By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 18, 2026
Florida legal limits (no permit needed at or under these)
- Width
- 8.5 ft102 inches. Authorities may restrict vehicles over 96 inches on roads with lanes narrower than 12 ft.
- Gross weight
- 80,000 lb80,000 lb maximum gross weight including enforcement tolerances, with the federal bridge formula and a 20,000 lb single-axle limit (s. 316.535, F.S.).
- Length: extended_semitrailer_note
- Semitrailers up to 57 ft are allowed subject to kingpin-to-rear-axle distance requirements.
- Off interstate limits: summary
- Florida applies the same 80,000 lb maximum gross weight (including tolerances) on both interstate and non-interstate highways. On general roads, axle-spacing tables limit vehicles with 4 to 36 ft between first and last axles to 40,000 up to 66,610 lb. Dump trucks, concrete mixing trucks, waste trucks, and fuel trucks are limited to 70,000 lb total gross weight with a 550 lb per inch of tire width limit.
Axle weight limits
Gross weight is one ceiling; each axle group carries its own limit, and a load can be legal on gross weight yet overweight on an axle. Exceeding any of these needs an overweight permit.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
Permit fees
- Single trip
- Overdimension trip permits are valid 10 days and priced by dimension tier (Rule 14-26.008, F.A.C., Table 1A, effective 4/24/2018). Overweight trip permits are priced per mile by weight tier, billed in 25-mile increments rounded up to the nearest dollar. For weights over 80,000 lb an administrative cost of 3.33 USD is added, and a 5.00 USD electronic transmission fee applies per trip permit when applicable.
Overweight permit fee tiers (annual)
Annual overweight permits are priced by the gross weight the load reaches, in fixed steps.
Overdimension permit fee tiers (annual)
Annual oversize permits are priced by the envelope of width, height and length the load stays inside.
To price a specific load, try the oversize permit cost estimator, or compare every state on the national oversize permit table.
To see how these fees combine on real loads, walk through Florida oversize permit cost worked examples.
Escort thresholds
What the escort itself has to be
Hitting the threshold is only half of it. The escort vehicle, its equipment, its driver's certification and where it rides are all regulated, and the carrier is the one holding the permit when they are not met.
- Escort rules
- Loads up to 12 ft wide, up to 14 ft 6 in high, and up to 95 ft long generally move without escorts (flags, signs, and lights per rule). On narrow roads (lanes under 12 ft, bridges under 30 ft curb to curb) with high traffic counts, two qualified escorts are required unless the load carries four warning lights. Qualified escorts must be 18 or older with an eight-hour defensive driving or CDL qualification plus an eight-hour pilot/escort flagging course, requalified every four years.
Escort rules beyond the thresholds
Knowing when you need an escort is half of it. These are the Florida rules on who may run one, what the vehicle has to carry, and how the move is conducted.
- Escort notes
- Loads up to 12 ft wide, up to 14 ft 6 in high, and up to 95 ft long generally move without escorts (flags, signs, and lights per rule). On narrow roads (lanes under 12 ft, bridges under 30 ft curb to curb) with high traffic counts, two qualified escorts are required unless the load carries four warning lights. Qualified escorts must be 18 or older with an eight-hour defensive driving or CDL qualification plus an eight-hour pilot/escort flagging course, requalified every four years.
Travel restrictions
- Daylight only
- Most oversize movements are daytime only. Loads up to 10 ft wide (with flags) and up to 80 ft long may move all hours; nighttime movement otherwise requires District Traffic Engineering Office or Office of Maintenance approval plus law enforcement escort.
- Curfews
- No movement in congested areas during peak traffic hours unless specifically authorized (applies to loads over 85 ft long and wide loads in high-traffic areas).
Superload and beyond-permit review
Loads past the standard single-trip permit thresholds get individual state review rather than an off-the-shelf permit.
Florida rules do not define a formal 'superload' class. The practical line is the PAS self-issuance ceiling: loads over 16 ft wide, 18 ft high, 150 ft long, or 200,000 lb (140,000 lb self-propelled) cannot be self-issued and go to State Permits Office review.
Applications are reviewed for compliance with Chapter 14-26, F.A.C.; restricted bridges and roadways are identified on the permit. Over 199,000 lb only trip permits are issued (per-mile pricing), never annual or multi-trip. Over 16 ft wide or 16 ft high movements are limited to local moves with law enforcement escorts.
More Florida permit rules
- Issuing office: online system
- Permit Application System (PAS) at pas.fdot.gov; One Stop Permitting at osp.fdot.gov for permit types not available in PAS
- Issuing office: self issue limits
- Trip permits can be self-issued online for loads up to 16 ft wide, 18 ft high, 150 ft long, and 200,000 lb (140,000 lb for self-propelled equipment)
- Issuing office: contact
- State Permits Office, Barry Building, 3185 South Blairstone Rd, Tallahassee, FL 32311, (850) 410-5777, Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Issuing office: pre entry rule
- All overdimensional and overweight permits must be obtained before entering the state of Florida (s. 316.550, F.S., per FDOT).
