By Evan Reid, Founder of Haul Handbook · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Louisiana runs oversize and overweight permitting out of one office, the DOTD Truck Permit Office in Baton Rouge, through the LaGeaux permit system. Two things make the state unusual. First, the legal limits are published twice, once for Interstate highways and once for everything else: 14 feet of height and 83,400 pounds of gross weight for a combination with a tridum or larger axle group on the Interstate, against 13 feet 6 inches and 88,000 pounds off it, with every legal axle limit 2,000 to 3,000 pounds higher on non-Interstate roads. Second, the overweight permit price is a statutory matrix, not a flat fee: La. R.S. 32:387(H) prices an overweight single trip by how far the load travels inside Louisiana as well as by how heavy it is, across three separate schedules chosen by axle count. An oversize but not overweight move, by contrast, is a flat $10.00 per trip or per operating day.
Louisiana legal limits (no permit needed at or under these)
- Width
- 8.5 ft102 inches for any vehicle, exclusive of safety devices, on all highways. A load may not project more than 12 inches beyond the width of the body, and the overall width of vehicle plus load may not exceed 102 inches. Appurtenances extending no more than 6 inches beyond the body of a recreational vehicle are excepted. Approved safety devices such as mirrors and tarp devices are not counted in overall width.
- Height
- 14 ft14 feet 0 inches on Interstate highways and 13 feet 6 inches on non-Interstate highways. A carrier planning an off-Interstate route works to 13 feet 6 inches.
- Gross weight
- 80,000 lb80,000 pounds for any vehicle or combination without a tridum or quadrum axle, and no vehicle may exceed its licensed gross weight. A combination with a tridum or greater axle group may run to 83,400 pounds on the Interstate System and 88,000 pounds on any other state-maintained highway. The maximum legal weight per inch of tire width is 650 pounds. Louisiana enforces the federal bridge formula on Interstate highways, with exemptions for Type Six and Type Eight configurations hauling forest products, sand, gravel, agricultural products or lumber in bulk or natural state, and for any vehicle or load holding a valid oversize or overweight permit.
- Off interstate limits
- Non-Interstate legal axle weights are higher than Interstate ones by a 2,000 pound variance on single axles and 3,000 pounds on tandem, tridum, quadrum and quint axles: 22,000 single, 37,000 tandem, 45,000 tridum, 53,000 quadrum and 61,000 quint pounds, against 20,000, 34,000, 42,000, 50,000 and 58,000 on the Interstate. Height falls from 14 feet on the Interstate to 13 feet 6 inches off it, while gross weight for a tridum or larger combination rises from 83,400 to 88,000 pounds. Twin trailer combinations may operate only on the Interstate System and the Designated Truck Routes, or within 10 miles of reasonable access, except that household goods carriers have unrestricted access for loading and unloading.
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.
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Permit fees
- Single trip
- $10 (An oversize but not overweight move is a flat $10.00 per trip, or $10.00 per operating day when the trip spans more than one calendar day, under La. R.S. 32:387(H)(1)(a). An overweight move is priced from a statutory matrix by both weight and the distance travelled in Louisiana, across three schedules chosen by axle count, in La. R.S. 32:387(H)(2). Oversize dimensions ride free on an overweight permit provided they are specified on it. Overweight single-trip permits are active for 5 days; oversize mobile home permits for 3 days with no extensions. Sealed containerized cargo used in international trade qualifies for an overweight permit up to 100,000 pounds gross and the single-trip permit is issued against the container and seal number rather than a specific vehicle.)
- Annual permit
- $2,500 ($2,500.00 for the general annual Oversize/Overweight permit for individual non-divisible heavy-duty equipment. Louisiana also sells about two dozen narrower annual and special permits at much lower prices, from $10.00 for a Forest Products, Forest Management Equipment, Harvest Season, Refuse/Waste, Waste Vehicle or Escort Vehicle permit up to $1,000.00 for an Earthen Materials, Non-Critical Off Road or Refuse permit; the Oversize Only annual permit is $500.00. Two semi-annual permits sit alongside them: Containerized Cargo Class 2 at $375.00, Containerized Cargo Tandem Combination at $2,300.00, and a Critical Off Road permit priced at $0.07 per ton-mile of overweight over the life of the permit plus a $25.00 administrative fee. Monthly permits are $10.00 per valid day for an Oversize permit, $15.00 per month for House Movers Equipment or Oilfield Special Equipment, and $10.00 for a 30-day Pleasure Craft permit.)
- Annual eligibility
- The $2,500.00 annual Oversize/Overweight permit is issued to the pulling unit of a truck and trailer combination, is not transferable to another unit, company or individual, is not refundable, and expires one year from the start date. It covers a maximum gross vehicle weight of 120,000 pounds and dimensions of 14 feet 4 inches high, 12 feet 0 inches wide, 90 feet 0 inches long and 25 feet of rear overhang, for individual non-divisible heavy-duty equipment such as construction and logging equipment and attachments and oilfield equipment and rig parts. Off-road equipment, portable buildings, tanks, mobile homes, steel plates and steel beams are not covered. A load over 108,000 pounds gross needs a truck and trailer combination of at least six axles. Permit holders may not cross bridges with a posted weight limit or travel in restricted construction zones, and are responsible for verifying vertical clearances on the route. Since the evening of September 2, 2025 every new annual Oversize/Overweight heavy equipment permit requires a registered route approved before each move, registered in LaGeaux or by calling the office; routes automate when there are no restrictions.
Single-trip permit fee schedule
A single-trip permit stacks a base fee with a weight-tiered maintenance fee, and the heaviest loads add a supervision fee.
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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 Louisiana 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.
