RouteAllTexas Oversize Load Requirements: Permits, Escorts, Hours
Last verified October 14, 2026 against the Texas rules linked below.
A Texas load needs an oversize permit once it is wider than 8 feet 6 inches (102 inches), taller than 14 feet, or past the length and weight limits. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) issues the permit online through TxPROS for $60 a trip.
On This Page
This page covers the limits, the permit, escorts, travel hours and marking, each linked to the rule it was read from.
What are Texas's legal size limits?
Texas allows 102 inches wide, 14 feet high and 80,000 pounds gross without a permit. A tractor pulling one semitrailer may run a semitrailer up to 59 feet, and TxDMV lists no overall length limit for truck-tractor combinations. Exceed any number and you need a permit.
The table lists each limit with the statute it comes from.
| Dimension | Legal limit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 102 inches | TC 621.201 |
| Height | 14 feet | TC 621.207 |
| Semitrailer | 59 feet, tractor with one semitrailer | TC 621.204 |
| Single vehicle | 45 feet | TC 621.203 |
| Overhang | 3 feet front, 4 feet rear | TC 621.206 |
| Weight | 80,000 pounds gross; 20,000 single axle; 34,000 tandem | TC 621.101 |
How do you get a Texas oversize permit?
Apply online through TxPROS, the Texas Permitting and Routing Optimization System, run by TxDMV. A single-trip permit costs $60 under Transportation Code section 623.076. Loads over 80,000 pounds add a highway maintenance fee. The TxDMV permit office answers at (800) 299-1700.
The fee depends on how long the permit runs, not on how wide the load is.
| Permit | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Single trip | $60 | TC 623.076(a)(1) |
| 30 days | $120 | TC 623.076(a)(2) |
| 60 days | $180 | TC 623.076(a)(3) |
| 90 days | $240 | TC 623.076(a)(4) |
| Annual envelope | $4,000, up to 12 feet wide, 14 feet high, 110 feet long | TxDMV |
Over 80,000 pounds, the maintenance fee steps from $150 to $375 in 40,000-pound bands (TC 623.077). The permit prints its own route, dates and curfews. How to read a TxDMV oversize permit walks through each field.
RouteAll reads the permit you upload and drives the route it names, so the roads on the screen are the roads TxDMV printed.
When does Texas require a pilot car?
Texas requires one escort over 14 feet wide. It runs in front on a two-lane road and behind on four or more lanes. Over 16 feet wide, you need front and rear escorts on every road. Height and length set their own triggers, listed below.
The rule names the trigger and the position for each case.
| Load | Escorts | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Over 14 to 16 feet wide | One: front on two-lane, rear on four or more lanes | 219.11(k)(2) |
| Over 16 feet wide | Front and rear on all roads | 219.11(k)(2)(C) |
| Over 110 to 125 feet long | One: front on two-lane, rear on multi-lane | 219.11(k)(3) |
| Over 125 feet long | Front and rear | 219.11(k)(3)(C) |
| Over 17 feet high | Front escort with a height pole | 219.11(k)(4)(A) |
| Over 18 feet high | Front and rear | 219.11(k)(4)(B) |
"have a front and a rear escort flag vehicle for all roads, when the width of the load exceeds 16 feet." — 43 Tex. Admin. Code 219.11(k)(2)(C). Verified October 14, 2026.
Texas does not certify escort drivers. Only an escort who gets out to direct traffic must complete training approved by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), and a card from another state that certifies escorts is accepted (TCOLE notice). More detail is in pilot car requirements by state.
When can an oversize load move in Texas?
In daytime only, unless your permit says otherwise. Texas defines daytime as half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset. A load that is only overweight, or that stays on the interstate at 10 feet wide and 100 feet long or less, may also run at night.
- Daytime runs half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset (TC 541.401).
- Night travel beyond those exceptions needs a TxDOT route and traffic study (219.11(l)).
- Holidays: New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas stop loads over 14 feet wide, 16 feet high or 110 feet long (TxDMV, 43 TAC 28.4).
- Curfews are set by district. Tarrant County closes 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays; Austin closes the same hours over 12 feet wide or 95 feet long (TxDMV curfew list).
- Weekends carry no statewide ban, though some local curfews cover Saturday and Sunday.
The travel restrictions by state guide compares Texas with seven other states.
What flags, lights and signs does Texas require?
Texas requires red flags at least 12 inches square on any load that sticks out past the sides or more than 4 feet past the rear. A rear overhang of 4 feet or more takes red lamps and reflectors at night. This guide found no Texas rule requiring an OVERSIZE LOAD sign on the truck itself.
- Flags: red, at least 12 inches square, at the extremities of the load (TC 547.382(b)).
- Rear overhang lights: two red lamps, two red reflectors and two red side lamps during lighting hours (TC 547.382(a)).
- Escort sign: OVERSIZE LOAD or WIDE LOAD, 5 to 7 feet by 12 to 18 inches, 8 to 10-inch black letters on yellow (219.11(k)(7)(C)).
Most carriers still run a banner because neighboring states require one. The sign requirements by state guide has the sizes.
What is a superload in Texas?
Texas calls it a superheavy permit. It applies over 254,300 pounds, or between 200,001 and 254,300 pounds with less than 95 feet of axle spacing (43 TAC 219.12(b)(7)). A route inspection is also required over 20 feet wide, 19 feet high or 125 feet long (219.11).
Use This Check In RouteAll
After receiving the issued permit, use RouteAll’s permit-to-GPS workflow to compare its highway sequence with a reviewable map. Keep local permissions, travel windows and escort instructions available separately. RouteAll does not issue permits or amend the authorized roads.
Before you roll
Measure the load first, then check it against 102 inches, 14 feet and 80,000 pounds. Over 14 feet wide you need an escort and must stay off the road on the six holidays. Move in daylight unless the permit says otherwise, and read the district curfews printed on the permit before the first mile.
Common questions
How much is a Texas oversize permit?
A single-trip permit costs $60 under Transportation Code section 623.076. A 30-day permit costs $120, 60 days $180 and 90 days $240. Loads over 80,000 pounds add a highway maintenance fee of $150 to $375, and card payments add a processing fee.
Do I need a pilot car in Texas at 12 feet wide?
No. Texas requires an escort only once the load is over 14 feet wide, in front on a two-lane road and behind on four or more lanes. Over 16 feet wide, you need front and rear escorts on every road. Your permit can require more.
Can an oversize load travel at night in Texas?
Only in limited cases. Overweight-only loads may, and so may loads on the interstate that are 10 feet wide and 100 feet long or less. Anything larger moves in daytime only unless TxDOT approves night travel after a route and traffic study.
Does Texas require pilot car certification?
No general certification exists. Only an escort who directs traffic must complete training approved by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, and a card accepted by another certifying state counts. An escort who only drives does not need the training.
Further reading
Sources
- Texas Transportation Code, chapters 621, 623, 541 and 547.
- 43 Tex. Admin. Code 219.11 and 219.12; 43 TAC 28.4 for holiday limits.
- TxDMV: size and weight limits, single-trip permits, escorts and equipment, holiday restrictions, time permit curfews (September 30, 2025).
- TCOLE, Texas Escort Flaggers.
RouteAll reads the permit you provide. It does not issue permits or guarantee compliance. The driver remains responsible for the load. Texas rules change, and your permit can be stricter than the rule; verify against the permit and the Texas permit office before every move.