Florida oversize and overweight rules
The short answer
Last checked
Without a permit, a load in Florida can be up to 8 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft 6 in high and 80,000 lb gross, with the conditions in the legal limits table. The first pilot car is required for loads over 12 ft wide or over 95 ft long, and a height pole car for loads over 14 ft 6 in high, with the conditions in the pilot car table. It treats a load as a superload when it is over 16 ft wide, over 18 ft high, over 150 ft long or over 200,000 lb gross.
Jump to a section
Legal limits without a permit
| Limit | Up to | Roads | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 8 ft 6 inApproved safety devices are excluded, and roads without a 12 foot lane in each direction may be closed to vehicles over 96 inches wide. | All roads | Fla. Stat. § 316.515(1) |
| Height | 13 ft 6 inAutomobile transporters may be up to 14 feet high. | All roads | Fla. Stat. § 316.515(2) |
| Length, single truck | 40 ft | All roads | Fla. Stat. § 316.515(3)(a) |
| Length, whole combination | 68 ftCovers a straight truck pulling one trailer, and the length counts the load. | All roads | Fla. Stat. § 316.515(3)(a) |
| Length, semitrailer | 48 ftThe load is included. A longer semitrailer is allowed when the kingpin to rear axle distance is 41 feet or less and an underride guard is fitted; ask the permit office for that length. | All roads | Fla. Stat. § 316.515(3)(b)1 |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lb | Interstates | Fla. Stat. § 316.535(4) |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbOn roads other than the Interstate, a state table and the Bridge Formula can lower the allowed total according to axle count and first-to-last axle distance. | Roads other than interstates | Fla. Stat. § 316.535(5) |
Axle weight limits
| Axle or group | Without a permit | With a permit | Roads |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any single axle | 20,000 lbAn axle load includes every wheel within 40 inches of each other (§ 316.535(2)). | Not set | All roads |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lb | Not set | Interstates |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbOn roads other than the Interstate, a state table and the Bridge Formula can lower the allowed total according to axle count and first-to-last axle distance. | Not set | Roads other than interstates |
| Gross weight | Not set | Not a weight limit: the most a trip permit can be self-issued for online (140,000 pounds for self-propelled equipment); heavier moves go to the State Permits Office. Trip permit axle weights come from a bridge analysis of the route.200,000 lb | All roads |
The federal bridge formula applies to axle groups on interstates (Fla. Stat. § 316.535(4)). “With a permit” lists the state’s permit figures; read each row’s condition, since some are review thresholds rather than limits.
Source: Fla. Stat. § 316.535, FDOT, Over-Weight Over-Dimension Permits page
Pilot cars and escorts
Each row is one rule. A load can meet several; the permit lists the escorts for your move.
| Load | Roads | Front | Rear | Height pole | Police | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| over 14 ft up to 16 ft wideAllowed only under a trip permit, in daylight hours, and not on holidays.14-26.012(7)(d) | All roads | 1 in front, 1 behind | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| over 14 ft 6 in up to 16 ft highThe lead escort stays far enough ahead for the driver to avoid overhead obstructions, and its height indicator must rise at least 6 inches higher than the load.14-26.012(8)(b) | All roads | 1 height pole car | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| over 16 ft highFor local moves only. Utility crews are also needed where the load meets low structures, traffic signals or wires, and a trip permit for a load over 18 feet high needs a route clearance affidavit.14-26.012(8)(c)1 | All roads | 1 height pole car, police escort | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| over 95 ft longA tractor semitrailer with three points of articulation can run to 105 feet escort-free. If only the length is excessive, the escort rides at the rear.14-26.012(9)(b)3 | All roads | 1 behind | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| over 250 ft longThe rule doesn’t say where each escort travels; ask the Permit Office.14-26.012(9)(b)5 | All roads | 1 behind, police escort | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| over 12 ft up to 14 ft wideA second qualified escort is needed on lanes under 12 feet, bridges narrower than 30 feet between curbs, and heavy-traffic roads, unless four warning lights are fitted.14-26.012(7)(c) | Two-lane roads | 1 in front | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| over 12 ft up to 14 ft wideA second qualified escort is needed on lanes under 12 feet, narrow bridges and heavy-traffic roads, except when four warning lights are fitted.14-26.012(7)(c) | Two or more lanes in your direction | 1 behind | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| over 16 ft wideAfter dark the escorts change to one law enforcement and one qualified escort. Limited to local moves under a trip permit, with each application reviewed by the district traffic engineering office.14-26.012(7)(e)1 | Interstates | 1 in front, 1 behind | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| over 16 ft wideCovers state-maintained roads that are not limited access. Limited to local moves under a trip permit, with each application reviewed by the district traffic engineering office.14-26.012(7)(e)3 | Roads other than interstates | 2 police escorts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| over 150 ft longOn limited access roads one qualified escort is enough. Where two are required, one drives ahead of the load and one follows.14-26.012(9)(b)4 | Roads other than interstates | 1 in front, 1 behind | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
- The lead pilot car is the one that carries the height pole.
