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Louisiana Oversize and Overweight Permits

Louisiana Oversize and Overweight Permits

DOTD Truck Permit Office fees, escort permits and State Police escorts, city curfews, Mississippi River bridges and the LA 1 toll gantry

Quick answer

What does DOTD charge for a Louisiana oversize permit?

An oversize-only single trip costs a flat $10 per trip, or per operating day on longer trips, whatever the dimensions (R.S. 32:387(H)(1)). Overweight permits are priced by excess weight and miles, from $30 to $2,130 up to 254,000 lb, and they cover the load's oversize dimensions at no extra fee. DOTD's Truck Permit Office sells both through LaGeaux.

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

Checked October 2026; the issued permit controls

Louisiana's $10 oversize-only permit costs less than Arkansas's $17 base fee or Texas's $60 single trip in our oversize permits by state guide, and it covers any dimensions. Its semitrailer limit, 59 ft 6 in on the designated truck routes, ties Oklahoma's for the longest we track (R.S. 32:382), and legal height is 13 ft 6 in except for vehicles running only on Interstates, which get 14 ft with 1 mile of access.

Permits must be bought before a load moves or enters Louisiana, because weigh stations do not sell them, and the carrier's certificate of at least $100,000 auto liability has to be uploaded in LaGeaux before any permit issues. HTS arranges oversize and heavy haul moves through Louisiana as a broker (MC 1178470), booking the carrier and ordering the DOTD permit and any State Police escort the load calls for.

When Louisiana requires a permit and how to get one

DOTD's Truck Permit Office in Baton Rouge issues permits under R.S. 32:387 and LAC 73:I through LaGeaux, the Safehaul Permit Manager system. Its phone line has three options, 1 for permits and route registration, 2 for super loads over 232,000 lb and 3 for the business office, and the emergency on-call line runs 24/7, although permits that need manual review issue only during office hours.

Overweight permits last 5 days and mobile home permits 72 hours, a vehicle must be licensed for its maximum allowable weight to get an overweight permit, and construction equipment needs make, model and serial number. DOTD's current notice puts route approvals at 2 to 4 business days and super loads at up to 6 to 8 weeks.

Permit office

Issuing office
DOTD Office of Operations, Truck Permit Office
Address
1201 Capitol Access Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 (mail: P.O. Box 94042, Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9042)
Phone
225-343-2345 or 800-654-1433 (option 1 permits, option 2 super loads over 232,000 lb); fax 225-377-7108
Hours
Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–3:30 PM; 24/7 emergency on-call line
Roads covered
State-maintained highways; parishes and cities may require their own permits and police escorts

Fees

Louisiana flat and annual permit fees (R.S. 32:386.1, 32:387; DOTD permit pages)
PermitFee
Oversize only, single trip $10 per trip, or $10 per operating day on trips longer than one calendar day
Monthly oversize (to 90 ft, 12 ft wide, 14 ft 4 in high) $10 per valid day
Mobile home, 72 hours $10
Yearly oversize, not overweight (to 90 ft, 12 ft, 14 ft 4 in, 25 ft overhang) $500
Annual heavy equipment oversize/overweight (to 120,000 lb, 14 ft 4 in, 12 ft, 90 ft) $2,500 per pulling unit
Escort vehicle permit, annual (expires Dec 31) $10
State Police escort $100 (0–49 escort miles) to $200 (300 or more), plus the off-duty trooper's pay
Overweight single trip, five or more axles over 80,000 lb (R.S. 32:387(H)(2), Schedule 3)
Gross weight0–50 mi51–100 mi101–150 mi151–200 miOver 200 mi
80,001–100,000 lb $45$67.50$97.50$120$150
100,001–108,000 lb $75$142.50$202.50$270$330
108,001–120,000 lb $105$195$285$375$465
120,001–132,000 lb $135$255$375$495$622.50
132,001–152,000 lb $180$337.50$502.50$667.50$832.50
152,001–172,000 lb $232.50$442.50$660$877.50$1,095
172,001–192,000 lb $285$547.50$817.50$1,087.50$1,357.50
192,001–212,000 lb $337.50$652.50$975$1,297.50$1,620
212,001–232,000 lb $390$757.50$1,132.50$1,507.50$1,875
232,001–254,000 lb $442.50$862.50$1,290$1,717.50$2,130

Act 301 of 2019 raised these fees 50% from Jan 1, 2020. Schedule 1 (axle overweight within legal gross, and 2- and 3-axle vehicles) starts at $30 for up to 10,000 lb of excess on a trip of 50 miles or less, and Schedule 2 covers four-axle combinations.

