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Arkansas Oversize and Overweight Permits

Arkansas Oversize and Overweight Permits

Highway Police Permit Section rules under 27 CAR Part 111, per-ton overweight fees, escort tiers, holiday weekends and superloads

Quick answer

How do I get an Arkansas oversize permit?

The Arkansas Highway Police Permit Section in Little Rock issues every oversize and overweight permit for the state highway system, through ARPARS or by phone at (501) 569-2381. The base fee is $17, and overweight adds $8 to $16 per ton over legal by trip mileage. Loads move sunrise to sunset under 27 CAR Part 111, effective Sept. 21, 2026.

Updated October 2026 by the HTS Logistics broker team (FMCSA MC# 1178470).

Checked October 2026; the issued permit controls

Arkansas raised its legal height from 13 ft 6 in to 14 ft with Act 871 of 2021, matching Oklahoma's state-highway figure and sitting 6 in above Louisiana in our oversize permits by state guide; above 14 ft, the driver is liable for damage to anything over the highway (A.C.A. 27-35-207, 27-35-109(b)). The permit rules changed too: they are now 27 CAR Part 111 in the Code of Arkansas Rules, amended effective Sept. 21, 2026, although ARDOT's permit page still links the 2023 PDF.

HTS arranges heavy haul transport in and out of Arkansas as a broker (MC 1178470). The carrier we book is the permittee and furnishes the escorts, because the Highway Police issue and enforce permits but do not supply escort vehicles (27 CAR 111-501(b)). For scale, in state fiscal year 2025 AHP issued 3,192 permits for loads over 180,000 lb and 26 for loads over 20 ft wide (ARDOT, Dec. 23, 2025).

When Arkansas requires a permit and how to get one

The Permit Section of the Arkansas Highway Police, an ARDOT division, issues permits at ARDOT's Little Rock central office under A.C.A. 27-35-210 and is the only source of oversize and overweight permits for the state highway system. ARPARS online access is for carriers that already hold Arkansas permits (option 3 at (501) 569-2381), and certain permits can then be bought there 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

ARDOT permits cover highways under its jurisdiction; a route that leaves the state system is coordinated with the city or county, which may ask for written proof of contact (27 CAR 111-105(j)). Every permitted vehicle must be able to hold 40 mph, extensions are granted only for documented weather or breakdown delays requested before expiry, and the Highway Commission lets ARDOT's Director issue Multi-State Envelope Permits.

Permit office

Issuing office
Arkansas Highway Police (ARDOT), Permit Section
Address
10324 Interstate 30, Little Rock, AR 72209
Phone
(501) 569-2381; size and weight questions (501) 569-2421
Hours
Phone Monday–Friday 6:00 AM–4:30 PM; in person 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
Roads covered
Highways under ARDOT jurisdiction; cities and counties permit their own roads

Fees

Arkansas overweight fee chart (A.C.A. 27-35-210(e); 27 CAR Part 111 Appendix)
Trip lengthPer ton over legal, added to the $17 base
100 miles or less $8
101–150 miles $10
151–200 miles $12
201–250 miles $14
251 miles or more $16

Charged for each ton or major fraction of a ton over the vehicle's lawful weight; the statute words the top band as over 251 miles.

Other Arkansas permit fees (A.C.A. 27-35-210; 27 CAR Part 111)
PermitFee
Base fee for any special permit (over-dimension, houses, manufactured homes to 16 ft 6 in) $17
Superload, 180,000 lb or more Up to $500 by statute (27-35-210(e)(3)); the current appendix chart does not list it, so the Permit Section confirms the charge
57 ft trailer, single trip or 1 year $500
Farm machinery hauler, up to 12 ft wide $500 per vehicle per year
Forestry equipment, 104,000 lb $250 per timber zone
Annual sealed international container Up to $5,000 (5 axles) or $5,500 (6 axles)
Escort vehicles No permit, bond or fee

A load 20 tons over legal on a 180-mile trip, for example, pays $17 plus 20 × $12, or $257. Charge accounts need a surety bond of at least $1,000, cash and checks are taken only at the Little Rock office, and loads on posted weight-restricted highways pay a separate Roadway Maintenance Assessment set case by case.

