New Mexico vs Texas Oversize Load Rules
What changes for an oversize load between New Mexico and Texas: legal height, pilot car triggers, height poles and travel hours.
I-10, I-40, reviewed October 2026
What changes at the New Mexico and Texas border
- Legal height
- Both states use the same legal height, 14 ft 0 in.
- First pilot car
- Both states require the first pilot car at 14 ft 0 in wide.
- Height pole
- New Mexico requires a height-pole escort from 16 ft 0 in; Texas from 17 ft 0 in.
Check one load against both states
New Mexico
- Oversize permit required
- No width escort
Texas
- 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 | New Mexico | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Legal width | 8 ft 6 in | 8 ft 6 in |
| Legal height | 14 ft 0 in | 14 ft 0 in |
| Legal length | Statutory height limit 14 ft per NMAC 18.19.8; legal single-trailer and combination length limits not verified from an official source. | Single motor vehicle 45 ft; semitrailer of a two-vehicle combination 59 ft; twin trailers 28.5 ft each; truck-tractor combinations no overall limit; other two-vehicle combos 65 ft; overhang 3 ft front and 4 ft rear. |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs | 80,000 lbs |
| First pilot car at | 14 ft 0 in | 14 ft 0 in |
| Second pilot car at | Not confirmed | 16 ft 0 in |
| Height pole at | 16 ft 0 in | 17 ft 0 in |
| Length escort at | 110 ft 1 in | 110 ft 0 in |
| Travel hours | Daylight only (30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset) unless continuous movement is specifically authorized on the permit; no movement in inclement weather. | Daylight only (30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset) unless night criteria are met, e.g. overweight-only loads, or interstate loads up to 10 ft wide and 100 ft long with legal overhangs; emergency night exceptions need front and rear escorts. Source is an older TxDOT Motor Carrier Handbook; verify current. |
| Weekends | No weekend restriction in the rule; daylight movement applies any day of the week except holidays. | No general weekend movement restriction found on TxDMV pages; permit office is closed weekends. Holiday restrictions apply. |
| Trip permit | Fee not confirmed | $25.00 |
| Permit office | 505-476-2475 (NMDOT Transportation Regulation Bureau (OS/OW Permit Office)) | (800) 299-1700 (TxDMV Motor Carrier Division) |
Go deeper
- Pilot car detail: New Mexico, Texas
- Full guides: New Mexico, Texas
- Running through both without local plates? Estimate the trip permit cost
- Moving over a holiday? Check holiday restrictions
New Mexico and Texas FAQs
- Do New Mexico and Texas require pilot cars at the same width?
- Both states require the first pilot car at 14 ft 0 in wide.
- Is the legal truck height the same in New Mexico and Texas?
- Both states use the same legal height, 14 ft 0 in.
- Do I need a separate permit for each state between New Mexico and Texas?
- Yes. Oversize and overweight permits are issued by each state, so a move through both needs a permit from NMDOT Transportation Regulation Bureau (OS/OW Permit Office) and one from TxDMV Motor Carrier Division, each with its own route, hours and escort conditions.
- Which travel hours apply in New Mexico and Texas?
- New Mexico: Daylight only (30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset) unless continuous movement is specifically authorized on the permit; no movement in inclement weather. Texas: Daylight only (30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset) unless night criteria are met, e.g. overweight-only loads, or interstate loads up to 10 ft wide and 100 ft long with legal overhangs; emergency night exceptions need front and rear escorts. Source is an older TxDOT Motor Carrier Handbook; verify current. 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.