Texas 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 TxDMV Motor Carrier Division.
TX, reviewed October 2026
Check your load for Texas
Oversize permit required in Texas
- Width 10 ft 0 in exceeds the 8 ft 6 in legal limit.
No width-based pilot car at 10 ft 0 in wide.
Texas Truck Legal Width, Height & Length
A truck and load at or under these dimensions can travel Texas 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 | 14 ft 0 in |
| Legal length | 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 |
Texas Oversize Load Travel Hours
- Daily movement window
- 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.
- Weekend movement
- No general weekend movement restriction found on TxDMV pages; permit office is closed weekends. Holiday restrictions apply.
- Holiday restrictions
- TxDMV: vehicles and loads exceeding 14 ft wide, 16 ft high, or 110 ft long may not be moved on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day unless TxDMV grants an exception. Manufactured housing is prohibited on all national holidays (Gov't Code 662.003). See this year's holiday dates for all states.
Texas Pilot Car Requirements
Over 14 ft to 16 ft wide: one escort (front on two-lane, rear on multi-lane); over 16 ft: front and rear. Over 17 ft high: front escort with height pole; over 18 ft: front and rear. Over 110 ft long: one escort; over 125 ft: two.
| First pilot car (width) | 14 ft 0 in wide and over |
|---|---|
| Two pilot cars (width) | 16 ft 0 in wide and over |
| Height-pole escort | 17 ft 0 in tall and over |
| Length escort | 110 ft 0 in long and over |
Texas pilot car requirements by load width and height. Crossing a border? Compare with Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma.
How to order a Texas oversize permit
TxDMV Motor Carrier Division
Overweight as well? Check axle limits with the bridge formula calculator.
Crossing Texas without Texas apportioned plates? Estimate the temporary trip permit cost with the trip permit cost estimator.
Texas Oversize Load FAQs
- What are the oversize load travel hours in 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. Weekends: No general weekend movement restriction found on TxDMV pages; permit office is closed weekends. Holiday restrictions apply.
- When is a pilot car required in Texas?
- Over 14 ft to 16 ft wide: one escort (front on two-lane, rear on multi-lane); over 16 ft: front and rear. Over 17 ft high: front escort with height pole; over 18 ft: front and rear. Over 110 ft long: one escort; over 125 ft: two. Height: 17 ft 0 in and taller (height-pole escort).
- What is the legal truck width in Texas?
- The standard legal width in Texas 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 Texas without a permit?
- The legal height limit in Texas is 14 ft 0 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 Texas?
- TxDMV: vehicles and loads exceeding 14 ft wide, 16 ft high, or 110 ft long may not be moved on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day unless TxDMV grants an exception. Manufactured housing is prohibited on all national holidays (Gov't Code 662.003).
- How do I get an oversize or overweight permit in Texas?
- Apply through TxDMV Motor Carrier Division ((800) 299-1700) 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 Texas rules as reviewed October 2026 and is not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control. Note: Travel-hours text comes from a 2012 TxDOT handbook hosted by TMCEC (not a current TxDMV page), so treat as medium. First escort on 2-lane is front, on multi-lane is rear. Law-enforcement escorts may also be required by TxDMV. Max permitted width 16 ft on Interstate, 14 ft on holidays.