The Louisiana answer
Legal limits
First escort trigger
- Width
- over 12'undated document · read
- Height
- over 15'10"rev. · read · lowest across road classes
- Length
- over 90'undated document · read
- Rear overhang
- No trigger published
- Gross weight
- No trigger published
What the paper costs
- Single-trip base
- $0 · caveat ↓rev. · read secondary host
- Transaction / card
- Not yet researched
- How overweight is priced
- Graduated weight bandsrev. · read secondary host
- Superload above
- 254,000 lb and up · caveat ↓rev. · read secondary host
The short version: a Louisiana single-trip permit starts at $0 before bands, overweight and the transaction charge; an escort is first required at over 12' wide; and the load becomes a superload at over 254,000 lb. Everything below carries the Louisiana document it came from, that document's own revision date, and the date we read it.
1. Where the load goes next
The jurisdictions this one borders, each chip carrying the fact that decides whether that crossing is the expensive one — so the row is itself a small comparison. A multi-state lane is the actual job, and from here it is one click per state rather than a return to an alphabetical index.
2. Louisiana legal limits
Anything over one of these needs a permit. Every value links to the document that sets it.
| Measure | Legal limit |
|---|---|
| Width | 8'6"rev. · read secondary hostR.S. 32:380(A): "The width of any vehicle shall not exceed one hundred two inches, exclusive of safety devices." INCLUSIVE — exactly 102 in is legal. A farm tractor is allowed 9 ft under subsection C and a load may project 12 in beyond the body under subsection B; neither is a commodity a quote identifies. |
| Height | 13'6"rev. · read secondary hostR.S. 32:381(A)(1): "The height of any vehicle and its load shall not exceed thirteen feet, six inches, except that the height of any vehicle and its load which operates exclusively on the interstate highway system shall not exceed fourteen feet, provided that vehicles operating on the interstate highway system shall have reasonable access, within one road mile from the interstate highway to terminals and facilities for food, fuel, repairs, and rest". INCLUSIVE. The 14 ft interstate figure is not used here because a quote cannot establish that a move is exclusively on the interstate system, and a load between 13 ft 6 in and 14 ft that leaves it needs a permit. |
| Semitrailer length | 59'6"rev. · read secondary hostR.S. 32:382(A)(1): "The length of the semitrailer portion of a tractor-semitrailer combination shall not exceed fifty-nine feet and six inches." INCLUSIVE, and one of the most generous semitrailer allowances in this directory. A single vehicle is capped separately at 45 ft, a trailing unit on a single vehicle at 30 ft, and each unit of a doubles or triples combination at 30 ft; none of those is the configuration priced here. |
| Overall length | None published |
| Kingpin to rear axle | None published |
| Front overhang | 4'rev. · read secondary hostR.S. 32:382(B)(1): "the load upon any single vehicle or upon the front vehicle of a combination of vehicles shall not project more than four feet beyond the foremost part of said vehicle". EXCLUSIVE — exactly 4 ft is legal. §32:382(B)(2) exempts permanently attached equipment with 6 ft or more of ground clearance. |
| Rear overhang | 8'rev. · read secondary hostR.S. 32:382(B)(1): "the load upon any single vehicle or upon the rear vehicle of a combination of vehicles shall not project more than eight feet beyond the rear of the bed or body of said vehicle". EXCLUSIVE. Warning flags are separately required past 4 ft — see `la-rear-overhang-flag-threshold-conflict`. Poles and piling may run 15 ft past the rear and forest products in their natural state 20 ft, both commodity allowances a quote does not identify. |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbrev. · read secondary hostR.S. 32:386(A): "The total gross weight of any vehicle or combination of vehicles shall not exceed eighty thousand pounds, and no vehicle or combination of vehicles shall exceed its licensed gross weight." INCLUSIVE — and note the second clause, which caps a vehicle at its LICENSED gross weight independently of the statutory one, a limit a quote cannot see. A combination with a tridum or quadrum axle may run to 88,000 lb off the interstate system and 83,400 lb on it under subsection I; those are configuration allowances, not a general limit, and are not applied here. |