- Permit required
- Every private escort vehicle must hold a Louisiana Escort Vehicle Permit from the Truck Permit Office. It costs $10.00 a year and expires on December 31 regardless of the start date. La. R.S. 32:387.1(B) requires every escort service company operating in Louisiana, including one domiciled in another state, to register annually with the secretary, to name a Louisiana-resident agent for service of process, and to prove general liability, motor vehicle liability and workers compensation coverage of at least $500,000 each. Violating the registration requirement carries a $100 fine per offense.
- Equipment the escort vehicle carries
- An approved escort vehicle carries an amber 360 degree dome light with a 9 inch lens (8 by 5 inches accepted), the lens base at least 60 inches above the roadway, or a 360 degree bar or strobe light; two 18 inch square red or fluorescent orange flags on a roof mast at a 40 to 70 degree angle, no more than 6 inches of overhang and no more than 8 feet wide; door signs with the company name and address or name, city, state and telephone, or a well-known company logo; two rear-view side mirrors; radio communication with the escorted load; a 10 pound dry chemical fire extinguisher; three or more 15 minute flares or hazard markers; two hand-held red or fluorescent orange flags; and, available for the load, four 18 inch square flags and two OVERSIZE LOAD signs 18 inches by 7 feet, black on yellow, with 10 inch lettering.
- What counts as an escort vehicle
- Closed vans, buses, campers, motor homes and motor driven cycles may not be used as escort vehicles. An escort vehicle actively escorting a permit load may not pull a trailer or tow another vehicle. Louisiana-resident escort drivers need a Class D or E operator's license.
- How the escort must operate
- Escorted load speeds are set by the Truck Permit Office and may never exceed 55 miles per hour. Movement is allowed only on the highways shown on the permit; alternate routes need advance approval. Before a bridge, hill or incline that cannot be crossed safely, the load parks off the roadway where possible while the escort crosses to stop oncoming traffic. Escorts must direct congested traffic to the shoulder or nearest safe location and hold the load until traffic clears. All escort vehicles pass through DOTD stationary weigh stations with the load they escort.
Escort rules beyond the thresholds
Knowing when you need an escort is half of it. These are the Louisiana rules on who may run one, what the vehicle has to carry, and how the move is conducted.
- Permit required
- Every private escort vehicle must hold a Louisiana Escort Vehicle Permit from the Truck Permit Office. It costs $10.00 a year and expires on December 31 regardless of the start date. La. R.S. 32:387.1(B) requires every escort service company operating in Louisiana, including one domiciled in another state, to register annually with the secretary, to name a Louisiana-resident agent for service of process, and to prove general liability, motor vehicle liability and workers compensation coverage of at least $500,000 each. Violating the registration requirement carries a $100 fine per offense.
- Equipment
- An approved escort vehicle carries an amber 360 degree dome light with a 9 inch lens (8 by 5 inches accepted), the lens base at least 60 inches above the roadway, or a 360 degree bar or strobe light; two 18 inch square red or fluorescent orange flags on a roof mast at a 40 to 70 degree angle, no more than 6 inches of overhang and no more than 8 feet wide; door signs with the company name and address or name, city, state and telephone, or a well-known company logo; two rear-view side mirrors; radio communication with the escorted load; a 10 pound dry chemical fire extinguisher; three or more 15 minute flares or hazard markers; two hand-held red or fluorescent orange flags; and, available for the load, four 18 inch square flags and two OVERSIZE LOAD signs 18 inches by 7 feet, black on yellow, with 10 inch lettering.
- Vehicle
- Closed vans, buses, campers, motor homes and motor driven cycles may not be used as escort vehicles. An escort vehicle actively escorting a permit load may not pull a trailer or tow another vehicle. Louisiana-resident escort drivers need a Class D or E operator's license.
- Conduct
- Escorted load speeds are set by the Truck Permit Office and may never exceed 55 miles per hour. Movement is allowed only on the highways shown on the permit; alternate routes need advance approval. Before a bridge, hill or incline that cannot be crossed safely, the load parks off the roadway where possible while the escort crosses to stop oncoming traffic. Escorts must direct congested traffic to the shoulder or nearest safe location and hold the load until traffic clears. All escort vehicles pass through DOTD stationary weigh stations with the load they escort.
Conditions attached to every permit
The standing conditions Louisiana writes into the permit itself, which apply whether or not they are printed on your copy.
- Non divisible rule
- Oversize and overweight permits are issued only for indivisible vehicles and loads, meaning loads that cannot readily be divided, broken down or dismantled to meet legal limits. Parts that can be divided or dismantled from a shipment and weigh 500 pounds or less in aggregate may travel with the load, and a blade or side boom may be removed from an oversize dozer and carried on the same vehicle. Named exceptions include pipe loaded across the vehicle up to 8 feet 8 inches wide, up to three bundles of prepackaged oilfield pipe up to 10 feet wide, farm and forest products in their natural state, agronomic and horticultural products, pulpwood and plywood bolts loaded crosswise up to 9 feet, certain waste disposal loads, and up to two pieces of timber cutting or logging equipment moved between job sites on a trailer owned or leased by the same person.
- Licensing
- A vehicle must be licensed for its maximum allowable license weight before it can get an overweight permit. Make, model and serial numbers must be supplied for construction equipment such as draglines, cranes, dozers, backhoes and tractors being transported under permit.
- Reasonable access
- A permitted vehicle with an assigned route may leave the route for fuel, repairs, food or driver rest, but may not travel under overpasses off route, exceed posted bridge weight limits, or enter construction zones, and all other permit provisions still apply.
- Liability
- Every special permit is issued on the condition that the permittee accepts and uses it entirely at their own risk. Neither the State of Louisiana nor DOTD nor its employees incur any liability from the use of a permit.
