Florida Oversize and Overweight Permits
FDOT PAS trip permits, self-issue limits, qualified escorts, route survey letters and peak-hour curfews
Quick answer
How do I get an oversize permit in Florida?
Apply to the FDOT State Permit Office in PAS, its Permit Application System, before the truck enters Florida (F.S. 316.550(1)). PAS lets customers self-issue trip permits up to 16 ft wide, 18 ft high, 150 ft long and 200,000 lb (140,000 lb self-propelled) with its GIS routing. Oversize trip permits cost $5 to $25 by size, and overweight is priced per mile by gross weight.
Updated October 2026 by the HTS Logistics broker team (FMCSA MC# 1178470).
Checked October 2026; the issued permit controls
Florida writes two rules into every move that our oversize permits by state table can only summarize: the permit must exist before the truck enters the state (F.S. 316.550(1)), and no oversize load moves until its route has been surveyed (F.A.C. 14-26.00411(5)). Its published axle maximums, 22,000 lb single and 44,000 lb tandem, run above the federal 20,000 and 34,000 lb, partly because they include a 10% scale tolerance.
Getting the PAS permit issued before the carrier reaches the line is the first step on any heavy haul trucking in Florida job we arrange. Florida also waives permit fees for some loads, including governmental entities, special taxing districts, portable public-school buildings, oversize-only farm and forestry equipment and loads moved under a Governor's Declaration of Emergency (F.A.C. 14-26.009).
Legal limits in Florida
Florida's statute and its published weight tables differ by the 10% scale tolerance in F.S. 316.545(2)(a): the statute says 20,000 lb per axle and 40,000 lb for axles 4 to 8 ft apart, and the tables add 10%. The inner-bridge formula applies on Interstates only.
| Limit | Florida | Federal baseline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 8 ft 6 in | 8 ft 6 in (102 in) on the National Network | FDOT or local officials may restrict vehicles over 96 in on roads without a 12 ft through lane in each direction (316.515(1)) |
| Height | 13 ft 6 in | No federal limit | 14 ft for automobile transporters (316.515(2)) |
| Semitrailer length | 48 ft | States must allow at least 48 ft | Unconditional limit; 48–57 ft is allowed with a kingpin of 41 ft or less and a rear underride guard, except on restricted roads, and official sources disagree on the figure |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lb | 80,000 lb | Includes all enforcement tolerances, on Interstate and other roads (316.535(4), (5)) |
| Single axle | 22,000 lb | 20,000 lb | Statute 20,000 lb plus the 10% scale tolerance |
| Tandem axle | 44,000 lb | 34,000 lb | Statute 40,000 lb for axles 4–8 ft apart, plus 10% |
Federal baseline: 23 CFR Part 658, eCFR as of 2026-10-14
When Florida requires a permit and how to get one
The FDOT State Permit Office, part of the Office of Maintenance in Tallahassee, issues permits for state-maintained roads only; local roads need permits from the local authority (F.A.C. 14-26.00411(1)). Trip permits cover a single origin and destination for 10 days, and FDOT also issues annual blankets, annual vehicle-specific blankets and 3-month route-specific blankets.
Florida has no formal superload. A permit that needs a structural evaluation or an override is non-routine and must be requested at least 10 business days ahead, a vehicle schematic is mandatory when any axle exceeds 30,000 lb or gross reaches 300,000 lb, and a survey letter goes with the application for loads over 18 ft high or 22 ft wide (14-26.00411(4)-(6)). Overrides beyond statute or rule need a letter of essentiality from a government entity or the ultimate recipient; letters from the hauler, distributor or manufacturer are not accepted (14-26.00425(2)).
Permit office
- Issuing office
- FDOT State Permit Office (Permit Section, Office of Maintenance)
- Address
- 3185 S. Blair Stone Rd, Tallahassee, FL
- Permit system
- PAS (Permit Application System)
- Phone
- (850) 410-5777
- Hours
- Monday–Friday, 8 AM–5 PM; no Saturday hours since Jan 1, 2024
- Roads covered
- State-maintained roads only
Fees
| Load up to | Fee |
|---|---|
| 12 ft wide, 13 ft 6 in high, 85 ft long | $5 |
| 14 ft wide, 14 ft 6 in high, 95 ft long | $15 |
| 14 ft wide, 18 ft high, 120 ft long | $25 |
| Over 14 ft wide, 18 ft high or 120 ft long | $25 |
| Gross weight up to | Per mile |
|---|---|
| 95,000 lb | $0.27 |
| 112,000 lb | $0.32 |
| 122,000 lb | $0.36 |
| 132,000 lb | $0.38 |
| 142,000 lb | $0.42 |
| 152,000 lb | $0.45 |
| 162,000 lb | $0.47 |
| Over 162,000 lb | $0.003 per 1,000 lb per mile |
| Containerized cargo | $0.27 |
Over 80,000 lb, add a $3.33 administrative cost. Miles are billed in 25-mile steps, the total rounds up to the next dollar, and a $5 transmission fee is added when applicable. FDOT's worked example: 112,000 lb over 67.5 miles bills as 75 miles × $0.32 + $3.33 = $27.33, rounded to $28, plus the $5 fee. An overweight permit whose load also passes 12 ft wide, 13 ft 6 in high or 85 ft long adds the dimension fee, with the combined fee capped at $500. Twelve-month blankets run $20, $150 or $250 for oversize by tier (none over 14 ft wide, 18 ft high or 120 ft long), and $240–$400 for overweight up to 162,000 lb or $500 up to 199,000 lb.