| Single axle | 20,000 lbrev. · read secondary hostR.S. 32:386(C): "The total gross weight of any single axle attached to any vehicle and equipped with low pressure pneumatic tires shall not exceed twenty thousand pounds." INCLUSIVE. Subsection F sets 18,000 lb for high-pressure, solid rubber or cushion tires, which modern highway equipment does not use. Subsection B adds a separate 650 lb per inch of tyre width limit, and subsection K allows a 2,000 lb single-axle and 3,000 lb tandem/tridum/quadrum enforcement tolerance OFF the interstate system without permitting any increase in gross weight. |
| Tandem axle | 34,000 lbrev. · read secondary hostR.S. 32:386(D): "The total gross weight of any tandem axle or tandem steering axle attached to any vehicle and equipped with low pressure pneumatic tires shall not exceed thirty-four thousand pounds. However on any vehicle carrying forest products in their natural state, the weight limitation shall be thirty-seven thousand pounds per tandem axle ... except on the Interstate system." INCLUSIVE. The tridum limit is 42,000 lb and the quadrum limit 50,000 lb under subsection E; `LegalLimits` has no field for either and a quote does not carry per-axle-group weights. |
3. The Louisiana escort ladder
Not one number per dimension — the whole staircase. Each row is a condition the state actually publishes, what it requires when that condition holds, and the clause it comes from. Where a rule requires escorts and the source states no number, the row says that in the source's own words rather than reporting no requirement.
| When | What is required | Source |
|---|---|---|
| width from 12' (exclusive) to 16' | 1 certified escort |
the private-escort and state-police escort tr…undated document · read |
| height over 15'10" and the road is “two lane” or “divided” or “multilane undivided” | 1 certified escort1 in frontHeight pole required |
p.35-36 POLE TRUCKS: "Are required for loads …rev. · read |
| the road is “divided” or “multilane undivided” or “interstate” and width over 16' | 1 police escort behind |
the private-escort and state-police escort tr…undated document · read |
| the road is “two lane” and width over 16' | 1 police escort in front |
the private-escort and state-police escort tr…undated document · read |
| overall length from 90' (exclusive) to 125' | 1 certified escort1 behind |
the private-escort and state-police escort tr…undated document · read |
| overall length over 125' | 1 police escort behind |
the private-escort and state-police escort tr…undated document · read |
The first trigger in each dimension
| Measurement | First escort trigger | First police escort trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Width | over 12'undated document · read | over 16'undated document · read · varies by road class |
| Height | over 15'10"rev. · read · varies by road class | None published |
| Length | over 90'undated document · read | over 125'undated document · read |
| Rear overhang | None published | None published |
| Gross weight | None published | None published |
The same rules restated in plain sentences20 rules
- Rear projection more than 4 ft — warning flags required unless the projecting end clears pavement by at least 6 ft — p.35-36 POLE TRUCKS: "Are required for loads over 15’ 10” high and must travel in front of loads on the state-maintained highway system so they can detect low vertical clearances."; "Loads traveling only on Interstate highways are exempt from this requirement, as are those traveling off of the state maintained highway system."; p.37 curfew hours 7:00 A.M. - 9:00 A.M. and 3:30 P.M. - 5:30 P.M. rev. · read
- Over 12 ft wide and up to 16 ft wide — one private escort (front on a two-lane highway, rear on a multi-lane highway) — the private-escort and state-police escort triggers; "Class II ($500 per year)"; "Pleasure Craft ($5 Fee for 30 Days)"; the $5 cancellation retention undated document · read
- Over 90 ft long and up to 125 ft long — one private escort behind the load — the private-escort and state-police escort triggers; "Class II ($500 per year)"; "Pleasure Craft ($5 Fee for 30 Days)"; the $5 cancellation retention undated document · read
- Over 16 ft wide on a two-lane highway — a Louisiana State Police escort ahead of the load — the private-escort and state-police escort triggers; "Class II ($500 per year)"; "Pleasure Craft ($5 Fee for 30 Days)"; the $5 cancellation retention undated document · read
- Over 16 ft wide on a multi-lane highway — a Louisiana State Police escort behind the load — the private-escort and state-police escort triggers; "Class II ($500 per year)"; "Pleasure Craft ($5 Fee for 30 Days)"; the $5 cancellation retention undated document · read
- Over 125 ft long — a Louisiana State Police escort behind the load, on every road — the private-escort and state-police escort triggers; "Class II ($500 per year)"; "Pleasure Craft ($5 Fee for 30 Days)"; the $5 cancellation retention undated document · read