Over 254,000 lb the fee is $15 plus $0.75 per ton-mile of weight over 80,000 lb, plus a structural evaluation for each bridge type on the route: $187.50 for treated timber and concrete slab bridges, $1,275 for truss, continuous span, movable and all Mississippi River structures, and $750 for the rest. Charge accounts need a surety or cash bond of at least $1,000, payment is by check, money order or card (no cash), and government agencies pay nothing except government-owned utilities.

Escort and pilot car rules in Louisiana

Louisiana splits escorts between private escorts, who hold an annual $10 Louisiana Escort Vehicle Permit, and the State Police, who take over above 16 ft wide or 125 ft long; private escorts may not escort a move over 16 ft wide at all (LAC 73:I.1901). No training certification for escort drivers was found, and the states that do certify are on our pilot car requirements across states page.

Louisiana escort triggers (DOTD 2026 book; LAC 73:I.723; LAC 55:I.2309)
LoadEscort requirement
Over 12 ft wide, up to 16 ft 1 private escort with a Louisiana Escort Vehicle Permit: ahead on two-lane highways, behind on multilane highways; one escort per overwidth load
Over 90 ft long, up to 125 ft 1 private escort behind the load on all highways; one escort may accompany two overlength loads
Over 16 ft wide or over 125 ft long A Louisiana State Police escort on all state highways, inside city limits too, booked with the troop nearest the start; loads over 125 ft need a steerable or trackable dolly
Over 18 ft wide State Police front and rear; a DOTD district representative may need to approve or ride along, and parish, city, utility, property-owner and railroad notice comes first
Over 15 ft 10 in high A pole vehicle with a height indicator ahead of the load on the state system (Interstate-only moves exempt)
Over 16 ft 5 in high A pre-approved route from the Truck Permit Office at least 48 hours ahead
Over 16 ft 8 in high A lead pole truck equipped to lift utility lines, unless the load is stripped with PVC pipe or boards and the office approves
Over 18 ft high Bucket trucks, possible State Police front and rear, a District Authorization Number from each DOTD district on the route and every utility cleared
Oil, gas or petrochemical equipment on Interstates (R.S. 32:387.4) A State Police escort and a 45 mph maximum

State Police troops: A Baton Rouge (225) 754-8500, B New Orleans (504) 471-2775, C Gray (985) 857-3680, D Lake Charles (337) 491-2511, E Alexandria (318) 487-5911, F Monroe (318) 345-0000, G Shreveport (318) 741-7411, I Lafayette (337) 262-5880, L Covington (985) 893-6250. Escort companies register yearly with $500,000 each of general liability, auto liability and workers' compensation (R.S. 32:387.1), though DOTD's April 2023 notice says workers' compensation proof is not required for now.

Travel times, curfews and holidays

Permit loads move sunrise to sunset by National Weather Service times and are generally barred at night, in severe weather and on holidays DOTD designates (LAC 73:I.723.T); heavy rain, fog, ice, snow or low visibility stops every permit move.

