Texas Oversize and Overweight Permits
TxDMV single-trip fees, TxPROS, escort and height pole triggers, district curfews and the holiday size cap
Quick answer
How much is an oversize permit in Texas?
A TxDMV single-trip permit costs $60 (Transp. Code 623.076). Above 80,000 lb gross, a highway maintenance fee is added: $150 up to 120,000 lb, rising in steps to $375 at 200,001 lb and up, for totals of $210 to $435. Over 200,000 lb a vehicle supervision fee of $35 to $500 also applies, and card payments add $0.25 per permit plus 2.25%.
Updated October 2026 by the HTS Logistics broker team (FMCSA MC# 1178470).
Checked October 2026; the issued permit controls
Texas allows a 59 ft semitrailer, measured without the towing device, and a 14 ft legal height, both above the 53 ft and 13 ft 6 in that most eastern states in our oversize permits by state guide set. Two agencies share the permit: the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles issues it under Transportation Code chapter 623 and 43 TAC chapter 219, and TxDOT supplies the routing, bridge analysis and district restrictions printed on it.
Because TxDMV keeps the fee once a permit number is issued, unless a permit officer made the error (43 TAC 219.11(f)), we confirm the load's dimensions with the shipper and the carrier before the TxPROS application goes in. Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Permian lanes are covered on our heavy haul trucking in Texas page.
Legal limits in Texas
Texas sets no limit on the truck-tractor or on the overall truck-tractor combination (Transp. Code 621.204), and legal overhang is 3 ft in front and 4 ft at the rear (621.206). Texas writes the federal bridge formula into its own statute (621.101), so the bridge formula calculator gives the Texas legal weight for any axle group.
| Limit | Texas | Federal baseline | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 8 ft 6 in | 8 ft 6 in (102 in) on the National Network | 102 in (621.201) |
| Height | 14 ft | No federal limit | Over 13 ft 6 in, the operator is responsible for clearance (621.207) |
| Semitrailer length | 59 ft | States must allow at least 48 ft | Semitrailer in a truck-tractor combination, measured without the towing device; single motor vehicle 45 ft; other combinations 65 ft; twin trailers 28.5 ft each |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lb | 80,000 lb | Natural gas or electric vehicles may run up to 82,000 lb (621.101) |
| Single axle | 20,000 lb | 20,000 lb | Includes enforcement tolerances (621.101) |
| Tandem axle | 34,000 lb | 34,000 lb | Includes enforcement tolerances; TxDMV also lists a legal tridem of 42,000 lb and quad of 50,000 lb with axles at least 40 in apart |
Federal baseline: 23 CFR Part 658, eCFR as of 2026-10-14
When Texas requires a permit and how to get one
Permits come from the TxDMV Motor Carrier Division through TxPROS, the Texas Permitting & Routing Optimization System. A general single-trip permit covers a non-divisible load up to 254,300 lb; without a route inspection on file, it tops out at 20 ft wide, 18 ft 11 in high and 125 ft long.
Applicants that are not registered as motor carriers file a $10,000 surety bond (219.11(n)). For repeat work, a Texas annual permit takes loads to 12 ft wide, 14 ft high, 110 ft long and 120,000 lb (Transp. Code 623.071(c)(3)), and time permits run 30, 60 or 90 days. The steps for a move that crosses into other states are in how oversize permits work.
Permit office
- Issuing office
- TxDMV Motor Carrier Division; TxDOT sets routing, bridge analysis and district restrictions
- Permit system
- TxPROS (Texas Permitting & Routing Optimization System)
- Roads covered
- State highways; TxDOT district restrictions print on the permit
Fees
| Gross weight or item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Base single-trip fee, any weight | $60 |
| Highway maintenance fee, 80,001–120,000 lb | $150 (total $210) |
| Highway maintenance fee, 120,001–160,000 lb | $225 (total $285) |
| Highway maintenance fee, 160,001–200,000 lb | $300 (total $360) |
| Highway maintenance fee, 200,001 lb and up | $375 (total $435) |
| Vehicle supervision, over 200,000 lb up to 254,300 lb, with at least 95 ft of axle spacing and within axle limits | $35 |
| Vehicle supervision, superheavy | $500; $100 if no bridges are crossed; $35 for an identical load on the same route within 30 days |
| Card payment | $0.25 per permit plus 2.25% |
| Time permits: 30, 60 and 90 days | $120, $180 and $240 |
A 150,000 lb machine on a single-trip permit, for example, pays $60 plus the $225 maintenance fee, or $285, before escorts and card charges. Permit fees are one line in a move's price; our heavy equipment transport cost guide shows the rest.
