Alabama Oversize Load Permit Requirements
Legal truck dimensions, oversize load travel hours, pilot car and escort requirements, and how to order an oversize/overweight permit from ALDOT Maintenance Bureau - Vehicle Enforcement (OS/OW Permit Office).
AL, reviewed October 2026
Check your load for Alabama
Oversize permit required in Alabama
- Width 10 ft 0 in exceeds the 8 ft 6 in legal limit.
No width-based pilot car at 10 ft 0 in wide.
Alabama Truck Legal Width, Height & Length
A truck and load at or under these dimensions can travel Alabama highways without an oversize permit. Exceed any one of them and you need a permit before you move.
| Legal width | 8 ft 6 in |
|---|---|
| Legal height | 13 ft 6 in |
| Legal length | Single vehicle 40 ft; semitrailer in tractor-semitrailer 57 ft; each unit of doubles 28.5 ft; max 5 ft overhang front/rear (Code of Ala. 32-9-20). |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs |
Alabama Oversize Load Travel Hours
- Daily movement window
- Daylight hours only; no night movement for permitted vehicles (ALDOT Rule 450-3-1-.04).
- Weekend movement
- No permitted travel on Sundays; Saturdays allowed in daylight.
- Holiday restrictions
- 2026 ALDOT schedule: no permitted travel from sunset the day before the holiday until sunrise the day after; for Monday/Friday holidays the whole weekend is closed (e.g. Memorial Day 2026: sunset Sat 5/23 to sunrise Tue 5/26; Thanksgiving: sunset Wed 11/25 to sunrise Mon 11/30). Rule 450-3-1-.04 also bars travel on Sundays and the six holidays. See this year's holiday dates for all states.
Alabama Pilot Car Requirements
Loads over 12 ft to 14 ft wide need one escort (front on two-lane roads, rear on multilane); over 14 ft need front and rear escorts; over 15 ft 6 in needs a front escort with height indicator; 90 to 125 ft long needs a rear escort.
| First pilot car (width) | 12 ft 0 in wide and over |
|---|---|
| Two pilot cars (width) | 14 ft 0 in wide and over |
| Height-pole escort | 15 ft 6 in tall and over |
| Length escort | 90 ft 0 in long and over |
Alabama pilot car requirements by load width and height. Crossing a border? Compare with Florida, Mississippi.
How to order a Alabama oversize permit
ALDOT Maintenance Bureau - Vehicle Enforcement (OS/OW Permit Office)
Overweight as well? Check axle limits with the bridge formula calculator.
Crossing Alabama without Alabama apportioned plates? Estimate the temporary trip permit cost with the trip permit cost estimator.
Alabama Oversize Load FAQs
- What are the oversize load travel hours in Alabama?
- Daylight hours only; no night movement for permitted vehicles (ALDOT Rule 450-3-1-.04). Weekends: No permitted travel on Sundays; Saturdays allowed in daylight.
- When is a pilot car required in Alabama?
- Loads over 12 ft to 14 ft wide need one escort (front on two-lane roads, rear on multilane); over 14 ft need front and rear escorts; over 15 ft 6 in needs a front escort with height indicator; 90 to 125 ft long needs a rear escort. Height: 15 ft 6 in and taller (height-pole escort).
- What is the legal truck width in Alabama?
- The standard legal width in Alabama is 8 ft 6 in (102 inches), the federal minimum width allowed on the National Network of highways. A load wider than that needs an oversize permit.
- How tall can a truck be in Alabama without a permit?
- The legal height limit in Alabama is 13 ft 6 in, measured from the road surface to the highest point of the vehicle or load. Taller loads need an oversize permit and a surveyed route for bridge and wire clearances.
- Can oversize loads move on holidays in Alabama?
- 2026 ALDOT schedule: no permitted travel from sunset the day before the holiday until sunrise the day after; for Monday/Friday holidays the whole weekend is closed (e.g. Memorial Day 2026: sunset Sat 5/23 to sunrise Tue 5/26; Thanksgiving: sunset Wed 11/25 to sunrise Mon 11/30). Rule 450-3-1-.04 also bars travel on Sundays and the six holidays.
- How do I get an oversize or overweight permit in Alabama?
- Apply through ALDOT Maintenance Bureau - Vehicle Enforcement (OS/OW Permit Office) (800-499-2782) or its online permit portal. Have your USDOT number, vehicle and load dimensions, axle weights and route ready. Permit expediting agents can file on your behalf if you need the permit the same day.
Regulations change. This page summarises published Alabama rules as reviewed October 2026 and is not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control. Note: Gross weight left null (ALDOT presentation refers to federal bridge formula; 80,000 not seen stated). Rule 450-3-1-.05 says escorts are 'not limited to' the listed triggers; ALDOT may require more. Mobile homes have a lighting-system alternative to the rear escort. Rear escort also needed for >5 ft rear overhang; front escort for 10 ft+ front overhang. 125-150 ft needs front and rear; over 150 ft law enforcement escorts. 2026 holiday text marked 'subject to change' by ALDOT.