- Government agencies
- Federal, state and local government agencies must still hold permits for oversize and overweight vehicles and loads, but the permits are issued free of charge, except to government-owned utility companies.
- Axle distribution
- Where a permitted axle group weight exceeds its legal weight, no individual axle in a tandem group may carry more than 60 percent or less than 40 percent of the group's permitted weight; in a tridum group no more than 40 percent or less than 25 percent; and in a quadrum group no more than 30 percent or less than 20 percent.
Travel restrictions
- Daylight only
- Yes for most permit loads. Vehicles and loads requiring permits are generally prohibited from travelling at night, in inclement weather, and on certain designated holidays; normal hours of operation are sunrise to sunset as determined by the National Weather Service. A load holding a valid Oversize/Overweight permit is typically not prohibited from night, moderate-weather or holiday travel provided the load does not project beyond the boundaries of the vehicle, its width and length are legal, its height is 14 feet 4 inches or less, and its gross weight is not over 120,000 pounds.
- Curfews
- Loads over 12 feet wide may not travel on the Interstate System on weekdays between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. and between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. in five metropolitan areas: Shreveport (I-20 between the two I-220 junctions), Monroe (I-20 between Monroe's eastern city limits and West Monroe's western city limits), Lake Charles (all of I-210 plus I-10 from LA 397 to LA 108 in Westlake), Baton Rouge (all of I-110, I-10 from Bluebonnet to the Mississippi River, and I-12 from O'Neal Lane to I-10), and New Orleans (all of I-610 plus I-10 from Paris Road to Williams Boulevard). Permit loads may not cross or come within two miles of any Mississippi River bridge in New Orleans from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Loads over 12 feet wide may not travel in the city of New Orleans from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, except on the Interstate System and on US 90 Business between the Crescent City Connection and I-10. Loads with projections, or over 8 feet 6 inches wide, 14 feet 4 inches high or 70 feet long, or over 120,000 pounds gross, may not cross the US 190 Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge from 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
- Weekend / holiday
- Permit loads are generally prohibited from moving on certain designated holidays. Individual annual and special permits carve out exceptions: Agronomic and Horticulture, Bagged Rice, Containerized Cargo, Cotton Module, Harvest Season, Refuse, Solid Waste, Steering Axle, Timber Harvest Season and Waste Vehicle permits all state that travel is not prohibited at night, during moderate rain, or on holidays. Forest Management Equipment and Forest Products permits allow holiday and moderate-rain travel but prohibit night travel, and Timber Cutting and Logging Equipment permits are daylight-only.
- Wind / weather
- Permit loads may not travel in physically severe weather: extremely heavy rain, heavy fog, icy roads, heavy snow, or any continuous condition creating low visibility or hazardous driving. Wet pavement, light drizzle and wind are not inclement weather for permit purposes, and movement is not prohibited in those milder conditions unless it would create a traffic hazard, for example a 14 foot wide load in rain or a mobile home in wind. A vehicle already underway when inclement weather starts must move to a safe place off the roadway and park until it clears. Loads travelling at night or in inclement weather must carry all required safety lights.
Superload and beyond-permit review
Loads past the standard single-trip permit thresholds get individual state review rather than an off-the-shelf permit.
Louisiana has no single named superload tier. Review escalates in two steps. A permit request for a gross combination weight over 232,000 pounds on non-designated highways, or over 254,000 pounds on any highway, requires detailed information and must be submitted four to six weeks ahead of the movement date. Above 254,000 pounds the permit leaves the fee table entirely and is priced at a $15.00 permit fee plus $0.75 per ton-mile of weight over 80,000 pounds, plus a structural evaluation fee of $187.50, $750.00 or $1,275.00 depending on the bridge type. Loads between 232,001 and 254,000 pounds may move statewide on DOTD-selected and approved routes, most of them Interstate, but any portion of the route off the National Highway System is subject to structural evaluation.
A super-load application goes into LaGeaux with all overall dimensions including overhang, gross weight, number of axles, weight per axle, axle spacings measured hub centre to hub centre, number of tires per axle, tire size on all axles, each axle's tire centreline spacing, and the proposed route. If a parallel navigable waterway or railway would substantially reduce the highway distance but cannot accommodate the load, written proof of the physical or regulatory impediment from the facility's own authorities must accompany the request. DOTD's position is that railroads and navigable waterways are adequate for combinations over 232,000 pounds on non-designated highways or 254,000 pounds on all highways, so those facilities must be used except for the haul from origin to the nearest rail or water and from rail or water to destination. Evaluations are performed in the order received, and a load over 900,000 pounds may require analysis by an independent engineering firm.
More Louisiana permit rules
- Single trip fee note
- An oversize but not overweight move is a flat $10.00 per trip, or $10.00 per operating day when the trip spans more than one calendar day, under La. R.S. 32:387(H)(1)(a). An overweight move is priced from a statutory matrix by both weight and the distance travelled in Louisiana, across three schedules chosen by axle count, in La. R.S. 32:387(H)(2). Oversize dimensions ride free on an overweight permit provided they are specified on it. Overweight single-trip permits are active for 5 days; oversize mobile home permits for 3 days with no extensions. Sealed containerized cargo used in international trade qualifies for an overweight permit up to 100,000 pounds gross and the single-trip permit is issued against the container and seal number rather than a specific vehicle.