Escort and pilot car rules in Arkansas

27 CAR 111-505 assigns escorts by highway type, and the dividing line is a controlled-access divided highway of 4 or more lanes: a load up to 14 ft wide needs no escort there. The permittee furnishes every escort; no escort permit, bond or fee is required and no driver certification appears in the rules, while the states that do certify are listed on our state-by-state pilot car requirements page.

Arkansas escort assignments (27 CAR 111-205, 111-206, 111-505)
LoadEscort requirement
Over 12 ft wide, to 14 ft 1 front escort, except none on controlled-access divided highways of 4 or more lanes
Over 14 ft wide, controlled-access divided highway of 4 or more lanes 1 rear escort, 200 ft behind the load
Over 14 ft wide, any other highway 2 escorts, front and rear
100 ft long or more 1 escort: following on Interstates and divided highways of 4 or more lanes, leading elsewhere
Over 115 ft long, highway with fewer than 4 lanes 2 escorts, leading and following
Over 15 ft high A front pole car with a clearance bar 6 in above the permitted height
Over 17 ft high Signed agreements from the owners of overhead lines and signals, with their crews along, or letters saying they know the height and will not attend
Overweight at legal width, height and length No escort and no OVERSIZE LOAD signs unless the Permit Section asks for them
Any load, at the Permit Section's call More escorts and law enforcement vehicles, or extra escorts ordered by an AHP officer of command rank

Escort companies carry $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury and $25,000 property damage coverage from an Arkansas-licensed insurer. The vehicle is a truck of at least 1/4-ton capacity or a car of at least 2,000 lb, with the company name on each door legible at 50 ft, an OVERSIZE LOAD sign with 10 in letters, a 360-degree amber roof light (rotating, strobe or SAE Class 2 LED), two 18 in red flags, a 10 lb BC extinguisher and a radio, and it runs 200 ft from the load.

Travel times, curfews and holidays

Arkansas permits run sunrise to sunset as set by NOAA's Weather Service, not from a half hour before, and a permit is invalid when visibility is under 500 ft or in hard rain, freezing rain, sleet or snow; winds or gusts over 20 knots (23 mph) can stop a move (27 CAR 111-106).

  • Little Rock: no oversize movement 7:00–9:00 AM or 4:00–6:00 PM, Monday–Friday, on I-30 between mile markers 138 and 143, I-40 between 151 and 155, and all of I-630. Since Sept 21, 2026 the curfew no longer applies on weekends.
  • Weekends: permits may be issued for Saturday and Sunday unless the day is a restricted holiday; the Permit Section itself is closed on weekends.
  • Around the clock: overweight loads at legal width, height and length move continuously on selected highways, nights, weekends and holidays included, and overlength combinations up to 90 ft overall at legal width and height may run 24/7 on a permit; longer combinations move in daylight only and never on holidays.
  • Houses and manufactured homes: houses over 14 ft wide move Monday–Thursday 9 AM–3 PM, Friday 9 AM–noon and Sunday from daylight to 9 AM, never on Interstates; manufactured homes may not move on Sundays, and over 16 ft 6 in wide only 9 AM–3 PM.
  • Spacing: over-dimensional loads stay at least 1,000 ft apart, and a mover may stop traffic for no more than 3 minutes while getting on or off a highway, never within 500 ft of a hill crest (A.C.A. 27-35-213).
  • Seasonal limits: no frost program. Cities, counties and the Highway Commission may post climatic limits for up to 90 days a year (A.C.A. 27-35-103), but ARDOT's weight-restricted highways and bridges are posted year-round on IDriveArkansas.com, and an overweight load on one needs a Master Agreement and a Roadway Maintenance Assessment based on pavement cores and deflection tests.
Arkansas no-move days, 2026 and New Year's 2027 (27 CAR 111-106(f)-(g))
HolidayNo permitted movement
New Year's Day Thu Jan 1, 2026
Memorial Day Sat May 23 through Mon May 25
Independence Day Sat Jul 4 (the weekday Arkansas observes was not published)
Labor Day Sat Sep 5 through Mon Sep 7
Thanksgiving Day Thu Nov 26
Christmas Day Fri Dec 25 through Sun Dec 27
New Year's Day 2027 Fri Jan 1 through Sun Jan 3, 2027