- Louisiana publishes both an hourly trooper rate and a banded vehicle-use fee, and neither can be put in a permit total — "Fees for off-duty escorts are $75.00 per hour with a two-hour minimum."; the travel-time and $150.00 minimum rules; the lodging obligation rev. · read
- One escort may cover two overlength loads but only one overwidth load — the private-escort and state-police escort triggers; "Class II ($500 per year)"; "Pleasure Craft ($5 Fee for 30 Days)"; the $5 cancellation retention undated document · read
- Over 18 ft wide — the DOTD District Maintenance Engineer must approve the move, and may send a district representative to escort it — "The DOTD District Maintenance Engineer must approve all movements over 18 feet wide"; the 4 ft rear-overhang warning-flag rule in (E)(2) rev. · read
- Over 16 ft 5 in high — every DOTD district on the route must issue an authorization number BEFORE the permit is applied for — "All loads exceeding 16 feet 5 inches in height that are moving on state highways are required to notify the DOTD district office where the move originates." rev. · read
- Over 18 ft high — the originating district sets the procedure before any permit is issued — "Movers of houses, buildings, or loads that exceed 18 feet in height must contact the DOTD district office where the move originates for procedures to be followed before a permit will be issued" rev. · read
- Louisiana sets the escort count for an overweight move by determination, not by threshold — escort positioning (D)(9); the overweight-escort discretion (13); "it is strongly recommended that a clearance bar of some design be attached"; the $10 out-of-state registration rev. · read
- Over 15 ft 10 in high on a non-Interstate state highway — a pole truck (height indicator) travels in front of the load — p.35-36 POLE TRUCKS: "Are required for loads over 15’ 10” high and must travel in front of loads on the state-maintained highway system so they can detect low vertical clearances."; "Loads traveling only on Interstate highways are exempt from this requirement, as are those traveling off of the state maintained highway system."; p.37 curfew hours 7:00 A.M. - 9:00 A.M. and 3:30 P.M. - 5:30 P.M. rev. · read
- The overweight fee below is schedule (c) — a four-axle combination is priced from a different and dearer schedule — subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the three overweight schedules, the 232,001 lb route restriction and the over-254,000 lb ton-mile formula with its structural evaluation fees rev. · read
- Over 232,000 lb — movement only on DOTD-approved routes, with per-structure bridge evaluations that are not in the total — subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the three overweight schedules, the 232,001 lb route restriction and the over-254,000 lb ton-mile formula with its structural evaluation fees rev. · read
- Over 238,000 lb — Louisiana requires rail or water, and gives the highway only for the run to the nearest interchange — "Gross Vehicle Weight-238,000 pounds ... Since railroads and navigable waterways are adequate for the movement of loads in excess of 238,000 pounds, these facilities must be used instead of highways" rev. · read
- Rear overhang over 4 ft but not over 8 ft — legal under the statute, flagged under the administrative code — "The DOTD District Maintenance Engineer must approve all movements over 18 feet wide"; the 4 ft rear-overhang warning-flag rule in (E)(2) rev. · read
- Over 212,000 lb and up to 254,000 lb — Louisiana caps the steering axle at 13,000 lb — subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the three overweight schedules, the 232,001 lb route restriction and the over-254,000 lb ton-mile formula with its structural evaluation fees rev. · read
- Louisiana publishes no card fee, no processing percentage and no wire-service markup — "All costs incidental to permits, such as, telephone charges, wire service charges, insurance, or escort fees must be borne by the applicant." undated document · read
- An out-of-state escort company pays $10 a year to work in Louisiana, and needs a trip permit to run intrastate — escort positioning (D)(9); the overweight-escort discretion (13); "it is strongly recommended that a clearance bar of some design be attached"; the $10 out-of-state registration rev. · read
4. Louisiana single-trip permit fees
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Single-trip base | $0rev. · read secondary hostLouisiana states no permit fee outside the oversize and overweight schedules themselves. The $10 oversize fee is carried as a fee band because R.S. 32:387(H)(3) waives it for a load that is also overweight. |
| Transaction / card | Not yet covered |
| Route analysis review | Not yet covered |