  • Night and holiday exception: loads with no projection, legal width and length, 14 ft 4 in or less high and 120,000 lb or less gross are typically not barred at night, in moderate weather or on holidays. Escorted loads may move in darkness only with prior approval from the Truck Permit Office and the State Police.
  • Interstate curfew, loads over 12 ft wide: no movement 7:00–9:00 AM or 3:30–5:30 PM on weekdays on I-20 in Shreveport (between the I-220 junctions) and Monroe, on I-210 and on I-10 from LA 397 to LA 108 in Lake Charles, on I-110, I-10 (Bluebonnet to the Mississippi River) and I-12 (O'Neal Lane to I-10) in Baton Rouge, and on I-610 and I-10 (Paris Road to Williams Boulevard) in New Orleans. LAC 73:I.723 prints the afternoon window as 3:30–5 PM.
  • New Orleans bridges and streets: no permit vehicle may cross, or be within 2 miles of, a Mississippi River bridge 6:30–9:00 AM or 3:30–6:00 PM on weekdays, and loads over 12 ft wide stay off city streets 7:00–9:00 AM and 3:30–6:00 PM, except on Interstates and US 90 Business between the Crescent City Connection and I-10.
  • Baton Rouge US-190 bridge: closed 6:30–9:00 AM and 3:30–6:00 PM on weekdays to loads that project or exceed 8 ft 6 in wide, 14 ft 4 in high, 70 ft long or 120,000 lb; LA 1 northbound from Addis to the old Mississippi River bridge closes to loads over 12 ft wide 7–9 AM and 3:30–5:30 PM on weekdays.
  • Weekends: no statewide ban in the 2026 DOTD book or R.S. 32:387; moves follow the dates and times on the permit, and monthly oversize permits are sold for Monday–Friday, Monday–Saturday or Monday–Sunday.
  • Holidays: there is no fixed list. DOTD sets each no-move window with the State Police, posts it on its permit page and prints it on the permit; its Thanksgiving notices from 2012 to 2016 barred all oversize and overweight movement on every state highway, mostly Thursday through Sunday, and its past Mardi Gras notices barred permit travel in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes, Interstates included.
  • Seasonal limits: no frost program. The DOTD Secretary may close a highway or set lower weights for weather, emergencies, road condition or construction, with notice posted at its ends (R.S. 32:386(J)), and black-on-white regulatory bridge postings bind permit loads, with a minimum $100 fine.

What catches carriers in Louisiana

Only OVERSIZE LOAD signs

Louisiana accepts OVERSIZE LOAD banners only and does not allow WIDE LOAD signs. Loads over 10 ft wide carry two signs at least 7 ft by 18 in with 10 in black letters on yellow.

DOTD Regulations for Trucks, Vehicles, and Loads (2026)

Scales and speed

Every permit load stops at DOTD fixed weigh stations, and its escorts enter with it. R.S. 32:387(B)(2) caps Interstate permit moves at 55 mph while LAC 73:I.1901 still says 45 mph, so the speed printed on the permit governs.

R.S. 32:387(B)(2); LAC 73:I.1901; DOTD Regulations book (2026)

Axle groups must share the weight

Permitted axle groups must split their weight within set bands: each tandem axle carries 40–60% of the group, each tridum axle 25–40% and each quadrum axle 20–30%.

DOTD Regulations book (2026)

The Interstate width rule

LAC 73:I.723.S still bars loads over 14 ft wide from Interstates (16 ft for mobile homes, fiberglass pools and tanks), while the 2026 DOTD book is silent on it and sends State Police escorts with loads over 16 ft on all state highways, so we ask the Truck Permit Office before quoting an Interstate route over 14 ft wide.

LAC 73:I.723.S; DOTD Regulations book (2026)

LA 1, the Causeway, Mississippi River crossings and super loads

Louisiana's toll facilities and river crossings each carry their own oversize procedure, and DOTD's Highway Trouble Board (dated Oct 16, 2026 for this page) lists holds that change week to week.

LA 1 toll gantry at Leeville

LA 1 is the only land route to Port Fourchon, and every permit load pays at the southbound all-electronic gantry near Leeville: $21.00 for Class 3 with GeauxPass or $21.90 by plate. Loads up to 18 ft wide and 16 ft 5 in high use lane A; loads 18–23 ft wide or 16 ft 5 in to 23 ft high run wrong-way in the northbound counterflow lane with the required private escort stopping traffic, at 25 mph through the gantry. LA 1 holds 24 ft wide to Port Fourchon and 18 ft from LA 3090 to Grand Isle.

Belle Chasse Bridge (LA 23)

Tolling has been suspended since Oct 2, 2025 by order of the Governor, although DOTD still posts a 2026 Class 3 rate of $7.75. Permit loads over 90 ft long or 14 ft wide on LA 406 and LA 407 cross the Belle Chasse/Judge Perez Bridge wrong-way with a State Police escort.