- Single trip fee USD: note
- Overdimension trip permits are valid 10 days and priced by dimension tier (Rule 14-26.008, F.A.C., Table 1A, effective 4/24/2018). Overweight trip permits are priced per mile by weight tier, billed in 25-mile increments rounded up to the nearest dollar. For weights over 80,000 lb an administrative cost of 3.33 USD is added, and a 5.00 USD electronic transmission fee applies per trip permit when applicable.
- Annual permit eligibility
- Annual blanket, annual vehicle-specific blanket, and three-month route-specific blanket permits are available through PAS. Annual overdimension permits are not issued over 14 ft wide, 18 ft high, or 120 ft long; annual overweight permits are not issued over 199,000 lb.
- Escort notes
- Loads up to 12 ft wide, up to 14 ft 6 in high, and up to 95 ft long generally move without escorts (flags, signs, and lights per rule). On narrow roads (lanes under 12 ft, bridges under 30 ft curb to curb) with high traffic counts, two qualified escorts are required unless the load carries four warning lights. Qualified escorts must be 18 or older with an eight-hour defensive driving or CDL qualification plus an eight-hour pilot/escort flagging course, requalified every four years.
- Seasonal permits: summary
- Florida has no dedicated harvest-season oversize permit. Farm and agricultural equipment is exempt from width and height limits when operated during daylight on non-limited-access roads within 50 miles of the owner's property (s. 316.515, F.S.). Annual implements-of-husbandry permits for local moves cost 17 USD (Rule 14-26.008, F.A.C.), and a dedicated rule exists for Everglades Agricultural Area tandems (Rule 14-26.00435, F.A.C.).
Single trip fee USD: overdimension trip tiers
| Tier | Fee USD | Duration | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| up to 12 ft wide, 13 ft 6 in high, 85 ft long | 5 | 10 days | |
| up to 14 ft wide, 14 ft 6 in high, 95 ft long | 15 | 10 days | |
| up to and over 14 ft wide, 18 ft high, 120 ft long | 25 | 10 days | Multi-trip permits are not issued above the 14 ft / 18 ft / 120 ft line. |
Single trip fee USD: overweight trip per mile
| Max weight lb | Rate USD per mile | Rate note |
|---|---|---|
| 95,000 | 0.27 | |
| 112,000 | 0.32 | |
| 122,000 | 0.36 | |
| 132,000 | 0.38 | |
| 142,000 | 0.42 | |
| 152,000 | 0.45 | |
| 162,000 | 0.47 | |
| 199,000 | 0.003 USD per 1,000 lb per mile | |
| Over 199,000 lb: priced at 0.003 USD per 1,000 lb per mile; multi-trip and annual permits are not issued at this weight. |
Self-issue first
Florida lets carriers issue their own trip and annual permits online for loads under the published width, height, length, and weight ceilings, and those ceilings sit high enough to cover most working loads. Anything larger goes to the State Permits Office for engineering review, with restricted bridges and roads written onto the permit itself.
How the fees work
Overdimension trip permits price by dimension tier and run for a set number of days. Overweight trip permits price per mile by weight tier, billed in mileage blocks, with a small administrative charge above the legal weight limit and an electronic transmission charge where it applies. Annual permits carry flat tier prices. Every figure renders from the sourced fee arrays, never from this prose.
Escorts scale with the load
Smaller oversize moves run without escorts, using flags, signs, and lights under the rule. As width, height, or length climbs past each sourced threshold, the rule adds one qualified escort, then two, then law enforcement, and the largest moves are restricted to local runs. Escort drivers hold their own qualification and requalify on a fixed cycle.
When loads can move
Most oversize movement is daytime only, with weekend and holiday moratoria unless the permit says otherwise, and congested-area movement is barred at peak hours for longer loads. Poor visibility parks the load until conditions improve. The sourced restriction fields carry the exact operational lines.
Before you reach the state line
Florida requires the permit in hand before the vehicle enters the state. Pull the permit through the online system before the trip starts; the pre-entry rule is statutory, not a courtesy.
How to read this page
A value reading "Not confirmed" means we could not verify the figure on an official agency page at review time, so it stays open rather than guessed. Superload moves above the standard permit thresholds get individual review by the state; contact the permit office named on this page. For the rest of the Florida permit stack, see Florida trucking permits.
Frequently asked questions
Can I self-issue a Florida oversize permit online?
- Yes, for loads under the published self-issue ceilings, through FDOT's Permit Application System. Larger moves go to the State Permits Office for review. The sourced ceiling fields on this page carry the exact dimensions and weight.
How much does a Florida oversize permit cost?
- Less than in most states. Overdimension trip permits price by dimension tier, overweight trips price per mile by weight, and annual permits carry flat tier prices. The sourced fee tables on this page render every figure with its rule citation.
When does a Florida oversize load need an escort?
- Once width, height, or length passes the sourced thresholds in the movement rule. Escort counts step up with size, law enforcement joins the largest moves, and the biggest dimensions are limited to local runs. The escort table on this page renders each sourced step.
Does the permit have to be issued before entering Florida?
- Yes. FDOT requires overdimensional and overweight permits before the vehicle enters the state, under the statute cited on this page. Self-issuing online ahead of the trip is the standard route.
Haul Handbook publishes educational information about trucking registration and compliance requirements. This is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Rules, fees, and deadlines change; confirm with the agency before you file or pay.