Escort and pilot car rules in Florida
Florida escorts must be law enforcement, Florida-qualified, or qualified within the past 4 years by a state with equal or stricter standards (F.A.C. 14-26.012(2)-(4)). Counts depend on width, height and length, and some widths add a second escort on busy or narrow roads.
| Load | Escort requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 12 ft and up to 14 ft wide | At least 1 qualified escort: ahead on 2-lane highways, behind on 4-lane divided. 2 escorts on lanes under 12 ft, bridges under 30 ft curb to curb, rural roads over 12,000 ADT per lane, or urbanized-area roads over 8,000 ADT per lane, unless the load shows 4 warning lights, 2 front and 2 rear ((4), (7)(c)) |
| Over 14 ft and up to 16 ft wide | Trip permit only; 2 qualified escorts, front and rear, and no 2-lane connectors when a workable 4-lane route exists ((7)(d)) |
| Over 16 ft wide | Trip permit, local move within a 50-mile radius, with District Traffic Engineering review. Limited-access by day: 2 qualified escorts. Limited-access at night: 1 law enforcement plus 1 qualified. Other state roads: 2 law enforcement at all times. Over 22 ft also needs a clearance affidavit for the width plus 2 ft each side ((7)(e)) |
| Over 14 ft 6 in and up to 16 ft high | 1 qualified escort in front with a non-conductive height pole set at least 6 in above the load ((8)(b), (3)(b)8) |
| Over 16 ft high | 1 law enforcement escort plus 1 qualified escort with a height pole; local moves only; utility crews where the load meets low wires, signals or structures. Multi-trip permits stop at 18 ft, and trip permits over 18 ft need an affidavit showing the height plus 6 in clears ((8)(c)) |
| Over 95 ft long | 1 qualified escort, at the rear when the load is over-length only; tractor-semitrailers up to 105 ft with 3 points of articulation need none ((9)(b)2-3) |
| Over 150 ft long | 2 qualified escorts, or 1 on a limited-access facility ((9)(b)4) |
| Over 250 ft long | 1 law enforcement escort plus 1 qualified escort ((9)(b)5) |
| Night movement of a load otherwise held to daytime | Law enforcement escort(s), and warning lights that outline the load's shape and size ((5)(f)) |
To qualify in Florida, an escort driver is 18 or older with a valid license, has an 8-hour NSC defensive driving course or a valid CDL (A, B or C), completes an 8-hour pilot/escort flagging course from an FDOT vendor, and requalifies every 4 years with a 4-hour refresher. The vehicle is a single unit of 2,000 to under 26,000 lb GVWR with Class 2 amber lights visible at 500 ft, an OVERSIZE LOAD sign, two 18 in flags and the listed equipment.
Travel times, curfews and holidays
F.A.C. 14-26.012 keeps most permitted moves in daytime: any over-width load, any load over 14 ft 6 in high and any load over 80 ft long. A load within 14 ft 6 in high and 80 ft long, at legal width, may otherwise move at all hours.
- Daytime: FDOT's 2016 'When Do You Need a Permit' sheet, still linked, defines it as one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset; the rule itself does not define it. Nothing moves when visibility is under 1,000 ft (14-26.012(5)(d)).
- Night: only when FDOT district traffic engineering recommends it or the Office of Maintenance requires it, with law enforcement escort(s), and rear overhang is capped at 10 ft at night. Exceptions cover empty tractor-semitrailers up to 11 ft wide and 105 ft long on or within 5 miles of limited-access roads, mobile cranes and support vehicles up to 12 ft wide, 14 ft 6 in high and 100 ft long outside local curfews (F.S. 316.550(3)(b)), and escorted loads entering from Alabama on I-10 as far as the eastbound Pensacola weigh station.
- Weekends: 14-26.012(5)(e) prohibits weekend moves unless the permit says otherwise, while the 2026 blanket conditions restrict only curfews and holidays, so the permit face controls.