Superloads
Florida treats a load as a superload when it is any one of these:
- over 16 ft wide
- over 18 ft high
- over 150 ft long
- over 200,000 lb gross
Source: Fla. Admin. Code R. 14-26.012, FDOT Over-Weight/Over-Dimensional Permitting page
When you can travel
Holidays
Loads over 14 ft 6 in high, 80 ft long or 10 ft wide
2026 FDOT sheet, no movement on: New Year Thu Jan 1; Memorial Mon May 25; Independence Fri and Sat Jul 3 to 4; Labor Mon Sep 7; Thanksgiving Thu and Fri Nov 26 to 27; Christmas Fri Dec 25. A Saturday holiday also bars the Friday before; a Sunday holiday also bars the Monday after. Bans are whole days. New Year 2027 not published.
Fla. Admin. Code r. 14-26.012(5)(e), (7)-(9); FDOT 2026 Holiday Travel Restrictions sheet
Weekends
All permits, unless the permit states otherwise
The default bars weekend and holiday moves unless the permit says otherwise. The size tiers then allow weekends: width up to 10 ft any day in daytime; over 10 to 16 ft in daytime excluding holidays; height to 14 ft 6 in and length to 80 ft any day; over 80 ft long in daytime excluding holidays. Government entities are exempt.
Night
Varies by load size
Daytime only for every width tier up to 16 ft (even loads up to 10 ft wide), height over 14 ft 6 in, and length over 80 ft. Loads up to 14 ft 6 in high and 80 ft long may move all hours; rear overhang is capped at 10 ft at night. Larger loads move at night only if District Traffic Engineering recommends or the permit requires it, with law enforcement escort and lighting.
Cities and rush hour
Congested areas
Loads over 12 ft wide (to 16 ft) and over 85 ft long
No movement in congested areas during peak traffic hours unless the permit specifically authorizes it. The rule does not define the peak hours.
Every state on one page: holiday, weekend, night and city restrictions by state. For this year’s holiday, see Thanksgiving 2026 restrictions.
Single trip permit fees
Within each kind of fee the largest that fits your load applies, and the kinds add up.
| Fee | When it applies | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Size feeTable 1A, Overdimension, (1)(a) straight trucks and semi-truck-tractor-trailer, Trip Permit 10 Days column, first row, $5.00 | over 8 ft 6 in wide | $5 |
| Size feeTable 1A, Overdimension, (1)(a) straight trucks and semi-truck-tractor-trailer, Trip Permit 10 Days column, second row, $15.00 | over 12 ft wide | $15 |
| Size feeTable 1A, Overdimension, (1)(a) straight trucks and semi-truck-tractor-trailer, Trip Permit 10 Days column, second row, $15.00 | over 13 ft 6 in high | $15 |
| Size feeTable 1A, Overdimension, (1)(a) straight trucks and semi-truck-tractor-trailer, Trip Permit 10 Days column, second row, $15.00 | over 85 ft long | $15 |
| Size feeTable 1A, Overdimension, (1)(a) straight trucks and semi-truck-tractor-trailer, Trip Permit 10 Days column, fourth row, $25.00 | over 14 ft wide | $25 |
| Size feeTable 1A, Overdimension, (1)(a) straight trucks and semi-truck-tractor-trailer, Trip Permit 10 Days column, third row, $25.00 | over 14 ft 6 in high | $25 |
| Size feeTable 1A, Overdimension, (1)(a) straight trucks and semi-truck-tractor-trailer, Trip Permit 10 Days column, third row, $25.00 | over 95 ft long | $25 |
| Overweight feeTable 1B note, weights over 80,000 pounds, paragraphs (2)(a) through (h) | over 80,000 lb up to 199,000 lb gross | $3.33 |
| Overweight mileage feeTable 1B, Overweight, Trip Permit 10 Days column, row (2)(a), $0.27 Per Mile | over 80,000 lb up to 95,000 lb gross | Not computed here, see the source |
| Overweight mileage feeTable 1B, Overweight, Trip Permit 10 Days column, row (2)(b), $0.32 Per Mile | over 95,000 lb up to 112,000 lb gross | Not computed here, see the source |
| Overweight mileage feeTable 1B, Overweight, Trip Permit 10 Days column, row (2)(c), $0.36 Per Mile | over 112,000 lb up to 122,000 lb gross | Not computed here, see the source |
| Overweight mileage feeTable 1B, Overweight, Trip Permit 10 Days column, row (2)(d), $0.38 Per Mile | over 122,000 lb up to 132,000 lb gross | Not computed here, see the source |
| Overweight mileage feeTable 1B, Overweight, Trip Permit 10 Days column, row (2)(e), $0.42 Per Mile | over 132,000 lb up to 142,000 lb gross | Not computed here, see the source |
| Overweight mileage feeTable 1B, Overweight, Trip Permit 10 Days column, row (2)(f), $0.45 Per Mile | over 142,000 lb up to 152,000 lb gross | Not computed here, see the source |
| Overweight mileage feeTable 1B, Overweight, Trip Permit 10 Days column, row (2)(g), $0.47 Per Mile | over 152,000 lb up to 162,000 lb gross | Not computed here, see the source |
| Overweight mileage feeTable 1B, Overweight, Trip Permit 10 Days column, row (2)(h), $0.003 Per 1,000 Pounds Per Mile | over 162,000 lb up to 199,000 lb gross | Not computed here, see the source |
| Overweight mileage feeTable 1B, Overweight, Trip Permit 10 Days column, row (2)(i), $0.003 Per 1,000 Pounds Per Mile | over 199,000 lb gross | Not computed here, see the source |
Where to apply
Florida issues permits through Permit Application System (PAS). Apply at pas.fdot.gov.
