Pilot Car Certification: All 50 States

Rule 450-3-1-.05(11) requires an escort driver to be 18 or older with a valid driver license and an equivalent-or-better pilot/escort flagging course, using the express timing condition within 12 months of Alabama course availability. Confirm current course availability and the accepted-state list with ALDOT before selecting training.

Alabama Administrative Code 450-3-1-.05, Escort Requirements. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

DOT directs pilot-car requirements to its Administrative Permit Manual and assigns the required number on the permit. This review could not retrieve the currently linked manual body, so it does not establish a current statewide operator card or training requirement.

Alaska Commercial Vehicle Customer Service Center. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

A.R.S. 28-1110 requires certification from a CVSA-standard or equivalent program before escort service and retraining/recertification at least every 4 years. Operators must be 18, hold a valid driver license and carry the legible valid escort certificate.

A.R.S. 28-1110 Escort Vehicle Operation. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

ARDOT 2023 Permit Rules, Rule 6, expressly says no escort-vehicle permit, bond or fee is required. That statement concerns the escort vehicle and must not be converted into an assertion that no operator training or credential can apply.

ARDOT Permit Rules 2023, Rule 6. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

The current Caltrans accompaniment index links its September 2005 pilot-car special conditions. The document establishes operational and equipment obligations; it does not establish a pilot-driver certification program or a statewide exemption from one.

Caltrans Application Forms And Accompaniments. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

2 CCR 601-4 chapter 5 requires certification for pilot-escort drivers of extra-legal loads on state highways. The program requires an examination, age 18 and a valid residence-state license. Initial certification lasts 4 years; the rule provides a further 4-year authorized recertification process.

Colorado Secretary Of State 2 CCR601-4, RuleVersion 7541. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Current CTDOT FAQ identifies civilian and State Police escort requirements and cites regulation 14-270-21 for escort vehicles. It does not establish a distinct operator training/card requirement or an affirmative no-certification rule.

CTDOT OSOW Frequently Asked Questions. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

The DelDOT permit-policy PDF is explicitly dated October 2015 and contains escort, safety and superload procedures. It is a primary source for its dated policy, not current proof of either mandatory operator certification or a blanket absence of one.

DelDOT OSOW Policy And Procedures Manual, October 2015. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

FDOT and its approved University Of Florida program identify non-law-enforcement escort qualifications: age 18, valid license, an eight-hour pilot/escort flagging course or accepted equivalent, plus qualifying defensive-driving training or a CDL. FDOT states 4-hour refresher requalification every 4 years.

Florida Administrative Rule 14-26.012. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Georgia DPS publishes a certification program using defensive-driving documentation, approved training/exam and recognized outside credentials. Newly issued cards are electronic; unexpired physical cards remain accepted.

Georgia DPS Certified Escort Vehicle. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

HAR 19-104-28 addresses escort vehicles required by statute or permit. The grantee/owner supplies the vehicle. A current separate operator course/card mandate or exemption was not established.

Hawaii HAR19-104, section 28. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Current IDAPA 39.03.01 section 306 sets pilot/escort vehicle duties and required equipment. No current distinct operator card/course requirement or explicit exemption was established in the reviewed chapter.

Current IDAPA39.03.01 Rules Governing Special Permits. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

The Vehicle Code civilian-escort clause requires a driver properly licensed for the escort vehicle. This supports ordinary licensing; it does not establish that no additional certification can ever apply.

Illinois Vehicle Code, current statutory compilation. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

DOR M-204 publishes escort-vehicle and flagmen duties. It does not establish a current operator-card program or an explicit exemption.

Indiana DOR M204 General Provisions, April 2022. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Current 761—511.20(1), effective September 24, 2025, requires age 18, a valid license allowing unaccompanied driving and proof of $100,000/$200,000/$50,000 public liability coverage. No separate course/card mandate was established here.

Iowa Administrative Code 761—511.20 Escorting, currentLINC. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Kansas requires escort provider registration and accepted operator training. Another-state course certification does not replace Kansas registration through a provider. Current public-form attestations include approved training, a valid license, provider authorization and specified 36-month driving history.