Escort and pilot car rules in Texas
Texas requires no escort-driver certification. Anyone who directs traffic as an escort flagger, though, must complete TCOLE basic peace officer traffic-direction training (Transp. Code 623.008), and the escort triggers are set in 43 TAC 219.11.
| Load | Escort requirement |
|---|---|
| Over 14 ft, up to 16 ft wide | 1 escort: in front on two-lane roads, behind on roads of 4 or more lanes (219.11(k)(2)) |
| Over 16 ft wide | Front and rear on every road; not routed on controlled-access main lanes without a TxDOT exception, though frontage roads may be used (219.11(h)(3)) |
| Over 20 ft wide | The carrier physically inspects the route and certifies it in writing before the permit issues (219.11(h)(4)); the Houston District adds front and rear law enforcement escorts (restriction 17830) |
| Over 17 ft high | Front escort with a height pole (219.11(k)(4)(A)) |
| Over 18 ft high | Front and rear escorts, with the height pole on the front car (219.11(k)(4)(B)) |
| 19 ft high or more | Carrier route inspection certification (219.11(j)(2)) |
| Over 110 ft and up to 125 ft long | 1 escort: in front on two-lane roads, behind on multi-lane highways (219.11(k)(3)) |
| Over 125 ft long | Front and rear at all times, plus a carrier route inspection (219.11(i)(7), (k)(3)(C)) |
| More than 20 ft past the front or rear of the deck | Rear escort (219.11(i)(5)); without a TxDOT exception, overhang stops at 25 ft in front and 30 ft at the rear |
| Over the escort thresholds in more than one dimension | Front and rear escorts (219.11(k)(5)) |
| Overlength convoys: up to 4 loads to 150 ft, or 2 loads over 150 ft and up to 180 ft | Front and rear escorts, loads 1,000–2,000 ft apart, each with an amber beacon of at least 8 in (219.11(i)(8), (k)(6)) |
| Law enforcement | TxDOT may require it, particularly inside city limits (219.11(k)(1)(B)); the City of Montgomery requires it over 14 ft wide, 14 ft high or 110 ft long, and New Braunfels on BS 46 over 12 ft wide |
A Texas escort vehicle is a single unit of 1,000–10,000 lb GVW with two flashing amber lights, one rotating amber beacon of at least 8 in, or alternating blue and amber lights; an OVERSIZE LOAD or WIDE LOAD sign 5–7 ft long and 12–18 in tall with 8–10 in black letters on yellow; and a two-way radio (219.11(k)(7)).
Travel times, curfews and holidays
Permitted loads in Texas move in daytime only by default, which runs from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset (219.11(l)(1); Transp. Code 541.401).
- Night: allowed only for overweight-only loads, or for Interstate loads no more than 10 ft wide and 100 ft long with legal front and rear overhang (overweight allowed). Anything else needs an exception based on a TxDOT route and traffic study, and escorts may be required (219.11(l)(1)(A)).
- Weekends: 43 TAC 219.11 has no statewide weekend ban, but some local curfews cover weekends. The City of Bandera issues no permits Saturday–Sunday and blocks 3–9 PM on weekdays, SH 153 in Nolan and Taylor counties closes Sunday 8 AM–8 PM, and Giddings closes 7–9 AM and 4–6 PM Saturday through Thursday.