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway

The Greater New Orleans Expressway Commission, not DOTD, runs the Causeway and posts 88,000 lb gross, 8 ft 6 in wide, 14 ft 6 in high, 45 ft for a single vehicle and 65 ft for a combination (an older DOTD Trouble Board entry lists 8 ft and 13 ft 6 in). It publishes no oversize permit process. Tolls are collected only at the north shore plaza in Mandeville, $25.50 by tag or $26.00 cash or card for 5 or more axles over 7 ft high, and Causeway Police answer at (504) 835-3116.

Mississippi River and tunnel crossings

The Natchez-Vidalia bridge (US-84/425) is posted at 80,000 lb, with wrong-way crossings arranged through Vidalia Police at (318) 336-5254, and the Sunshine Bridge's LA 44 on-ramp to LA 70 holds 12 ft wide. Over 254,000 lb, every Mississippi River structure on the route adds a $1,275 structural evaluation fee, and the Harvey (US 90 Business) and Houma (LA 3040) tunnels are closed to all OS/OW permit loads.

Shreveport-Bossier and the ferries

I-20 is closed to permit loads between the Red River Bridge and I-220 in Bossier City, the US-80 Red River Bridge is closed to all of them, and the LA-511 Jimmie Davis Bridge is held to 10 ft wide and 15 ft high while its replacement is built (from Apr 29, 2026). The LA-82 Cameron ferry takes loads up to 14 ft 6 in high, 24 ft wide, 200 ft long and 600,000 lb, booked with the ferry captain at 337-775-7444; permit loads cannot use the LA-75 ferry.

Super loads

Louisiana has no statutory superload term; DOTD's super-load desk handles loads over 232,000 lb. Over 232,000 lb on non-designated highways or 254,000 lb on any highway, rail or barge must be used where available, with highways only to the nearest railhead or waterway and written proof from that facility for any claimed impediment. Applications go into LaGeaux 4 to 6 weeks ahead with every axle weight, spacing and tire size, and loads over 900,000 lb may need an independent engineering firm's analysis.

Crossing into a neighboring state

  • West into Texas: Houston-bound loads meet the Houston District's front and rear law enforcement escorts over 20 ft wide and a 14 ft height limit on every highway inside IH 610, and TxDMV permits run daylight-only by default; see our Texas oversize and overweight permits page.
  • North into Arkansas: the Highway Police issue permits at a $17 base fee for sunrise-to-sunset moves, and Little Rock's I-30, I-40 and I-630 curfew runs 7–9 AM and 4–6 PM on weekdays, as our Arkansas permit rules page details.

Louisiana oversize permit questions

How do I get a Louisiana pilot car permit?

Escort companies register each year and hold the $10 Louisiana Escort Vehicle Permit, which expires Dec. 31, with proof of $500,000 each of general liability, auto liability and workers' compensation (R.S. 32:387.1); DOTD's April 2023 notice says workers' compensation proof is not being required for now. Louisiana-resident drivers need a Class D or E license, and no training certificate is required.

What is the LaGeaux permit login?

DOTD permits are bought in LaGeaux, its online system, which runs on the Safehaul Permit Manager at lageauxpm.dotd.la.gov. Before any permit issues, the carrier uploads a certificate of at least $100,000 auto liability. Since Sept. 2, 2025, every move on a new annual heavy equipment permit also needs a registered route approved in LaGeaux, automated if the route is unrestricted.

At what size does Louisiana State Police escort a load?

Over 16 ft wide or 125 ft long on any state highway, including stretches inside city limits; over 18 ft wide, front and rear. Oil, gas and petrochemical equipment permitted on Interstates under R.S. 32:387.4 also needs one. The escort is booked with the troop nearest the start of the move and costs $100 to $200 by escort mileage, plus the off-duty trooper's pay.

Do Louisiana permits allow night travel?

Mostly not: permit loads move sunrise to sunset, and escorted loads may run in darkness only with prior approval from the Truck Permit Office and the State Police. Loads with no projection, legal width and length, no more than 14 ft 4 in high and 120,000 lb or less are typically not barred at night. The Secretary may also allow Interstate night travel on request.