- Peak hours: loads over 12 ft wide or 85 ft long may not move 7–9 AM or 4–6 PM on weekdays on any state road, interstates included, in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Orange, Duval, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, or on non-interstate state roads in Daytona Beach, Gainesville, Lakeland, Melbourne, Palm Bay, Pensacola, Port St. Lucie, Sarasota and Tallahassee.
- Kennedy Space Center: over 10 ft wide, no movement 6–9 AM or 3–6 PM Monday–Friday, and the KSC Duty Office must be contacted.
- Florida Keys, south of Florida City: blanket-permit loads over 10 ft wide travel 9 PM–5 AM only, never on holidays, at 12 ft maximum width with at least 1 qualified escort.
- Storm orders: Florida has no frost law in F.A.C. 14-26 or its permit documents, but under a Governor's Declaration of Emergency FDOT issues Emergency Road Use Permit Letters. Letter 26-07 (Tropical Storm Isaias, Oct 8, 2026) allows divisible emergency or agricultural loads up to 14 ft wide, 14 ft 6 in high and 95 ft long at all hours, through the earlier of Oct 20, 2026 or rescission of EO 26-202.
| Holiday | No movement |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thu Jan 1 |
| Memorial Day | Mon May 25 |
| Independence Day (a Saturday) | Fri Jul 3 and Sat Jul 4 |
| Labor Day | Mon Sep 7 |
| Thanksgiving and the day after | Thu Nov 26 and Fri Nov 27 |
| Christmas Day | Fri Dec 25 |
The restrictions apply to loads over 10 ft wide, 14 ft 6 in high or 80 ft long. When a holiday falls on a Saturday, the Friday before is also observed; when it falls on a Sunday, the Monday after (F.A.C. 14-26.0041(6)).
What catches carriers in Florida
Every open weigh station, transponder or not
All permitted vehicles and their escorts must enter every open weigh station, even with an AVI transponder. Only inner-bridge permit vehicles may bypass, and only when an FDOT-approved electronic device tells them to.
F.A.C. 14-26.012(6)
The survey letter has to match the permit
The hauler checks vertical and horizontal clearance, FDOT checks structures, and the letter on the hauler's letterhead travels with the load. It shows at least 6 in of clearance over loads taller than 15 ft and 2 ft each side for loads wider than 16 ft, the surveyed route must match the permit, and the 2026 blanket conditions add that a qualified escort performs the survey.
F.A.C. 14-26.00411(5); Blanket Permit Movement Conditions rev. 7/27/2026
Penalties by the pound and the foot
Overweight is fined $0.05 per lb over the legal or permitted weight, and over-dimension up to $1,000 per vehicle ($250 per ft of height or width). Breaking an operating or safety condition costs up to $1,000, and listed violations such as going off route, moving at night without approval or short axle spacing void the permit.
F.S. 316.550(10)
Limits on multi-loading
Overweight multi-loading is allowed only when removed attachments (two at most) ride along, when gross weight is 100,000 lb or less with no more than two over-length items, or under a divisible-load permit.
F.A.C. 14-26.012(10)
Florida's Turnpike and blanket permit limits
Two more limits shape Florida routes: the Turnpike's own rule for over-dimension vehicles and the 2026 caps on what a blanket permit can carry.
Florida's Turnpike
Vehicles over the F.S. 316.515 dimensions are barred from the Turnpike System except under an FDOT Chapter 14-26 special hauling permit or a Turnpike Tandem Permit (F.A.C. 14-61.0015(3)). The minimum speed is 50 mph unless a lower speed is posted or conditions require it (14-61.0015(6)).
Blanket caps
Under the 2026 conditions, blankets stop at 14 ft wide, 18 ft high (over 16 ft for local moves only) and 120 ft long, and anything over 14 ft wide needs a trip permit. A load that fits a Florida blanket can still need trip permits in the next state, which our oversize load checker shows state by state.
Crossing into a neighboring state
- North into Georgia: GAPROS charges a flat $30 for a single trip within 16 ft of width and height and 150,000 lb, and Georgia's escort certification program lists Florida among its reciprocal states, as our Georgia oversize permits page notes.
Florida oversize permit questions
What does a Florida overweight permit cost per mile?
FDOT prices overweight trip permits per mile by gross weight, from $0.27 a mile up to 95,000 lb to $0.47 up to 162,000 lb, billed in 25-mile steps, plus a $3.33 administrative cost over 80,000 lb. FDOT's own example: a 112,000 lb load over 67.5 miles is billed as 75 miles, $27.33, rounded to $28, plus a $5 transmission fee. Oversize-only trip permits are $5 to $25.
How do I get pilot car certification in Florida?
