Oklahoma vs Texas Oversize Load Rules
What changes for an oversize load between Oklahoma and Texas: legal height, pilot car triggers, height poles and travel hours.
I-35, I-40, reviewed October 2026
What changes at the Oklahoma and Texas border
- Legal height
- Texas allows 14 ft 0 in without a permit; Oklahoma stops at 13 ft 6 in. A load between the two is legal in Texas and needs a permit in Oklahoma.
- First pilot car
- Oklahoma requires a pilot car from 12 ft 0 in wide; Texas waits until 14 ft 0 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in Oklahoma only.
- Height pole
- Texas sets a height-pole trigger at 17 ft 0 in; Oklahoma does not publish one, so check the permit.
Check one load against both states
Oklahoma
- 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 | Oklahoma | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Legal width | 8 ft 6 in | 8 ft 6 in |
| Legal height | 13 ft 6 in | 14 ft 0 in |
| Legal length | ODOT states only that length limits vary by vehicle type; third-party summaries cite 53 ft semitrailer and 75 ft combination (not verified on an official page). | 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 | 12 ft 0 in | 14 ft 0 in |
| Second pilot car at | 16 ft 0 in | 16 ft 0 in |
| Height pole at | Not confirmed | 17 ft 0 in |
| Length escort at | Not confirmed | 110 ft 0 in |
| Travel hours | Oversize loads daylight only (30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset); overweight-only loads may travel continuously. Oversize loads barred on Interstates in Cleveland, Oklahoma and Tulsa counties 7-9 a.m. and 3:30-6:30 p.m. Central, Monday-Friday. | 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 ban stated on the ODOT FAQ; the daylight-only rule applies 7 days a week and metro Interstate curfews apply Monday-Friday only. | No general weekend movement restriction found on TxDMV pages; permit office is closed weekends. Holiday restrictions apply. |
| Trip permit | $22.00 | $25.00 |
| Permit office | 405-425-7012 (Oklahoma DOT (ODOT) Size and Weight Permits (OkiePROS)) | (800) 299-1700 (TxDMV Motor Carrier Division) |
Go deeper
- Pilot car detail: Oklahoma, Texas
- Full guides: Oklahoma, Texas
- Running through both without local plates? Estimate the trip permit cost
- Moving over a holiday? Check holiday restrictions
Oklahoma and Texas FAQs
- Do Oklahoma and Texas require pilot cars at the same width?
- Oklahoma requires a pilot car from 12 ft 0 in wide; Texas waits until 14 ft 0 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in Oklahoma only.
- Is the legal truck height the same in Oklahoma and Texas?
- Texas allows 14 ft 0 in without a permit; Oklahoma stops at 13 ft 6 in. A load between the two is legal in Texas and needs a permit in Oklahoma.
- Do I need a separate permit for each state between Oklahoma and Texas?
- Yes. Oversize and overweight permits are issued by each state, so a move through both needs a permit from Oklahoma DOT (ODOT) Size and Weight Permits (OkiePROS) and one from TxDMV Motor Carrier Division, each with its own route, hours and escort conditions.
- Which travel hours apply in Oklahoma and Texas?
- Oklahoma: Oversize loads daylight only (30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset); overweight-only loads may travel continuously. Oversize loads barred on Interstates in Cleveland, Oklahoma and Tulsa counties 7-9 a.m. and 3:30-6:30 p.m. Central, Monday-Friday. 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.