- Annual permit fee note
- $2,500.00 for the general annual Oversize/Overweight permit for individual non-divisible heavy-duty equipment. Louisiana also sells about two dozen narrower annual and special permits at much lower prices, from $10.00 for a Forest Products, Forest Management Equipment, Harvest Season, Refuse/Waste, Waste Vehicle or Escort Vehicle permit up to $1,000.00 for an Earthen Materials, Non-Critical Off Road or Refuse permit; the Oversize Only annual permit is $500.00. Two semi-annual permits sit alongside them: Containerized Cargo Class 2 at $375.00, Containerized Cargo Tandem Combination at $2,300.00, and a Critical Off Road permit priced at $0.07 per ton-mile of overweight over the life of the permit plus a $25.00 administrative fee. Monthly permits are $10.00 per valid day for an Oversize permit, $15.00 per month for House Movers Equipment or Oilfield Special Equipment, and $10.00 for a 30-day Pleasure Craft permit.
- Annual permit eligibility
- The $2,500.00 annual Oversize/Overweight permit is issued to the pulling unit of a truck and trailer combination, is not transferable to another unit, company or individual, is not refundable, and expires one year from the start date. It covers a maximum gross vehicle weight of 120,000 pounds and dimensions of 14 feet 4 inches high, 12 feet 0 inches wide, 90 feet 0 inches long and 25 feet of rear overhang, for individual non-divisible heavy-duty equipment such as construction and logging equipment and attachments and oilfield equipment and rig parts. Off-road equipment, portable buildings, tanks, mobile homes, steel plates and steel beams are not covered. A load over 108,000 pounds gross needs a truck and trailer combination of at least six axles. Permit holders may not cross bridges with a posted weight limit or travel in restricted construction zones, and are responsible for verifying vertical clearances on the route. Since the evening of September 2, 2025 every new annual Oversize/Overweight heavy equipment permit requires a registered route approved before each move, registered in LaGeaux or by calling the office; routes automate when there are no restrictions.
- Escort notes: permit required
- Every private escort vehicle must hold a Louisiana Escort Vehicle Permit from the Truck Permit Office. It costs $10.00 a year and expires on December 31 regardless of the start date. La. R.S. 32:387.1(B) requires every escort service company operating in Louisiana, including one domiciled in another state, to register annually with the secretary, to name a Louisiana-resident agent for service of process, and to prove general liability, motor vehicle liability and workers compensation coverage of at least $500,000 each. Violating the registration requirement carries a $100 fine per offense.
- Escort notes: equipment
- An approved escort vehicle carries an amber 360 degree dome light with a 9 inch lens (8 by 5 inches accepted), the lens base at least 60 inches above the roadway, or a 360 degree bar or strobe light; two 18 inch square red or fluorescent orange flags on a roof mast at a 40 to 70 degree angle, no more than 6 inches of overhang and no more than 8 feet wide; door signs with the company name and address or name, city, state and telephone, or a well-known company logo; two rear-view side mirrors; radio communication with the escorted load; a 10 pound dry chemical fire extinguisher; three or more 15 minute flares or hazard markers; two hand-held red or fluorescent orange flags; and, available for the load, four 18 inch square flags and two OVERSIZE LOAD signs 18 inches by 7 feet, black on yellow, with 10 inch lettering.
- Escort notes: vehicle
- Closed vans, buses, campers, motor homes and motor driven cycles may not be used as escort vehicles. An escort vehicle actively escorting a permit load may not pull a trailer or tow another vehicle. Louisiana-resident escort drivers need a Class D or E operator's license.
- Escort notes: conduct
- Escorted load speeds are set by the Truck Permit Office and may never exceed 55 miles per hour. Movement is allowed only on the highways shown on the permit; alternate routes need advance approval. Before a bridge, hill or incline that cannot be crossed safely, the load parks off the roadway where possible while the escort crosses to stop oncoming traffic. Escorts must direct congested traffic to the shoulder or nearest safe location and hold the load until traffic clears. All escort vehicles pass through DOTD stationary weigh stations with the load they escort.
- Escort notes: city police
- Travel through metropolitan areas may require city or parish escorts, local permits, or both. The hauler is responsible for contacting city and parish authorities about special requirements and restrictions.
- Permit insurance requirements: detail
- Since December 4, 2019 the Truck Permit Office requires a certificate of insurance on file before any permit is issued. An automobile liability certificate of $100,000 or greater is required for trucks and trailers; off-road units need general liability coverage only. Escort vehicles need general liability, motor vehicle liability and workers compensation of at least $500,000 each under La. R.S. 32:387.1(B)(2)(b). The Accord certificate must show the effective date, expiration date, property damage coverage and the insurance contact name and phone, and is uploaded as a PDF by the customer or their permit service under the Management tab in LaGeaux. The Truck Permit Office no longer needs to be a certificate holder and will not accept certificates by mail, fax or email.
- Permit conditions: non divisible rule
- Oversize and overweight permits are issued only for indivisible vehicles and loads, meaning loads that cannot readily be divided, broken down or dismantled to meet legal limits. Parts that can be divided or dismantled from a shipment and weigh 500 pounds or less in aggregate may travel with the load, and a blade or side boom may be removed from an oversize dozer and carried on the same vehicle. Named exceptions include pipe loaded across the vehicle up to 8 feet 8 inches wide, up to three bundles of prepackaged oilfield pipe up to 10 feet wide, farm and forest products in their natural state, agronomic and horticultural products, pulpwood and plywood bolts loaded crosswise up to 9 feet, certain waste disposal loads, and up to two pieces of timber cutting or logging equipment moved between job sites on a trailer owned or leased by the same person.
- Permit conditions: licensing
- A vehicle must be licensed for its maximum allowable license weight before it can get an overweight permit. Make, model and serial numbers must be supplied for construction equipment such as draglines, cranes, dozers, backhoes and tractors being transported under permit.
- Permit conditions: reasonable access
- A permitted vehicle with an assigned route may leave the route for fuel, repairs, food or driver rest, but may not travel under overpasses off route, exceed posted bridge weight limits, or enter construction zones, and all other permit provisions still apply.