Be 18 or older with a valid license, complete an 8-hour NSC defensive driving course or hold a CDL (A, B or C), and pass an 8-hour pilot/escort flagging course from an FDOT vendor. Qualification lasts 4 years and is renewed with a 4-hour refresher. Florida also accepts escorts qualified within the past 4 years by a state with equal or stricter standards, and law enforcement escorts.
Can I self-issue a Florida oversize permit?
Within limits, yes. In PAS, FDOT's Permit Application System at pas.fdot.gov, customers can self-issue trip permits with no Permit Office contact for loads up to 16 ft wide, 18 ft high, 150 ft long and 200,000 lb, or 140,000 lb for self-propelled equipment, using the PAS GIS routing. Larger or non-routine loads go to the State Permit Office for review.
What are Florida's 2026 oversize holiday restrictions?
Loads over 10 ft wide, 14 ft 6 in high or 80 ft long may not move on New Year's Day (Jan 1), Memorial Day (May 25), Independence Day (Jul 3 and 4, because the 4th is a Saturday), Labor Day (Sep 7), Thanksgiving and the day after (Nov 26 and 27) or Christmas (Dec 25). Saturday holidays add the Friday before, and Sunday holidays the Monday after.
When can a Florida oversize load move at night?
Usually it cannot. Night moves need a recommendation from FDOT district traffic engineering or a requirement from the Office of Maintenance, plus law enforcement escorts and lights outlining the load. The exceptions are empty tractor-semitrailers up to 11 ft wide and 105 ft long near limited-access roads, permitted mobile cranes up to 12 ft wide, and escorted loads entering on I-10 from Alabama.
What are the legal weight limits for trucks in Florida?
Gross weight is 80,000 lb including all enforcement tolerances. Florida's published axle maximums are 22,000 lb on a single axle and 44,000 lb on a tandem, which already include the 10% scale tolerance in F.S. 316.545(2)(a); the statute itself says 20,000 lb and 40,000 lb. Height is 13 ft 6 in (14 ft for auto transporters) and width 8 ft 6 in.
Is there a superload permit in Florida?
Not by that name. Florida treats a load that needs a structural evaluation or override as a non-routine permit, requested at least 10 business days ahead. A vehicle schematic is required when any axle exceeds 30,000 lb or gross reaches 300,000 lb, loads over 18 ft high or 22 ft wide file a survey letter with the application, and overrides need a letter of essentiality from a government entity or the ultimate recipient.
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.
- eCFR 23 CFR Part 658: Truck Size and Weight (federal baseline)
- FDOT Over-Weight Over-Dimension Permits (State Permit Office)
- FDOT OW/OD Permit Documents index
- F.A.C. 14-26.008 Schedule of Fees (amended 4-24-2018)
- F.A.C. 14-26.012 Movement Conditions and Restrictions
- F.A.C. 14-26.0041 Definitions
- F.A.C. 14-26.00411 Procedure for Issuance of Permits
- F.A.C. 14-26.00425 Criteria for Issuance of Permits
- FDOT Blanket Permit Movement Conditions (rev. 7/27/2026)
- FDOT Florida Holiday Travel Restrictions 2026
- FDOT 'When Do You Need a Permit' (July 2016)
- FDOT Weight Restrictions Charts for Blanket Permit Vehicles (rev. 5/22/2025)
- F.S. 316.515 Maximum width, height, length (2026)
- F.S. 316.535 Maximum weights (2026)
- F.S. 316.545 Weight and load unlawful (10% scale tolerance) (2026)
- F.S. 316.550 Special permits (2026)
- F.A.C. 14-61.0015 Prohibitions on the Turnpike System
- FHP Commercial Motor Vehicle Manual, 9th ed. (July 2016)
- FDOT MCSAW Questions and Answers (escort training, 10% permits)
- FDOT Emergency Road Use Permit Letter 26-07 (Oct 8, 2026)
Bringing an oversize load into Florida?
Florida wants the permit before the truck reaches the line and a route survey before it moves. Tell us what is moving and where, and we will order the PAS permit and book a carrier and a qualified escort for the survey.
- 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.
Request a Commercial Quote
Keep reading
- Georgia Oversize PermitsGDOT flat fees, escorts, superload tiers and the inside-I-285 windows.
- Heavy Haul in FloridaMiami, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville moves: permits before the state line, the seven-county rush-hour stop, and Jacksonville port pickups.
- Oversize PermitsLegal limits, permit fees, escort triggers and travel rules by state, from official sources.
- Legal Load LimitsLegal width, height, length and axle weights by state, plus night, weekend and 2026 holiday travel rules.
- Pilot Car RequirementsWhen each state requires escorts: width, length, height and overhang triggers, certification and police escorts.
- Frost LawsSpring thaw weight restrictions by state, with Michigan's 25% and 35% axle cuts, 2026 dates and how to check posted roads before a heavy move.