What the rules don’t say
Where the sources are silent or say two things. Ask the state before you rely on these.
Legal limits
- Florida’s statute sets 48 feet for a semitrailer. Ask the permit office whether a 53 foot semitrailer under § 316.515(3)(b)2 may run without a permit before you dispatch one.
Axle weights
- Florida’s statute names no separate tandem limit. Its whole-vehicle table allows 40,000 pounds for axles spaced 4 to 8 feet, and federal summaries treat that as the tandem limit. Confirm the tandem figure for your equipment.
- Statute § 316.545(2)(a) builds a 10 percent scale tolerance into the weight tables, which puts a single axle at 22,000 pounds. Ask how the state applies that tolerance before loading close to 20,000 pounds.
- Off the Interstate, the Bridge Formula applies to the whole vehicle, not each axle group. On both road types it counts only where it allows more than Florida’s January 4, 1975 law.
- Dump, mixer, waste and fuel trucks run as single units have their own caps: 20,000 pounds an axle, 70,000 gross and 550 pounds per inch of tire width. Confirm these apply to your truck.
- Permit axle weights come from a bridge analysis of your route and no figure is published. Blanket permit charts vary by configuration and may be out of date, so ask for the current chart.
- Divisible loads may be permitted up to 10 percent over legal gross off the Interstate (§ 316.550(4)).
- Florida’s published statute and permit rule don’t define a weight-based superload or set seasonal weight limits; ask the Permit Office. FDOT’s self-issued trip permit stops at 200,000 pounds, with 140,000 for self-propelled equipment.
Pilot cars and superloads
- The self-issued trip permit tops out at 16 feet wide, 18 feet high, 150 feet long and 200,000 pounds; beyond that the Permit Office handles the load.
- Widths over 16 feet go to the District Traffic Engineering Office, and loads over 22 feet wide or 18 feet high need a route clearance affidavit.
- Loads 12 to 14 feet wide need two escorts on lanes under 12 feet, bridges under 30 feet wide, or busy roads, unless the load carries four warning lights. Confirm the count for your route.
- Over 16 feet wide at night on a limited access road, the two daytime escorts become a law enforcement escort plus a qualified escort. Night moves under permit also need law enforcement, so ask about travel hours.
- The limited access thresholds may apply to turnpikes and other controlled-access roads, not just the Interstate. Ask which roads the permit treats as limited access.
- No escort is needed for length until 95 feet, but a three-articulation tractor semitrailer may be exempt up to 105 feet. For a load both wide and long on a two-lane road, ask whether one escort car can cover both positions.
- Manufactured buildings, wreckers, self-propelled equipment and other special permit types have their own escort limits. The escort rule doesn’t set escorts by weight; overweight permits add bridge and routing conditions instead.
Permit fees
- Per mile overweight fees depend on the miles driven in Florida, priced in 25 mile steps and rounded up to the next dollar. Any quote for a load over 80,000 pounds gross is a minimum until the route is set.
- The $3.33 administrative cost is stated through 199,000 pounds. Ask whether it applies above that weight, and how the $500 cap on combined dimension and overweight fees works for loads over 162,000 pounds.
- For overweight loads, an added dimension fee applies above 12 feet wide, 13 feet 6 inches high or 85 feet long. A narrower overweight load may owe no $5 dimension fee, so confirm before quoting.
- A $5 transmission fee is listed for trip permits when applicable, and the fee schedule doesn’t say when. Confirm whether it applies to your permit.