- Permit conditions: liability
- Every special permit is issued on the condition that the permittee accepts and uses it entirely at their own risk. Neither the State of Louisiana nor DOTD nor its employees incur any liability from the use of a permit.
- Permit conditions: government agencies
- Federal, state and local government agencies must still hold permits for oversize and overweight vehicles and loads, but the permits are issued free of charge, except to government-owned utility companies.
- Permit conditions: axle distribution
- Where a permitted axle group weight exceeds its legal weight, no individual axle in a tandem group may carry more than 60 percent or less than 40 percent of the group's permitted weight; in a tridum group no more than 40 percent or less than 25 percent; and in a quadrum group no more than 30 percent or less than 20 percent.
- Load marking: requirement
- Four 18 inch square red or fluorescent orange flags are required on the front and rear edges at the widest points of any part exceeding legal width, with one flag sufficient where the load projects to only one side or is not more than three feet front to back. Over-length loads and rear overhangs of more than four feet carry flags at the extreme rear, one if the projecting portion is two feet wide or less and two if wider. Vehicles and loads over 10 feet wide display two OVERSIZE LOAD signs, at least 7 feet long and 18 inches high, black lettering at least 10 inches high with a 1.5 inch brush stroke on a yellow background, on the front of the vehicle and the rear of the load. Over-length loads and over-limit rear overhangs display the same signs on the sides of the overhanging portion, and over-limit front overhangs display one on the front. No rear sign is needed where the overhang clears the pavement by six feet or more. Night and inclement-weather travel over legal width adds two amber lights at the widest front edges and two red lights at the widest rear edges, plus an amber light on any part wider than those edges.
- Statute note
- La. R.S. 32:387(A) makes it unlawful to use Louisiana highways with a vehicle that does not meet La. R.S. 32:380 through 386 without first obtaining a special permit from the department, and La. R.S. 32:387(B)(1) limits special permits to shipments that are not readily divided, broken or dismantled, with a 500 pound aggregate tolerance. La. R.S. 32:387(H) carries the fee tables reproduced here. Every figure in those tables was last set by Act 301 of the 2019 Regular Session (House Bill 217), which amended La. R.S. 32:387(H)(2)(a), (b), (c)(i) and (iv) and raised each amount by half. La. R.S. 32:387(B)(2) caps the speed of any vehicle moving under a special permit on the Interstate system at 55 miles per hour, and La. R.S. 32:387(B)(4) lets the secretary require a State Police escort at the permittee's expense, with a minimum charge of $25.00 based on escort mileage.
| Axle group | Max weight lb | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Single axle, gross vehicle weight 120,000 lb or less | 24,000 | |
| Single axle, gross vehicle weight over 120,000 lb | 20,000 | |
| Tandem axle group, gross vehicle weight 120,000 lb or less | 48,000 | |
| Tandem axle group, gross vehicle weight over 120,000 lb, steer axle 13,000 lb or less, axle group spreads at least 12 ft and tire spreads at least 4 ft | 45,000 | |
| Tandem axle group, gross vehicle weight over 120,000 lb, steer axle over 13,000 lb or narrower spreads | 40,000 | |
| Tridum axle group | 60,000 | |
| Tandem trunion axle group, 16 tires | 54,000 | |
| Off-road equipment, each single axle | 30,000 | |
| Off-road equipment, each tandem axle | 60,000 | Any vehicle with a tandem axle over 48,000 pounds must have all counterweights and easily detached components removed |
| Off-road equipment, each tridum axle | 66,000 | Any vehicle with a tridum axle over 60,000 pounds must have all counterweights and easily detached components removed |
| Off-road equipment, maximum vehicle weight | 212,000 | A vehicle over 212,000 pounds may be allowed to move on a pre-approved route with an analysis fee added to the permit cost |
| Schedule | Distance band |
|---|---|
| Schedule 1, by excess weight | 0 to 50 miles |
| Schedule 1, by excess weight | 51 to 100 miles |
| Schedule 1, by excess weight | 101 to 150 miles |
| Schedule 1, by excess weight | 151 to 200 miles |
| Schedule 1, by excess weight | over 200 miles |
| Schedule 2, four axles, by gross weight | 0 to 50 miles |
| Schedule 2, four axles, by gross weight | 51 to 100 miles |
| Schedule 2, four axles, by gross weight | 101 to 150 miles |
| Schedule 2, four axles, by gross weight | 151 to 200 miles |
| Schedule 2, four axles, by gross weight | over 200 miles |
| Schedule 3, five or more axles, by gross weight | 0 to 50 miles |
| Schedule 3, five or more axles, by gross weight | 51 to 100 miles |
| Schedule 3, five or more axles, by gross weight | 101 to 150 miles |
| Schedule 3, five or more axles, by gross weight | 151 to 200 miles |
| Schedule 3, five or more axles, by gross weight | over 200 miles |
| Name | Term | Fee USD | Note | Fee structure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agronomic and Horticulture | Annual, expiring December 31 | 100 | Legal-size combinations with at least 18 tires hauling agronomic or horticultural crops in their natural state on state-maintained non-Interstate highways, up to 100,000 pounds gross, 12,000 pound steering axle, 48,000 pound tandem and 60,000 pound tridum. Sugar cane may use the Interstate under this permit and gets a grace period to January 31 when the cane season runs into January. Permits ordered for a start date of October 1 or later expire December 31 of the following year. | |
| Bagged Rice | Annual calendar year, expiring December 31 | 500 | One-way hauls of bagged rice for export within a 60 mile radius of the Port of Lake Charles, non-Interstate only, up to 95,000 pounds gross, 37,000 pound tandem and 45,000 pound tridum. Assigned to the pulling unit. | |