| Route with no bridges | Not yet covered |
Dimension bands
| Band | Fee |
|---|---|
| oversize single trip (statute: $10 per trip or per operating day) | $10rev. · read R.S. 32:387(H)(1)(a): "the fee for each overwidth, overheight, or overlength permit shall be ten dollars per trip or ten dollars per operating day for trips lasting more than one calendar day provided such vehicle or combination of vehicles is not also overweight". DOTD restates it as "Oversize – $10 per day / per trip". A mobile home or mobile office pays a flat $10 per permit for a consecutive 72-hour period under subparagraph (b) instead, which is the same amount and a different term. |
5. How Louisiana prices overweight
Graduated weight bands. R.S. 32:387(H)(2)(c) prints a flat fee per cell of a table with ten gross-weight rows and five distance columns. It is neither a pure weight step nor a per-mile rate: the amount is banded on BOTH, so 120,000 lb over 40 miles is $135.00 and the same load over 210 miles is $622.50.
The bands, as published
| Gross weight | Axles | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80,001 lb – 100,000 lb | any | $45applies from 0 to 50 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 80,001 lb – 100,000 lb | any | $67.50applies from 51 to 100 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 80,001 lb – 100,000 lb | any | $97.50applies from 101 to 150 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 80,001 lb – 100,000 lb | any | $120applies from 151 to 200 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 80,001 lb – 100,000 lb | any | $150applies from 201 to any miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 100,001 lb – 108,000 lb | any | $75applies from 0 to 50 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 100,001 lb – 108,000 lb | any | $142.50applies from 51 to 100 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 100,001 lb – 108,000 lb | any | $202.50applies from 101 to 150 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 100,001 lb – 108,000 lb | any | $270applies from 151 to 200 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 100,001 lb – 108,000 lb | any | $330applies from 201 to any miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 108,001 lb – 120,000 lb | any | $105applies from 0 to 50 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 108,001 lb – 120,000 lb | any | $195applies from 51 to 100 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 108,001 lb – 120,000 lb | any | $285applies from 101 to 150 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 108,001 lb – 120,000 lb | any | $375applies from 151 to 200 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 108,001 lb – 120,000 lb | any | $465applies from 201 to any miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 120,001 lb – 132,000 lb | any | $135applies from 0 to 50 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 120,001 lb – 132,000 lb | any | $255applies from 51 to 100 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 120,001 lb – 132,000 lb | any | $375applies from 101 to 150 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 120,001 lb – 132,000 lb | any | $495applies from 151 to 200 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 120,001 lb – 132,000 lb | any | $622.50applies from 201 to any miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 132,001 lb – 152,000 lb | any | $180applies from 0 to 50 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 132,001 lb – 152,000 lb | any | $337.50applies from 51 to 100 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 132,001 lb – 152,000 lb | any | $502.50applies from 101 to 150 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 132,001 lb – 152,000 lb | any | $667.50applies from 151 to 200 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 132,001 lb – 152,000 lb | any | $832.50applies from 201 to any miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 152,001 lb – 172,000 lb | any | $232.50applies from 0 to 50 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 152,001 lb – 172,000 lb | any | $442.50applies from 51 to 100 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 152,001 lb – 172,000 lb | any | $660applies from 101 to 150 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 152,001 lb – 172,000 lb | any | $877.50applies from 151 to 200 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 152,001 lb – 172,000 lb | any | $1,095applies from 201 to any miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 172,001 lb – 192,000 lb | any | $285applies from 0 to 50 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 172,001 lb – 192,000 lb | any | $547.50applies from 51 to 100 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 