- District curfews, Monday–Friday, printed on the permit: Austin in Travis County, over 12 ft wide or 95 ft long, 7–9 AM and 4–6 PM; Tarrant County (Fort Worth), every oversize load except mobile cranes, the same hours; El Paso inside or on Loop 375 and Wichita Falls, over 12 ft wide or 95 ft long, the same hours; Conroe and Friendswood, over 14 ft wide, 14 ft high or 110 ft long, 6–9 AM and 3–7 PM.
- Holidays: on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, permits are capped at 14 ft wide, 16 ft high and 110 ft long unless TxDOT grants an exception (43 TAC 28.4). TxDMV's dates are May 25, Jul 4, Sep 7, Nov 26 and Dec 25, 2026, and Jan 1, 2027.
- Seasonal limits: Texas has no frost program. Load-restricted roads use load-zoned permit weights instead (22,500 lb single, 41,400 lb tandem, 54,000 lb tridem, 63,000 lb quad and 73,260 lb five-axle, 219.11(d)(3)), and permits are not routed over load-restricted bridges above posted capacity without TxDOT approval.
What catches carriers in Texas
Tire width caps axle weight
Permit axle weights are the lesser of 650 lb per inch of tire width or the group maximum: 25,000 lb single, 46,000 lb tandem, 60,000 lb tridem, 70,000 lb quad and 81,400 lb five-axle. Groups need at least 4 ft of spacing to carry the full weight, and the allowance drops 2.5% per foot when consecutive groups sit under 12 ft apart.
43 TAC 219.11(d)
Houston signals at 17 ft 6 in
At 17 ft 6 in and higher in the Houston District, the permit is emailed to the District Signal Shop 48 hours before the move, and TxDOT-approved signal contractors escort the load and raise or disconnect signals at the mover's cost.
TxDMV Permit Restrictions, Houston District
Wide loads keep to the outside lane
Over-width loads above 12 ft use the outside lane on multi-lane highways, and a single vehicle on a permit is limited to 75 ft long.
43 TAC 219.11(h)(1), (i)(4)
Weight papers over 200,000 lb
A Shipper's Certificate of Weight (Form 2280) is required once gross weight passes 200,000 lb.
43 TAC 219.12(b)(7)
The holiday rule moved
The old holiday clause in 43 TAC 219.11(l)(2) expired January 10, 2025, and the 14 ft, 16 ft and 110 ft holiday cap now sits in TxDOT rule 43 TAC 28.4, effective February 19, 2025. Manufactured housing has a longer no-move list that adds Veterans Day, MLK Day and Presidents' Day (Gov. Code 662.003).
43 TAC 28.4; TxDMV 2024 Chapter 219 adoption
Inner-loop bans and Super Heavy permits
Houston, Dallas and San Antonio restrict permitted loads by location rather than by the clock: no Harris County, Dallas County or Bexar County time-of-day curfew appeared in the current district lists.
Dallas inside Loop 12
No permits are issued for any highway inside the loop.
Houston inside IH 610
Every highway inside the loop has a 14 ft maximum height.
San Antonio inside IH 410
Over-width and over-height loads are barred and length is capped at 65 ft, unless the origin or destination is inside the loop.
Super Heavy permits
Texas's superload is the Super Heavy single-trip permit, required over 254,300 lb gross, when any axle or group exceeds the permit maximums, or at 200,001–254,300 lb with less than 95 ft of overall axle spacing. The application goes into TxPROS 3–4 weeks ahead; the applicant acknowledges the tentative route in writing and hires a TxDOT-certified professional engineering firm to submit a bridge structural analysis, and TxDOT must approve the route (43 TAC 219.12(b)(7)).
Texas oversize permit questions
How do I get an overweight permit in Texas?
Apply to the TxDMV Motor Carrier Division in TxPROS. A general single-trip permit covers non-divisible loads up to 254,300 lb and costs $60 plus a maintenance fee of $150 to $375 by gross weight. Applicants that are not registered motor carriers file a $10,000 surety bond, loads over 200,000 lb need a Shipper's Certificate of Weight, and Super Heavy loads need a bridge analysis 3–4 weeks ahead.