| Concrete Raw Materials and Products | One year from the date of purchase | 400 | Raw input materials for concrete and finished concrete products with a 10 percent weight variance, on any state-maintained highway except the Interstate. All dimensions must be legal. Authorised by La. R.S. 32:387.22. | |
| Containerized Cargo Class 1 | Annual, expiring December 31 | 50 | Sealed ocean containers of prepackaged products for international trade originating from or destined to an intermodal facility, up to 80,000 pounds gross and 40,000 pound tandem, on Interstate and non-Interstate highways. | |
| Containerized Cargo Class 2 | Semi-annual | 375 | Sealed ocean containers with either a tandem or tridum container axle group, up to 95,000 pounds gross, 44,000 pound tandem and 60,000 pound tridum, on Interstate and non-Interstate highways. | |
| Containerized Cargo Tandem Combination | Semi-annual | 2,300 | Sealed ocean containers originating or terminating at a port facility recognised by the Ports Association of Louisiana, up to 140,000 pounds gross, 40,000 pound tandem and 60,000 pound tridum, maximum combination length 83 feet with a tridum axle on the tractor or one trailer. Route specific, state-maintained roads only, excluding the Interstate. | |
| Containerized Special Cargo | One year from the issue date | 750 | Sealed containerized cargo for export only, one-way hauls from Pineville to New Orleans, limited to containerboard, kraft liner or roll pulp, up to 90,000 pounds gross and 40,000 pound tandem, Interstate and non-Interstate. | |
| Cotton Module | Annual | 50 | Three-axle vehicles hauling cotton modules over legal axle, axle group or gross weight, up to 68,000 pounds gross, 20,000 pound single and 48,000 pound tandem, on any state-maintained highway except the Interstate. | |
| Critical Off Road | Six calendar months | Vehicles with quad axles, a single axle over 30,000 pounds, tandem axles over 54,000 pounds, tridum axles over 54,000 pounds, or a booster axle. Travel is restricted to highways shown on the Off-Road Annual Non-Critical and Critical Bi-Annual map, and the permittee needs a charge account and an approval letter for the vehicle. | $0.07 per ton-mile based on the amount the vehicle is overweight and the total miles travelled over the life of the permit, plus a $25.00 administrative fee. | |
| Earthen Materials | One year from the date of purchase | 1,000 | A single vehicle over legal weight travelling a single route on non-Interstate highways to a government-funded levee project with earthen materials, up to 70,000 pounds gross, 22,000 pound single and 45,000 pound tridem. All dimensions must be legal. Authorised by La. R.S. 32:387.21. | |
| Escort Vehicle | Calendar year, expiring December 31 | 10 | Required of every private escort vehicle, including those domiciled in another state. Proof of general liability, motor vehicle liability and workers compensation of at least $500,000 each is required. Closed vans, buses, campers, motor homes and motor driven cycles are not eligible. | |
| Forest Management Equipment | Annual | 10 | Forest management equipment over legal width up to 10 feet, non-Interstate only. General construction equipment such as bulldozers, draglines and graders is excluded. Night travel is prohibited; holiday and moderate-rain travel is not. | |
| Forest Products | Annual | 10 | Plywood bolts or pulpwood over legal width when carried across the vehicle rather than lengthwise, up to 9 feet wide, non-Interstate only. Night travel is prohibited. | |
| Harvest Season or Natural Forest Products | Annual, expiring December 31 | 10 | Overweight transport of farm or forest products in their natural state, grass sod, seed cotton modules, or cotton from field to gin or gin to mill. Non-Interstate limits are 86,600 pounds gross, 22,000 pound single and 37,000 pound tandem, with 40,000 pounds per tandem for forest products in their natural state; Interstate limits are 83,400 pounds gross, 20,000 pound single and 35,200 pound tandem. The $10.00 one-time fee per harvest year is fixed by La. R.S. 32:387(C)(3)(d)(i). Permits ordered for a start date of October 1 or later expire December 31 of the following year. | |
| House Movers Equipment | Monthly | 15 | Over-dimensional equipment carrying no load, for companies in the building-moving business. Equipment over 8 feet 6 inches wide may not use the Interstate without a separate oversize permit, and equipment over 10 feet wide is daylight-only. A certified escort is required for each move over 12 feet wide or 90 feet long. Fixed by La. R.S. 32:387(H)(1)(a) at fifteen dollars for one permit per company per month. | |
| Monthly Oversize | Monthly, for pre-selected days | Vehicles and loads over legal length, width, height or with projecting loads but not overweight, up to 90 feet long, 30 feet of front or rear overhang, 12 feet wide and 14 feet 4 inches high. Holidays and certain other days may be excluded. | $10.00 for each day the permit is valid, on pre-selected Monday to Friday, Monday to Saturday, or Monday to Sunday patterns. | |
| Non-Critical Off Road | Annual | 1,000 | Off-road equipment with single-single, single-tandem, tandem-single, tandem-tandem, single-tridum or tridum-single axle configurations not over 30,000 pounds single, 54,000 pounds tandem or 54,000 pounds tridum. Counterweights may be carried only in a functional position. The vehicle may tow a two-axle motor vehicle up to 10,000 pounds if the combination stays within 65 feet. Travel is limited to highways on the Off-Road Annual Non-Critical and Critical Bi-Annual map. | |
| Oilfield Special Equipment | Monthly | 15 | Empty lowboy trailers designed to carry oilfield equipment and over legal length or width, up to 70 feet long and 10 feet wide on non-Interstate highways or 70 feet and 8 feet 6 inches on the Interstate. Does not cover over height or overweight. | |
| Oversize Only | Annual | 500 | Vehicles and loads over legal length, width, height or with projecting loads but within legal weight, up to 90 feet long, 12 feet wide, 25 feet of front or rear overhang and 14 feet 4 inches high. Specialized hauling equipment such as boat haulers and dromedary units does not qualify; their maximum legal length is 75 feet exclusive of a 3 foot front and 4 foot rear overhang. | |