Kansas K-TRIPS Public Registration. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Kentucky DRIVE publishes road-type escort counts and vehicle-safety requirements. A distinct operator-card/course mandate or exemption was not established.

Kentucky DRIVE Escort Requirements. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

RS32:387.1 requires each company operating an escort service in Louisiana to register annually. The application must prove a valid US-state/territory operator license for every driver and the specified insurance. This establishes company registration and driver-license prerequisites; it does not, by itself, prove that no driver course/card can be required elsewhere.

RS32:387.1 — Escort Services. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Maine BMV’s current Overlimit Permits page lists a minimum pilot-driver age of 18 and a motor-vehicle operator license held for two consecutive years. It also directs pilots to Chapter 157. These are affirmative driver qualifications; silence about a separate card is not proof that one is never required.

Maine BMV — Overlimit Permits. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

COMAR11.04.04.02–.04 distinguishes private escorts from police/SHA monitoring and assigns equipment and route-review duties. The reviewed provisions do not establish a separate driver credential exemption, so certification status remains unresolved rather than “not required.”

COMAR11.04.04.04 — Private Escort Equipment And Responsibilities. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

The official Mass.gov indexed text for 700 CMR7.07(4)(d) defines pilot-car equipment for the Turnpike/Metropolitan Highway System: a two-axle/four-wheel truck or passenger vehicle, amber lights, rear flags and an Oversize Load sign. Full direct document fetch was blocked, and this is not a statewide driver-certification determination.

700 CMR7 — Use Of The Massachusetts Turnpike And Metropolitan Highway System. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

MDOT’s current permit provisions prescribe passenger-car/pickup escorts with warning equipment and radios when the numbered provision is assigned. This does not establish a driver-card exemption. Michigan Secretary of State also has chauffeur licensing criteria that can apply below CDL size thresholds; check the actual job and vehicle.

MDOT — Special Provisions Conditions And Restrictions. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Minnesota 299D.085 requires an overdimensional-load escort driver certificate issued by the commissioner or an accepted reciprocal state. Minimum age 18, the appropriate vehicle operator license, successful authorized course and the additional vehicle/equipment rules apply. A CDL alone does not replace this escort certificate.

Minnesota Statutes 299D.085 — Overdimensional Load Escort Driver. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

MDOT’s official September 2024 permit manual defines escort warning equipment and two-way communication. It does not provide an affirmative certification exemption. Mississippi DPS separately distinguishes light-commercial Class D licensing from CDL Classes A/B/C, so “not a CDL truck” is not the end of the license check.

MDOT — 2026 Permit Manual. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

MoDOT’s 2025 rulebook requires escort operators to be properly licensed, obey traffic law and be at least 18. Its civilian-escort section separately requires proper traffic-directing training for flaggers. It does not explicitly establish a universal escort-driver certification exemption.

MoDOT — Oversize Overweight Permit Regulation 2025. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Montana MDT publishes pilot-car equipment requirements in its permitting FAQ and links FHWA training publications from the live permit page. A training-resource link is not proof of a mandatory Montana certificate or of a certification exemption.

MDT — Montana Permitting FAQ. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Current NDOT permit-page-linked 408 NAC3 defines an escort vehicle and its warning equipment, including possible radio communication. This is a vehicle definition, not affirmative evidence for a no-training/no-certification driver claim.

408 NAC3 — Overweight And Overdimensional Permits. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Current adopted NAC484D.670(6) requires a pilot operator to be at least 18, have a valid driver license, and have been certified by completing a current course specific to flagger requirements and procedures. The rule also makes the permittee responsible for briefing/training and the pilot vehicle’s equipment.

Nevada NAC484D.670 — Pilot Cars. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Current Tra 304.17 distinguishes non-police escorts and State Police escorts. Non-police vehicles must be compact-car size or larger, registered/inspected and equipped for constant communication; the operator must follow the positioning/contact duties. No affirmative driver-course/card exemption is established by this review.

