By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Jul 18, 2026
Who issues what in Florida
The permit pages
Florida-specific requirements
No state carrier number
Florida issues no CA#, TxDMV#, or NY DOT# analog. Intrastate carriers are identified and enforced by their USDOT number under ss. 316.302 and 316.70, F.S. FLHSMV requires the USDOT number displayed on all CMV power units and intermodal equipment chassis, legible from 50 ft.
USDOT registration fee waived for intrastate-only companies
FLHSMV states registration fees may apply to interstate companies but are not applied for companies solely engaged in intrastate operations. The registration itself is still mandatory.
Under 26,001 lb intrastate exemption
Vehicles with a declared GVW under 26,001 lb transporting property that does not require hazmat placards are exempt from the intrastate USDOT-number requirement (s. 316.302(2)(f), F.S.).
Seasons of Harvest agricultural exemption
FLHSMV notes an exemption from the intrastate USDOT-number regime for agricultural operations during Seasons of Harvest.
Oversize permits are self-issued and among the cheapest in the country
The base overdimension trip permit is 5.00 USD for 10 days (Rule 14-26.008, F.A.C.), and carriers can self-issue permits online through FDOT's Permit Application System for loads up to 16 ft wide, 18 ft high, 150 ft long, and 200,000 lb. Permits must be obtained before entering Florida (s. 316.550, F.S.).
Special 70,000 lb ceiling for dump, concrete, waste, and fuel trucks
Dump trucks, concrete mixing trucks, trucks engaged in waste collection or disposal, and fuel oil and gasoline trucks are limited to 70,000 lb total gross weight with a 550 lb per inch of tire width limit (s. 316.535, F.S.), below the general 80,000 lb maximum.
IFTA credits expire after eight quarters
Under Florida law, IFTA credits not fully used within eight quarters of accrual are forfeited; refunds can be requested when an overpayment exceeds 10.00 USD in a reporting period (HSMV 85920).
Weight-based liability insurance tiers
Florida sets its own commercial motor vehicle liability minimums by gross vehicle weight under s. 627.7415, F.S., in three tiers from 26,000 lb up; vehicles subject to 49 C.F.R. Part 387 follow the federal minimums instead.
The permit picture
Legal size and weight limits sit in Florida statute, and any load beyond them needs a permit from FDOT's State Permits Office before it moves. The other layers a new carrier might expect from a state, authority filings, carrier numbers, mileage taxes, simply do not exist in Florida. The oversize page carries the sourced fee tiers.
Two online systems
FDOT issues most permits through its Permit Application System, with a second One Stop Permitting portal for permit types the main system does not carry. Carriers self-issue trip and annual permits online up to the published ceilings, and larger moves go to the State Permits Office for review.
Special ceilings for work trucks
Florida statute holds dump trucks, concrete mixers, waste trucks, and fuel tankers below the general gross weight maximum, with a tire-width load limit on top. If you run one of these, the sourced weight fields on this page, not the general ceiling, set your legal load.
What Florida does not charge
No weight-distance tax and no state fuel-permit layer beyond IFTA. A non-IFTA carrier entering the state buys a temporary fuel permit, and everyone else settles fuel tax through the quarterly IFTA return. The IFTA page carries the sourced fees and deadlines.
Compare beyond Florida
Running multi-state loads? The oversize permit costs by state table compares limits and fees across all 51 jurisdictions, and the permit cost estimator prices a specific load per state.
Frequently asked questions
What permits does a trucking company need in Florida?
- For legal-size loads, none from the state beyond normal registration. Permits enter the picture when a load exceeds the statutory size or weight limits, and FDOT sells those as trip or annual permits through its online system. The oversize page details each tier with sources.
Does Florida have a state fuel permit or weight-distance tax?
- No weight-distance tax exists. Fuel tax runs through IFTA for licensed carriers, and non-IFTA carriers buy a short temporary fuel use permit from FLHSMV before running Florida miles. Both figures render from sourced fields on the IFTA page.
Are Florida's special truck weight limits lower than the normal maximum?
- For a few vehicle classes, yes. Statute caps dump trucks, concrete mixing trucks, waste trucks, and fuel trucks below the general ceiling and adds a per-inch-of-tire-width limit. The sourced limits on this page carry the exact figures.
Where do I apply for Florida oversize permits?
- Through FDOT's Permit Application System online, with the One Stop portal for permit types the main system lacks. Loads beyond the self-issue ceilings go to the State Permits Office in Tallahassee for review. The office contact and hours sit in the sourced office field.
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.