North Carolina vs South Carolina Oversize Load Rules
What changes for an oversize load between North Carolina and South Carolina: legal height, pilot car triggers, height poles and travel hours.
I-95, reviewed October 2026
What changes at the North Carolina and South Carolina border
- Legal height
- North Carolina allows 14 ft 0 in without a permit; South Carolina stops at 13 ft 6 in. A load between the two is legal in North Carolina and needs a permit in South Carolina.
- First pilot car
- North Carolina requires a pilot car from 12 ft 1 in wide; South Carolina waits until 14 ft 0 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in North Carolina only.
- Second pilot car
- North Carolina adds a second escort at 14 ft 1 in wide; South Carolina at 16 ft 0 in.
- Height pole
- North Carolina requires a height-pole escort from 14 ft 5 in; South Carolina from 16 ft 0 in.
Check one load against both states
North Carolina
- Oversize permit required
- No width escort
South Carolina
- 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 | North Carolina | South Carolina |
|---|---|---|
| Legal width | 8 ft 6 in | 8 ft 6 in |
| Legal height | 14 ft 0 in | 13 ft 6 in |
| Legal length | Single vehicle 40 ft; vehicle combination 60 ft; tractor with 53-ft semi-trailer has no overall length limit on all roads (NCDOT Permit Handbook). | Single motor vehicle 40 ft; tractor-semitrailer on Interstate and qualifying routes: semitrailer max 53 ft, no overall length limit; trailers in 3-unit combinations 28.5 ft each. |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs | 80,000 lbs |
| First pilot car at | 12 ft 1 in | 14 ft 0 in |
| Second pilot car at | 14 ft 1 in | 16 ft 0 in |
| Height pole at | 14 ft 5 in | 16 ft 0 in |
| Length escort at | 110 ft 0 in | 125 ft 0 in |
| Travel hours | Sunrise to sunset, Monday through Sunday, for general commodities. Loads over 12 ft wide are barred 7-9 am and 4-6 pm within 10 miles of the city limits of Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. Continuous 24/7 travel only for permits up to 112,000 lbs with no overdimension. | Loads up to 12 ft wide: sunrise to sunset; over 12 to 15 ft wide: sunrise to sunset except near large urban areas 7-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m. on school days (4:30-6 p.m. otherwise); over 15 to 16 ft wide: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (school days) or 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; overweight loads up to 130,000 lb may travel continuously on request. |
| Weekends | Weekend travel permitted (Monday through Sunday, sunrise to sunset) apart from holiday restrictions. | Travel allowed Monday through Sunday under the hours above; Saturday and Sunday movement is prohibited east of I-95 on Myrtle Beach area routes from Memorial Day through Labor Day. |
| Trip permit | $15.00 | Fee not confirmed |
| Permit office | 1-888-221-8166 (NCDOT Oversize/Overweight Permit Unit (Central Permit Office)) | SCDOT Oversize/Overweight Permit Office |
Go deeper
- Pilot car detail: North Carolina, South Carolina
- Full guides: North Carolina, South Carolina
- Running through both without local plates? Estimate the trip permit cost
- Moving over a holiday? Check holiday restrictions
North Carolina and South Carolina FAQs
- Do North Carolina and South Carolina require pilot cars at the same width?
- North Carolina requires a pilot car from 12 ft 1 in wide; South Carolina waits until 14 ft 0 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in North Carolina only.
- Is the legal truck height the same in North Carolina and South Carolina?
- North Carolina allows 14 ft 0 in without a permit; South Carolina stops at 13 ft 6 in. A load between the two is legal in North Carolina and needs a permit in South Carolina.
- Do I need a separate permit for each state between North Carolina and South Carolina?
- Yes. Oversize and overweight permits are issued by each state, so a move through both needs a permit from NCDOT Oversize/Overweight Permit Unit (Central Permit Office) and one from SCDOT Oversize/Overweight Permit Office, each with its own route, hours and escort conditions.
- Which travel hours apply in North Carolina and South Carolina?
- North Carolina: Sunrise to sunset, Monday through Sunday, for general commodities. Loads over 12 ft wide are barred 7-9 am and 4-6 pm within 10 miles of the city limits of Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. Continuous 24/7 travel only for permits up to 112,000 lbs with no overdimension. South Carolina: Loads up to 12 ft wide: sunrise to sunset; over 12 to 15 ft wide: sunrise to sunset except near large urban areas 7-9 a.m. and 3-6 p.m. on school days (4:30-6 p.m. otherwise); over 15 to 16 ft wide: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (school days) or 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; overweight loads up to 130,000 lb may travel continuously on request. 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.