| Pleasure Craft | 30 days from the issue date | 10 | Privately owned pleasure craft with their trailers where overall width does not exceed 10 feet, on all state highways except the Interstate. | |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Truck, rear tandem | Annual, expiring June 30 | 800 | Rear tandem-axle mixer trucks up to 69,000 pounds gross, on any state-maintained highway except the Interstate. A sticker is issued and must be applied to the front windshield above the inspection sticker, and all axles must be maintained in working order. | |
| Ready-Mix Concrete Truck, rear tridum or quadrum | Annual, expiring June 30 | 400 | Rear tridum-axle mixer trucks up to 83,000 pounds gross and rear quadrum-axle mixer trucks up to 84,000 pounds, on any state-maintained highway except the Interstate. | |
| Refuse | Annual | 1,000 | Legal-size vehicles with at least 18 wheels transferring commercial and household trash, garbage, refuse waste or recyclable waste loaded exclusively from Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality authorised pickup or transfer stations, non-Interstate only, up to 108,000 pounds gross on five-axle combinations or 120,000 pounds on six-axle combinations, 12,000 pound steering axle, 48,000 pound tandem and 60,000 pound tridum. Bundled or baled recyclable wastepaper need not be picked up at a DEQ site and may run up to 10 feet wide. | |
| Refuse and Waste | Annual | 10 | Legal-size vehicles with at least 18 wheels transferring commercial and household trash, garbage, refuse waste or recyclable waste loaded exclusively from a DEQ authorised pickup or transfer station, non-Interstate only, up to 86,600 pounds gross, 37,000 pound tandem and 45,000 pound tridum. | |
| Single Unit Dump Truck | One year from the date of purchase | 800 | A 12 percent weight variance for a single dump truck hauling any material, on any state-maintained highway except the Interstate, with all dimensions legal. Authorised by La. R.S. 32:387.23. | |
| Solid Waste | Annual | 50 | Trucks fitted with a compactor collecting and hauling solid waste as defined by DEQ rules, on any state-maintained highway except the Interstate. Limits are 68,000 pounds gross with a 20,000 pound steering axle and 48,000 pound tandem, or 80,000 pounds gross with a 20,000 pound steering axle and 60,000 pound tridum. | |
| Steering Axle | Annual | 15 | Equipment used primarily off road that occasionally uses state highways with steering axle weights over legal because of its design. Rig-up trucks qualify with single steering axles not over 24,000 pounds or tandem steering axles not over 34,000 pounds, length not over 45 feet, width not over 10 feet, carrying no load and towing nothing, with steering axle tires at least 10 inches wide. Valid on all state highways including the Interstate. | |
| Timber Cutting and Logging Equipment | Annual | 100 | Combinations of at least 18 wheels carrying up to two pieces of timber cutting or logging equipment per trip between job sites, where trailer and equipment are owned or leased by the same person or company. Up to 105,000 pounds gross, 12,000 pound steering axle and 48,000 pound tandem, maximum width 14 feet, on any state-maintained highway except the Interstate. Daylight hours only, and not during heavy rain or when visibility is under 500 feet. | |
| Timber Harvest Season | Annual | 100 | Pulp wood, wood chips, unrefined timber and woody biomass products in their natural state, up to 92,000 pounds gross and 40,000 pound tandem on non-Interstate highways or 83,400 pounds gross and 35,200 pound tandem on the Interstate. The $100.00 optional one-time timber harvest fee is fixed by La. R.S. 32:387(C)(3)(d)(ii), and a vehicle whose permittee paid it must be equipped with weight scales. | |
| Waste Vehicle | Annual | 10 | Waste disposal trucks with a single rear axle operating at up to 23,000 pounds on that axle, with dual mounted tires at least 10 inches wide. The truck must have been in actual use in Louisiana by January 1, 1977 to qualify, which matches the annual special permit condition in La. R.S. 32:387(C)(1)(b). Valid on all state-maintained highways except the Interstate. |
The Louisiana permit office
- Hours
- Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The emergency on-call line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- Address
- 1201 Capitol Access Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70802. Mailing address P.O. Box 94042, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9042
- [email protected]
- Note
- Weigh station personnel do not issue permits. Permits must be obtained before moving an over-limit vehicle or load, or before entering the state, and the driver or escort driver must carry the permit in written or electronic form and produce it on demand. Since December 1, 2024 invoices are no longer mailed; reminders go to the billing email on the account. Special annual permit applications are no longer accepted by fax or email.
Two sets of legal limits
Width is the same everywhere in Louisiana, and it is the only limit that is. Legal height falls when you leave the Interstate, and every legal axle weight rises: single axles by one increment and tandem, tridum, quadrum and quint axles by a larger one. Gross weight runs the opposite way for a combination carrying a tridum or larger axle group, which may load heavier on a state-maintained non-Interstate highway than on the Interstate.
So the route decides the limit, and a plan built on Interstate numbers can put a legal load over the line the moment it exits. Louisiana enforces the federal bridge formula on Interstate highways, with carve-outs for named configurations hauling forest products, sand, gravel, agricultural products or lumber in bulk or natural state, and for any vehicle holding a valid oversize or overweight permit. Twin trailer combinations are confined to the Interstate System and the designated truck routes, plus a short access radius, except that household goods carriers get unrestricted access for loading and unloading.
