Louisiana vs Mississippi Oversize Load Rules
What changes for an oversize load between Louisiana and Mississippi: legal height, pilot car triggers, height poles and travel hours.
I-10, reviewed October 2026
What changes at the Louisiana and Mississippi border
- Legal height
- Both states use the same legal height, 13 ft 6 in.
- First pilot car
- Louisiana requires a pilot car from 12 ft 0 in wide; Mississippi waits until 13 ft 0 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in Louisiana only.
- Height pole
- Mississippi requires a height-pole escort from 15 ft 7 in; Louisiana from 15 ft 10 in.
Check one load against both states
Louisiana
- Oversize permit required
- No width escort
Mississippi
- Oversize permit required
- No width escort
11 ft 0 in wide, 14 ft 0 in tall. Length is not checked here.
Side by side
| Rule | Louisiana | Mississippi |
|---|---|---|
| Legal width | 8 ft 6 in | 8 ft 6 in |
| Legal height | 13 ft 6 in | 13 ft 6 in |
| Legal length | Single vehicle 45 ft; semitrailer 59.5 ft on designated truck routes; trailers in twin combinations 30 ft; 65 ft general combination length; specialized combos (boat/auto transporters) 75-80 ft. | 53 ft trailer; 99 ft overall; overhang 3 ft front, 14 ft 11 in rear (28 ft forest products). |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs | 80,000 lbs |
| First pilot car at | 12 ft 0 in | 13 ft 0 in |
| Second pilot car at | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Height pole at | 15 ft 10 in | 15 ft 7 in |
| Length escort at | 90 ft 0 in | 99 ft 0 in |
| Travel hours | Normal permit hours are sunrise to sunset (NWS). Loads over 12 ft wide are barred Mon-Fri 7-9 am and 3:30-5:30 pm on interstates in parts of Shreveport, Monroe, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and New Orleans; over 12 ft wide not in New Orleans 7-9 am and 3:30-6 pm Mon-Fri on non-interstate. Night/inclement-weather movement generally prohibited except loads with no projection, legal width and length, height 14 ft 4 in or less and not over 120,000 lb. | Daylight hours only for most oversize loads: sunrise to sunset for loads 12 ft wide or less; 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset for loads over 12 ft. Limited night movement for loads up to 12 ft wide, 150,000 lb, 99 ft long. |
| Weekends | No general weekend ban stated; permit days can be selected as Mon-Fri, Mon-Sat or Mon-Sun, and holidays and certain other days may be excluded. | No general weekend ban found in the MDOT manual; Special Heavy Equipment Blanket permits allow 24/7 movement of loads up to 12 ft wide, with daylight Monday-Saturday moves for loads over 12 to 14 ft wide. |
| Trip permit | $50.00 | $25.00 |
| Permit office | Louisiana DOTD Truck Permit Office (LaGeaux permit system) | MDOT Office of Law Enforcement - Permits/Motor Carrier Division |
Go deeper
- Pilot car detail: Louisiana, Mississippi
- Full guides: Louisiana, Mississippi
- Running through both without local plates? Estimate the trip permit cost
- Moving over a holiday? Check holiday restrictions
Louisiana and Mississippi FAQs
- Do Louisiana and Mississippi require pilot cars at the same width?
- Louisiana requires a pilot car from 12 ft 0 in wide; Mississippi waits until 13 ft 0 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in Louisiana only.
- Is the legal truck height the same in Louisiana and Mississippi?
- Both states use the same legal height, 13 ft 6 in.
- Do I need a separate permit for each state between Louisiana and Mississippi?
- Yes. Oversize and overweight permits are issued by each state, so a move through both needs a permit from Louisiana DOTD Truck Permit Office (LaGeaux permit system) and one from MDOT Office of Law Enforcement - Permits/Motor Carrier Division, each with its own route, hours and escort conditions.
- Which travel hours apply in Louisiana and Mississippi?
- Louisiana: Normal permit hours are sunrise to sunset (NWS). Loads over 12 ft wide are barred Mon-Fri 7-9 am and 3:30-5:30 pm on interstates in parts of Shreveport, Monroe, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and New Orleans; over 12 ft wide not in New Orleans 7-9 am and 3:30-6 pm Mon-Fri on non-interstate. Night/inclement-weather movement generally prohibited except loads with no projection, legal width and length, height 14 ft 4 in or less and not over 120,000 lb. Mississippi: Daylight hours only for most oversize loads: sunrise to sunset for loads 12 ft wide or less; 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset for loads over 12 ft. Limited night movement for loads up to 12 ft wide, 150,000 lb, 99 ft long. The conditions printed on the permit control.
Compiled from each state's published permit rules, reviewed October 2026. Not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control.