172,001 lb – 192,000 lb | any | $817.50applies from 101 to 150 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 172,001 lb – 192,000 lb | any | $1,087.50applies from 151 to 200 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 172,001 lb – 192,000 lb | any | $1,357.50applies from 201 to any miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 192,001 lb – 212,000 lb | any | $337.50applies from 0 to 50 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 192,001 lb – 212,000 lb | any | $652.50applies from 51 to 100 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 192,001 lb – 212,000 lb | any | $975applies from 101 to 150 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 192,001 lb – 212,000 lb | any | $1,297.50applies from 151 to 200 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 192,001 lb – 212,000 lb | any | $1,620applies from 201 to any miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 212,001 lb – 232,000 lb | any | $390applies from 0 to 50 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 212,001 lb – 232,000 lb | any | $757.50applies from 51 to 100 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 212,001 lb – 232,000 lb | any | $1,132.50applies from 101 to 150 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 212,001 lb – 232,000 lb | any | $1,507.50applies from 151 to 200 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 212,001 lb – 232,000 lb | any | $1,875applies from 201 to any miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 232,001 lb – 254,000 lb | any | $442.50applies from 0 to 50 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 232,001 lb – 254,000 lb | any | $862.50applies from 51 to 100 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 232,001 lb – 254,000 lb | any | $1,290applies from 101 to 150 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 232,001 lb – 254,000 lb | any | $1,717.50applies from 151 to 200 miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
| 232,001 lb – 254,000 lb | any | $2,130applies from 201 to any miles in-state | subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
The distance charge, with its rounding
Rounding is not a detail here: the same rate over the same miles can differ by a whole increment depending on which pounds are rounded and in which direction, so the rule is printed with the source's own words rather than applied silently.
| Gross weight | Axles | Rate and rounding | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 254,001 lb and up | any | $0.75 per mile for each 2,000 lb above 80,000 lba part increment is charged in full ("or fraction thereof")plus $15 added before any dollar rounding |
subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the thre…rev. · read secondary host |
6. Louisiana seasonal posting windows
A permit priced against an unposted-road assumption in March is simply wrong, and wrong in the expensive direction. This is the window we watch, the basis for that window in the state's own orders or statute, and the authority that posts it.
Louisiana is not in the seasonal-restriction registry, so we hold no posting window for it and are not inventing one.
7. Louisiana's superload threshold
Above one of these, the state stops issuing over the counter and prices the move after an engineering review.
| Trigger | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Gross weight | over 254,000 lbrev. · read secondary hostThe printed schedule’s top row is "232,001-254,000". R.S. 32:387(H)(2)(c)(iv): "OVER 254,000 -- $15.00 permit fee, plus $0.75 per ton-mile of weight in excess of 80,000 pounds, plus a fee for structural evaluation based on the following schedule". A ton-mile formula whose rounding convention is unpublished, plus a per-structure fee with no structure count, is not a quotable total. |
| Width | None published |
| Height | None published |
| Length | None published |
| Short axle spacing | Not yet covered |
8. Route survey and bridge review
The dimensions at which Louisiana triggers a physical route inspection or an engineering review, and what the agency charges to review it.
| Measurement | Inspection / review trigger |
|---|---|
| Width | over 18'rev. · read LAC 73:I.309: "The DOTD District Maintenance Engineer must approve all movements over 18 feet wide, such as houses." |
| Height | over 18'rev. · read LAC 73:I.717: "Movers of houses, buildings, or loads that exceed 18 feet in height must contact the DOTD district office where the move originates for procedures to be followed before a permit will be issued by the truck permit office." |
| Length | Not yet covered |
9. Police escorts
Louisiana State Police publishes a rate. One officer costs at least $150 before mileage.