We applied the rule to the 2026 calendar: when a holiday is observed on a Monday or Friday, the adjoining weekend is closed too. The Permit Section also closes for MLK Day, Presidents' Day, Veterans Day (Nov 11) and Christmas Eve (Dec 24), but loads may move on those days with a permit bought in advance, and overweight-only loads at legal dimensions may move on holidays.

What catches carriers in Arkansas

The rules ARDOT links are out of date

ARDOT's permit page and the ARPARS login still link the 2023 Permit Rules PDF, but 27 CAR Part 111 replaced it on Sept 21, 2026: the Little Rock curfew is now weekdays only, electronic permits need a screen of at least 6 in, and escort lights may be LED.

27 CAR Part 111 (Ark. R. 2026-125)

Self-issued copies and route changes

A permit may be shown on a device with a screen of 6 in or more, but a copy of a self-issued permit is invalid, and any variance from the permitted route is a violation that can revoke the permit; if something unexpected turns up on the route, the driver calls (501) 569-2381.

27 CAR 111-103(d), (g); 111-105(i)

A permit does not vouch for every bridge

AHP routes each load by bridge capacity, the bridge formula and roadway dimensions, but a permit does not promise that bridges will carry the load or that clearances fit its height, and the permittee checks the route before moving.

27 CAR 111-103(d), 111-105(f), (h)

Violations stack up

Two violations in 12 months can suspend permit privileges for up to 30 days, three for 90 days, four for 180 days and five for a year.

27 CAR 111-1601(d)

Cutter blades over 14 ft

Cutter blades and similar hazardous equipment wider than 14 ft must be cradled to 14 ft or less for the move.

27 CAR 111-205(i)

Arkansas superloads, loads over 20 ft and weight-restricted highways

Arkansas has no toll roads (ARDOT FAQ), so there is no toll-authority permit; the extra approvals come with size and weight instead.

Superload thresholds

180,000 lb or more, more than 16 ft 6 in wide, 100 ft or more long, or 15 ft 6 in or more high (27 CAR 111-110). ARDOT permits them at its discretion when they are essential to public health, welfare, safety or defense, may require engineering examinations, and asks only that the application come far enough ahead to allow them; extraordinary loads need a sketch with every tire size, axle spacing and axle weight.

Width caps and the over-20 ft process

The rule caps permits at 18 ft wide on Interstates and 20 ft on other highways, or 24 ft for short emergency moves (111-205). ARDOT's December 2025 blog describes a separate process for wider loads: an Arkansas origin or destination, a carrier route survey, approval by the District Engineer and the AHP Chief, and Sunday-only moves starting near sunrise, with AHP notifying the State Police and local EMS.

A Sunday superload

On Sunday, Jan 28, 2024, a 220,000 lb silo lid 16 ft tall and 28 ft wide moved from the Missouri line to Big River Steel near Osceola between dawn and 1 PM, with AHP and ARDOT assisting the escort crews (ARDOT NR 24-023).

Weight-restricted highways

To move a nondivisible overweight load on a posted highway, the operator asks AHP for a written agreement naming the county, highway, entry and exit points, distance, loads and dates; ARDOT tests the pavement, charges the Roadway Maintenance Assessment and issues a Master Agreement that expires Dec 31 (111-1701).