- Special vehicle fees can differ: overlength semitrailers of 53 to 57 feet 6 inches, truck cranes, towed equipment, containerized cargo, wheel base and farm equipment on local moves. Florida limits semitrailer length, not overall length, so ask how length alone is priced.
- Annual and three month permits are priced separately, and some users are exempt under Rule 14-26.009. Escort costs, route surveys and permit service charges are not in the fee schedule.
Where to apply
- If Florida’s Permit Application System doesn’t load, start from FDOT’s permits page or call the permit office.
Questions about Florida
- When do I need an oversize permit in Florida?
- Without a permit, a load in Florida can be up to 8 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft 6 in high and 80,000 lb gross, with the conditions in the legal limits table. Loads past these figures generally need a permit from the state; see the legal limits table for the exceptions and for length, which depends on the vehicle.
- How much does a Florida oversize permit cost?
- It depends on the load: the fee table shows which fees on the schedule we checked apply to which loads. Some charges are not computed here; the fee table names them. The estimator on this page adds up the fees for your load.
- When do you need a pilot car in Florida?
- The first pilot car is required for loads over 12 ft wide or over 95 ft long, and a height pole car for loads over 14 ft 6 in high, with the conditions in the pilot car table. How many cars, and whether they lead or follow, depends on the road; the pilot car table lists each rule.
- What is a superload in Florida?
- Florida treats a load as a superload when it is over 16 ft wide, over 18 ft high, over 150 ft long or over 200,000 lb gross. The superloads list on this page gives each threshold with its source.
- When can oversize loads travel in Florida?
- At night: Daytime only for every width tier up to 16 ft (even loads up to 10 ft wide), height over 14 ft 6 in, and length over 80 ft. Loads up to 14 ft 6 in high and 80 ft long may move all hours; rear overhang is capped at 10 ft at night. Larger loads move at night only if District Traffic Engineering recommends or the permit requires it, with law enforcement escort and lighting. On weekends: The default bars weekend and holiday moves unless the permit says otherwise. The size tiers then allow weekends: width up to 10 ft any day in daytime; over 10 to 16 ft in daytime excluding holidays; height to 14 ft 6 in and length to 80 ft any day; over 80 ft long in daytime excluding holidays. Government entities are exempt. This applies to all permits, unless the permit states otherwise. Rush hour and city curfews also apply; they are listed on this page.
- Can oversize loads move on holidays in Florida?
- 2026 FDOT sheet, no movement on: New Year Thu Jan 1; Memorial Mon May 25; Independence Fri and Sat Jul 3 to 4; Labor Mon Sep 7; Thanksgiving Thu and Fri Nov 26 to 27; Christmas Fri Dec 25. A Saturday holiday also bars the Friday before; a Sunday holiday also bars the Monday after. Bans are whole days. New Year 2027 not published. This applies to loads over 14 ft 6 in high, 80 ft long or 10 ft wide.
Sources
- Florida Statutes § 316.535: Maximum weightsFla. Stat. § 316.535Florida Legislature. Read .
- Florida Statutes § 316.515: Maximum width, height, lengthFla. Stat. § 316.515 (2025)Florida Legislature. Read .
- FDOT Over-Weight Over-Dimension PermitsFDOT, Over-Weight Over-Dimension Permits pageFlorida Department of Transportation, State Permits Office. Read .
- Fla. Admin. Code R. 14-26.012, Movement Conditions and Restrictions (Florida Administrative Rules, Florida Department of State)Fla. Admin. Code R. 14-26.012Florida Department of Transportation (rule); published by the Florida Department of State, Florida Administrative Code. Read .
- Fla. Admin. Code R. 14-26.008, Schedule of Fees (Tables 1A and 1B), Florida Administrative RulesFla. Admin. Code R. 14-26.008, Tables 1A and 1BFlorida Department of Transportation (rule); published by the Florida Department of State, Florida Administrative Code. Read .
- FDOT Overweight Overdimension Permits, Schedule of Fees (PDF dated 04-24-2018 on the OWOD Permit Documents page)FDOT State Maintenance Office, Schedule of Fees, reproducing Fla. Admin. Code R. 14-26.008 and 14-26.009Florida Department of Transportation, State Maintenance Office. Read .
- Florida Department of Transportation page naming the permit systemFlorida Department of Transportation, permit system pageFlorida Department of Transportation. Read .
Found something wrong or out of date? Report an error to hello@thirteensix.com.
This page is a dated summary in our own words, not legal advice. The permit the state issues governs your move, and states change their rules; check with Florida before you travel.
Bordering states
More guides: all states and the rules library.
ThirteenSix checks these rules on every job you enter
ThirteenSix keeps each job’s permits, escorts and axle checks together, from dispatch to the driver’s paycheck.
Book a 20-minute call