How Louisiana prices an overweight trip
The statute carries the pricing, and it is a matrix rather than a fee. Five distance bands measure the miles traveled inside Louisiana, and they cross a weight band to give the amount. Which weight band applies depends on the axle count: one schedule covers loads over legal axle weight on a small number of axles or axle groups, a second covers four-axle combinations by gross weight, and a third covers combinations of five or more axles.
Past the top of the tables the pricing changes shape entirely, moving to a permit charge plus a rate per ton-mile of weight over the legal gross line, and adding a structural evaluation charge that depends on the bridge types along the route.
One warning about older sources. Every amount in these tables was last set by an act of the 2019 regular session, which raised each figure by half. A third-party permit page still quoting the older numbers is quoting pre-2019 law.
The annual permit and its registered route
The general annual oversize and overweight permit covers a year of moves for indivisible heavy-duty equipment such as construction and logging machinery, attachments, oilfield equipment and rig parts. It is issued to the pulling unit of a truck and trailer combination, is not transferable to another unit or company, is not refundable, and expires a year from the start date. Off-road equipment, portable buildings, tanks, mobile homes, steel plates and steel beams fall outside it, and the heaviest loads under it need a combination with a published minimum axle count.
Since September 2025 every new annual heavy equipment permit also requires a route registered and approved before each move, entered through the LaGeaux account or by phone. Routes automate when nothing along them is restricted. Permit holders may not cross bridges posted below their weight, may not enter restricted construction zones, and stay responsible for verifying vertical clearances along the route.
Escorts, pole trucks and bucket trucks
Louisiana splits escorts by dimension and by who provides them. A private escort covers the first width band and the first over-length band, traveling behind an overwidth load on multi-lane highways and in front of it on two-lane highways. Cross into the next width or length band and the escort must be State Police, arranged through the nearest Troop. Cross the highest width band and the move needs State Police front and rear, plus parish and municipal authorizations, utility clearances, private property consent and advance notice to railroad station agents.
Height is handled on its own ladder. A pole truck with a height indicator leads the load past the first height line, a pole truck legally equipped to lift utility lines takes over past the second, and a bucket truck is required past the third. Loads traveling only on Interstate highways, or off the state-maintained system, are exempt from the pole truck rule.
Escorted load speeds are set by the Truck Permit Office and capped below the general limit. Movement is allowed only on the highways shown on the permit, and one escort vehicle may cover two over-length loads but only one overwidth load.
When permitted loads may move
The default is daylight. Vehicles and loads requiring permits are generally barred from traveling at night, in inclement weather and on certain designated holidays, with normal hours running sunrise to sunset as the National Weather Service determines them. A load holding a valid oversize and overweight permit is typically released from that restriction when it stays inside the permit's published envelope and does not project beyond the vehicle.
Curfews then bite in five metropolitan corridors. Wide loads may not use the Interstate during weekday morning and evening windows near Shreveport, Monroe, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Separately, no permit load may cross or come within two miles of any Mississippi River bridge in New Orleans during the same kind of window, and a named Baton Rouge river bridge is closed to projecting loads and to loads over published dimension and weight lines.
Weather is defined rather than left to judgment. Extremely heavy rain, heavy fog, icy roads, heavy snow and any continuous low-visibility condition stop a permit load. Wet pavement, light drizzle and wind do not, unless the combination would create a hazard, such as a very wide load in rain or a mobile home in wind. A load already underway when weather turns parks off the roadway until it clears.
Super heavy loads and the rail and water rule
Louisiana names no single super load tier. Review escalates in two steps instead, at one gross combination weight on non-designated highways and a higher one on any highway, and a request at those weights goes in weeks ahead of the move date with full dimensions, axle weights, hub-center spacings, tire counts and sizes and the proposed route.
The rule that catches out-of-state planners is the parallel facility test. The department's published position is that railroads and navigable waterways are adequate above those weights, so those facilities must be used except for the haul from origin to the nearest rail or water and from rail or water to destination. A carrier that wants a highway route instead has to submit written proof, from the facility's own authorities, of the physical or regulatory impediment that stops the waterway or railway carrying the load.
Evaluations run in the order received, and the very heaviest loads may need analysis by an independent engineering firm.
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 Louisiana permit stack, see Louisiana trucking permits.
Frequently asked questions
What can I haul in Louisiana without an oversize permit?
- Anything inside the published legal limits for width, height, length by configuration, gross weight and axle groups. Read them twice: height and the axle limits change when you leave the Interstate, and the gross weight allowance for a combination with a tridum or larger axle group is higher off the Interstate than on it.
How much does a Louisiana overweight permit cost?
- It depends on two things at once: how much excess or gross weight the load carries, and how many miles it travels inside Louisiana. The statute crosses five distance bands with weight bands across three schedules chosen by axle count. An oversize but not overweight move is a flat charge per trip or per operating day.
When does an oversize load need an escort in Louisiana?
- Once it crosses the published width or length bands. The first band takes a private escort, the next takes State Police, and the widest takes State Police front and rear. Height runs a separate ladder of pole truck, utility-line-equipped pole truck, and bucket truck. Every private escort vehicle carries its own state permit.
Can a permitted load move at night in Louisiana?
- Usually not. Permit loads are barred from night travel, inclement weather and designated holidays by default, with hours running sunrise to sunset. A load holding a valid oversize and overweight permit is typically released from that restriction while it stays inside the permit's published envelope, and several commodity permits carve out night or holiday travel by name.
What happens to a load too heavy for the fee tables?
- It leaves the tables and moves to a permit charge plus a rate per ton-mile of weight over the legal gross line, plus a structural evaluation charge set by the bridge types along the route. Above the escalation weights Louisiana also expects the load to move by rail or water unless you prove those facilities cannot carry it.
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.