Does Louisiana restrict oversize loads on holidays?

Yes, by notice rather than a fixed list. DOTD and the State Police set each no-move window and post it on the Truck Permit Office page, and the restriction prints on the permit. Past Thanksgiving notices barred all oversize and overweight movement statewide, usually Thursday to Sunday, and Mardi Gras brings regional bans around New Orleans, Lafayette, Lake Charles, New Roads and Houma.

What counts as a super load in Louisiana?

Louisiana has no statutory term, but DOTD's super-load desk (800-654-1433, option 2) takes loads over 232,000 lb. Over 232,000 lb on non-designated highways or 254,000 lb on any highway, rail or water must be used where available. DOTD asks for applications 4 to 6 weeks ahead, warns that super loads currently take up to 6 to 8 weeks, and may require an engineering firm over 900,000 lb.

How do wide loads get through the LA 1 toll near Leeville?

Loads up to 18 ft wide and 16 ft 5 in high use tolling lane A at the southbound gantry. Loads 18 to 23 ft wide, or 16 ft 5 in to 23 ft high, go wrong-way in the northbound counterflow lane while the required private escort stops traffic, at 25 mph through the gantry. Every permit load pays the toll, $21.00 for Class 3 with GeauxPass.

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. DOTD Oversize and Overweight Truck Permits (contacts, hours, notices)
  3. DOTD Single Trip Permits
  4. DOTD Monthly Permits
  5. DOTD Semi-Annual Permits
  6. DOTD Annual Permits
  7. DOTD Truck Permit Resources
  8. DOTD Truck Permit Staff Directory
  9. DOTD Louisiana Regulations for Trucks, Vehicles, and Loads (2026 edition)
  10. DOTD LA 1 Bridge Tolls: Wide Loads flyer (Nov 2023)
  11. DOTD Truck Permit insurance requirements (Apr 2023)
  12. DOTD hay hauling drought permits
  13. Act 301 of 2019 (HB 217) permit fee increase
  14. DOTD Weights and Standards Highway Trouble Board (10/16/2026)
  15. LaGeaux permit system login
  16. DOTD Tolling Operations
  17. DOTD Toll Rates (LA 1 and LA 23 rate charts)
  18. DOTD Tolling Bridge Projects (LA 1, Belle Chasse, Calcasieu)
  19. DOTD Police Weight Enforcement
  20. DOTD Notice of Intent, LAC 73:I rewrite (Oct 2023)
  21. R.S. 32:380 Width
  22. R.S. 32:381 Height
  23. R.S. 32:382 Length
  24. R.S. 32:386 Weight
  25. R.S. 32:386.1 Blanket oversize yearly permit
  26. R.S. 32:387 Special permits and fees
  27. R.S. 32:387.1 Escort vehicles
  28. R.S. 32:387.4 Oil, gas and petrochemical equipment on Interstates
  29. R.S. 32:387.7 Sugarcane permits
  30. R.S. 32:387.14 Heavy equipment annual permit
  31. Louisiana Administrative Code index (Office of the State Register)
  32. LAC Title 73, Part I, Weights and Standards (December 2025 compilation)
  33. LAC Title 55, Part I (State Police escort fees and triggers)
  34. Louisiana State Police Transportation Safety Services
  35. GNOEC Lake Pontchartrain Causeway regulations (size and weight limits)
  36. GNOEC Causeway toll schedule
  37. DOTD Thanksgiving 2016 no-move announcement
  38. DOTD Thanksgiving 2015 no-move announcement
  39. DOTD Thanksgiving 2013 no-move announcement
  40. DOTD Thanksgiving 2012 no-move announcement
  41. DOTD Christmas and New Year 2008-09 no-move announcement
  42. DOTD 2019 LaGeaux launch announcement

Bound for Port Fourchon or a Louisiana plant?

Port Fourchon, the New Orleans bridges and the State Police line at 16 ft wide shape a Louisiana route. Give us the dimensions, axle weights and both ends of the trip, and we will set up the LaGeaux 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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