What the schedule does not price3 items
- A separate fee for the use of the State Police vehicle: 0–49 mi $100; 50–99 mi $125; 100–199 mi $150; 200–299 mi $175; 300 mi and over $200. Paid on top of officer time. P.O. 1107 measures the vehicle fee from escort starting point to destination, excluding travel to/from the troop; officer travel time follows its separate troop schedule. Officer handovers do not create a second vehicle-use fee.
- One hour of travel time is added for a move beginning and ending in the same Troop area; travel across troop boundaries follows the Travel Time Remuneration Chart, which is not a published dollar figure.
- The mover must provide the officer a room when the move runs more than one day. No cancellation charge is published — that is unknown here, not zero.
10. When you can move it
Holiday, curfew and night-travel windows are not yet encoded for Louisiana. The seasonal picture — which is a different question — is in section 6 above.
Why those windows are absent rather than estimated
They are not guessed at here. What we do publish is the seasonal weight-restriction picture, with the date we last read each state's own bulletin — a curfew invented from a plausible pattern is worth less than an honest gap, because a reader cannot tell the two apart on the page.
11. Permit office
The agency behind each figure above is linked from that figure. We publish no per-state permit-office phone number.
Why there is no phone number here
We are not publishing per-state permit-office phone numbers yet, and the reason is worth stating: the two seed lists available for them are both demonstrably stale — the federal one gives two different states the same phone number — and a wrong number on a page like this costs somebody a morning. The agency behind each figure above is linked from that figure, which is the part we can stand behind today.
12. What this does not include
Named rather than gestured at, because each of these can exceed the permit itself. Every item is listed; open one for why it is excluded.
Line haul, fuel and driver time
This is a permit fee, not a freight rate.
Civilian pilot car rates
We hold no rate data, and the two commercial sites that publish market rates disagree by nearly a factor of two on the same service.
Route-survey engineering
The agency's review fee is shown where the state publishes one; the engineer's own fee is a private cost with no schedule.
Bonds and escrow
Set per move by the agency, and in at least one state the escort is billed at actual cost against it.
Utility coordination and line lifts
Arranged with each utility, priced by each utility.
Second-issuer permits
A toll, bridge or city authority inside the same state issues its own permit, and a state total that omits it is missing a whole permit.
Need a pilot car for this lane? Browse the pilot car & escort directory.
13. Every source behind this page (14)
Every document behind Louisiana14 sources
- La. Admin. Code tit. 73, §I-1901 — Escort vehicle requirements (last amended August 2016) — Cornell Legal Information Institute, reproducing the Louisiana Administrative Code — escort positioning (D)(9); the overweight-escort discretion (13); "it is strongly recommended that a clearance bar of some design be attached"; the $10 out-of-state registration
rev. · read - La. Admin. Code tit. 73, §I-309 — Permit restrictions (last amended April 1994) — Cornell Legal Information Institute, reproducing the Louisiana Administrative Code — "The DOTD District Maintenance Engineer must approve all movements over 18 feet wide"; the 4 ft rear-overhang warning-flag rule in (E)(2)
rev. · read - La. Admin. Code tit. 73, §I-701 — General permit provisions (undated) — Cornell Legal Information Institute, reproducing the Louisiana Administrative Code — "All costs incidental to permits, such as, telephone charges, wire service charges, insurance, or escort fees must be borne by the applicant."