New Hampshire Administrative Rules Tra 300 — Permits. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

NJDOT’s agency guide section 5.5 explicitly states that it currently has no escort certification requirement or process and that carriers schedule/pay their private escorts. This is affirmative agency text, not an inference from silence. The guide is dated 2024, so confirm later permit-specific/agency changes.

NJDOT — Commercial Vehicle Size And Weight Guidebook. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

18.19.8.20/.86 requires a required escort vehicle to be certified before entry and inspected by DOT/DPS; the certificate lasts one year or until insurance lapses. Section.90 separately requires age 18, a valid home-state license and compliance with home-state escort-driver licensing requirements. “Vehicle only” without that driver caveat is incomplete.

18.19.8 NMAC — Size And Weight Of Vehicles And Loads. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

NY DMV requires its own escort credential for its stated overdimensional-load scope or flagging, with listed exceptions. The page lists over 12 ft width, length 80 ft or more, height 14 ft or more and overhang greater than 10 ft beyond the main body. Qualification is age 21+, valid license and the DMV test. Residents receive an endorsement; eligible nonresidents receive NY certification. Other states’ cards are not recognized.

NY DMV — Escort Driver Endorsement. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

NCDOT’s March 2025 instructions require escort certification. Initial applicants normally complete eight hours of EVO training. A valid Class A CDL holder may instead take the escort certification exam without that course. The CDL does not issue the certificate automatically: the application, driving record, defensive-driving evidence and agency verification remain required.

NCDOT — Escort Vehicle Operator Certification General Information And Instructions. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

NDHP’s current posted Pilot Car Policy requires a valid driver license and age 18 minimum, plus pilot-vehicle warning equipment and communication. Out-of-state pilot vehicles must buy temporary registration when escorting intrastate movements. It does not affirmatively establish a statewide driver-course/card exemption.

NDHP — Pilot Car Policy 9-15. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

The private escort driver must act as a flagger when necessary and must not simultaneously operate other vehicles or equipment while escorting the permitted load. Ohio's escort vehicle equipment and driver duties are separate from the truck operator's CDL and carrier credentials.

ODOT OS-1 A: Limitations/Provisions on the Use of a Special Hauling Permit (hosted current; revision 01/18). Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

OAC 730:50-5-17 requires ODOT certification for a person acting as a for-hire escort of a permitted overdimensional load or vehicle. Applicants must be at least 18, hold a valid home-jurisdiction driver license, submit a driving record issued within the preceding 30 days, complete the prescribed course and score at least 75% on the examination. Certification lasts no more than five years; renewal repeats the prescribed conditions. Oklahoma residents require Oklahoma certification; a nonresident exception requires a reciprocal agreement with the person's resident state and that state's current certification. For-hire escort operators must also be trained and certified for traffic-control procedures under the MUTCD; an operating escort driver cannot simultaneously act as tillerman or steerman.

ODOT Size and Weight Permit Load: OAC 730:50-5-16 and 730:50-5-17. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Flagging on Oregon state highways requires training and a valid Oregon Certified Flagger card or a valid Idaho, Montana or Washington DOT flagger card; the page says flagger cards are valid for three years. When certified flaggers are required, the Certified Flagger Attachment must accompany the permit. Pilot operators using ODOT's rolling-stop method must be certified in that method; that method uses three pilot vehicles.

ODOT: Over-Dimension Operations in Oregon. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Pennsylvania's Certified Escort Vehicle program concerns certified vehicles and drivers for superload moves; it must not be presented as a certification requirement for every ordinary pilot car. The linked superload policy requires a driver at least 21, a valid resident-state license and three years of oversize/overweight escort experience; it also requires an accredited eight-hour escort class with examination, defensive-driving training and flagger training. The policy's listed out-of-state credentials can waive the escort class requirement; they do not automatically issue Pennsylvania certification or waive the application and other evidence.

PennDOT: Apply for a Hauling Permit. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Rhode Island's escort provisions require an appropriately equipped vehicle, visual and two-way-radio contact with the load, and placement that changes between divided and undivided highways.