Can oversize loads travel at night in Texas?
Only two kinds can. Overweight-only loads may move at night, and so may Interstate loads no more than 10 ft wide and 100 ft long with legal front and rear overhang. Every other permitted load is limited to daytime, one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, unless TxDOT grants an exception after a route and traffic study (43 TAC 219.11(l)(1)).
Do pilot car drivers need certification in Texas?
Texas has no escort-driver certification. The one training rule is for flagging: an escort who directs traffic must complete TCOLE basic peace officer traffic-direction training (Transp. Code 623.008). The escort vehicle itself must be a single unit of 1,000–10,000 lb GVW with amber lights or a beacon, an OVERSIZE LOAD or WIDE LOAD sign and a two-way radio.
Which Texas loads need a height pole escort?
Over 17 ft high, the front escort carries a height pole; over 18 ft, front and rear escorts are required, with the pole up front. At 19 ft and higher the carrier certifies a route inspection. In the Houston District, loads 17 ft 6 in and taller also go to the District Signal Shop 48 hours ahead, and signal contractors handle the signals at the mover's cost.
Does Texas offer annual oversize permits?
Yes, for loads within 12 ft of width, 14 ft of height, 110 ft of length and 120,000 lb (Transp. Code 623.071(c)(3)). TxDMV also sells time permits at $120 for 30 days, $180 for 60 days and $240 for 90 days, and annual types such as the Intermodal Shipping Container Port and North Texas Intermodal permits named in its time permit curfew notice.
Can I move an oversize load on a Texas holiday?
Yes, within a size cap. On New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas, 43 TAC 28.4 limits permits to 14 ft wide, 16 ft high and 110 ft long unless TxDOT grants an exception. TxDMV lists the 2026 dates as May 25, Jul 4, Sep 7, Nov 26 and Dec 25, then Jan 1, 2027. Manufactured housing has a longer list.
Where is the Texas oversize permit login?
Texas permits are ordered in TxPROS, the Texas Permitting & Routing Optimization System, at txpros.txdmv.gov. TxDMV publishes TxPROS tutorials on its website, and each TxDOT district posts its permit restrictions as a PDF; the restrictions that apply to a route print on the permit itself, so the carrier reads the permit, not just the map.
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)
- TxDMV Texas Size/Weight Limits
- TxDMV General Single-Trip Permits (fees)
- TxDMV Superheavy Single-Trip Permits
- TxDMV Escort and Equipment Requirements
- TxDMV Holiday Hours and Movement Restrictions
- TxDMV TxPROS Info and Tutorials
- TxPROS login
- TxDMV Time Permit Curfews (eff. 9/30/2025)
- TxDMV Permit Restrictions by District
- TxDMV Permit Restrictions: Houston District
- TxDMV Permit Restrictions: Dallas District
- TxDMV Permit Restrictions: San Antonio District
- TxDMV Permit Restrictions: Austin District
- TxDMV Permit Restrictions: Fort Worth District
- TxDMV Motor Carrier Handbook (May 2025)
- TxDMV 2024 Chapter 219 adoption (holiday clause sunset)
- 43 TAC 219.11 (Cornell LII copy)
- 43 TAC 219.12 (Cornell LII copy)
- 43 TAC 219.2 definitions (Cornell LII copy)
- 43 TAC 28.4 holiday size limits (Cornell LII copy)
- Texas Transportation Code ch. 621
- Texas Transportation Code ch. 623
- Texas Transportation Code ch. 541 (daytime/nighttime)
Get a Texas oversize move priced
Inside Loop 12, IH 610 or IH 410 the route changes, and over 200,000 lb the fees do. Tell us where the load starts and ends and what it weighs, and we will quote the move with both worked in.
- 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
- Heavy Haul in TexasHouston, Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Permian moves: inner-loop limits, Galveston, Freeport and Laredo pickups, and a worked TxDMV fee example.
- 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.
- How Oversize Permits WorkWhat a permit covers, how it is ordered and how a multi-state move is permitted.