undated document · read - La. Admin. Code tit. 73, §I-711 — Maximum permit weights allowed (last amended February 1996) — Cornell Legal Information Institute, reproducing the Louisiana Administrative Code — "Gross Vehicle Weight-238,000 pounds ... Since railroads and navigable waterways are adequate for the movement of loads in excess of 238,000 pounds, these facilities must be used instead of highways"
rev. · read - La. Admin. Code tit. 73, §I-716 — Overheight load notification — Justia, reproducing the Louisiana Administrative Code — "All loads exceeding 16 feet 5 inches in height that are moving on state highways are required to notify the DOTD district office where the move originates."
rev. · read - La. Admin. Code tit. 73, §I-717 — Houses or buildings over 18 feet high (last amended February 1996) — Cornell Legal Information Institute, reproducing the Louisiana Administrative Code — "Movers of houses, buildings, or loads that exceed 18 feet in height must contact the DOTD district office where the move originates for procedures to be followed before a permit will be issued"
rev. · read - La. Admin. Code tit. 73, §I-723 — Escorts, cancellations and periodic permits (undated) — Cornell Legal Information Institute, reproducing the Louisiana Administrative Code — the private-escort and state-police escort triggers; "Class II ($500 per year)"; "Pleasure Craft ($5 Fee for 30 Days)"; the $5 cancellation retention
undated document · read - La. R.S. 32:380 — Width of vehicles (via Justia) — Justia, reproducing the Louisiana Revised Statutes — "A. The width of any vehicle shall not exceed one hundred two inches, exclusive of safety devices."; subsection D, the secretary designates the qualifying highway system
rev. · read secondary host - La. R.S. 32:381 — Height of vehicles (via Justia) — Justia, reproducing the Louisiana Revised Statutes — 13 ft 6 in generally; 14 ft for a vehicle operating EXCLUSIVELY on the interstate system with one road mile of access
rev. · read secondary host - La. R.S. 32:382 — Length of vehicles and projecting loads (via Justia) — Justia, reproducing the Louisiana Revised Statutes — 45 ft single vehicle; 59 ft 6 in semitrailer; 4 ft front and 8 ft rear projection; 15 ft for poles and piling and 20 ft for forest products
rev. · read secondary host - La. R.S. 32:386 — Weight of vehicles (via Justia) — Justia, reproducing the Louisiana Revised Statutes — 80,000 lb gross; 20,000 lb single and 34,000 lb tandem on low-pressure pneumatic tires; 88,000 lb and 83,400 lb tridum/quadrum allowances; the bridge formula in subsection H
rev. · read secondary host - La. R.S. 32:387 — Special permits for excessive size and weight (via Justia) — Justia, reproducing the Louisiana Revised Statutes — subsection H — the $10 oversize fee, the three overweight schedules, the 232,001 lb route restriction and the over-254,000 lb ton-mile formula with its structural evaluation fees
rev. · read secondary host - Louisiana DOTD — Louisiana Regulations for Trucks, Vehicles, and Loads (2026 book) — Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, Truck Permit Office — p.35-36 POLE TRUCKS: "Are required for loads over 15’ 10” high and must travel in front of loads on the state-maintained highway system so they can detect low vertical clearances."; "Loads traveling only on Interstate highways are exempt from this requirement, as are those traveling off of the state maintained highway system."; p.37 curfew hours 7:00 A.M. - 9:00 A.M. and 3:30 P.M. - 5:30 P.M.
rev. · read - Louisiana State Police Policy Order P.O. 1107 — Escorts — Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections — "Fees for off-duty escorts are $75.00 per hour with a two-hour minimum."; the travel-time and $150.00 minimum rules; the lodging obligation
rev. · read
Questions
How much is an oversize permit in Louisiana?
The single-trip base is $0, before the dimension bands, the overweight component and the transaction charge. The base alone is rarely what is paid.
When does Louisiana require a pilot car?
The first width trigger is over 12'.
What is a superload in Louisiana?
Louisiana's published gross-weight superload line is over 254,000 lb. It is not 80,000 lb; that is the federal legal gross limit, not a superload threshold.