Rhode Island Active Rule: Overweight and Oversize Vehicle Permits, 290-RICR-40-00-1. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

An escort must maintain direct two-way radio communication with the towing vehicle, and one escort cannot escort or communicate with more than one towing vehicle at a time. The guidelines require flagmen, including escort drivers working outside their vehicles, to use the specified high-visibility apparel.

SCDOT: Guidelines for Movement of OSOW Vehicles and Loads, March 2026. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

The escort must be a licensed motor vehicle other than a motorcycle; the handbook specifies escort lighting, signs and placement. Additional flagpersons and escorts can be required where the load uses an adjacent lane or shoulder.

South Dakota Motor Carrier Handbook: Vehicle Permits. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

The Tennessee rule's escort provision addresses the escort vehicle's licensed status, weight range, company identification, warning lights and signs; those vehicle requirements must not be described as an operator training certificate.

TDOT: OS/OW Permit FAQs. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

TxDMV explicitly says an escort vehicle operator who drives the escort but does not direct traffic does not require the traffic-direction training. An escort flagger who directs or controls traffic must complete a traffic-direction course meeting TCOLE's basic peace-officer curriculum requirements; training another state accepts for an escort flagger or pilot/escort operator is also accepted. The flagger must maintain proof of completion and show law enforcement when requested; electronic proof is allowed.

TxDMV: Escort and Equipment Requirements. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Current R909-2-24 requires pilot drivers to be at least 18, hold a valid resident-jurisdiction driver license and carry an authorized certification card while escorting. Utah-domiciled drivers need a division-authorized Utah course; nonresidents may use another state's credential only where the course meets the endorsed Pilot Escort Training Manual best-practices standard. Initial certification expires after four years; one further four-year certification is available through a qualified provider's mail-in or online recertification process. A driver may not simultaneously act as tillerman or steerman while escorting; vehicle certification inspections have their own validity of up to one year.

UDOT: Pilot/Escort Requirements, Training and Certifications. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Vermont's permit rules specify escort vehicle communications, signs, warning lights, low-beam headlights and placement; flagger protection can be required at entry/exit points or reduced visibility.

Vermont DMV: Permitting Rules, Rule 14-050-019. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Virginia's current DMV program page lists reciprocal escort-driver certification agreements with Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah and Washington. A reciprocal-state credential can be valid in Virginia, but obtaining Virginia's own credential still requires meeting Virginia's application requirements.

Virginia DMV: Escort Vehicle Driver. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

A Washington-licensed escort operator must carry a valid Washington PEVO card. An operator licensed elsewhere may use Washington certification or a department-approved other-jurisdiction certification. Washington's initial approved course is eight hours; a renewal applicant may take a four-hour recertification course. The exam passing score is at least 80%, and cards renew every three years. WSDOT currently lists partner programs in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah and Virginia. The rule treats certified flagpersons as a distinct role; riding-flagperson substitution is allowed only for specified overlength cases when the permit authorizes it.

Washington Legislature: WAC 468-38-100. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

The state rule's escort section specifies a properly licensed escort vehicle, company/owner identification and for-hire escort equipment, including two-way communication with the permitted load. For mobile/modular homes, a municipality can require police escort where parking restrictions or impeded traffic are involved; the mover must notify local authorities.

West Virginia Secretary of State: 157 CSR5 permit rule, 2023 filing. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

WisDOT says escort vehicles can be required as permit conditions and directs operators to Trans 252 for escort requirements. Where a permit requires a private pilot car alongside State Patrol support, the pilot car must have electronic communication compatible with the truck driver and State Patrol devices.

WisDOT: Permit Requirements. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.

Wyoming's current rule requires a licensed single motor vehicle as escort; motorcycles and vehicle combinations cannot serve as escorts. Two-way radios are required, and cellular or satellite telephones do not satisfy that requirement. An escort driver must follow the permitted highway route; alternate routes require prior permit-authority approval. The escort driver also has explicit duties around narrow obstacles and emergency parking.

Wyoming DOT Motor Carrier Chapter 5: Size and Weight Limitations, effective April 30, 2025 to current. Open the state resource for the remaining sources, licensing path and limitations.