RouteAllAlaska Oversize Load Permits: SWOOP, Pilot Cars, Holidays
Official Sources Reviewed: November 12, 2026
An Alaska single-trip oversize permit starts at a $40 processing charge in SWOOP, which you sign in to with a myAlaska login, and lasts three days. Alaska asks for pilot cars sooner than most states: one over 10 feet 6 inches wide, two over 12 feet and three over 14 feet.
On This Page
This page covers Alaska only. Compare states in the pilot car requirements by state table and the permit cost table.
How Do You Get An Alaska Oversize Permit?
DOT&PF issues permits through SWOOP (State-Wide Oversize Overweight Permitting) at akswoop.com, and customers sign in with a myAlaska login. The permit office is open 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays.
A single-trip permit covers one move from origin to destination over three days, not counting Sundays and holiday periods; trips over 400 miles one way can get five days (Permit Manual 3.2.1). Extended permits run one to 12 months for loads within set limits (3.2.2).
The fee schedule effective February 29, 2016 sets a $40 basic processing charge for an oversize-only or overweight-only single move and $70 for a move that is both. Surcharges are added for width over 10 feet and for the height bands the schedule lists. Moves on the Elliott and Dalton Highways between the Fox weigh station and Prudhoe Bay have their own height bands on the same sheet.
When Does Alaska Require A Pilot Car?
The Administrative Permit Manual sets width escorts by band:
| Width | Pilot cars | Other conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Over 10 ft 6 in to 12 ft | 1 | Posted speed |
| Over 12 ft to 14 ft | 2 | 16-inch flags at the widest point each side |
| Over 14 ft to 18 ft | 3 | 45 mph maximum; flags on all four corners |
| Over 18 ft to 22 ft | 4 | 40 mph maximum; flags on all four corners |
DOT&PF’s general permit information sheet adds length and overhang escorts: one pilot car from 85 to 100 feet long, two from 100 to 150 feet and three over 150 feet; one for a front overhang over 10 feet or a rear overhang over 20 feet, and two past 60 feet in front or 35 feet behind. A front pilot car with a height pole is required over 17 feet high on all routes, and over 16 feet 6 inches on the Glenn Highway from milepost 0 to 27 (Manual 9.2 and 9.3). Pilot car drivers need state-approved flagger training; see Alaska pilot car qualifications.
When Can An Oversize Load Move In Alaska?
Over-width loads move in daylight only unless they carry the lighting and retroreflective tape in the manual’s hours-of-darkness section, or the permit says otherwise (6.1.3). Your permit can also impose:
- Weekend limits: no movement after noon Saturday or at any time Sunday (3.2.4).
- Urban peak-hour limits inside the Anchorage, Eagle River, Fairbanks, Juneau, Kenai/Soldotna, Ketchikan and Palmer/Wasilla boundaries the manual describes, at the times printed on the permit (5.2).
Use every pullout so no more than five vehicles or 10 minutes of traffic build up behind you in rural areas (6.1.8). From October 1 to April 15, the normal weekend limits do not apply north or east of the Fox weigh station on the Steese, Elliott and Dalton Highways (15.1.1).
“For holidays occurring on a Sunday or Monday, movement is restricted for 84 hours beginning at 12:00 pm on the previous Friday.”
A Friday or Saturday holiday starts the 84 hours at noon the Thursday before (14.3). Only Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day are covered (14.4). July 4, 2027 falls on a Sunday, so that window opens at noon Friday, July 2.
What Signs And Lights Does Alaska Require?
An over-width load carries an OVERSIZE, OVERSIZE LOAD or WIDE LOAD sign on the front of the truck and the rear of the truck or load (6.1.6), plus an amber rotating, flashing or strobe light visible for at least 500 feet (6.1.7). Over 12 feet wide, add 16-inch red or fluorescent orange flags at the widest point on each side (6.3.2). The Alaska signs guide covers the details.
What Is A Superload In Alaska?
Section 17.1.1 of the manual defines a superload as anything over 150 feet long, over 18 feet wide, over 18 feet high, or 250,000 pounds gross or more. Superloads that need a bridge analysis typically take five working days to process after the request is submitted (17.1.2).
Where Does RouteAll Fit?
RouteAll does not issue or approve permits. Once Alaska issues yours, upload the PDF and RouteAll lists every road it read, so you can check them against the permit, then warns you if you leave them. One free trip every month covers up to six state permits.
Before You Roll
- Read the weekend and urban peak lines on the permit: Alaska prints them per move.
- Count pilot cars by width band: two start at just over 12 feet.
- For a Glenn Highway move near Anchorage over 16 feet 6 inches high, book the height pole.
- Before Memorial Day, July 4 or Labor Day, remember the 84-hour stop starts at noon on the Thursday or Friday before the holiday.
Common Questions
How much is an Alaska oversize permit?
The DOT&PF fee schedule effective February 29, 2016 sets a $40 basic processing charge for an oversize-only or overweight-only single move and $70 for oversize and overweight, plus surcharges for width over 10 feet and listed height bands. Checked November 12, 2026.
When do you need a pilot car in Alaska?
Over 10 feet 6 inches wide, one pilot car on all routes. Over 12 feet, two. Over 14 feet, three, with a 45 mph limit. Over 18 feet, four. Length and overhang can add more, and over 17 feet high you need a front pilot car with a height pole.
Are oversize loads restricted at Thanksgiving in Alaska?
Not by the manual. Alaska’s holiday restriction covers Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day, each with an 84-hour window. Your permit can still carry weekend or urban peak-hour limits.
Further Reading
- How To Read An Alaska Oversize Permit
- Alaska Pilot Car Qualifications
- Oversize Load Holiday Restrictions By State
Sources And Scope
The Administrative Permit Manual (April 2023) and 17 AAC 25 are the authority; DOT&PF’s fee schedule and general permit sheet fill in fees and the length and overhang escort guide. Conditions printed on your permit control your move.
- Alaska DOT&PF Administrative Permit Manual (PDF) — Sections 3.2 permit periods; 5 travel restrictions; 6 width rules, escorts, signs and lights; 9 over-height; 14 holidays; 15 Fairbanks north winter exceptions; 17 superloads. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
- Alaska DOT&PF Permit Fees (PDF) — Basic processing charges and surcharge bands. Effective February 29, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
- Alaska DOT&PF General Permit Information (PDF) — SWOOP, myAlaska login, office hours, and the pilot car guide by width, length, overhang and height. Retrieved November 12, 2026.