Permit axle maximums

Steering axle 20,000 lb (24,000 lb on a tandem steer), single 20,000 lb, tandem 46,000 lb, tridem 60,000 lb and quadrum 68,000 lb; vehicles of special design are rated at 650 lb per inch of tire width times the number of tires (111-305, 111-306, 111-405).

River crossings

ARDOT's rules and permit pages publish no separate limits for the Mississippi River bridges at Memphis, Helena or Greenville or for the Arkansas River bridges, so the Permit Section's routing and the far-side state's permit govern each crossing.

Crossing into a neighboring state

  • West into Oklahoma: two crossings are shut from the Oklahoma side, US-64 to all OS/OW loads and OK-9A at Fort Smith to every permitted load, and every for-hire escort driver there needs ODOT certification; see Oklahoma oversize permits and escort certification.
  • North into Missouri: around Branson, Routes 76 and 13 close to permitted loads on Saturdays and Sundays from May 1 to November 30, and MoDOT's single trip starts at $15; our Missouri oversize permits page lists the curfews.
  • South into Louisiana: DOTD sells no permits at weigh stations, so the Louisiana permit is bought before the load crosses, and over 16 ft wide or 125 ft long the State Police escort it; see our Louisiana oversize and overweight permits page.

Arkansas oversize permit questions

How much is an Arkansas overweight permit?

The $17 base fee plus a charge for each ton or major fraction of a ton over the lawful weight, set by trip length: $8 a ton up to 100 miles, rising by $2 per 50-mile band to $16 a ton at 251 miles or more (A.C.A. 27-35-210). A load 10 tons over legal on a 120-mile trip, for example, pays $17 plus $100, or $117.

Where do I log in to ARPARS?

ARPARS, the Arkansas permitting and routing system, is at ar.gotpermits.com/arpars. Online access is for carriers that already hold Arkansas permits, and they request it through option 3 at (501) 569-2381. Some permits can then be bought online 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, while others sit with the Permit Office or the Bridge Engineer for review.

Do Arkansas oversize permits allow weekend travel?

Yes, outside restricted holidays: permits may be issued for Saturday and Sunday, and since Sept. 21, 2026 the Little Rock curfew applies only Monday through Friday. A holiday observed on a Friday or Monday closes the adjoining weekend, so Christmas 2026 closes Dec. 25 to 27. Loads over 20 ft wide are the reverse case and move only on Sundays.

How many escorts does Arkansas require for a wide load?

Over 12 ft wide, one front escort except on controlled-access divided highways of 4 or more lanes; over 14 ft, one rear escort on those highways and front and rear elsewhere. From 100 ft long one escort is needed, over 115 ft two on roads with fewer than 4 lanes, and over 15 ft high a front pole car. Escorts need no permit or certification, but companies carry $325,000 of coverage.

Where does Arkansas draw the superload line?

A weight of 180,000 lb or more, a width over 16 ft 6 in, a length of 100 ft or more, or a height of 15 ft 6 in or more (27 CAR 111-110). ARDOT may require engineering studies and permits these moves at its discretion, the statute allows a fee of up to $500 on top of the regular charges, and loads over 20 ft wide must start or end in Arkansas.

Does Arkansas have toll roads?

No. ARDOT's FAQ states that Arkansas has no toll roads, and 27 CAR Part 111 contains no toll-facility rules, so the only state permit is the Highway Police one. Bridges are a routing question instead: the Permit Section checks structure capacity for each load, and posted weight-restricted roads and bridges are listed on IDriveArkansas.com.

How tall can a load be in Arkansas without a permit?

14 ft, including the load, since Act 871 of 2021 raised the limit from 13 ft 6 in (A.C.A. 27-35-207). Above 14 ft the driver is liable for damage to structures over the highway, over 15 ft a front pole car with a bar 6 in above the permitted height is required, and over 17 ft the owners of overhead lines must sign off.

