle combination.

• Gross vehicle weight: 80,000 pounds on Interstate routes, 94,000 pounds on US and state routes, with a 20,000-pound single-axle and 34,000-pound tandem-axle limit.

Nebraska Permit Costs

Nebraska's single-trip fees are $15 for overdimensional only, $20 for overweight only, and $25 for combined overweight and overdimensional moves. A continuous permit runs $25 per quarter ($100 maximum annually), and an extra-long vehicle combination permit is $250 annually. Permits for county-road moves may require separate county authorization in addition to state permitting.

Nebraska Filing

Nebraska files permits through the Automated Truck Permit System, linked from NDOT's own site. Carriers without online access can reach NDOT's permit office at 402-471-0034, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Louisiana Oversize and Overweight Permits

Before a Louisiana move, confirm whether the load exceeds the applicable Interstate or non-Interstate limit, and allow substantial lead time when the move requires manual or superload review.

Louisiana Thresholds

Under the current Louisiana Administrative Code, legal height is 13 ft 6 in. statewide, with no separate Interstate exception. Standard gross vehicle weight is 80,000 pounds on both Interstate and non-Interstate routes. A tridem or quadrum axle combination (three or four consecutive axles grouped closely enough to be evaluated together under the bridge formula) raises that ceiling to 83,400 pounds on Interstate routes and 88,000 pounds on non-Interstate routes.

These figures do not override axle, bridge, or route restrictions.

Louisiana Permit Costs

Louisiana single-trip permit fees include:

• Mobile home or mobile office: $10 per trip.

• Non-container oversize load: $10 per day or trip.

• Overweight and containerized cargo: calculated by gross vehicle weight and mileage.

The state's annual permit fees include:

Louisiana Filing

Louisiana insurance requirements require all oversize or overweight loads to present a certificate of insurance with at least $100,000 in coverage. LaGeaux auto-issues routes with no restrictions. File early when bridge analysis, utility coordination, or a constrained industrial route is involved. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Truck Permitting Fees in Louisiana and Neighboring States report shows DOTD issued 197,217 permits statewide in fiscal year 2024, including 68,263 oversize single-trip permits, so the manual-versus-automated split is a real planning factor, not an edge case. The application inputs below apply the same way regardless of which state's filing system handles the submission.

Oversize Load Permit Filing Checklist

Complete these steps before submitting any state application:

Application Inputs and Checks

1. Measure the loaded vehicle's width, height, overall length, and overhang.

2. Record gross weight, individual axle weights, axle count, and axle spacing.

3. Confirm whether the load is nondivisible.

4. Identify every state, toll authority, county, municipality, and private road owner on the route.

5. Select the appropriate single-trip, annual, blanket, seasonal, or superload permit.

6. Submit the exact origin, destination, requested route, vehicle identification, and movement date.

7. Review the issued route rather than assuming the requested route was approved unchanged.

8. Check escort placement, signs, flags, lighting, driver hours-of-service limits, holidays, weather limits, and speed restrictions.

9. Confirm the load meets federal load securement rules for the commodity being hauled, since a permitted move with a securement violation still draws an inspection stop.

10. Verify current bridge, work-zone, utility, and vertical-clearance conditions before dispatch.

11. Carry the permit and all required attachments during the move, and keep the current approved version attached to the project file rather than a superseded draft.

After completing these checks, coordinate the application inputs and permit conditions with the project file, and dispatch according to the route on the issued permit rather than the originally requested route.

Project-File Coordination

Datagrid's AI agents can connect project files in Procore and Autodesk Construction Cloud to assemble permit application inputs for operator review. An operator must still validate measurements, issued conditions, and last-mile authority, and obtain the required state routing or engineering review.

Automate Oversize Load Permit Applications With Datagrid's AI Agent

Datagrid's AI agents can turn the project files you already have into a ready-to-review permit application, so an operator spends less time re-keying dimensions and more time validating the result:

• Application input assembly: Pull vehicle dimensions, axle weights, axle spacing, and route details from connected Procore and Autodesk Construction Cloud project files into a single application packet.

• Missing-data flags: Flag missing dimensions, axle details, requested routes, or movement dates before a filing goes out, so an incomplete application doesn't stall a crane or excavator move.

• Multi-state tracking: Track which states, toll authorities, and local road owners on a planned route still need separate authorization.

• Route-condition monitoring: Surface changes to bridge, work-zone, and vertical-clearance conditions tied to a planned route ahead of dispatch.

• Document retrieval: Retrieve the issued permit and its required attachments from the project file, so dispatch works from the current approved version, not a draft.

An operator still has to validate final measurements, confirm the issued route and conditions, and secure any state routing or engineering review a load requires.

Get started with Datagrid to see how agents can assemble your next oversize load permit application from the project file you already have open.

Frequently Asked Questions About Oversize Load Permits

Does a State Oversize Load Permit Cover County and City Roads?

Not necessarily. Identify every toll authority, county, municipality, and private road owner on the route, then confirm whether separate authorization or operating instructions apply before dispatch.

Why Might a Load Under 80,000 Pounds Still Need an Overweight Permit?

Because axle and bridge-formula limits apply independently of gross weight. A load can stay under the gross-weight ceiling and still need a permit if its axle spacing produces an illegal bridge-formula result.

When Does an Oversize Load Require a Pilot Car or Escort?

Once a load crosses a state's escort threshold for width, height, or length, usually several feet beyond the base oversize limit, the issuing agency typically requires one or more pilot vehicles, and some states add automatic escort rules for night travel or certain road classes. The issued permit lists the exact escort and flagging conditions for that specific move.

How Long Is an Oversize Load Permit Valid?

A single-trip permit covers one move between two points and expires once that move is complete. The annual, continuous, and blanket permit types used throughout this guide instead cover repeated moves within set dimension and weight limits for a fixed period, typically a calendar year or quarter.