Sources

Facts on this page were checked in October 2026 against the sources below. Rules and rates change; we confirm current requirements on every move.

  1. eCFR 23 CFR Part 658: Truck Size and Weight (federal baseline)
  2. ARDOT/AHP Oversize and Overweight Permits page
  3. ARPARS login page and bulletin (AHP Permit Office)
  4. ARPARS Arkansas Permit Frequently Asked Questions (rev. 7-28-2021)
  5. Code of Arkansas Rules (official version statement)
  6. 27 CAR Part 111 Permit Rules for the Movement of Oversize and Overweight Vehicles
  7. 27 CAR 111-101 Definitions (holidays, permit)
  8. 27 CAR 111-102 Legal dimensions and weights table
  9. 27 CAR 111-103 Application information
  10. 27 CAR 111-104 Monthly permit charge account
  11. 27 CAR 111-105 Movement requirements
  12. 27 CAR 111-106 Movement restrictions (Little Rock curfew, daylight, holidays)
  13. 27 CAR 111-107 Six-day county permits
  14. 27 CAR 111-109 Speed limits
  15. 27 CAR 111-110 Super loads
  16. 27 CAR 111-204 Over-dimensional movement requirements
  17. 27 CAR 111-205 Overwidth movements
  18. 27 CAR 111-206 Overheight movement
  19. 27 CAR 111-207 Overlength movement
  20. 27 CAR 111-306 Permit axle load limits
  21. 27 CAR 111-307 Movement of overweight vehicles
  22. 27 CAR 111-504 Escort requirements
  23. 27 CAR 111-505 Assignment of escorts for travel
  24. 27 CAR 111-605 Manufactured home movement restrictions
  25. 27 CAR 111-705 House movement restrictions
  26. 27 CAR 111-1504 Exemptions
  27. 27 CAR 111-1601 Revocation
  28. 27 CAR 111-1701 Weight-restricted highways
  29. 27 CAR 111-1903 Farm equipment hauler movement restrictions
  30. 27 CAR Part 111 Appendix (permit types, application data, fee charts, weigh stations)
  31. ARDOT Arkansas Motor Vehicle and Traffic Laws and State Highway Commission Regulations, 2025 edition (A.C.A. 27-35-101 to 27-35-310)
  32. Act 871 of 2021 (height raised to 14 ft)
  33. Act 700 of 2025 (farm machinery equipment hauler permits)
  34. ARDOT notice of proposed rulemaking, Permit Rules (comment period Apr. 5-May 14, 2026)
  35. Proposed 27 CAR Part 111 amendment draft posted by ARDOT (Mar. 2026)
  36. Act 451 of 2021 (forestry equipment permit)
  37. HB1418 of 2021 bill status (became Act 871)
  38. ARDOT Permits list page
  39. ARDOT 2023 Permit Rules (superseded by 27 CAR Part 111 as amended Sept. 21, 2026)
  40. ARDOT blog: Out of the Box Thinking: Moving Unique Loads on Arkansas Highways (Dec. 23, 2025)
  41. ARDOT news release NR 24-023 (superload, Jan. 2024)
  42. ARDOT Frequently Asked Questions (no toll roads; permits office phone)
  43. AHP Frequently Asked Questions (size and weight contact)

Have an Arkansas move that is wide, tall or heavy?

Little Rock's weekday curfew, holiday weekends and the Sunday-only rule past 20 ft wide decide an Arkansas schedule. Send the size, weight and route ends, and we will line up the ARPARS permit, the escorts and the carrier.

  • FMCSA-licensed property broker, MC# 1178470
  • Permits, escorts and route surveys arranged for each move
  • Carriers checked for authority, insurance and safety record
  • Commercial shippers, dealers, contractors and auction buyers

Prefer to talk? Call (631) 683-8275.

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